From the very first days of the appearance of a kitten in the house, it is required to begin to accustom him to the tray. The smaller the age of the pet, the easier it is to accustom it to the toilet. However, difficulty arises if the owners do not want to use a filler. Perhaps they prefer to fill the granules under the grate or do without them at all - lay the newspaper, pour water, fill the soda. In any case, it’s more difficult to teach a kitten to a pot without a filler.
Pros and cons of a tray without filler
Each owner of a cat and a cat chooses for himself whether it is worth using a special cat filler for the toilet. In each case, there are advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of using an empty pot are as follows.
- The mistress will not have to collect pellets scattered around the house every day. In addition, many varieties can stick to the legs of a pet and spread around the apartment.
- Some cats do not recognize the filler at all, it is more convenient for them to visit an empty tray. Although in general it is still a rarity.
- Many animals can not resist the temptation to taste the granules, and most fillers adversely affect the health of the pet when it enters the stomach. Kittens are especially fond of eating filler.
- In many cases, the use of filler is unhygienic. Some species (for example, clumping ones) become very dusty and leave marks on the animal’s hair.
- The use of filler is not recommended in an apartment where young children live, as young owners often are not averse to playing with pebbles.
- Another plus of refusing filler is cost savings. Some varieties are quite expensive.
At the same time, the use of filler has significant advantages.
- Most cats still love to delve into the granules, to hide their waste products.
- When using filler in the house, the smell is much less felt.
- The use of some granules does not require instant cleaning of liquid waste.
- Cleaning the tray after the filler is easier; it can be done more carefully.
How to teach?
At the responsible and patient owner, the kitten will begin to go into the tray without mistakes by 2 months. It is possible to accustom a baby to a tray without a filler by observing the following steps.
- First, it is important to teach the kitten how to use a pot with a filler. Pour some granules into the tray and put the kitten on top. Do not force him to go to the toilet, do not sit down, just watch. Plant it several times during the day. If the fluffy child went to the toilet to another place, then transfer the waste products to the tray for a while. Liquid waste can be soaked in a piece of newspaper and put in a pot. After a while, the kitten will understand why a tray is needed.
- Do not remove the filler immediately, as the pet learns to go to the toilet in the right place. Leave the pellets for 3-4 weeks, do not forget to clean the pot regularly, accustoming the kitten to cleanliness.
- After the specified time, you can try to accustom your pet to the toilet in an empty tray. Now the baby knows where he should perform his intimate procedures, he has studied the capacity, even a carefully cleaned tray retains the corresponding smell, and the kitten quickly settles when it is in an empty tray.
- If the kitten does not immediately understand what to do with the empty tray, you can try to release the pot from the granules gradually, reducing the amount of filler every week, thereby weaning it from the use of absorbent lumps. When at the end of the weaning period only a handful of pebbles remain in the container, of course, the kitten will not like it, but it will get used to it over time.
This method will not allow the baby to fall into a state of shock when he sees an empty tray.
Recommendations of specialists
In order for the kitten to get used to the new regimen faster, listen to the advice of veterinarians on teaching young animals to the potty.
- Put the tray in a quiet place where there aren’t many people, and nobody will bother the baby.
- Choose a tray with a wide area and low sides. It will be more convenient for kittens to get accustomed to such a capacity.
- Pour all liquid waste that has fallen under the grate immediately. Solid household products also require immediate cleaning.
- Rinse the tray after each use with a kitten.
What to use instead of filler?
Instead of filler under the grate, you can pour sand or sawdust. Another option is to use plain water. Pour a little liquid into the bottom, you can sprinkle a little soda (it absorbs the smell), and put the grill on top. This option is suitable for such trays, in which the grill is located quite high.
You can simply put a newspaper, however, you will have to change it after each urination of the pet. That is, this method is suitable for those owners who have the opportunity to always be at home.
You can use the above soda in the case of sand or sawdust. Pour the powder to the bottom, and sprinkle granules on top. This method will allow you to maintain a pleasant atmosphere in the house longer. Some owners do not add anything to the tray at all - they leave it empty, and put the grate on top. However, in this case, an unpleasant odor can spread throughout the apartment if the pot is not washed in time.
Tips from the veterinarian to teach the kitten to the tray can be found in the video below.
