Why do cats know to instinctively use the litter box?
Topics: Cat Training | 7 Comments »By admin | March 8, 2010
Just a general thought, really. Every cat I’ve had that I’ve raised from a kitten has been the same- the day we get her, we plop her in the box maybe twice in the day, and that’s all the training she needs. From that moment on, she doesn’t need to be reprimanded for an accidental spill or anything- she just knows. Anyone know reasons for this?
Posted by Brittany on 03.09.10 12:18 am
because cats use the restroom in the dirt or sand and thats all the dirt or sand you got in the house so the mark their spot there and keep it cause thats the only dirt the can find cause in the wild the use the dirt to cover the scent so they cant be followed
Posted by Hayley♥ on 03.09.10 12:41 am
Usually the left over smell of urine is telling them to go there, or pure memory, really.
Posted by Steph on 03.09.10 12:43 am
It’s just their normal instinct. . . You don’t actually have to toilet train a cat, it comes naturally.
Posted by amy k on 03.09.10 1:28 am
Cats like to be able to cover up their messes. That’s the instinct that’s reinforced when they see their mother using the litter box within the first few weeks of their lives. The only place where they can cover up their messes (unless you have some potted plants around!) is the litter box, and most litters cover up odor very well.
Posted by uhhhhheather on 03.09.10 1:58 am
It’s just an innate behavior. lol my cat goes crazy when she uses the litter box. We have one with the high walls so litter doesn’t get everywhere and she feels the need to scratch the walls for a minute or so before she goes to the bathroom. And then after she’s gone she spends another few minutes scratching and burying it all.
Posted by Mark K on 03.09.10 2:45 am
Kittens will use the litter box because their mums teach them to. However it is thought that kittens will instinctively try to bury their poos *somewhere*!
Domestic cats in the outdoors (and feral cats) will bury their poos as it is a beneficial adaption for a stealth hunter – hides the dimensions of their hunting ground, and the presence of the cat itself from potential prey, and also from potential threats.
Incidentally, they do mark their hunting ground with their scent glands (all that rubbing), plus urine in some cases – this is to announce to other cats the dimensions of their hunting ground (stay out)!
Posted by miranda on 03.09.10 3:20 am
Because the litter box is an example of us adapting to cats, instead of cats adapting to us. They naturally go in something they can dig in to cover it up so we started getting them boxes to make that easier for us.