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*Helps bring problem cats back to the litter box
*Great training litter for kittens
*One bottle treats 100 lbs. of litter
*Lasts one cat over 3 months
*Superior odor control
No matter how much you love your cat, if it is not using its litter box, you and your cat have a problem. In fact, non-use of the litter box is the number one behavioral reason cats are abused, abandoned, and put in shelters. In my 20 years as a felineonly veterinarian, I know the happiest cat families are those in which the feline residents use their litter boxes — and nothing else.
This booklet and my litter products are dedicated to maintaining a happy, healthy life for the cats in your household. If you have a new kitten or a problem cat, please read this brochure, follow the steps carefully, and use Cat Attract™. Cat Attract’s granular size, scent, and texture are specifically designed with your cat in mind. If the problem persists, take your cat to a veterinarian. Your cat may have a medical problem. Bruce Elsey, DVM
In testing, premium scoopable litters have proven to be far more effective with problem cats and kittens than conventional litters. Proper use will maintain a healthier environment for your cat.
Don’t punish your cat! Although you may regard your cat or kitten’s inappropriate house soiling as spiteful, a cat with litter box problems is either following its natural instincts or has a medical problem. Harsh treatment only contributes to a cat’s stress, and may worsen the problem. Re-train your cat and guide your kitten with patience using my proven techniques.
Don’t punish your cat! Although you may regard your cat or kitten’s inappropriate house soiling as spiteful, a cat with litter box problems is either following its natural instincts or has a medical problem. Harsh treatment only contributes to a cat’s stress, and may worsen the problem. Reward your cat with treats immediately when it does use the litter box. Re-train your cat and guide your kitten with patience using my proven techniques.
Cat Attract™ is the answer. It has a unique herbal scent that attracts their curiosity and the right texture for their paws. Although you may not be aware of Cat Attract’s scent, your cat will be.
Remove feces and urine clumps daily; if your cat does not respond to a clean litter box, you may need to replace it. Some old boxes become scratched and permeated with a scent your cat may find offensive. Replace it and set up a second litter box in different area. Having one more litter box than you have cats is a good idea, just be sure the boxes are not next to each other.
Avoid ammonia-based cleaners, which actually contribute to the problem because of their urine like scent. Try to keep your cat away from the trouble spot by covering the area with a plastic carpet runner placed spike side up, self-sticking shelf paper placed sticky side up, or aluminum foil. A lemon-scented air freshener will also help in both repelling the cat and neutralizing the odor. If your cat still can’t resist the area, try placing its food there;cats are unlikely to urinate or defecate where they eat.
Use your cat’s own fragrance to your advantage: rub a cloth between your cat’s eye and ear to pick up its scent, then rub the cloth over the problem area.You can also use Feliway. This feline behavior modification spray mimics a cat’s natural facial pheromone…its friendly pheromone. Sprayed in the cat’s environment, it creates a comforting, reassuring feeling that reduces the impulse to urine mark or scratch. Recognizing this friendly scent on walls, curtains, or furniture, a cat is usually reluctant to mark the area again. Do this two to three times a day to be most effective. Cat Attract and Feliway make a great combination.
If possible, try placing one box in the center of the room where your cat will not feel trapped or cornered. Set up one more box than the number of cats in your household to cut down on traffic and mess. If your house has several floors, have a box on each level. Finally, do not put a litter box near the cat’s food dishes — this is no more appealing for a kitty than it would be for you!
Cats and kittens are not small dogs, so the idea of “litter training” cats the same way you housebreak a dog doesn’t work. Kittens will naturally seek a place to dig but you can help them be consistent. The first thing to do with kittens is to provide accessible litter boxes. Kittens don’t have the “control” of mature cats and need to have litter boxes near by to avoid traveling too far. After feeding time, it is a good idea to place your kitten into a litter box. Kittens have a natural elimination reflex after eating. By putting them in a litter box, they associate the box with the reflex. You should also create easy access for kittens by placing a step up until they are large enough to be able get in the box easily by themselves.
The rightlitter is also essential for kittens. Cat Attract™ is ideal because it has the right texture for their paws and a natural chlorophyll scent cats like. Avoid using perfumed orcedar-based litters with your new kitten, as many kittens find them aversive.
In other words, a litter box problem that began with a urinary tract infection may continue due to habit long after the infection has been cured. Whatever the cause, it is important to treat problem cats with both behavior modification and stress reduction techniques.
A trail of urine on the floor means the cat was standing to spray and not squatting to urinate. You can help diminish your cat’s need to spray by creating “friendly zones” by using your cat’s own pheromones or Feliway, a synthetic feline pheromone available in many stores.To use your cat’s pheromones, rub a soft cloth between your cat’s eye and ear.Wipe the cloth on the soiled area repeatedly over several weeks. This tells your cat this is a “friendly zone” and diminishes its need to mark the area. Follow the product’s directions, spraying it on the soiled areas several times for a month. Also, use it on high-risk areas like the edge of a sofa or on walls. Place scratching posts in areas that are marked so the cat will mark with the scent off its pads and not with urine. Try to keep stray cats away from your house. Cats may also mark their territory with feces. Signs of this type of territorial marking include defecation in a very conspicuous and unusual spot, such as on top of a table.Your veterinarian can also help you by prescribing various drugs to reduce marking. You may want your cat to have a complete physical examination to rule out any other problems.
Behavioral Problems This category includes everything from box rejection (a cat who does not care for your choice of litter) and location preference (the cat who uses an out of the way closet instead of its box) to stress-induced soiling (often related to changes or upheaval in the household). Since all litter box problems are in some sense behavioral, these techniques make a good starting point for solving any problem. Be attentive, flexible, and above all, patient.With your help, your cat can, and will, learn to“think inside the box.”
The Real Tough Case For the cat that consistently soils in the same spot, try placing a litter box with Cat Attract™ in the “trouble spot” for a period of 10 to 14 days. After this initial phase, move the box an inch or two each day toward the place where you would like it to be. This method takes a lot of time and patience, but it may be an answer.Alternatively, confine your cat for at least one month to a room that has not been soiled in the past. Provide a litter box filled with Cat Attract™ along with food, water,scratching post, toys and elevated hideaway. After a month, the cat should be consistently using its litter box and you can expand its territory to include two rooms, then three, and so on. Over time, most cats respond to this treatment, and can eventually be trusted to roam the house. Some, however, require a more rigorous treatment:
Confine the cat to a large cage or pet carrier that is elevated off the floor on a table or bench. Cover the entire floor of the carrier with litter. Create a small bed and a spot for water and food at one end. This will force your cat to use the litter. Over time, reduce the amount of litter in the carrier, so that the litter only covers a portion of the floor. Once the cat is consistently using only the litter-covered area in the carrier, bring it out into the room and proceed with the one-room confinement treatment outlined above.
Whichever treatment you choose, you are most likely to succeed using Dr. Elsey’s Cat Attract™. Cat Attract’s unique combination of scoopable litter and natural herbs will help your cat overcome resistance to other litters that may discourage use.
To speed the process, try wiping each cat’s fur with a separate towel daily. Then place each cat’s food dish on top of the other cat’s towel. They will associate each other’s scent with the positive experience of being fed, and grow tolerant of each other quickly. Make sure each cat has easy access to its own safe, elevated hideaway, and give each of them equal love and attention. Of course, remember if you have multiple cats, have one more litter box than you have cats in your household.
Equip the room with all of the comforts of home…a large litter box, a bed, food, water, toys, scratching post and an elevated hiding spot. Be sure to spend extra time every day playing with your cat during this difficult time.You might also “prep” the new home with Feliway adding friendly pheromones to the new environment. Feliway is excellent for calming cats in stressful situations such as moving in or transporting to a veterinarian.
Other stress related diseases are urinary stones, obesity, tooth decay, type two diabetes, thickened heart muscle, inflammatory bowel disease, excessive self grooming and others. If you don’t think your cat is stressed consider this. Cats need twice the space that is provided in a normal size home. They live under the same roof with their natural predators, dogs, humans and other cats. In nature they communicate by marking their territory with urine, feces, facial and foot odors but we expect them to use litter boxes and scratching posts. They hunt and eat 10 to 20 meals a day, an activity that takes up much of their time and energy; we provide them with free choice dry food.