Training your cat to go outdoors can take some time, especially if your pet is an indoor cat. However, cats are intelligent and, with some effort and patience, you can successfully train your pet to come indoors and go outside as required.
Training Your Pet to Go Outside
An indoor cat is safe from predators and injuries and he may not pick up as many diseases. But if you have an outdoor cat, you will have less mess to clear up and there will be less damage done to your furniture. Your pet will also get more exercise outdoors. You should not only try to get your pet to spend some part of the day outdoors, but you should also encourage him to eliminate outdoors.
How to Train Your Pet to Venture Out
You can invest in a kitty door if you feel it will help with the training. A leash is a good idea but only if your pet accepts it. If not, you should accompany him outdoors and stay close while he does some exploring and gets some exercise. If your cat is litter box trained, you should gradually move the litter box closer to the front door. After he is comfortable with the change of location, you may shift the box outside and encourage your pet to use it to eliminate. The whole process may take as many as 6 to 8 weeks.
Things You Must Remember
Cats don’t take well to pressure or punishment, and you should avoid these in order to ensure that there are no setbacks to the training program. If you have a yard, you can reserve a certain area for your pet. If you bury some of his feces in that area of the yard, the smell will attract him to that corner and he will gradually learn to use it as a toilet. Although this might involve a little investment of time and effort, in the long run the investment is well worth it as it will prevent you from cleaning up indoors.
Using a Cat Door
You can easily get a cat door that can be fitted into a wall, window or door. If you feel that your pet will respond well to a cat door, it would be wise to buy one.
Training Your Pet to Use the Door:
- Open the cat door when your cat is in a calm mood and see if he is curious enough to use it.
- If he is, you can direct him to the cat door whenever you want him to go outside or reenter the house.
- If he isn’t curious about the cat door, you can coax him to use it by offering him a few cat treats or a cat toy.
- After a few attempts, he will be comfortable using the cat door to go in and out.
- It’s important to train your pet to come in as well as go out through the cat door so that he obeys yours commands and comes back in when you want him to.
These tips will leave you with a well trained pet. Your cat will not only go outside to eliminate but he will also become healthier after he spends some time outdoors.