Cat play in the toilet: reasons and how to wean it? Often small kittens and teenage kittens play in the litter tray with filler, whether clay or paper. They may tear the sand, dig in it, and even taste it. All this looks unpleasant. In addition, such games are unhygienic and dangerous if they eat too much filler. This raises the question, how to wean a kitten to play in the toilet?
In fact, according to veterinarians, digging and playing in the toilet for kittens is the norm until about a year. But sometimes infantile behavior persists beyond that age. In adult cats, this phenomenon, if observed, is most often observed when the litter is changed. When the litter is new and unfamiliar, the cat’s instinct to use it as intended may not work. There have even been known cases where cats, seeing the new litter, have been patient and not gone to the toilet, but instead played in the toilet.
Keep the kitten busy
If your kitten is a baby you just need to be patient and try to distract her with other activities. Get her interested in playing outside the litter box. Just don’t spook the kitty if he hasn’t finished his business. And don’t scold him if you do: He may associate your remarks with his trip to the loo, which will make him stop shitting in it.
Second tip – clean up in time in the toilet. Sometimes kittens don’t play there right after they go to the litter box, but at other times. Then, if you manage to get the excrement out of there, at least the kitten will not play with them.
Besides, usually the games are with clay lumpy litter, because cats like it very much, because it resembles the earth. But with silica gel, this is unlikely to happen. So, as an option, you can replace the filler. At the same time, silica gel is dangerous if eaten. Therefore, it is not recommended for kittens. The safest filler for babies is wood filler.
Also take care that the litter box had high sides – then the filler during the game will not scatter around. Even better – buy a litter box, from which it is almost impossible to rake something out.
In general, do not panic. For cats, playing in the toilet is one of their favorite pastimes at a certain stage. The filler resembles earth, rustles, with its help you can make whole barchans. Toileting with filler stirs up natural instincts – and it’s a joy. No need to scold for it or try to ban it.
Kitten eats filler – what to do?
Another thing is if the kitty eats the filler. This can be dangerous to health in the case of silica gel, as well as in the case of lumpy filler. Silica gel needs to be eaten very little to get an intestinal blockage. Clay filler will require much more for this effect: a few grains eaten are not dangerous.
If you have silica gel, and the cat tries to eat it, you should urgently replace the type of filler with clay or wood filler. The safest is wood – you can eat it. Clay can also be tried, but you should make sure that the cat does not eat more than a few grains. Otherwise, the clay, like silica gel, once in the intestines, will absorb all the moisture and become a stump, creating a blockage.
Initially, when the kitten is still small, breeders are advised to take wood filler anyway. Yes, cats like it less than lumpy, but they will still use it if there is no other. And then, when the cat grows up, you can replace it with the type of filler that you are comfortable with.