Your new cat’s first few weeks in your home is a critical time. You will be laying the groundwork for your new relationship. Remember that cats are similar to people in a way that first impressions are important. If this is your first cat, get ready for one of life’s great pleasures. Cats are great! But they can be problems if you go against their nature.
Housebreaking a cat is different than housebreaking a dog. Dogs need to be trained to go to the “bathroom” which is outside the house. From age one month, cats naturally use the litter box. Housebreaking a cat means to teach him to use the scratching post and to develop a bond with people.
Confinement is a necessary part of housebreaking a cat. Use a bathroom if you can. It should be large enough to have the litter box at least four feet or so from a clean area for his bed, food, water and scratching post. If you cannot use a bathroom, cover any furniture so the only thing he can scratch is the scratching post. If there is a window, make sure that he cannot get out and it is not leaking cold drafts.
Bring the cat home in a carrier. Your new cat may be scared and intimidated by the new situation. Then again, maybe he will be out happily exploring the house on the first day. Whatever the case, you do not want to give any cat more than he can handle. To be safe, take him directly to his confinement room or nursery and close the door. It is a good idea to have a wet meal that is canned, homemade or cooked food, ready before you let him out of his carrier. Keep in mind that first impressions are important.
Have only one person in the room when the cat is first allowed outside the carrier. Another person may overwhelm him, at least during the first hour. When opening the carrier door, speak very gently and encouragingly. Be friendly and sensitive. If he walks towards you, say encouraging words and his name with pride and joy. To help him get acquainted with the surroundings, show him the wet meal and the litter box. If he runs and hides, do not use his name or say much until he is more relaxed.
Keep his first day as positive, gentle and quiet as possible by limiting the number of visitors. If possible, sit with him through wet meals and for a half hour to an hour before leaving him alone in his room. By then he will probably want to nap. Keep a radio on low volume and provide a night light when it is dark to keep him company.
Until your new cat sees a vet, wash your hands after you pet him and before you handle other pets. If you have other cats, be sure to give them extra attention during the first month or so of the new arrival so they do not get jealous. Place the empty cat carrier in a room where your other cats can check it out. This will acquaint them with the smell of the new cat.
What is the difference in crate training and housebreaking your dog?
I just got a puppy and want to keep him inside..I would prefer that he go outside to potty. So if I put him in a crate while I am gone will that just train him to potty inside it.
Just make sure the crate is not too big. Dogs tend to not potty where they sleep, and if the crate is the correct size, your puppy will learn to hold it instead of soil his home. If it is big he will see the excess area as a potty place, and soil half his cage, while sleeping in the other. Just take him out immediately when you get home, and dont get him excited before you do, he might accidentally pee on the way there.
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A crate is simply a safe place to confine a puppy when you are not home or cannot watch him. It prevents him from having accidents in the house, chewing up electric cords, or getting himself into trouble. You cannot leave a puppy crated for very long without taking him out to go potty. In fact, this is where many new puppy owners err – they leave the puppy for too long and he does learn to go in the crate. Then house-training is much harder!
Take your puppy outside, to the same area, at frequent, regular times. Praise and give him a treat when he goes. When inside, keep him right near you and watch him very carefully. Rush him out if you think he’s about to go. When you can’t watch him closely enough to prevent an accident, crate him, but make sure that someone can come and let him out before he has an accident in the crate.
How often you’ll need to take him out depends on his age, and how far along he is with the house training. If you’re getting an 8 week old puppy, plan to take him out at least every half-hour at first, and a couple of times at night. You can gradually leave him for longer periods as he gets older and begins to understand where he is supposed to go.
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dogs are naturally clean animals crate training is just teaching your dog to hold it housebreaking is teaching it not to go inside. make shure you take you dog out every hour. and don’t leave your dog in the crate for more then 6 hours.
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you make sure the crate is only big enough for standing and sleeping and remember dogs do not pee or poop in the bed.
You can leave him in there a few minutes at a time until he can stay for an hour or two and so on. My male can stay in his crate from 930Pm until 415am when i get up. My female on the other hand, can sleep all day long and not have an accident in the house. They are all different.
There’s also a link below for crate training.
References :
http://www.dogbehavioronline.com/public/department59.cfm
Crate = safe, confined place for the dog to be while you’re out. It prevents the dog from injuring itself, damaging furniture, or tearing up the house. It also aides in Housebreaking because, when you purchase the correct size crate, the dog does not want to lie around in it’s own potty – forcing it to hold it’s potty for until you get home [at which time you will promptly *run* the dog outside to potty].
Housebreaking = teaching the dog to go in whatever place you prefer. Whether it be outside on a walk, outside in the back yard, inside on a pad [kind of stupid, but oh well], or inside on a "box" with a drain [again, stupid].
I highly suggest crate training along with your housebreaking.
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The crate doesn’t train him, you have to train him. Make up your own schedule and spend time enforcing these rules so your puppy can learn.
Puppies need to be let out more frequently so make sure you take them out every hour so they know that going outside is a good thing and that you’ll reward him with treats.
If you plan to leave him alone, it is important to confine him (this is where the crate comes in) so he don’t run all over, overeat, and poop/pee everywhere. Keep him in an enclosed area or a crate and train them to stay inside until you let them out. It is important to gradually leave your puppy alone so they are adjusted to the crate or whichever method you use.
You have to dedicate time to teach your puppy to slowly adjust to your shared lifestyle. Crate training is an effective way of potty training your puppy and making your puppy comfortable when you are away.
References :
http://www.animatedpet.com
You need to teach your pup to go on command. The links below will show you how but also there may be a few things you may be missing in the yard.
1. Is the outside area small? (if it is then feeding out there and expecting him to go out there won’t fly as dogs don’t like to pee and poop where they eat or sleep so make sure there is plenty of room or feed him indoors then take him out straight away).
2. Is the outside too clean? If there is not a scent of his own urine he will be less keen to go there. Try to leave it for a while (i know this is not very nice for you but it will speed things up).
For a full yet easy plan check out http://www.teachingpuppies.com/8-easy-steps-to-housetrain-your-puppy
This can be used in conjunction with crate training see http://www.teachingpuppies.com/crate-training-my-puppy
Good luck
References :
Qualified dog training instructor
Qualified guide dogs for the blind trainer
Animal Behaviourist
Completing a BSc in Animal Behaviour
See my free puppy training articles at http://www.teachingpuppies.com