How to Train Your Cat to Use a Hooded Litter Box
by Sandy O. | Last updated on March 09, 2019
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You’ve just bought a shiny new hooded litter box for your cat to replace the old litter tray. No more scattered litter or waste accidentally falling off. You’re so excited, you’re absolutely sure he’s going to love it, right?
Except he doesn’t! He doesn’t go anywhere near it! Luckily, we’ve been through it and will tell you exactly what you need to do!
How do you get your cat to use and love his new hooded litter box? You take it one step at a time.
How to Train Your Cat to Use a Hooded Litter Box
- First, place the litter box on the same spot where the old tray used to be.
- Second, just take the top off and after he starts using it, put it back on. If you notice that, after a few hours, he won’t go inside with the top on, you can coax him in gently or just take it off and wait a while longer before trying again.
- Third, transfer some of his litter to the new box, preferably with some of his waste on it. This will be the best way for him to identify the new object and understand what you expect him to do with it.
These three steps should be enough for a smooth transition, but cats have special personalities and that may not be enough. For more insecure cats, the idea of getting stuck inside a box with only one way in and out is a scary notion. Others are just really resistant to change.
Either way, do not despair, we have more tips for you.
Where to Place Your Hooded Litter Box
This is important. Cats feel exposed and defensive when they’re using the litter box, they usually prefer to turn their backs to a wall to make sure they aren’t caught off guard.
It may sound like a good idea keeping your cat’s litter box in the laundry room or some place more practical for you, but we can promise you he won’t use it when you have the laundry machine on or any other noisy appliance, for that matter.
Choose a quiet, silent place in your home to keep your cat’s litter box and that will help him feel safe.
Another thing to keep in mind is, don’t keep your cat’s food and water near the litter box. Cats are finicky with cleanliness, they won’t use a litter box anywhere near the place where they eat and drink.
Taking the Flap Out
You’ve tried and tried and nothing seems to be working. Your cat is too afraid to go inside the litter box with the top on.
Or he just might not know how to work the flap door. The easy way to solve this is to take the flap door out. Truthfully, the flap door doesn’t really add much value to your hooded litter tray.
However, if you’re keen on having a flap door on your litter box, you’ll just have to teach your cat to use it. Here’s how:
- Call him to the litter box and show him how the flap opens and closes for a while.
- Calmly, place your cat inside the litter box and see how he reacts. If he doesn’t move inside, just call him and open the door a little bit. If he begins to scratch at the door, just help him out for the first few times before letting him try it alone. Reward him once he does.
- Repeat this game for a few times.
- If the cat becomes anxious or stressed at any stage, don’t force him to do anything. Just take him out and remove the flap until he’s comfortable enough with the box before you try it again.
Alternate the Litter Tray with the Litter Box
If you’ve presented the box to your cat without the top on and, after a few hours, he just won’t use it (maybe even decided to relieve himself outside the box to state his protest), you’ll need to approach the subject with a bit more patience. This is what you’ll need to do:
- Bring back the old tray for him to use for that day.
- On the next day, place the new litter box without the top on for a small period of time. Only a couple of hours if necessary.
- Begin extending that period to a day, then two and so on.
- Extend the time for longer and longer until you notice he’s perfectly adjusted to it and doesn’t need the old one anymore.
The Cat Used It, But Now He Wont
It can happen and it usually means one of two things: either something scared him while he was using it and now he’s afraid to try again or you’re just not cleaning it often enough.
Remember, it’s a closed box and cats have very sensitive noses.
Other Things You Can Try
Luckily, you have an array of products created to soothe your anxious cat. You have calming scents and sprays you can use on your home to keep your cat calmer. Also, there is always the good old catnip.
Place a bit of it inside the litter box, it’s guaranteed to get his attention, plus he’ll learn to get in motivated by something he really wants, it might just be the way to get him to do it without the stress.
If your cat usually doesn’t pay attention to cat nip, try different types, ours ignore some but there are others they simply can’t resist!
Whatever you try, do it patiently and calmly.
Your cat will sense if you become anxious or stressed. Try all of our tips as if you were playing with him, with loads of cuddles and encouraging words mixed in.
Make it positive, fun and we guarantee he’ll get used to his brand new hooded litter box much sooner!
Related Questions
How do I choose the right hooded litter box for my cat? You’ll want a model that separates the top from the bottom, this is important not only for training your cat to use it, but it makes it so much easier to clean!
Also, you have to keep the size in mind. Make sure your cat will fit comfortably and will be able to turn inside. We chose the biggest one we could find.
We recommend the Nature’s Miracle Hooded Litter Box.
What kind of litter should I use to help him adjust? There are several kinds of litter, clumping, non-clumping, crystals, recycled corn or pine, etc. For getting him adjusted to the litter box, the most important aspect is to use the same one he’s used to. If you change the litter along with the litter tray, it will make it harder for your cat to get used to this change.
We recommend the Dr. Elsey’s Clumping Cat Litter.
How often should I clean the litter box? At least once a day. We would recommend twice if you have more than one cat using it. This is very important to keep your cat happy with the litter box. If your cat is unhappy with the state of the litter box, he will start to leave not so subtle messages outside it in the shape of waste.
How do I clean the litter box? Having a clean litter box is very important but so is choosing the right products. We’re talking about a hooded box, your cat will be breathing inside it and touching the surfaces. We recommend plain water and soap and, if you need something a bit stronger you can use vinegar or nontoxic based detergents. Don’t use bleach or strong disinfectants!
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