Now that we’re letting Zoe and Isabel outside since we’ve moved to the country, we’ve decided that it’s time to try getting rid of the litter box. I’m having some anxiety about it even though I’m eager to not have to scoop the poop anymore, and I’m thinking that parents going through potty training experience the same anxiety. You know, you want to ditch the poopie diapers, but then your baby is a big kid because he or she doesn’t need you anymore, and are you really ready for that?
We kept them inside for the first month after moving to our new place so they could reset their internal compasses, but now we let them run free when they want to come in and out, and we’ve seen them “doing their business” outside. This weekend we decided to take the plunge. We took the litter box outside and showed the cats where it was while we cleaned the room it used to be in so it wouldn’t smell like a potty spot, and then we emptied and scrubbed box and left it outside more so they would make the association.
That was two days ago, and so far, so good. No accidents that we’ve found, which is a good thing. (Although if there are some and we just haven’t found them yet, well, that wouldn’t be so good.) We’ve been hypervigilant about making them go outside when they look like they might have to go, and anytime they move toward where the litter box used to be, we put them outside. They’re a little confused about why we keep doing that, but they’re not peeing in the house, so we’re okay.
Have you weaned your cats off the litter box? What tips do you recommend?
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