When you’re taking care of house cats as an owner or professional vet nurse, there are quite a number of things that you need to worry about. Cats are often quite self-sufficient creatures. However, there’s one thing that most domesticated felines still need help with, and that’s dealing with their litter boxes.
While it might be quite an unpleasant job, it’s still a rather necessary one, regardless of how you go about it. So, keep reading as we go over some helpful litter box dos and don’ts, as well as take a look at how simple and convenient it is to add to your owner or vet nurse knowledge with online training.
Let’s start by looking at the Cat Litter dos...
When carrying out vet nurse duties or simply looking after your own little moggy, there are some things that you’ll need to ensure are done when taking care of litter boxes. They include:
- Ensuring that fresh litter is always available for your furry friend, with at least 3-4 inches in depth, so they’re able to completely bury their waste
- Getting rid of anything your cats leave behind on a daily basis with an appropriately designed scoop
- Giving the litter box a proper wash with mild soapy water each month
- Providing an individual litter box for each cat
What you’re aiming for is cleanliness as this is what cats love - being clean. It’s the reason why they are seen preening themselves as often as they do. Let their litter tray get too dirty and you could find them trying to do their business in other places that you’d rather they didn’t!
Now we look at the things to avoid...
Just as important for vet nurse carers and cat owners is knowing what not to do with their litter tray, which will typically include things like:
- Avoiding flushing any litter clumps down your toilet, as your home’s plumbing really isn’t designed for it
- Never empty the litter box tray in the garden, as it will likely attract other cats or flies
- Not using harsh cleaning products on the tray, as it might irritate or hurt your cat
- Suddenly switching litter box types, as, without the right time to adjust, it could cause your cat stress
- Placing their litter box in areas they might not like, like hard-to-reach locations, in a cold garage or next to their food bowl
Cats are living, breathing creatures that have feelings just like we do. So, a great rule of thumb to use is that if you wouldn’t like where you’re putting their litter box, there’s a very good chance they won’t want to either. Get it right, however, and they’ll start using it, just how they should.
Boost Your Animal Care Skills With Flexible Online Training
Keeping litter trays clean for your cat might not be the most complicated of tasks, particularly if you’re a vet nurse, but it’s still an important factor for a cat's happiness and well-being. The good news is that if you want to gain a greater knowledge of animal care as an owner or professional, the video-based micro-learning we offer at OCA might be the easiest and most flexible way to get it.
For example, our Veterinary Assistant Advanced course is just one of a number of great ways to turn your love of animals into a rewarding career. You can find out more about this and our entire range of CPD-approved courses by visiting us today at www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au where you’ll also see details of the flexible payment options that make our training accessible to everyone.
If however, you’d like to speak to us before committing to one of our Vet Nurse courses, we’re more than happy to oblige. Just call us on 1300 611 404, and we’ll do our utmost to give you the information you need.
