Litter training an older (previously outdoor/indoor) cat

anamaria

Hi everyone,

We are in the middle of moving house, there is a bit of a time lag between jobs etc.. so we are staying with my parents for 2 months. My dog and cat are coming with us. My cat has always been allowed outside and inside whenever he felt like it but for the two months we will have to keep him indoors full time.

Problem is that he hasn't used a litter tray since he was a kitten ( he is 5 now) so need to reintroduce it to him. Any advice? Last night was the first night so I put him in a room on his own (no carpet!) with his bed, bowls and a litter tray. I used some feliway spray also to try and make him feel more relaxed in the new enviroment. This morning he hadn't used the tray at all, in fairness he hadn't made any mess in the room either so obviously he is hanging in there!

Any hints/help is welcome!

aonb

If he is closed overnight into a room with his bed and a litter tray, wont he 'automatically' use the litter tray for preference?!?! (This from a new to cats owner, who had a feral tiny sick kitten, who used the litter tray from day 1!!)

anamaria

aonb wrote: »

If he is closed overnight into a room with his bed and a litter tray, wont he 'automatically' use the litter tray for preference?!?! (This from a new to cats owner, who had a feral tiny sick kitten, who used the litter tray from day 1!!)

He EVENTUALLY used it! :-) i reckon he must have been seriously holding out and plaiting his legs. Took over a day

Pumpkinseeds

anamaria wrote: »

He EVENTUALLY used it! :-) i reckon he must have been seriously holding out and plaiting his legs. Took over a day

Yeah, they can certainly hold it alright. We adopted an adult cat who strayed into us years ago and he needed a lot of surgery so had to stay indoors for long periods of time. He managed to hold it for 2 days before he'd use the litter tray.

aonb

Cats are awesome!!:cool:

Rips

Just make sure he always has access to it and isn't allowed to get into any bad habits, our outdoor cat will go in the turf bucket rather then the litter tray but its just because she rarely ever used a tray.

I found a cat poo hidden under a post-it note this morning :pac:

Alun

Rips wrote: »

I found a cat poo hidden under a post-it note this morning :pac:

Did she write "Please dispose of this for me" on it ?

Rips

Oh it was the generally very tidy indoor cat who was the perpetrator. I think he would have been quite pleased with the arrangement.


Poo on the floor, poo on the floor... :eek:

Oh look, a post-it note... PERFECT

Graces7

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Yeah, they can certainly hold it alright. We adopted an adult cat who strayed into us years ago and he needed a lot of surgery so had to stay indoors for long periods of time. He managed to hold it for 2 days before he'd use the litter tray.

When I moved to Ireland with one of my cats, three planes then a night in a hotel which she spent playing with the light cord over my bed, then a train journey.. she held it. Worried me greatly! My boy would not go out in the bitter gale and blizzards and chose his spot near the door; the turf box! So now we are retraining... they have broken two cat flaps so that is not an option and he is too fat to get through it anyways. they already have a litter tray upstairs.

Graces7

Rips wrote: »

Just make sure he always has access to it and isn't allowed to get into any bad habits, our outdoor cat will go in the turf bucket rather then the litter tray but its just because she rarely ever used a tray.

I found a cat poo hidden under a post-it note this morning :pac:

Posted before I read this and it is actually a logical choice...

Alun

On this topic, my sister bought me this book for Christmas ...



Very appropriate given one of our cat's propensity to discover new, and potentially dangerous places to pee when she's feeling, well, pee'd off

Graces7

Alun wrote: »

On this topic, my sister bought me this book for Christmas ...



Very appropriate given one of our cat's propensity to discover new, and potentially dangerous places to pee when she's feeling, well, pee'd off

it is the soulful look on their faces when they are peeing where they should not... until you see the little river....