Big help needed with litter training cat

BengaLover · 16-02-2021 10:52pm #1

I’ve got 5 cats of my own and foster for local animal welfare regularly, and have lots and lots of experience with litter training and our youngest 4 month old girl is the fist cat we’ve ever had that just won’t use the litter tray.
She will pee in it occasionally but prefers to go in the shower tray.
Popping is the worst though. She will go anywhere.
We’ve provided litter boxes of all shapes and sizes in every room, but she will still go do it either in the shower tray or literally on the floor anywhere.
I just don’t get it.
Her litter is wood pellets and she isn’t territorial and gets on with other cats.
Can anyone give me any suggestions?

highdef · 16-02-2021 10:57pm

I've had a cat about 8 years but have never had a litter tray. The cat lets me know when she needs to go to the loo and I let her out. Same as the dog. I've never had an accidental number one or two indoors.

I've never understood why pet owners train their cats to go to the toilet indoors but train their dogs outside.

Is there any particular reason for inside toilet training for cats but not for dogs?

BengaLover · 16-02-2021 11:01pm

highdef wrote: »

I've had a cat about 8 years but have never had a litter tray. The cat lets me know when she needs to go to the loo and I let her out. Same as the dog. I've never had an accidental number one or two indoors.

I've never understood why pet owners train their cats to go to the toilet indoors but train their dogs outside.

Is there any particular reason for inside toilet training for cats but not for dogs?

All my other cats would be horrified at the thought of going on a tray but when you foster kittens they can’t be let outside until they’ve had their vaccinations, so as a rule they will all be litter trained until rehomed. I take her outside and she will pee and has access to outdoors but she isn’t interested in asking to go out. She’s a total law unto herself , I’ve never had a cat like her.

jimf · 17-02-2021 1:01am

try digging a bit of earth from the garden and mixing with a little sand

it may be more natural for her if a success you can gradually add your normal litter

boomerang · 17-02-2021 1:50am

I would definitely experiment with different litters. Some cats don't like the sensation of the wood pellets under their paws.

Also, some cats don't like to pee and poop in the same litter box. Try two!

BengaLover · 17-02-2021 2:48am

boomerang wrote: »

I would definitely experiment with different litters. Some cats don't like the sensation of the wood pellets under their paws.

Also, some cats don't like to pee and poop in the same litter box. Try two!

I have 5 litter trays available

Nody · 17-02-2021 9:50am

BengaLover wrote: »

I’ve got 5 cats of my own and foster for local animal welfare regularly, and have lots and lots of experience with litter training and our youngest 4 month old girl is the fist cat we’ve ever had that just won’t use the litter tray.
She will pee in it occasionally but prefers to go in the shower tray.
Popping is the worst though. She will go anywhere.
We’ve provided litter boxes of all shapes and sizes in every room, but she will still go do it either in the shower tray or literally on the floor anywhere.
I just don’t get it.
Her litter is wood pellets and she isn’t territorial and gets on with other cats.
Can anyone give me any suggestions?

Well first of all try a few different non scented clay litters. Secondly put her poop in the litter box. Third make sure you clean up the pee/poo with an enzyme cleaner or the smell will remain and keep a log over where you actually find it; I think you will find a pattern emerging if it continues.

DBB · 17-02-2021 12:12pm

BengaLover wrote: »

I have 5 litter trays available

Are the other cats using them? Maybe she doesn't like to share?
The rule of thumb is one litter box per cat, and at least one extra.
I'd also be experimenting with different substrates, as already suggested.

BengaLover · 17-02-2021 7:27pm

DBB wrote: »

Are the other cats using them? Maybe she doesn't like to share?
The rule of thumb is one litter box per cat, and at least one extra.
I'd also be experimenting with different substrates, as already suggested.

No other cats use them and the substrate is wood pellets. I’ve tried the nasty clay litter too but she won’t do anything other than pee on it.

JustAThought · 17-02-2021 7:36pm

BengaLover wrote: »

No other cats use them and the substrate is wood pellets. I’ve tried the nasty clay litter too but she won’t do anything other than pee on it.

can you get her a second hand shower tray and let her use that!? Maybe ahe likes the feel of the plastic fantastic or the coolness of the bathroom or the fact its low and she can see all round her. perhaps!?

boomerang · 17-02-2021 7:39pm

Aldi and Lidl clay litters get horribly sticky like concrete when wet. But clumping clay litter is different.

Graces7 · 18-02-2021 9:05am

BengaLover wrote: »

I’ve got 5 cats of my own and foster for local animal welfare regularly, and have lots and lots of experience with litter training and our youngest 4 month old girl is the fist cat we’ve ever had that just won’t use the litter tray.
She will pee in it occasionally but prefers to go in the shower tray.
Popping is the worst though. She will go anywhere.
We’ve provided litter boxes of all shapes and sizes in every room, but she will still go do it either in the shower tray or literally on the floor anywhere.
I just don’t get it.
Her litter is wood pellets and she isn’t territorial and gets on with other cats.
Can anyone give me any suggestions?

Could this be an extreme form of territorial behaviour? ie marking as much as she can?

My three ex street cats are similar. Still. Unless they re outside they find somewhere that suits THEM. eg the turf bucket, a corner behind the hearth. Are the trays in full view? That could be contributing. Wondering about a hooded tray?

BengaLover · 18-02-2021 2:05pm

Graces7 wrote: »

Could this be an extreme form of territorial behaviour? ie marking as much as she can?

My three ex street cats are similar. Still. Unless they re outside they find somewhere that suits THEM. eg the turf bucket, a corner behind the hearth. Are the trays in full view? That could be contributing. Wondering about a hooded tray?

We’ve got the hooded tray, the hidden tray, the tray in the shower tray

18-02-2021 3:36pm

Pure curiosity, what colour is the cat? My father always had a theory that ginger cats are "dirty" and funny enough my current ginger cat is definitely one!

Graces7 · 18-02-2021 7:38pm

BengaLover wrote: »

We’ve got the hooded tray, the hidden tray, the tray in the shower tray

Awww... of course you do! Excuse my lack of imagination.

Would confining her in one small room for a few days help? Maybe too many trays and she is spoilt for choice! Stubborn little cat! I have vague memories of someone with a similar problem confining the cat in a large crate with a tray therein in similar situation?

I now have one of the street strays who pees in any shoe or slipper he finds. So I have to put a box over them...Nothing quite like an early morning step out of bed into a slipper full of cold cat pee....

Big help needed with litter training cat

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