Litter tray issues

[emmab]

We have Gémo who is 6 months, and has been going out for 3 weeks now and Chamaille who is 11 months and has been going out for 3 months. They are both trained to go outside for the loo, but are getting a bit lazy and using the indoor tray. My husband suggests we move the litter tray outside, I say we move it away completely during the day, that way they will have to go outside!
We shut them in at night though with a litter tray, so understand for them it can be a little confusing. Any ideas?

[meriad]

Personally I would never ever get rid of a litter tray indoors and I'll be honest I am time and time again quite astounded at the number of people who have an aversion to indoor litter boxes. To me they go hand in hand with having a cat .

Have you thought that your cats aren't lazy but actually scared to toilet outside? It's when they are at their most vulnerable and if there's another cat around they may well feel a lot safer doing their business indoors. My cat Molly (who I sadly lost last year) would always come inside to do her business and then go back out again.

Besides which - changes in toileting habits are very often the first sign of a cat not being well; again a huge reason to keep a litter tray indoors.

So do them and yourself a favour; keep that litter box inside.

[Baggypants]

I completely agree Ria.

I clear the solids out straight away and change the litter every two/three days - it takes a couple of minutes and never smells. Even with three large cats!!

[greenkitty]

I also agree, a couple of mine will come back inside to use the tray (I also have an outdoor litter tray) and it's a good gauge of health problems (upset tummies and cystitis to name just two).

[emmab]

Wow..if I changed my litter every 2 or 3 days the house would stink! I do it every time they have pooped, or at least get rid of the old mess. I am not against having litter trays indoors....I have had cats for 25 years. I am just trying to get them to go outdoors. Yes it could be another cat issue. But sometimes they will poop, then go straight outside, so just trying to understand why this could be. Most of the time they pee or poop outside, it is just now and then they wake up...go for a poop, then go out!

[meriad]

I think the frequency of litter changes required depends on the litter. I have a clumping litter so scoop twice a day or more often if needed, but only change the whole lot once a month. The tray gets a regular wipe with baby wipes when needed but as long as I scoop the clumps it doesn't smell (unless they've just been to the loo and then I swear it's toxic warfare! )

[emmab]

I am also aware that if I don't clean the trays thoroughly, knowing how clean cats are, they wouldn't use it! Sometimes it is OK, but then decide to empty it, then there is a queue to get in it.
Also, I am aware that if they are using reused litter, they are then treading dirty paws all over our house, sofa and bedding etc, which isn't very hygienic.Tray gets completely emptied twice a day, de-pooped or de-peed in between that and is sterilised!

[Meandmymunki]

Yes Emma I'm with you on that one, I have tried every type of litter going but still not found one that doesn't leave me needing to completely change and disenfect tray after every poo, and every morning regardless. Mine too come inside for the tray because they just seem to want to!

[brigidrynne]

Also, I am aware that if they are using reused litter, they are then treading dirty paws all over our house, sofa and bedding etc, which isn't very hygienic.Tray gets completely emptied twice a day, de-pooped or de-peed in between that and is sterilised!

I agree with you about the treading of litter around the house being unhygienic. I've tried various litters and I find that the 'heavier' clumping mineral litters (even very fine ones like Catsan) track less and lock in unpleasant odours better than lighter non-clumping forms. I don't think there is a fool-proof solution, and a lot depends on the layout of your particular house, but I put my litter trays (I have two) in rooms where they will be least offensive, i.e. the utility room/entrance hall and our en-suite bathroom. To prevent the litter tracking around the house, I use covered litter trays and put a thin rubber-backed 'barrier' type door mat at the entrance, so loose litter from the cats' paws is trapped by the mat.

I salute your fastidious tending of your cats' tray, but I would suggest that what they may be bringing in on their paws from the garden may actually be dirtier than a little loose litter from that (exceptionally clean) tray.

[Willowgill]

I have 3 cats and at the moment 6 trays! Alfie goes outside but will use a tray when he has no choice. Daphne will not go outside at all and will go through phases of not using a tray preferring the carpet in corners hence putting in trays in these areas. Max then uses all these trays thus putting Daphne off - she has one of her own in the en-suite but he even manages to get upstairs sometimes (he's blind) and will use that one if he can! We have a weekend apartment which we take them to and have 3 trays there. They are the igloo type which are very unobtrusive and seem to reduce tracking a bit. I wouldn't dare let them out there (it's on the 2nd floor) so I use the organic litter which flushes down the loo - I now have this upstairs at home and in one of the conservatory trays so she has a choice. It really is amazing stuff and unlike the clumping clay doesn't get messy - it clumps and you just scoop it out and it lasts for ages. Unfortunately I lost my sense of smell 3 years ago so I'm a bit paranoid about the place smelling but I'm told it's fine. We do have a rather alarming issue sometimes which is horrid but equally very clever when Alfie will get in the bath and pee down the plughole - he's done this since he arrived as a stray and we've no idea how he knows it runs away but his aim is pretty accurate

[lilynmitz]

I know many cats who, despite having 24 hour outdoor access, will always use an indoor tray. Cats will only toilet where they feel safe, and the fact that one of your cats prefers to use the tray indoors suggests that there is something outside that worries them, which you can't control. The kindest and most sensible thing therefore is to keep the indoor tray. Your cat may have had a nasty scare outside, possibly while toileting, or may just be naturally more timid, and there's not a lot you can do about that. Removing their only safe alternative will only stress them more.

As for cleaning/controlling smell, I use a clumping litter (World's Best - expensive, but keeps the smell down fairly well and doesn't track too badly, but clumps really well so a breeze to clean out and fairly economical - one bag lasts 2-3 weeks). I clean out the clumped wee two of three times a day (I have one small indoor cat), and wipe the soiled area down with a bit of dilute detergent on kitchen towel, and scoop the poop, top up the litter occasionally, then do a full empty out and deep clean once every two or three weeks. It takes a matter of a minute each time I clean out, and maybe 15-20 mins to do the full clean. I stick the waste in a cheap sandwich bag, tie it off and stick it in the bin. Job done, no smell, happy cat.

[emmab]

Ironically, I have just gone out to dig one of the gardens and they were queuing up for a wee on fresh soil!!!!!! Hope I get a good crop this year after that!

[meriad]

That's cats for you

I have a raised veggie bed that last year wasn't used as much as it should and Ava decided she quite likes it as a very large loo.... Given it's falling apart and it can't be used at the moment it's OK, but it's about to be replaced so I'm going to have to cover it with netting to stop her.