Bit worried about Arnie, refusing to use litterbox...

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andrewh1973
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Bit worried about Arnie, refusing to use litterbox...

Post by andrewh1973 »

Right ok, so I'm a bit worried about my little furry friend. I've had to go away for a few days (left early hours of Thursday morning, will be returning late Monday afternoon). My neighbour is popping in and out and feeding him and playing with him 3 times a day but he is not allowed out (he runs off enough when I am there so thought it best to keep him in) and while he is happy to pee in the litter tray, he refuses to do his "main business" in the tray - either tray actually, as I set up another tray before leaving fearing this would happen - he is most definitely a "market trader" type cat (i.e. likes to do all his business outdoors!) but he used to use the tray for it but refuses now and hasn't bothered to for a couple of months (he'll always pee in it though, even when I'm there and he can go out).

I'm worried because he's clearly holding it in until he can go out, just how long can a cat go without going though, surely after 2 days he must already be in discomfort and by 4 days he'll be in pain, no? I clearly can't do anything about it right now but in the future he will have to be an indoor cat for a while at least (I'm emigrating and he's coming with me for sure!), I guess I should switch his tray to potting soil and be done with it (he only likes to go on soft, recently worked on flower beds that my neighbour has...).

Advice and thoughts please!
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Walesgang
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Re: Bit worried about Arnie, refusing to use litterbox...

Post by Walesgang »

Hi Andrew

If he was going to a cattery he would be in an unfamiliar, smaller space.

If you use a litter type you know he will use for wees, chances are he'll be fine.

Over a weekend he will have a few poos. Worse case scenario he will have a couple of 'accidents' - buy cats being clean creatures, this is not likely
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Kay
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Re: Bit worried about Arnie, refusing to use litterbox...

Post by Kay »

you might like to try him with Nature Calling litter - it's made from the inside of walnut shells, is dark brown and has quite an earthy smell - but clumps well - my two always chose it to poop in, but both wee in the second tray containing Cat's Best
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andrewh1973
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Re: Bit worried about Arnie, refusing to use litterbox...

Post by andrewh1973 »

Hi there everyone,

With all the stress of those few days going away (it wasn't a holiday, it was actually for a job interview in Malta which I got, I and Arnie move to Malta on the 28th Feb... I'll make a posting about this later, I have some questions about how to handle this best and keep Arnie safe/happy in his new home there...) I forgot to update this..

My neighbour gave me daily poo updates, by the 3rd day he's started to do very small ones in the tray - never had an "accident" anywhere it turns out (least if he had, I've never found it!) but he waited, clearly, until I got back home. The moment I got home he did initially miaow at me for food (after nearly a minute of wondering who the heck I was... was really cute, over those seconds he sat staring at me looking concerned, you could see he was gradually realising what I meant to him as though he was running memories though his head!) and ate and then pretty much did what can only be described as King Kong's first dump of the day in the litter tray! He filled the tray completely and then trotted off to the front door purring. I think the basic message was "ok, so you keep me in for 4 days, and you go away and leave me. So there you go, that's what you get, you sort that mess out, I'm off out for a bit, slave!" and he was fine! :)

He's definitely settled on normal clumping traditional cat litter now though...
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