Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi

I have a 16 year old female Persian. She was a rescue cat and has been with me 3 years. Up until a few months ago she had no problem at all using the litter trays I put down in my utility room which adjoins my kitchen. At first I thought she had some sort of problem because the solids were in the trays but there was no sign of fluids. I then discovered that she had started using one of 2 doormats in the room for piddling. I removed the soiled one, cleaned the area and put a tray where the mat had been. She used the tray a couple of times then started to use the other doormat! I got rid of that one too and blocked off that area.

She briefly went back to using the trays but then started piddling on the floor - luckily it's lino. She then decided that the lino was the best place to poo as well. More scrubbing and cleaning ensued and she then decided that the kitchen floor (also lino) was a better bet. I tried everything to get her back to using the trays. I repeatedly scrubbed the kitchen floor, got all new litter trays and when I changed from lightweight litter to wood pellet she started to widdle in the trays again but still did the other on the floor.

I've now had no option but to confine her to the utility room when I'm not there and overnight. No matter how many clean trays I put down for her she still won't use them. Only this morning she was desperate for a poo and I caught her about to squat on the lino. I gently lifted her on to a tray and held her there but no joy. She immediately began to squat on the floor as soon as I let her go. We repeated this on 4 different trays but she was so desperate after the 4th attempt that as soon as she got off the tray 'it' just came out on the floor.

I've tried standard bleach, citrus-scented bleach, scrubbing the floor with a mixture of warm water and biological washing powder (a tip from the Manager at the Cats Protection shelter I volunteer at), covering the floor in plastic sheeting and various other bits of advice - still no joy. The Vet said it could be the onset of dementia/senility but in all other aspects she's tip top.

Can anyone out there offer me some advice? I am at a loss.

Thanks

Older cats can become stiff and start to find it difficult or painful to get in and out of a litter tray. It might be worth trying a much shallower tray to see if that helps?

Hi

Thanks for the advice. The closest I could get to a shallow tray was something I found in the gardening section of a local store. It was a sort of large shallow plastic tray that I believe people put a grow-bag on. I covered it in a layer of grit and pointed Madam at it several times but she refused to use it. Mobility doesn't seem to be an issue as far as I can see - she can still jump up to her favourite chair and climb the stairs OK.

Puzzling eh?

Can you put a doormat into the litter tray?

What kind of doormat is it that the cat likes? Is it a washable one? Could you purchase several?

The doormats she's ruined are the old fashioned bristle sort of thing. Not washable as far as I know. They just absorb it and then rot/smell.