My Georgie Is Using The Litter Tray Backwards!

[Harv Setterfield]

So first a bit of background. I have one of those awesome litter trays that has a hole in the front and a grill at the side that you roll over and the clumps and poo fall into a handy drawer.

I broke my leg 6 weeks or so ago and spent a few days in hospital during which time a friend of mine came round to feed her and sort out her litter tray for me. She's a VERY timid puss and was obviously stressed out by this and started weeing on the floor.

I was then let out of hospital for a couple of weeks with my friend in Flat C across from me popping in regularly to help me out with things like cooking, washing up etc. And this must have also stressed her out because she's continued to wee on the floor.

And if that wasn't enough for my poor old girl I went back into hospital for an operation to put a rod in my leg and was in for 4 or 5 days, during which time my mate popped in again to sort her out. And of course more protest wees on the floor.

Then I was let out and at home again, during which time my neighbour has been regularly popping in to help me out, and that of course meant more wees on the bloomin floor lol.

My Mum came down to see me a couple of days ago and completely cleaned her litter tray, something I don't do that often because Georgie is NEVER happy when I do it because I'm guessing the litter tray doesn't have her scent so - you guessed it - she wees on the floor.

Years ago I worked out a quite unpleasant way of getting her scent back in her litter tray by soaking up her wee in bog roll and squeezing it into the litter tray and I've now done this a few times and she's started to wee where she should be weeing with one minor difference - she's facing the wrong direction compared to how she normally goes.

When she used to go before all this broken leg business started she used to have her head poking out of the hole whilst she went for a wee. But now she's turned 180 degrees for some reason. I mean it's not a problem or anything because she's going in the litter tray now but I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this odd behaviour.

She's eating fine, having no problems pooing or weeing and seems quite happy. But this turning around 180 degrees is a bit odd lol

Sorry for the novel!

[Harv Setterfield]

I've just worked out why she's doing this!!! It was quite simple once I started to think about it.

She's using the litter tray backwards in case someone comes whilst she's in the middle of doing her business. When she went before her head and two front legs were outside the litter tray so anyone coming in could see her. It wasn't a problem before because I rarely had visitors but now I've got people coming in at least a couple of times a day she's going to the loo the wrong way around so that she can stay hidden! All you can see when she's having a wee is her tail sticking out lol

Once I'm more mobile my mate in Flat C won't be coming in every day and she will chill out a bit and flip herself around again.

I've tried a Feliway Diffuser but it hasn't made a great deal of difference but it should be things back to normal in 6 weeks or so!

[Kay]

could you turn the litter box around so that the entrance faces a wall, or something similarly solid?

[Harv Setterfield]

I haven't really got the room to do that tbh, but now she's weeing in her litter tray again...albeit back to front...she seems a bit happier going to the loo again. I could try moving it around 90 degrees so that there's a wall next to the opening but I think moving the thing might freak her out a bit more and have her weeing on the floor again.

A good suggestion but I'll see how she goes (literally lol) for the next few days.

[Alice]

Perhaps move it gradually, so little that she doesn't notice, until it's been moved the full 90 degrees?

[Lilith]

Ohh dear ... oops!

I've seen this on occasion - they just don't think - they dig their hole and think they're weeing in it, but in reality the tail sticks out over the edge and ... Niagara!

One of my cleanest cats, standing upright in an unhooded tray, would smile happily at me as she hosed down the wall behind her ... lovely ... not! Another even managed to use the bathroom tray and cause a waterfall on the kitchen draining board ...

Puppy pads are good to place in front of the tray, and less messy than newspaper, and any left over pads come in handy as carrier blankets and even feeding mats.

Good luck with her

[Harv Setterfield]

Now I've typed all that she's started going the right way around again lol. But my neighbour only popped in once yesterday.

The weird thing is that, surprisingly, she sometimes comes out from her usual hiding place behind the sofa to say hello to him which is REALLY unheard of. I think she likes the sound of his voice, he's Colombian.