I've never owned a cat before & I'd like some advice. I'm due to adopt a cat & the owner has told me that she uses a scratching post & doesn't scratch anything else (furniture, etc), she also uses an open cat litter tray.
Can anyone tell me are cats destructive & messy. Will using an open cat litter tray mean my house will smell?
Please help any advice will be most appreciated.
If you can, get the cat's own scratching post from the previous owner, as it will be a comfort to the cat in a new place, and she's more likely to use that than a new one. Some cats will scratch furniture, but I find it best, rather than just stopping them from doing it, to move them on to their proper scratching post.
Litter trays - I like the kind which have a "roof" on them. You don't need to fit the cat-flap entry, if the cat isn't used to it, but having the tray partly enclosed means there's less chance of the cat excavating litter on to your floor when she digs. There will probably be a smell when your cat defecates in the tray, and that's when I like to grab a scoop and poop-bag as soon as possible to remove the solid waste. Most cat litters will absorb the smell of urine, so as long as you clean out the damp bits at least once a day, that shouldn't be a problem. I like wood-pellet litter, but in your case, it would be best to find out what the previous owner was using, and get some of that. Same goes for food: re-homing is stressful for the cat, so the more ways you can make the new environment seem like the old one, the quicker your cat will settle down.
Do you know why the previous owner is giving up the cat? Does it not get on with others in the household, or is she giving up cats altogether? If the latter, again see how much of the "kit" you can get from her, to let the cat have familiar things around. Just give the cat time to settle down in the new place. If she comes to you to be petted, that's great, but if she doesn't, be patient until she gets used to you.
I hope it all goes well. Do let us know how you get on.
