1st night used litter tray fine...3rd night...

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Smokeyblue
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1st night used litter tray fine...3rd night...

Post by Smokeyblue »

Morning,

Smokeyblue is settling in wonderfully, however yesterday morning we came down to two little pellets of poo on the back door matt (it's near his litter tray), we presumed it was because he had already gone for a wee & poo in there during the same night.

However I just got up (4am, as couldn't sleep) and there were two huge poo's on the matt :shock: Checked his litter box and there was only a wee in there?!

Really don't want him to get in the habit of pooing on a matt instead of his box! He seems to do his business right at the front of his box too?

Any suggestions?!
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Re: 1st night used litter tray fine...3rd night...

Post by booktigger »

He might prefer two trays, one to wee and one to poo
Last edited by booktigger on Wed Dec 16, 2020 8:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
Smokeyblue
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Re: 1st night used litter tray fine...3rd night...

Post by Smokeyblue »

:o but he originally done a small poo in there on the 1st night?! So thought he'd be fine having the one tray.
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Mollycat
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Re: 1st night used litter tray fine...3rd night...

Post by Mollycat »

My guess was just a phase of making sure this territory is definitely all his but it's only a guess.

Litter tray use can and does change. My two went through phases of using one each, or both using one for pee and the other for poo, or just random. Should really have one per cat plus one, ideally. I didn't have anywhere to put a third one sensibly though if I had to I would have done, obviously. Now I am down to one she changes which gets used how too and it's not shyness or modesty because she will happily use the bathroom one when I'm using the bathroom and the bedroom one when the dog she is "scared" of is lying across the front of it inches from her!
Smokeyblue
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Re: 1st night used litter tray fine...3rd night...

Post by Smokeyblue »

Hi all,

So since my last post, he has also poo'd on the front door matt, (he was doing so well we opened up another part of the house). I managed to get in touch with the previous owner and she confirmed that he is used to doing his business outside.

Our problem is, we don't want to let him out in the garden too early and him run off. There is also a lot of hiding places out there, and we've discovered that he finds a hiding spot in each room currently.

Any suggestions? He does go in his litter box but not often for poo poo!!? He must be getting bunged up?
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Mollycat
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Re: 1st night used litter tray fine...3rd night...

Post by Mollycat »

If the plan is eventually o let him outside, and he is doing it on the mats in front of the doors, how about newspaper or puppy pads on top of the mats and live with it until he can go out? Or a tray or soil at the doors?
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Re: 1st night used litter tray fine...3rd night...

Post by Smokeyblue »

Yeah eventually it is, how can you tell its ok to let a cat out without them running away?!

We managed to put a harness on him yesterday and he ventured out there a little bit but then ran in. Putting on the harness was rather annoying for him, he wasn't too pleased at all.
This morning we opened the back door and let him look out but he didn't venture. We are scared he will run and hide.

Letting him poo on the matts isn't a huge problem and he sometimes does it in his tray. We can tell he is wanting to go outside or for a poo! :(
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Mollycat
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Re: 1st night used litter tray fine...3rd night...

Post by Mollycat »

It's been 30 odd years since I have had to make any decisions about when to let a cat out and that was a kitten, when cats were treated quite differently to today, so I'm not the one to answer that. My own feeling is when a cat feels settled enough at home to bolt towards home not away if spooked, and bonded enough with people to come when called even if nervous. I suppose to work on recall you could make a game of it around the house, calling him from different rooms and giving big praise and fuss when he comes. And when he first goes out, be with him encouraging him to go to safe places and calling him sharply away from dangerous directions.

Anyway before the kitten we did inherit an 18 month old cat Felix, abandoned in favour of the expected baby and requested put to sleep (!) and he was kept in for a long time but never settled, started going out and coming home but then one night he just didn't and that was that. He was never happy with us and all we can hope is that he found himself a home he liked better. But I know he was with us for at least 3 months before he left, and much later our cat Henry was with his owners for3 years before deciding to move in with us instead, so you can never be 100% certain.
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