Cat will wee in litter tray but only poo on floor, how can I persuade him to use the litter tray?

[oopslateagain]

We moved house at the start of December, all cats have settled in well but we don't have a catflap so have to open the door to let them in and out.

Oopscat is 17, blind and arthritic. We only allow him out the back door to the enclosed back garden, and he will happily wee and poo out there. But overnight he wees in the litter tray, and then gets out and poos on the floor. Half the time he misses the tray with his wee, I've seen him get in and scratch about then settle with all four feet in the litter and his bum over the edge , I can deal with that! But he poos either on the loo floor about a foot away from the tray, or on the doormat right outside the loo.

I've just bought a large 'corner' litter tray with a cover, so hopefully that will keep his bum in the tray so he won't wee everywhere - but how can I get him to poo there too?

I have cleaned up poo every morning for five weeks now.

[curlyclaz13]

a separate poo tray ? one of mine will not poo and wee in the same tray even with alk day outdoor access via a cat flap. as we found when he used the hall until we put the second tray back in.

[cozietoesie]

I'd second two trays. Seniorboy also likes to poo in a different tray (according to his inclination and the time of the moon or something.) So keep the old tray and the new tray going together.

Does he get any medication for his arthritis? Seniorboy, who is 18, has arthritis and was finding the high squat for pooing a bit difficult in a tray until he got arthritis meds. (Now all fine.)

[oopslateagain]

We have three litter trays so I don't think that's an issue.

He has Metacam for the arthritis, really notice the difference if we miss a couple of days. But he's up to date with the meds so I don't think that's it.

[cozietoesie]

I'm stumped then. Only things I can suggest (apart from the rigorous cleaning of the poo'd on area - which I'm sure you do anyway to remove the smell) are:

• putting two of the trays real close together if you don't already have it that way;
  

• putting those washable/disposable mats on the floor to catch the poo to make it easier for you;or
  

• getting one of those trays with low sides so that he can get in more easily.
  

Maybe someone who has had a blind cat can give further advice. How is the covered tray working? (Some cats don't like them.)

[oopslateagain]

I've put the pan down without the cover to get them used to it - I tried a normal covered pan but none of them would go in it.

No luck so far

I've started putting newspaper under the tray so when he misses, the wee is easier to clean up. The poo is the problem - he doesn't poo in the same place every time, though it's always somewhere in the vicinity of the loo/downstairs hallway.

[colditz]

Have you tried putting his poops into his litter tray, so he gets the hint about whhere poos live?

[cozietoesie]

Interesting thinking. It should be enough to lay his poops on top of the litter for 5-10 minutes and then remove them. The smell would permeate some of the litter even though the poops were removed. (Out of interest, how often are you cleaning the trays? It's not always a good idea to clean and refill them completely every day - just to scoop out poo and pee clumps for a few days might be enough. If he's blind, his smell would be very important to him and completely clean trays might not be clueing him in.)

I fear you should also leave the clean trays in the most likely spots before going to bed.

[oopslateagain]

I do drop the poo in the tray when I'm cleaning it up, and I scoop the trays once a day or so, I only completely empty them about once every couple of weeks depending on how much they've been used.

I thought the hooded tray had worked - I put the cover on, and he pooed in it. Once. Then it was back on the floor

The other bloody cat has just pooed on the floor in DD's room.

I can't wait to get the catflap installed...

[oopslateagain]

Oh FFS just had to take Oopscat to the vet as there was blood in his urine, he has a huge bladder infection. If it's not one thing it's another

[cozietoesie]

Best of luck with Oopscat. Bladder infections ain't fun.

[oopslateagain]

Thanks cozietoesie. I'm wondering if this has been working away at him for a while, causing the weeing in odd places. I know a bladder infection can cause old people to act oddly, maybe it's the same for cats...

[scurryfunge]

I have an elderly cat too. He is still quite happy to go out and will poo outside but has taken to coming back in to wee in the same place( bath mat). It's driving me nuts but not sure what I can do.

[cozietoesie]

Put a tray where the bath mat is - is my suggestion.

[scurryfunge]

Mmm..... Not a fan a trays, have not ever used one. It seems odd that he is happy to keep going out ( have a cat flap) but makes the effort to come back in to wee!

[cozietoesie]

You don't have a tray for him? Get one directly. My cats who went out oftentimes came back in to pee.

[scurryfunge]

I'm not sure after 11 years a tray is the answer. I've had cats for 20+ years and only used trays in the kitten period before they are trained. I don't like the idea of a tray in the house.

[cozietoesie]

But you haven't tried it, have you? £5 including litter?

[scurryfunge]

Yes, I think I may need to try it but I'm asking why he is suddenly doing this? He seems to have forgotten that peeing is for outside. I think he may have dementia. He has forgotten how to jump and wobbles around a lot too. I feed him and minutes later he is pestering me for food too.

[cozietoesie]

Have him to the vet - but remember that he's getting on a bit. Things happen to older cats and we have to live with that and them - as their guardians.

[scurryfunge]

Yes, I have, he's on tablets for an irregular heart beat but I'm not sure that is the main issue. I've accepted he's getting on and love him to bits and put up with the selective incontinence.?..just wanted to know if there is anything else I could be doing.

[cozietoesie]

Try the tray - and lots of tlc of course!

[nickelbabylyinginamanger]

Sebastian has exactly the same problem.
he's 18 and almost blind.

the litter tray is on a huge sheet of plastic pinned to the skating board and covered in layers of newspaper.
can't change his habits but makes it easier to clear up

[oopslateagain]

scurry dementia is a real possibility. Oopscat started doing just that a couple of years ago - I'd feed him, he'd lick the bowl clean, then five minutes later he'd be sitting at the empty bowl mewing and wondering why I wouldn't feed him. The vet said it was probably simple senility - he had forgotten he had eaten. We just deal with it - he gets a tablespoon of food instead of the half-pack the other cats get, but he gets about five separate helpings.

He hasn't forgotten how to jump, but his arthritis means it's very hard for him - have you had him checked for that? Oopscat is on Metacam, an anti-inflammatory painkiller, and if we miss a day then he can't jump and is very, very stiff.