Getting rid of litter tray

[justabigdisco]

I have two cats.

One likes to be outside as much as possible (from when we open the cat flap at 7am - sometimes later at weekends - until we lock her in in the evening). She stopped using the litter tray ages ago, and goes outside.

The other is much more if a 'home cat' and although she does venture out it's for much shorter periods and she comes home frequently. She has always used a litter tray until recently - she hasn't used it for well over a week.

I'd love to get rid of the litter tray. Shall I just remove it and see what happens? I'm worried about when winter comes and we lock them in earlier in the evenings. Can they really hold it in all night? The second cat has been indoors since about 5pm last night and hasn't gone out even now I have opened the back door.

[justabigdisco]

I should also mention that the second cat doesn't like going out when it's cold/dark/wet, and has in recent months been weeing in her bed - no cause found and been to vets etc - however this week she seems to have finally stopped, coinciding with stopping using the tray

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I don't think you can really remove it if they are shut in at night. How do you know which one is using a tray?

We shut ours in at night, they use the trays intermittently and as far as I'm concerned we'll have trays for as long as we've got cats.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I wouldn't do it. Was the litter tray a bit "lived in" when she wet the bed?.

[cozietoesie]

I'd keep it - just for the avoidance of that moment when you're going to the loo/kitchen on a dark night and your bare feet step on 'something'. In fact, I'd up the number to two if you have two cats who stay in at night. (Well done for keeping them in then by the way.)

How old are they?

[justabigdisco]

That all seems fair enough. I jut hate the sodding tray! I did keep it clean when she was weeing the bed - think she just got into the habit of it but now she's going outside more she seems to have stopped. Don't know for certain that cat 1 doesn't use it but haven't seen her use it for AGES - and it definitely hasn't been used at all for at least a week, despite them being shut in at night. They are 3, and litter mates.

[cozietoesie]

The problem is that you just need one accident (they weren't inclined to go before they came in/the timing was just wrong etc etc) to really make you .....annoyed. There's also the thing that you have a couple of girls out there and if, perchance, a new tom arrived on the block, you might find - overnight almost - that they preferred to do their duty inside the house because that's where they felt most secure. Loads of possibilities.

I'd keep the tray, myself. Nothing like being able to sleep with an easier mind.