7 month old still using litter tray.

[buntingbingo]

Can anyone advise on how to encourage our little cat to do her business outside? Her poos STINK and I'm pregnant, my husband will only clear it out after me reminding him a million times.

She doesn't go out the cat flap either which I'm hoping she will learn soon.

I'll keep it for emergencies but I'd like it if she at least did a few of her daily poos ans wees outside. Any tips?

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Maybe dig over a patch of fresh soil in the garden and take her out there to see it? To be honest though, unless you are remote from neighbours or have very big gardens it's only fair to have a tray inside permanently.

[buntingbingo]

Really? Wahhhhh. Our big old boy would never use a tray. I hate it.
Obviously I'll keep it for as long as needed but I really hope it's not forever.

[Meepandyoup]

No cat I've lived with has ever stopped using a tray - it's not like nappies!

[TheOneWiththeNicestSmile]

What does she eat & what litter do you use? My cats eat Felix Doubly Delicious & Royal Canin vet care biscuits & have magical non-smelly poos most of the time; also I use oko plus litter, which is expensive but absorbs any odours & lasts for ages. & the tray is covered which also helps.

If you can deal with the practical issues it's much nicer in both your own garden & the neighbours' if the cat uses a tray

[TheOneWiththeNicestSmile]

But fwiw my cats eventually started pooing outside (in my tubs & presumably elsewhere too ) but even so in bad weather they'll still use the tray

[StormyBrid]

Rubber gloves and a poo scoop? Mine have taken to not burying theirs since I switched to litter that's basically made of sawdust. Chuck 'em down the loo and flush, leave the extractor fan running a while to shift the smell. I appreciate you don't want to be handling cat poo while pregnant, but there's no need to handle it with your bare hands, wash thoroughly afterwards, and remember a cat that isn't yet going outside is unlikely to have toxoplasmosis. And then have words with your partner; he needs to grow up and deal with poo. It's gross, yes, but it's good practice!

[Stinkersmum]

Why would you expect them to stop using the tray? They're not babies! Would you rather go outside in all weathers, dig around, keep look out for your enemies whilst trying to take a dump? Or go indoors, where it's nice, warm & safe?

If her poo stinks, rethink what you're feeding her. You CAN scoop poop whilst you're pregnant - just use rubber gloves and/or wash your hands after.

[Marmitelover55]

I hated our smelly litter tray and got rid of it. Thankfully cat then started toilet ing outside

[Mouthfulofquiz]

For all of us trying to do their gardens this weekend and finding cat poop, keep them pooing inside!!

[AliOh]

Have you tried a covered litter tray? And also what litter are you using? We started using catsan and found it much better - it's expensive but lasts for ages. We had two cats, one left home when DS arrived and the other no longer comes in the house, we did out the outhouse for her then so she has her own little house!

[thecatneuterer]

I agree with Stinkersmum. You need to be prepared to always have a tray. Cats often prefer to at least have the choice of going indoors, particularly if it's cold/raining/the ground is frozen, there is a scary cat outside/they're feeling under the weather etc etc. And elderly cats almost always need trays.

I think you're going to have to leave it to her, and obviously nothing will 'improve' until she learns how to use the cat flap. It's good that you're not planning to take the tray away permanently. I don't think there's much you can do. As she spends more time outdoors she's likely to use the tray less, but you just never know.

Really it's much better for the cat if they usually use a tray as then you know if there's something wrong. Blocked bladders, cystitis, constipation etc can be spotted so much quicker and, in some cases, noticing quickly will save the cat's life and certainly prevent unnecessary suffering.

And then of course with a tray your neighbours are likely to hate you less as Mouthful demonstrated:)

[buntingbingo]

I do clean it with gloves, im not that precious and if I waited for DH it wouldn't happen, it's more the nausea and the smell that's the issue.

It's a covered tray. I'm surprised at your answers as all the cats I've had have gone outside but they were older rescue cats, she's my first kitten.

I'll look at the food. She has purina dry at the moment maybe that's the problem. Each poo stinks the whole house out.

I've tried various litters they are all the same. She doesn't always Bury them but does sometimes.

I truly hope she starts doing it outside. I'll live with the litter tray but the thought of having it for potentially 20 years brings tears to my eyes.

[TheOneWiththeNicestSmile]

This is the cats best. Poos seem to get coated which helps with any smell & wees turn into little sort of snowballs, & you can flush both down the loo (I tip them into dog poo bags to carry them)

zooplus is a great place to buy litter & food (& everything you need really)

m.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_litter/cats_best/14001?gclid=CMD4uu_o6cUCFSLKtAodvUsA0Q

[cozietoesie]

Nearly all of my outside-going cats have preferred to use an inside tray and I also prefer it in the long run - it enables you to kep a weather eye on their health (via their inner workings) and also saves trouble with neighbours over poo in the flower beds. (Having just had to clear a number of large poos in my main flower bed from a stranger-cat, that's a subject that I take seriously.)

It might, as you suggested, be a good idea to have a look at her food and litter to see if you can reduce odour etc. And have a word with DH - or I can see who is going to have to do all the nappies with the new arrival!

[Fluffycloudland77]

If you already emptied trays before being pg youre likely to be immune to any nasties and cats are only infectious for a few weeks from what I've read on here.

Is there a charcoal filter in the tray?

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

We use the Oko plus cats best litter and while the smell goes after a while, when they first go it does absolutely stink, my two don't bury theirs. But we clear it as soon as we get a whiff. We know it does absorb it after a while because if they do one while we're out there is no smell in the house when we get back. Have you got a shed or similar you could put a catflap and tray in?

[code]

I prefer to have a tray as I like to monitor their output. My boys will come inside to use their tray and it's nicer not to have turds in the garden. The issue here is the smell and I sympathise as mine stank until I changed their food. Now there is no odor at all. I use royal canin gastrointestinal wet and some of the royal canin dental health kibble and their bowel motions are small and fragrance free.

[Walkingonsunshine00]

Buy a cheap tray stick outside with litter in and gradually swap the litter soil ratio. Worked for us

[buntingbingo]

Thanks all, I will change food and litter and try and make peace with the gosh darn litter tray. She's worth it (even if her poo pong wakes me up in the morning)

[buntingbingo]

I've just ordered the oko litter and some royal canin food. Stinky turds will be a thing of the past.

[thecatneuterer]

I really hope that does the trick. However I have, unfortunately, studied stinky turds in some depth and have come to the conclusion that some cats are just stinky. I feed mine (around 20 plus cats at any one time - probably over 60 cats in the past years) all the same thing and of course they use the same litter. Most of them have inoffensive turds. But there are always one or two cats whose turds make your eyes water and whose bouquet fills the entire house. It just seems to be one of those things. It's probably the same with people :)

[buntingbingo]

Oh no! I hope and pray that I haven't fallen for a naturally stinky cat.

[TheOneWiththeNicestSmile]

fingers crossed that she isn't, bingo - hope she'll be be odourless before long!

[RubbishMantra]

I wish my cats would use the tray more. I spent loads of time last summer, digging out the raised flowerbed and planting it up. They treat it like a giant litter tray, joyfully flinging earth, plants, and poo into the courtyard. Killing off half the plants with their toxic crap. Fuckers.

[TheOneWiththeNicestSmile]

my fuckers do that too, Mantra

Cats are gits