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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

The litter tray

How to I get my kittens to stop using the litter tray?

47 replies

sweetheart · 09/09/2015 15:21

My kittens are 5 months old now, fully vaccinated, neutered, chipped etc and have been going outside for about 4 weeks now. They have mastered the art of using the cat flap so can let themselves in and out independently. I have already moved their litter tray to outside the back door about a week or so ago but they are still using it. Anyone know what the next step is? Do I just take it away or should I move it further down the garden.....stop cleaning it out and changing the litter???

OP posts:

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Fluffycloudland77 · 09/09/2015 16:42

I wouldnt do it, cats ought to be in overnight for safety and they need somewhere to go.

Graciescotland · 09/09/2015 16:50

We moved it out into the garden (covered) for a bit then mixed the used litter in the earth where we wanted them to go and took the litter tray away. They did use this initially but don't tend to do the toilet in the garden now. We don't have neighbours so it's fine but you may wish to consider yours if you live in close quarters and keep the litter tray.

sweetheart · 09/09/2015 16:52

Fluffy - did you not read my OP? They can use the catflap, I'm not locking them out.

OP posts:

Graciescotland · 09/09/2015 16:52

Our cats are out all night and come home to sleep all day. I think it depends where you live but I don't imagine it'd be safer during the daytime normally?

cozietoesie · 09/09/2015 16:53

All of my recent cats have used an inside litter tray whether or not they went outside. (The Lodger, in fact, started to use one in the daytime shortly after he'd been with us a little while and after bringing himself up on the streets: he always used one at nighttime anyway when the cats are kept inside.)

They seem to prefer it and I do also. I don't mind cleaning them, it enables you to keep a weather eye on their inner workings (and catch pee or poo for the vet) and it saves any arguments with neighbours about poo in the rose beds.

Why do you need them to do their duty outside?

pilates · 09/09/2015 16:53

What happens if they get caught short in the night?

Do you let them out on their own at night?

cozietoesie · 09/09/2015 16:55

My mother's cats were, if I recall, all killed at nighttime, Gracie, and she lived in a fairly country area.

GinandJag · 09/09/2015 16:59

I just had a kitten sized litter box, so as he got bigger it became awkward to use. He took well to the outside, and never really returned to the litter box once he had his taste of freedom.

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/09/2015 17:32

Cats are harder to see at night so they are safer in than out so they don't get run over.

If they are kept in for safety's sake they need a litter tray.

sweetheart · 10/09/2015 10:19

Hmmm none of this really answers my original question.

OP posts:

AsTimeGoesBy · 10/09/2015 10:54

Unless you live a very long way from anyone else it's only fair to have trays to try and prevent them shitting in people's gardens. It is also a good indicator for illness, and I agree about keeping them in at night too.

hiddenhome2 · 10/09/2015 15:01

They'll need to use a litter tray if they're ever sick or if the weather is bad. Mine don't even go into the garden if it's raining a bit. Old cats also need a tray.

I wouldn't recommend unteaching them to use a tray.

thecatneuterer · 10/09/2015 17:30

I agree with everyone else. Keep them in at night, so you will need a tray anyway.

And keep a tray for when it's raining or whatever. They will use the earth outside when they're out, and the tray inside when they're in. Don't take the tray away.

overthemill · 10/09/2015 17:34

They will stop using it when they want to. But I agree you should keep them in at night. My young cat doesn't use his litter tray overnight but I have it in case

NameChange30 · 10/09/2015 17:41

We keep ours in at night (for safety as others have mentioned) so we always keep a litter tray out for them. They hardly ever use it, they must prefer going outside in the daytime. But I'd much rather have it there just in case. Better than the poor cats being stressed and making a mess that the poor humans have to clean up!

As for encouraging them to go outside - apparently they prefer sheltered corners with soil or something they can dig. So maybe you could find/create an appropriate spot in your garden and leave some used litter there.

bloodyteenagers · 10/09/2015 17:51

Where do you expect them to shit if not in the litter tray?

BigbyWolf · 10/09/2015 17:53

Just take the tray away.
That's what we did when our cat had been going outside for a few weeks. He was fine and only toileted outside after that (no accidents in the house). We put him outside at night.
We do live in a rural area with no neighbours though, so we don't have the issue of him pooing in other people's gardens.

DextersMistress · 10/09/2015 17:56

Why would you want to?

GinandJag · 10/09/2015 18:26

My cat loves being a nocturnal predator. It would really limit his quality of life if we locked him in.

He doesn't mind the rain either. Nor do my kids. None of them dissolve.

NameChange30 · 10/09/2015 21:44

GinandJag, I sometimes feel a bit mean locking them in, but they are usually very happy to curl up somewhere. Cats are pretty adaptable IMO. And they can still enjoy being outside in the daytime. One of the two likes hunting and brings in a catch from time to time - so he can still hunt despite only being allowed out in daylight hours.

maybebabybee · 10/09/2015 21:48

Why get cats if you're not prepared to clean up their shit

I love my two cats to bits. I don't love their massive stinking poos, but that's part and parcel of owning a pet.

NameChange30 · 10/09/2015 21:58

^ well said, my thoughts exactly!

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Graciescotland · 10/09/2015 22:51

I suppose it depends on the local wildlife cozie we don't have foxes, I suppose if they were very unlucky they might get picked up by an owl or something but they're fairly feral by nature (feral farmcats for parents) they'd be noisy, miserable things if kept in at night. I suppose you have to work out risks/ benefits.

cozietoesie · 10/09/2015 23:17

I live in a heavily urban environment and we have lots of foxes living here. If I'm up late, I can see them running up and down the street occasionally - and from what I've seen and heard, I'm less sanguine than other posters about cats' ability to overcome them. Maybe it's just the foxes round about me though.

I'm also concerned about vehicles. There seems to be a thing that youngsters in particular become careless when the dusk comes on. My Mum, to whom I referred earlier, even lived by a 'quiet country road' but unfortunately it was known to be a 'quiet country road' by the local wide boys who seemed to barrel up and down in confidence that Our City's Finest would be nowhere around. Before Seniorboy (now my cat) came to live with her, I think she lost about 6 or 7 young outside-going cats on the trot, all of whom were knocked down and killed by cars.

I feel happier if they're inside at night and they don't seem to mind in the least if it's a routine. Even The Lodger, who came to live with us at about 2 years old after raising himself on the streets, settled down quite happily every night once we'd had the long talk and he'd agreed to my conditions for living with us.

As you said. risks and benefits - except that in my experience, the latter far outweigh the former. That's just me though.

SayrraT · 11/09/2015 08:08

My cat just stopped using his litter tray, it is still there so that if he wants to use it he can but he prefers not to.

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