Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why so many people keep litter trays in the kitchen?

175 replies

MrsTawdry · 03/01/2015 20:39

Another thread got me thinking...I see it all the time. Cat's litter trays in the kitchen!

Where you keep and cook food. And sometimes where you eat.

My cat's is in the bathroom where toiletting happens.

AIBU to think this is the only place for a litter tray?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
PhaedraIsMyName · 04/01/2015 14:41

Did somebody really say their cats don't walk on the kitchen work tops ?
hahaha

My thoughts too.

karinmaria · 04/01/2015 14:42

Sadly the kitchen is the only place we can keep our cat litter. Front door opens into the kitchen so no hallway, and the bathroom has zero space. No utility etc.

It is not great but that's how it has to be.

TheHermitCrab · 04/01/2015 14:43

Did somebody really say their cats don't walk on the kitchen work tops ?
hahaha

Mine don't ever, and they are indoor cats. In fact they don't go in the kitchen at all except to stare at me cooking.

Bunbaker · 04/01/2015 14:47

I don't believe that there are some cats who never jump onto the work surfaces either.

I grew up with cats, all my family have cats, we had cats before we had DD. They were all taught not to jump on the surfaces, but they always did when their owners were out.

AnyFucker · 04/01/2015 14:51

If you leave your cats unsupervised in the kitchen, I would bet my house they walk on the work tops

DuchessofKirkcaldy · 04/01/2015 14:53

Boy cat uses the toilet.
Old girl has an enclosed litter tray in the utility room. Changed 2x daily.
Kitten is learning to use the toilet but is still small and fell in!

Mintyy · 04/01/2015 14:54

I don't think I could have a pet cat if I had to have a litter tray. They are just gross in any part of the house.

tiggy2610 · 04/01/2015 14:57

Mine have been trained not to jump on the work surfaces and don't even try it when I am home, they know there will be a severe withholding of dreamies if they so much as contemplate it Wink but I have caught them on the window ledge when I'm coming home from work, only for them to run off as soon as they catch sight of me. Buggers.

However, I don't think its fair to call someone a liar (ok, maybe a bit strong) for claiming their cats don't go on worktops. Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it's impossible.

TheHermitCrab · 04/01/2015 14:57

I don't believe that there are some cats who never jump onto the work surfaces either.

I grew up with cats, all my family have cats, we had cats before we had DD. They were all taught not to jump on the surfaces, but they always did when their owners were out.

I don't live open-plan I have a kitchen door. I close it when I am not using it. Hmm

cremedecacao · 04/01/2015 14:59

Ours is in the kitchen, tucked under the breakfast bar that we don't ever use. There is nowhere else to put it! We don't have a downstairs loo. Our kitchen is big so we shut the cats in at night too (due to a cat that likes to chew wires...)

We always keep our kitchen super clean and use the anti-bac crystal style cat litter which we change regularly.

Never knew we were so gross!

TheHermitCrab · 04/01/2015 15:00

Also if I do ever have the kitchen door open, If I fancy freezing my arse off in the living room, the cats don't bother going in there, unless I'm cooking and it's all steamy and warm. It's cold, and leads to the outdoors. Which they hate. If a door to the outdoors is open they hide until the scent of fresh air has well and truly buggered off! lol

TheHermitCrab · 04/01/2015 15:01

cremedecacao

I don't have a downstairs loo :/ is there some rule about cats only being on one floor of your house? or have they not mastered the stairs? lol.

We use the crystal cat litter - good stuff! looks so much cleaner too.

PhaedraIsMyName · 04/01/2015 15:01

Mine definitely jump on the table and work surfaces. To be honest it doesn't bother me. (It's not as gross as keeping piles of used tea bags on display which apparently many of you do)

TheHobbit · 04/01/2015 15:02

Mine uses the toilet itself Confused used to shout at DH because I thought he never flushed the loo. Then one day I saw my pride and joy squatting in the toilet bowl having a wee!! Now to teaxh him how to flush would be bonus Grin

Bunbaker · 04/01/2015 15:04

"is there some rule about cats only being on one floor of your house?"

Yes. We didn't want the cats upstairs. The downstairs was more or less open plan so we could shut the doors into the hall allowing them access to the stairs.

TheHermitCrab · 04/01/2015 15:05

TheHobbit Jealous of you!!

Always wanted to get them training kits to teach your cat how to use the loo. My little cats are so tiny and clumsy they'd probably fall in!

There's a video on youtube of one who can flush (don't ask how I ended up youtubing cats using the loo!)

cremedecacao · 04/01/2015 15:06

TheHermit- yes, we have a rented house and the wire-chewer likes to pull up the carpets, so they stay downstairs to minimise damage! They have lots of space though and as DH works at home he can let them out whenever they want (can't have a cat flap due to being a rented house) They only really use the litter tray at night.

Carrierpenguin · 04/01/2015 15:10

My cat litter trays are in the kitchen, I have two. The reason is that it's the only place they'll fit - no utility room etc. They are cleaned at least once per day, usually twice or more often if needed. We eat in the kitchen too.

The cats bring lots of fun and happiness to the family, no one has ever been ill due to them or their litter boxes, I'm fact no one has had antibiotics for years and it's rare anyone gets a cough or cold. I'm sure it's been shown that living with pets increases your immunity.

If you don't want to eat in my kitchen then great, you aren't invited Grin

TheHobbit · 04/01/2015 15:12

The wierd thing is, is that we never actually trained him lol. Im sure he was a human in a past life as he can also open the cupboard and help himself to his Felix sachets (which is why we now give him Butchers tins) as unfortunately he hasnt mastered cleaning up after himself...yet Grin

TheHobbit · 04/01/2015 15:14

Here he is

To wonder why so many people keep litter trays in the kitchen?
GreenShadow · 04/01/2015 15:15

We thought long and hard about it when we took our rescue cats on a few years ago and it came down to the kitchen being the only place that worked for both us and the cats. There were various reasons why other possibilities didn't work, but I must admit that one place we hadn't considered was the bathroom.

I know it's not ideal, and sometimes wonder what visitors think, but about from it not being 'very nice', it has worked OK.

ChristmasPuddin · 04/01/2015 15:17

Ours used to be in the bathroom but one of our cats is now brain damaged and is confounded by stair gates. Once DS is big enough that we don't need them, the litter box will go back up.

In the meantime, it's in the kitchen but brand of litter we use doesn't smell at all and poos are scooped out and transferred to the outside bin at lightspeed.

TheHermitCrab · 04/01/2015 15:17

Thats so funny Hobbit, cats are strange creatures haha!

Carrierpenguin - I'm not against them in the kitchen for disease reasons. More the sight, stink and fact I know for a fact that my cat would just have a poo while I'm making my food.

I have a friend who has one in her house, next to the breakfast bar, and everytime people sit to eat in there, the cat comes in and shits, she apologizes, everyone is polite, but it stinks... The cat has put itself in the habit now of using the litter tray when people are using the kitchen. Not nice :/

It's probably the last place I would think of putting the tray, which is why I agree with the OP that it's odd so many people use the kitchen as a first option.

chockbic · 04/01/2015 15:19

It doesn't smell if you clean the litter regularly. Also easier to get litter off the kitchen floor than out of a carpet.

ChippingInLovesChristmasLights · 04/01/2015 15:20

I'd love a cat that used the toilet Xmas Grin

Post of the thread goes to :

Pensionerpeep Sat 03-Jan-15 21:21:08
Cats litter tray is in the cupboard under the stairs and the door has a cat flap in.