To think about getting a cat but not wanting to do a litter box?

[Nolitterbox]

We had a cat that died about 8 years ago, she was not an indoor cat - but hardly ever went outside. Really only to sunbathe! The good thing was: no dead wildlife. The bad thing was: litter box. I hated it. It was a bane of my life the whole time.

I have a really strong sense of smell and can always smell them when I go to people’s houses who have them and I really dislike them. Also, our house is very small - there’s nowhere “tucked away” it could go.

I told DH we could get a cat and not do the litter box thing. He isn’t so sure. It’s a dealbreaker for me!

So:
if you have a cat and a litter box, vote YABU
If you have a cat and no litter box YANBU

I was going to suggest this with a cat flap. We did something similar when we got a cat flap in our old house. As I didn't want her going in neighbours gardens.

We now have 2 kittens and just keep on top of it. Luckily we are both OK with it.

We changed to Katkin and we've not had as many problems with the recipe change as others fortunately. The smell could sometimes be eye watering, even for us when we were used to it but now its genuinely not noticeable and my parents who aren't here enough to become used to it have said the same.

Keeping an animal caged up is cruel.
Why would you? What’s in it for the animal and is it worth their freedom?

If you live in a busy area don’t get a cat. Irresponsible and selfish.
If you have lots of fields or quiet roads, get a cat and it gets run over then that’s unfortunate and accidents happen to both humans and animals.
Personally I would rather see a cat live for 2 years free than 15 years caged. But then I literally can’t even walk past goldfish in a tank without feeling desperately sorry for them.

I'm not here to debate the rights and wrongs of indoor/outdoor cats.

I'm just saying you can make your point without calling people cruel.

I wouldn’t buy a cat specifically to keep it caged. But when rescues are absolutely over run it is at least better than poor treatment or being feral.

To all those saying their cat buries their poo, they don’t always. They also dig all the soil out of freshly potted flowers, shit all in there. And they also dig up play bark and shit all over that.
But then, I have a dog and we all know what MN thinks of dog owners…!

YANBU. I've always had cats but would never have an indoor cat for this very reason. The only time we've had a litter tray was when they were kittens before they were allowed out and when she gad to stay in for 2 months following an injury.

Please get a tray for sake of your neighbours and self. My boy got blocked from his tray and flap accidentally a while ago and shat on a lovely wool blanket on the sofa just as I was joining a 3 hour zoom-athon in the same room. This will happen to you if you don't give cats somewhere nice and private to go.

I have two of the happiest, most contented rescue girls, and they are not "caged". They have the run of the house. We kept them in initially as they had been living rough, so they could get used to living here, and not once in over a year has either of them looked to go out.

I've had outdoor cats, indoor cats and outdoor/indoor cats, and I still have a catflap which is chip-operated from my last cat. I think these two had had their fill of living on the streets in all weathers. If they had been desperate to get out then I would have had to let them.

I am happy that they're unlikely (barring accidents) to go missing, to get into fights, contract diseases or to have to be scraped off the road. There's enough of the neighbours' cats around to kill birds in our back garden - at least ours aren't doing that, or shitting in anyone else's garden.

As long as you leave the door open on a sunny morning / late afternoon so they can choose weather to go in or out that’s fine.
If not then they are stuck inside your house. Just because they are not clawing at the door doesn’t mean they wouldn’t like some freedom or to run jump and climb in the grass and trees. Not quite the same on carpet and scratching posts.

They are more than happy to bask in the sunshine from inside the house. Our wee 6 year old sprawled out in the sun this afternoon inside our patio doors and was so soundly asleep that she was snoring!

give your cat decent quality food and their poo should not smell at all. Scoop daily. Wood litter is good for absorbing wee. Dcat does ‘nice’ poos since I changed his diet to high meat/no filler food so basically not the cheap supermarket stuff. Maybe try rather than have no cat toilet.

If you've got a large garden Op, you've got this. Sand pit or dug over bed. We all managed years ago without litter boxes.
Don't let the neggers grind you down.

My cats had litter trays as kittens, and then for the first year or so after they started going outside, I kept the trays which they gradually used less and less. After 6 months of not a single tiddle crap in the trays, which were taking up valuable space in my small house, I did away with them. Yes my cats shite outside, but there’s not much I can do about that unless I keep them as indoor cats, which is cruel IMO.

I keep my cat's tray outside by the backdoor so she goes outside to use the tray. My house doesn't smell of cats at all & my garden is poo free. I clean the tray before I bring it in at night.

2 things, get the cat onto proper good food so the poop doesnt smell. We have quite expensive dry food and its nowhere near as bad on its way out as say wet food is.
Secondly, get a covered litterbox with swing door.
I have an insane sense of smell too, you cannot smell it. The odor stays inside it.
I always get told my home doesn't have a 'pet' smell.
The hair is a different story though 🤣 (I have 2 indoor only floofy cats)