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The litter tray

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

Original poster

Routine for cat?

26 replies

BleepingSooty · 09/07/2012 12:31

We've recently taken in a stray cat. We've been trying to find his owner but no luck so it seems he will be staying with us. He's not fully grown yet and is well trained but he is very active at night. He sleeps a lot during the day especially at weekends as the children tend to annoy him. I've been told to try and keep him awake during the day but I'm not sure how much. I can't play with him all day so should I just bug him every hour or so?

He has food and water at night and I let him out to play between dinner time and bedtime. He just seems bored and lonely at night. I sleep with the kids so he won't sleep in with us.

Any advice?

OP posts:
seeker · 09/07/2012 12:33

To be honest- I have never ever heard of anyone trying to make a cat fit a routine!!!

Have you got a cat flap?

Let him out of what?

usualsuspect · 09/07/2012 12:35

My cat likes to dash about the house at night, you just have to put up with it I'm afraid Grin

He often finds a nice moth to chase about.

AdventuresWithVoles · 09/07/2012 12:37

Out of house, I guess she means. Ours are shut in rooms with litter trays at night; OP: does your stray not go out in rest of the day, is he only out sort of 5pm-9pm?

I keep them indoors overnight

  1. for own safety, to be in after dark
  2. because they meow outside my door at 5am if i don't shut them up elsewhere

Mine are 10.5 months & sleep astonishing amounts, but are mostly out playing in the daytime. I think if you give it more time he will settle into the new playtime=day vs. indoors=sleep. Sometimes ours tear around the house playing at night, but they do have each other for company.

Original poster
BleepingSooty · 09/07/2012 12:42

No cat flap. We live in a rented house. He really likes being in the house but he will go out to play for an hour or so. He usually goes out after his dinner (I guess to toilet) and comes back in after an hour. He also goes out in the morning after breakfast. I'm a stay at home mum so the door is usually open all day but he prefers to stay in and sleep.

I try to ignore his mewing at night but if it goes on too long I end up getting up to see to him as I don't want him to wake the kids. He still has food and water and doesn't want to go out but he just wants to play and cuddle at 3am.

I know nothing about cats so maybe this is normal. I'm not sure. I'm really tired. It's like having a newborn again! I'm wondering if I should put him outside to play for an hour after lunch.

OP posts:
Original poster
BleepingSooty · 09/07/2012 12:48

I'm sorry if I sound bonkers! I also worry about him annoying the neighbours at night.

Maybe I should shut him up in the living room at night then. He shouldn't bother us as much then.

Also he doesn't have a litter tray. I tried it and he made so much mess. He seems to prefer going outside. Should I try again with the litter tray at night?

OP posts:
AdventuresWithVoles · 09/07/2012 13:28

You could ring Cats Protection League for advice, how to get him into more of a day time = awake routine, and advice on using litter tray (you may just have to see how it goes). CPL can offer all sorts of advice. I would encourage him outside as much as possible in day as long as you think he'll come home again at right time.

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/07/2012 19:15

We shut our bengal in the conservatory at night, he can open doors but the conservatory is locked so that thwarts him.

He also believes 3am is the perfect time to play, poke his paw in your mouth and demand food.

Has he been neutered? the desire to roam reduces if they are not looking for females.

We have the covered tray from argos, it's a bit crap but it has a carbon filter which works really well. If you can spend more then the covered ones where they have to almost climb in are good, they cant scrape all the litter out when there annoyed with you then.

Original poster
BleepingSooty · 10/07/2012 08:27

Thanks! He hasn't been neutered yet. I was hoping to find his original owner but am planning to get it done ASAP. I will try a covered litter tray.

Last night I shut the stair gate but somehow he got over the bottom one but couldn't get over the top one was so was trapped on the stairs. There was lots of crazy yowling at 1:30am so I took him downstairs and fell asleep on the sofa. He didn't seem that bothered about playing he just wanted a cuddle. Perhaps I will try sleeping with him in the other bedroom.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 10/07/2012 17:21

I give mine an extra pouch at night if he is wide awake, a full tummy makes him sleepy.

Neutering is the answer to so many problems in life.

glastocat · 10/07/2012 17:24

Sorry but lol at the thought of getting a cat into a routine! :)

Sarcalogos · 10/07/2012 17:30

I really wouldn't be letting him out if you haven't had him neutered. There are enough strays outside already.

Once he's been 'done' he'll be a much easier pet. In the meantime get him the biggest litter tray you can find/afford, this massively cuts down on mess. And yes shut him up in one room with food water and tray (keep the tray as far away as poss from the food) at night if he is being a nuisance. A few days/weeks of this and he will learn that nighttime is not the time to play with humans, although I would leave some toys in his room with him at night.

seeker · 10/07/2012 17:34

I hadn't spotted that he wasn't neutered! You absolutely muatn't let him out at all!

AdventuresWithVoles · 11/07/2012 12:54

Agree, GET him done.
The sooner the better. Nobody challenged me about this before so I'll pretend it's a definite factual assertion Wink:

Mammal brains are changed hugely by sex hormones after puberty. He's already well into puberty & his brain is being changed every day & will only change more until his sex hormone levels get cut off (er, literally). If you want to hopefully avoid spraying & other unpleasantries of tomcat behaviour, get him done ASAP. Never mind irresponsible breeding or him hurting himself due to seeking a mate.

If he's a valuable cat that someone wanted to breed then Vet will be able to tell he's been microchipped & who he belongs to. There is no other excuse not to get him done ASAP.

Original poster
BleepingSooty · 11/07/2012 13:05

I called the vet today so will take him in tomorrow. I don't know how old the cat is, he isn't fully grown.

He only goes out in front of the house. He doesn't wander at all. We live in a cul de sac which is surrounded by a high fence and no other cats around but still I need to get him sorted ASAP.

I'm actually worried about his health. He has one cloudy eye. The vet commented on it but didn't give any reasons. I assumed it was an injury. However now his fur has started turning white. His eyes are a bit gunky. I have a lot to ask the vet tomorrow.

I'm not sure where he is sleeping at the moment but I will sort out a kitty litter tray for downstairs. We are not supposed to keep pets here so I think subconsciously I worry about his noise disturbing the neighbours and them complaining to the landlord.

One final question! There are so many kinds of kitty litter. I was bamboozled. Which is the best kind, big pellets or fine sand?

OP posts:
AdventuresWithVoles · 11/07/2012 13:08

I like the stuff that looks like wood pellets & turns into sawdust type material because I can compost the non-solids parts of it.
How can you keep him if you're not supposed to have pets where you live?

mollymole · 11/07/2012 13:14

Hope everything works out fine with his health. I am sorry but you cannot get a cat into a routine. They do sleep a lot then want to roam and play for an hour or so and then sleep again. If he is only young he may well be wanting comfort from you when you are all asleep as he is lonely on his own.

daisyrain · 11/07/2012 13:16

I have tried my cat with nearly all of the litters.

The best one is Tesco value litter.

Its cheap as well :)

Original poster
BleepingSooty · 11/07/2012 13:28

Sorry, I actually live in Japan. I have tried to re-home him but can't find anyone to take him. I have asked the animal shelters if they can take him but they are all swamped with pets from the tsunami. The only other option would be to take him to the city pound but they would destroy him after 6 weeks. He really is a very sweet and gentle cat. He is utterly useless outdoors and no trouble really. If the neighbours complain I will try again to re-home him but they seem ok as he is sleeping indoors most of the time. Neutering is not common in Japan which is why I was waiting in case the owner turned up. I have read a lot of the positive benefits of neutering but it will have to wait until I get paid tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help and sorry to drip feed.

OP posts:
AdventuresWithVoles · 11/07/2012 13:53

No problem, it's boring reading if you include every possible relevant detail in OP, so personally I don't mind a bit of drip! Do they have a big feral cat problem in Japan, then?

Sarcalogos · 11/07/2012 15:00

Daisy Im with you tesco value litter is the best! Although that's not a lot of help to you in Japan OP... I'd go the cheapest you can find, and switch up if you think you need to!

Best tip is just to get the biggest litter tray you can find.

Original poster
BleepingSooty · 11/07/2012 22:17

Thank you for your help!

Yes, there is a huge feral cat problem in Japan mostly dealt with by poison which is another reason I want to get him neutered so he doesn't wander away from home.

I noticed he tends to meow whenever any of the children cry out at night which is a lot so I took him in with us and he seemed better. I actually got an ok nights sleep.

I will let you know what the vet says today. He seems fine and healthy so maybe the white fur is just down to moulting.

OP posts:
Original poster
BleepingSooty · 12/07/2012 06:12

Took him to the vet today. The vet said he his fully grown so I was surprised. She said he was a young adult. His eye seems to be down to an old infection so it will always be cloudy but he isnt sick now. She doesn't know why his black fur is turning white. She tested his poo and said he was fine. It's a bit mysterious really. My googling said it could be coat fever but the vet said he wasn't sick. Maybe stress?

I went to get his vaccinations today but she needs to do them in two lots 3 weeks apart but we are going back to the UK for a month soon so it's not possible to get them done now. She says to neuter him after the vaccinations so for now he will be kept in.

I'm not sure what I will do with him when I am away. I asked a friend but she has 2 dogs so I don't know if it will work out. I had another guy who offered to take him but not without vaccinations and neutering. Fingers crossed friend says yes.

Does anyone know about black fur turning white? Can cats a d dogs stay together?

I bought a kitty litter so will leave it out for him. See if I can get him to use it. It is raining today so he won't want to go out anyway.

Thank you all for your support!

OP posts:
DontEatTheVolesKids · 12/07/2012 11:10

Could you chat to a different vet? I do not see why you couldn't get him neutered now.

Mr. Google has many reports of healthy black cats turning white, so I wouldn't worry about it (for example).

DontEatTheVolesKids · 12/07/2012 11:13

Your cat is not truly feral, makes me think he's had a good home elsewhere & hopefully had some jabs already, at least. Reading up about it, seems like Japan does have quite a big feral-stray cat problem.

Original poster
BleepingSooty · 12/07/2012 16:40

Thanks. My friend can't take him this summer so I was thinking of asking the vet to neuter him first and the give him the first set of vaccinations and asking if the guy from the Japan Cat Network can take him for his second set if he can look after him.

It's true what you say. When I found him he had a cast on his foot. That's why we thought we could find his owner as it is strange someone would go to the time/trouble to take a cat to the vet only to dump him. It makes sense that he might also be vaccinated. I never thought of that.

I wonder if he belonged to an elderly person who died or someone who moved away. It's so sad.

Thank you for your googling. It makes me feel a lot better.

OP posts: