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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.

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Original poster

Cats and litter trays

23 replies

grape999 · 01/10/2013 12:44

My 13 year old cat WON'T use his litter tray at night unless I go with him. We are on the top floor of a 3 storey house and the litter tray is on the ground floor, so a 3am wake up call to take him to the litter tray is not good. If we don't take him downstairs, he either spends the next hour knocking things off surfaces until we do, or worse, wees where ever he likes. He sleeps with me every night, and I don't think I can change that at his age.....any other ideas??

OP posts:

thecatneuterer · 01/10/2013 13:26

Put another tray upstairs?

Original poster

grape999 · 01/10/2013 13:39

Thanks - that is the obvious idea, but not particularly appealing. Any ideas why he might be doing this - or just neurotic old man beahviour??

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squinney · 01/10/2013 13:41

Does he use his litter try in the daytime? Any other health or behavioral changes?

Original poster

grape999 · 01/10/2013 13:45

yes, uses his litter tray in the day time, or goes outside - never a problem. It's almost as if he is afraid of the dark!
We did move about 3 months ago, but he started this about 6 months ago so even if he didn't like the move, that wasn't the trigger.

OP posts:

squinney · 01/10/2013 13:48

Does he use the stairs by himself? Thinking arthritis?

Original poster

grape999 · 01/10/2013 13:55

His brother is a bit wobbly on his feet, but he is fine - leaps about all over the place!

Thanks for your interest - if only cats could talk......

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squinney · 01/10/2013 14:00

Put a nappy on him :)

cozietoesie · 01/10/2013 14:24

Give him another tray you meanie! Maybe he is afraid of the dark.

Original poster

grape999 · 01/10/2013 14:29

So, so tempting Squinney!

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Original poster

grape999 · 01/10/2013 14:30

Cozietosie, I think you are right on both counts. Have suggested this to DH who looked horrified, but I think I might just buy one and be done with it. I hate to think of my poor little cat being too scared to go to the loo on his own!

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JohFlow · 01/10/2013 14:32

Does he have any problems with his eyesight? I could understand if he wasn't venturing down in the dark for fear of falling....?

cozietoesie · 01/10/2013 14:44

It could be that - just feeling frail and not wanting to go down two flights of stairs at night in the dark.

It could also be allied with - I hardly like to say old age when he's so much younger than my own boy - getting on. Some older cats become desperately close to their people, particularly at night, and don't like to be separated form them. Maybe all those stairs seem a bit daunting and he wants to stay close to Mum.

(There might also be occasions when he's caught short, older bladders not being so good at holding in. A tray close to hand would help on all counts.)

Best of luck with him.

chemenger · 01/10/2013 16:17

We have just resorted to having a litter tray in virtually every room in the house, at least temporarily, to solve nastycat's spraying habit. It's not as bad as I thought it would be, Sainsbury have smallish trays for a fiver and we're using OKO Cat's best litter, which is very good at suppressing smells. I've drawn the line at my bedroom though.

cozietoesie · 01/10/2013 16:27

Poundland have them for - well - a pound, chemenger. They're very slightly smaller than an average tray but still perfectly acceptable.

chemenger · 01/10/2013 19:01

No, don't tell me that, I'm from Aberdeen - wasting money gives me physical pain!

cozietoesie · 01/10/2013 19:02

Oops. Sorry.

Original poster

grape999 · 01/10/2013 21:36

Do you know where to get cheap litter trays with lids? My cat, boy, wees standing on all 4 legs, with his tail high and bum slightly tilted up! Always has, no idea why, but we definitely need walls and a lid!

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 01/10/2013 21:40

That's a spraying position. I'm assuming he's neutered but was he neutered quite late? (He might have got in the habit of doing it.)

Sorry - don't know the cheapest place for lidded trays. I'm OK on ordinary ones because I use them for all sorts of things. They're a great shape for general household use.

Original poster

grape999 · 01/10/2013 21:50

Yes, exactly, it's like he is spraying. But he is definitely not! He was neutered as soon as he could be, same as his brother who wees normally. It's very odd,but he is an odd, but lovely, cat.

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cozietoesie · 01/10/2013 21:55

It sounds to me as if he's either got into bad habits or doesn't much like living with his brother and is protesting. But at 13 years of age (both of them) I'm at loss as to what you could do. If he is fed up with Bro, it's likely too ingrained now as is the habit.

There's an outside chance that that extra tray will help because you should have at least two trays with two cats.

VenusDeWillendorf · 01/10/2013 22:04

Just a thought, are his eyes ok?
Can he still see in the dark as well as he used to?
Perhaps you need little night lights on the landings, or fairy lights down the bannister?

Pound land do a very good line in trays ime.

Hope he's ok? Poor old fellow!

cozietoesie · 01/10/2013 22:12

Out of interest. Where does his brother sleep?

Original poster

grape999 · 02/10/2013 09:18

Brother sleeps with us on our bed too. They are very close - rarely sleep apart, so I don't think it is that. They are back to sleep, together, on the sofa with ill child now.
Venus, I think extra lights is a good idea, thanks. Certainly worth a try.
That said, I took him to his tray last night before bed, and he slept right through. It doesn't always work, but it's definitely a habit I am going to keep to.

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