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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

Litter tray houses

28 replies

marriedinwhiteisback · 28/10/2013 22:01

Does anyone have any experience of these. The big litter trays that have a cover with a little flap in them for the cats to get in and out.

Our boys (two are brother - litter mates) are 6 and the third who decided to move in even before his family moved away is 5. There is a tiny bit of territorialising between the brothers and McTab but nothing that has every caused concern.

Any way we are moving house on Friday. None of them have used a litter tray since they were five months old but certainly the brothers didn't have a problem at all and shared a big one.

I am seriously contemplating buying one or two for the three weeks that they will be housebound after moving day - just to make having the litter trays down more bearable. They will be going in the utility room.

Anyone with any experience.

Also have never moved with cats either. I have feliway diffusers for the new house and will be plugging them in before the boys arrive.

Anyone got any tips. We will be moving them one at a time - on the hour - we are only moving a couple of miles away.

OP posts:

Fluffycloudland77 · 28/10/2013 22:42

Yes we've got one. It stops them pooing over the edge.

thecatneuterer · 28/10/2013 22:47

Yes they're great. You may need to take the flap off for a while though for them to get used to it.

Pollypotatohead · 29/10/2013 01:19

Yes best things ever invented for cats

AmberLeaf · 29/10/2013 01:50

I have one for mine. I took the flap off though as she was so tiny I didn't think she'd manage to get it open.

Its really good, no odours either.

Re moving the cats. In the past I have put them in the bathroom with some food/water and a litter tray. Then once the house was in order-ish ie furniture in the right rooms, let them out into the house. so a few hours at most.

AmberLeaf · 29/10/2013 01:53

This is the one I have.

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8702410.htm

It is basic, but does the job.

catameringue · 29/10/2013 07:33

Yes litter trays with hoods are good. Remove the flap in case they dont 'get it'.

Don't use ammonia based litter like catsan. If you want minimal smell then I'd go for clumping, and wood based like world's best. It's pricey but lasts ages as you just remove the offending items. Nappy bags are also good.

Put them in one room of new house initially whilst people are coming in and out and sat them up with food water and litter.

Original poster

marriedinwhiteisback · 29/10/2013 07:54

Thank you everyone. Especially Amberleaf for her Argos suggestion. I wouldn't have thought of that and that price is amazing compared to a major Pet retailer where they were over £40.00. I only need basic for three weeks.

OP posts:

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/10/2013 07:59

I've got that argos tray, the charcoal filters work really well.

Original poster

marriedinwhiteisback · 29/10/2013 08:24

Just hoping my boys will settle in OK. not so worried about the dc

OP posts:

AmberLeaf · 29/10/2013 08:51

You're welcome.

It's good isn't it Fluffy?

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/10/2013 11:04

Yep, very good. Doesn't stop him spraying all over the fence though. I'm looking into converting him to run on creosote.

fanoftheinvisibleman · 29/10/2013 11:08

Mine used to get in it, hang his backside out of the door and do whatever he was going to do on the floor I wouldn't mind if I hadn't spent a fortune making sure it was big enough!

ScaryNutellaFangs · 29/10/2013 11:10

I had a problem with my male cat who wouldn't use it because when he was sitting upright his head was skimming the top inside. And his sister would hide in there and ambush the poor bugger when he was desperate for a wee.

PuzzledBear · 29/10/2013 11:13

Ooh, can I ask a question? Do they stop the litter getting walked all over the floor in annoying small pieces? We don't really have a problem with smell, thanks to brilliant clumping litter, but the cat does end up trailing bits of litter across the floor.

PuzzledBear · 29/10/2013 11:13

Oh and she kicks it all over the floor when she's burying, too. I guess these lidded trays would stop that?

mrsWast · 29/10/2013 11:20

puzzledbear - you would think so. unfortunately, our cat seems to be planning her exit strategy with a Great Escape-type tunnel. it's the only explanation we can come up with for the litter pieces that end up everywhere. she is obviously discreetly scattering them when we aren't looking.

either that or she has deep paws. bloody animal.

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/10/2013 11:32

You can get big litter tray mats in pets at home for £10 that trap the litter off the paws. You just shake it out to clean it.

nutella, your female cat story made me laugh. Poor boy cat.

ScaryNutellaFangs · 29/10/2013 11:33

They're as bad as each other, so don't feel sorry for him! :D

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/10/2013 11:53

Dh had a cat who lay in wait for the dog every night, the dog never cottoned he was about to get mauled.

cozietoesie · 29/10/2013 12:08

The Lodger was known to leap over the dog if it was in the way. Poor dog was pretty bright but never managed to understand cats - you could see him sitting there with a 'Duhhh' look on his face half the time.

PuzzledBear · 29/10/2013 12:36

Oh ok thank you - I obviously need a mat not a new tray.

yourlittlesecret · 29/10/2013 12:48

I got one of these when secretcat was too young to go out. It was about £10 from Aldi.
The sides are really high so even without the lid there is much less risk of overflow.
He has been outdoors since he was six months old and when I took him to a cattery I was worried he might forget his manners and not use the litter tray but he was fine.
Blog here about moving house with a cat.

AmberLeaf · 29/10/2013 15:29

The one I linked to is rather tall for whoever said their cat is a tall sitter upper?

I find there is hardly any litter 'trail' on the floor, but they may be because I use clumping litter.

ArabellaBeaumaris · 29/10/2013 21:17

Yeah we have one of those, the cat is prone to hanging his arse over the edge & shitting on the floor. Also it broke when DD2 used it to stand on. So it hasn't done a better job than the cheapo £1 open one the other cat uses, although I suppose neither are technical issues with the style of tray itself.

barmybunting · 29/10/2013 21:34

Our boy uses one quick happily, as well as just using an open one when at the cattery. Combined with the mat under it, it has made a huge difference to the avalanche of cat litter that used to great you in our utility room! They are worth a go I reckon.

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