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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

Help! Adopted a cat today, have some worries

31 replies

washngo · 11/05/2014 23:52

So we picked up our lovely new rescue cat today. He is great, very bold and friendly. He keeps trying to get into baby's room and has got into her cot though, and has batted at her with his claws a bit too (playfully). She is 13 months (the baby, not the cat. He is 4). As baby won't sleep with door completely shut (can't even begin to list her many sleep foibles - another thread entirely) I think I will have to shut the cat in the little utility room over night (house is v open plan so can't really shut him anywhere more spacious). I feel terrible but think its the only way. In a few weeks when he's ready to go out we will install a cat flap and so he can go in and out and have utility room to be cosy in at night if he wants to be. But for now it is just the utility. Is this cruel? Will he trash the room? I am stressing out big time over it and cannot sleep :(

OP posts:
Original poster
washngo · 11/05/2014 23:59

If anyone is awake who knows more about cats than me i would so appreciate your thoughts and hopefully some reassurance!

OP posts:
MrsMaturin · 11/05/2014 23:59

He'll be fine in the utility room. He might like a basket or bed up high if possible. Ours LOVES sleeping on top of the ironing....

MrsMaturin · 12/05/2014 00:01

Make sure he has a litter tray in there btw.

Cats like their own space. He won't be thinking he's shut in. He'll be thinking 'cool, a bit of peace' :)

Meow75 · 12/05/2014 00:07

He'll be fine. He only wants to be where the baby is because it'll be warm. Make the utility room somewhere of a bolt hole for him so that as DD gets older, if she's getting a bit much for him, he can go to "his" room.

Nice bed, maybe a scratching post, food, litter tray at opposite end from food and bed if you can.

I might also consider putting a cat flap on the internal door too. We put one on the door between kitchen and lounge. Allows cats free passage when we want them to but door still shut to keep lounge warm or cats in kitchen at night. You can get ones that can be locked 4 ways - in only, out only, in and out and locked both ways. Very handy.

Original poster
washngo · 12/05/2014 00:07

Thank you MrsMaturin! Feel a bit better now :) he has his litter tray and a cardboard box and blankety bed and water bowl. He hadn't used his litter tray yet so hoping he will over night. I need to stop stressing about the cat I think!

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Original poster
washngo · 12/05/2014 00:08

Thank you also Meow :)

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MrsMaturin · 12/05/2014 00:37

Meow is right. Cats regard babies as useful bed warmers. Ours still tries to get in to dd3 at night and she's 7!

sashh · 12/05/2014 07:16

Have you checked up on him? I bet he is fine isn't he?

Fluffycloudland77 · 12/05/2014 07:55

Another one who locks the cat in the utility overnight. He has a dog bed in there (cats seem to prefer a dog bed and he's too big for a cat one anyway), food, water, litter tray & scratching posts.

cozietoesie · 12/05/2014 09:40

Has he used his tray yet?

Original poster
washngo · 12/05/2014 10:28

Morning! Yes he used his tray in the night which I'm really pleased about. I think he was fine in there, he did a bit of scratching of the carpet by the door but that's ok. I think he will be generally happier once he can go outside.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 12/05/2014 10:30

Can we see a picture please? Smile

cozietoesie · 12/05/2014 10:35

In my experience, they tend to 'nominate' a piece of carpet to scratch if they're an indoors scratcher - as most of them are if you have any decent carpet. Can you live with that bit being a sacrificial piece if it saves the rest of the house? (If you allow scratching there, the odds are that that will be the only place used.)

Good news about the tray use.

Sparklingbrook · 12/05/2014 10:39

My Mum and Dad got a couple of sample squares of carpet from the carpet shop and put them down where their cat scratches.

cozietoesie · 12/05/2014 10:45

That's a good option and I've done that myself. Location seems to be the key - and if you can get a sample of good carpet, it helps a lot. (Cats seem to prefer an expensive wool to acrylic or lower quality.) Never had to pay for a sample carpet square either - shops seem to have books of the things.

You can either tack them down or put a heavyish piece of furniture on one side of the square: just something to give the cat some purchase when they scratch.

Original poster
washngo · 12/05/2014 11:30

Thank you, will have a look at carpet samples. Will also try to post a picture! I have decided to also put a stairgate across utility to prevent toddler getting hands in litter tray. This wont deter him from using the tray will it? I'm assuming he can jump it pretty easily?!

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Original poster
washngo · 12/05/2014 11:32

Photo attempt:

Help! Adopted a cat today, have some worries
OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 12/05/2014 11:44

What a cutie. Gorgeous. Smile

cozietoesie · 12/05/2014 11:51

He's posing !

Gorgeous.

Smile
MrsMaturin · 12/05/2014 12:43

He's a cracker!

Stairgate is a good idea and yes he should be able to jump that easily. Ours did :)

sonnybeaudelaire · 12/05/2014 12:49

Another good reason to go down the utility room route is if he turns out to be a good mouser, they won't be all over the house if he brings any 'friends' back at night!

Fluffycloudland77 · 12/05/2014 16:19

He's a stunner. Loving the ears.

RubbishMantra · 12/05/2014 19:47

What a beauty he is!

He looks like he's smiling Smile

Original poster
washngo · 12/05/2014 20:23

Thanks all. He is a lovely cat :)

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MrsMaturin · 13/05/2014 07:59

How is he today?

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