Save my floors

[TheABC]

One of our cats is rather elderly and refuses to go outside to pee at night now the weather has turned cold. Fair enough, we put out the litter tray. The problem is that an uncovered tray is a source of toddler delight (we have an 18 month old) and the cat won't use a covered one. It's also a fairly small and open house, so roping off a room for the cat is not easy. WWYD?

Open tray put in an old playpen? Cat can squeeze through the bars or you could cut a hole in the mesh for it if its a travel play pen.

Get a covered litter tray.

Didn't finish message.
Leave door off covered one to start with & put used litter in it for the scent.

Hmmm. I have a cat litter tray with a 24 month old, first got it when he was about 20 months. Initially he was intrigued so I used a stairgate to give the cat some privacy and repeatedly told him No!! sternly and removed him from the vicinity. The car litter is now downstairs in an open area and he doesn't go anywhere near it.

So I do think children can be trained to leave things alone but it's easier initially to have a barrier to help reinforce this.

Thanks everyone. :-)