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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

Cat is a shit machine!

36 replies

GoooRooo · 15/02/2015 19:38

Hello all,

Please please help - I am at the end of my tether!

To set the scene, I am married with a DS (almost 3yo), a dog (5 years old) and two cats (8 and 4)

The 8 year old cat is the first me and DS owned and originally she was a house cat as we lived in a 6th floor flat. She's a British Shorthair and although I'm not a massive fan of pedigree cats we deliberately bought that breed as on researching it seemed that they are happy as indoor cats.

2 years after getting her, we moved to a house. We then got the other cat (a rescue moggy) and the dog. Then we moved to the next street to a bigger house an had DS.

Phew - well done if you've got this far!

I am now pregnant with DC2. The week I found out I was pregnant she started soiling in the house. Since we moved to houses with gardens she has always gone outside before - using the cat flap. She tolerates the other cat and dog, she doesn't hiss at them or anything but she wouldn't choose to be with them if she can avoid it, whereas the other cat and our dog are best buddies and sleep together and play together etc.

She is tolerant of DS, but won't let him touch her - she just runs away, she doesn't turn on him. She's never been a lap cat and she only comes to us for cuddles at night, in bed and then butts our hands with her head until we stroke her.

As I am pregnant, I can't clean up her soiling and DS is losing his patience very very quickly. Also, I am terrified DS will see a poo and pick it up (and put it in his mouth because that's what toddlers do!)

She poos in three spots: in the lounge, on the stairs landing and in a particular place in DS room.

We did some reading up online and followed the adviced to use bio washing powder to clean it up to hopefully remove the scent as much as possible and discourage her, but to no avail.

DH is at the point where he wants to lock her out of the house permanently. I don't want to do that - particularly as it's so cold at night in particular and becuase she's always been a home body - she rarely leaves our garden.

We can't have a litter tray - the dog would eat its contents (I know that's grim!) and I absolutely hate litter trays at the best of times but the smell of one at the moment would send me vomming to the loo permanently.

HELP! What can we do?

OP posts:
Original poster
GoooRooo · 15/02/2015 19:39

Urgh - knew I should have previewed before posting. The 8 year old cat is the first me and DH owned, not DS.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 15/02/2015 19:57

You need a tray. A covered one.

You cannot lock a cat out in any weather. It leaves her vulnerable to predation, fight wounds & an RTA if she gets chased out of your garden.

Iirc the infection in cat poo is only contagious in the first few weeks & most cat owners are immune because we pick it up off them then.

She might know you are pg and its making her stressed.

bonzo77 · 15/02/2015 20:02

Definitely get a tray. In fact get one for the ach place she normally poos in.

Original poster
GoooRooo · 15/02/2015 20:05

She might know you are pg and its making her stressed. This is my theory too. Although it might just be that she's getting old I guess, and she's not fond of the cold so she might not be going out because of that.

Bonzo I am not putting a litter tray in DS's bedroom!

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cozietoesie · 15/02/2015 20:06

I'm sorry but you have to get her a tray. (A covered one as Fluffy suggested might be good for you.) Some cats are tense and nervy about pooing outside - and you don't know who is out there to make her life a misery at the moment - so if she wants to do her duty inside, you need to accommodate that.

cozietoesie · 15/02/2015 20:07

8's not old!

VenusRising · 15/02/2015 20:08

Feliway, and a litter tray.

Original poster
GoooRooo · 15/02/2015 20:08

8 is actually getting on for old for a British Shorthair. The average lifespan is about 12.

OP posts:
Original poster
GoooRooo · 15/02/2015 20:09

How do you all suggest I stop the dog from raiding the litter tray contents?

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OneDayWhenIGrowUp · 15/02/2015 20:11

Yes, you need to provide her a safe place to defaecate, she's showing you the locations she finds preferable, I'd put trays there. With 2 cats in the house, you should have at least 2 litter trays available. Keep the bedroom door shut if you don't want her in there.

Fluffycloudland77 · 15/02/2015 20:12

Is the dog sick after eating cat/fox etc poo? If not then happy days.

Or you could put it in a part of the house the dog doesn't go in if its a downstairs only dog.

cozietoesie · 15/02/2015 20:13

I quote:

'The UK breed committee considers the British Shorthair a long-lived cat, with a life expectancy of 14-20 years.'

My current old boy is 20 - now that's old.

OneDayWhenIGrowUp · 15/02/2015 20:13

keep the tray clean! Scoop regularly. Keep the dog away- stair gate etc. also, you don't know that the dog will eat the cat faeces- it might not.

tabulahrasa · 15/02/2015 20:14

Get a tray with a lid and face the door towards the wall... that'll stop the dog getting easy access without making it too hard for the cat to get in.

Toxoplasmosis isn't actually usually a huge issue for cat owners as you'd already have had exposure to it, but all you have to do to prevent it is wear latex gloves.

Original poster
GoooRooo · 15/02/2015 20:15

The dog will definitely eat it. She will eat anything that's not nailed down including my toddler's poo - we've been potty training and I was cleaning him up one day and turned round to see the dog raiding the potty. We do feed her!

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Fluffycloudland77 · 15/02/2015 20:16

Our Persians were only meant to get to 12, not one of them complied.

Original poster
GoooRooo · 15/02/2015 20:17

Haha Fluffy she has a pretty cushy life so she will probably outlive us all.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with her apart from some strange blue cysts in her ears that the vet says to leave alone unless they start causing her problems - and now this pooing issue. It's really getting us down.

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cozietoesie · 15/02/2015 20:18

You can get litter trays that have high sides and a top with a hole which the cat climbs into - they're expensive to buy new but you could make one yourself without difficulty. Someone else might be able to link to one to show you what I mean.

Original poster
GoooRooo · 15/02/2015 20:19

I know what you mean cozietosie. We had one when we lived in a flat. I hated it then, but we had no choice.

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davejudgement · 15/02/2015 20:21

I read somewhere that cats hate WD40. One of mine recently started peeing in a spot in the dining room, on a wood floor. I sprayed that with WD40 and he hasn't done it since.

Scotchmincepie · 15/02/2015 20:22

Advice from vets is cats should have tray each and one spare. There are trays that automatically clear and clean (£££). But you can't lock her out.

cozietoesie · 15/02/2015 20:23

Here's the Amazon version - at vast expense - but if you google 'top entry cat litter box' there are umpty youtube videos and instruction leaflets for making your own.

Pooka · 15/02/2015 20:45

I know you want to sort the poo, issue and hopefully the litter tray idea might help you, but wanted to say you can clear up after the cat while pregnant as long as you take sensible precautions that you would anyway I.e. Rubber glove, hand washing etc.

She sounds stressed. Felliway helped my cats through a tricky time. One of mine is very nervy, not a lap cat and generally prone to misery! Felliway, having space away from the other cat and a litter tray upstairs as well as downstairs helped.

Original poster
GoooRooo · 15/02/2015 20:48

Thanks all - I've forwarded this thread to DH.

OP posts:
Original poster
GoooRooo · 15/02/2015 20:49

Pooka - it took five years to conceive my son. I then had a miscarriage last year. I know, in theory, it would be safe - but I'm just not willing to take that risk.

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