Technical help with litter trays requested please

[JuniperTisane]

The Lion (13) has had a chequered history with litter trays. We had got to the point where he would only wee in an open one and poo on the floor next to it. Then he would hang his arse over the edge so the wee went on the floor as well.

We have finally got him to accept a hooded litter tray, the largest size I could find. Its great. He's finally agreed to poo in there. And wee goes up the side, not over it.

Or so I thought. Actually the wee goes up the side and leaks down and seeps out the gap between the tray and the hood and my floor is once again sullied.

Is there such a thing as a large, hooded tray with a very high bottom part at the back? (he always wee's at the back).

It sounds as if he still doesn't like his arrangements - but that's a whole other thread.

Have you thought about a top entry litter box ? (See here for a sight of one.) They're all of a oner at the base so shouldn't leak. They're hugely expensive but it should be fairly easy to make your own if you like the notion. (You can buy pretty cheap lidded large plastic storage containers online and all you need to do is cut out a hole in the lid - might cost you a tenner or so.)

Whatever you do, I'd try to ensure that you give it to him as an additional option to try out. Many cats (my own is one of them) don't like to poo and pee in the same place at the same time (the two functions are often very closely timed even if you're prompt to clean after them) so need two trays to do their duty happily.

Yes he absolutely won't use the tray if there is even a hint of anything previous in there. TBH since kittenhood his preferred pooing spot is on the floor when its not outside. He does less and less outside now though the older he gets. I'm pleased we've got him to regularly crap in an approved spot

We have a few old plastic containers I could butcher. I might have a go at the weekend and see.

I wonder how he would take to a top entry? He took 3 years to work out the catflap without me propping it open, even when he watched the Snowshoe go gaily in and out, so I won't hold my breath.

Gratuitous photos.

....I wonder how he would take to a top entry? ....

That's a reservation for me also. At 13, you could be expecting some arthritis coming his way in due course - if he hasn't got it already - so it might be a problem for him. If you have some plastic lidded containers to butcher already though, it's an easy experiment. (Lots of online videos on how to do it - I'd simply use a - jigsaw is it? - to cut out the hole after drilling a few quick starter holes in the lid and then rough sandpaper the edge of the cutout.)

Best of luck.

Oh he's wonderful - what a tail! (The snowshoe is a good looking one as well.)

Could you buy puppy pads to put the tray onto? I mean, it won't stop the leaking, but will protect your floor. Or gaffer tape round the join?

Puppy pads are an excellent idea as well. They're relatively inexpensive, especially if bought online.

Its a curly snail-tail that sits up and over his back. He has magnificent trousers to complement it.

I tried gaffer tape but its quite difficult to fix and will need replacing every day.

I have bedwetting pads left over from DS, thats a very good short-term idea.

you can get one where they have to walk in trough like a mini tunnel into the tray, we used to have one and it was wonderful but couldn't find them when it came to replacing (know that's not much help)
it might be worth having a google see if you can find something like that?

ours don't leak but we still have it stood on a puppy training pad as one of them has a tendency to not get his bum fully in the door!

Mini tunnel thing wouldn't work. We have to have the door off as it is to get him to agree to go in.

I have been and put a pad down for now.

Hmm. I might just put a big plastic container down without the lid on and see how he takes to that. Might be able to get away with just cutting a u-shape halfway up the box side. He never wee's at the front of the tray anyway.

Sorry, no help but I just wanted to say yes, his trousers are indeed magnificent.

What a noble looking beastie.