Builders - car just pooped in the house

[Madamnit]

We have builders in the garden - bricks have gone up today blocking low access from the cat door to the front of the house but they can go into the garden where the builder are.

Just went upstairs to find a big pile of poo. Not sure which cat (have 2) they obviously aren't impressed.

Do you think they'd prefer to stay with friends while this is going on...at least another 8 weeks?!

How many trays have they got inside the house?

Oh god none! They are free to roam so normally go outside. Maybe a little tray inside would do the trick... Worth a go!

They may not want to go outside at all, if there are strange men working in "their" garden. I know my cat wouldn't.

I'd put a couple of litter trays in the house, just in case one of the cats is too scared to go into the garden. A couple of seed trays would do, if you don't have litter trays, maybe with garden soil in them rather than litter if they aren't used to using litter.

They won't want to soil in the house. But cats are stress-heads, and if you can make it more pleasant for them to go indoors if they need to, you might be doing them a favour in the long run.

My mum just came to stay with me for a few days and that was enough to make one of my cats decide to shit in the kitchen sink - every day she was here! I can only assume it was a protest as my Mum had the temerity to sit on 'her' stool.

At least she did it in the little bit of the sink and not the part full of washing up [grim emoticon]

I would put in at least a couple of trays then - after all, they'd have to stay in for at least a few weeks if they went to a friend's house and would need to use them then.

One or both is probably scared of the builders and doesn't want to go out and poo when there are 'nasty big men' outside in their territory. I'd give them a safe room with food and trays etc where they can go either for the duration or until they acclimatise.

One other thing I've done with my own boys is 'announce' that the workmen have gone every evening using a catchphrase. They normally click that the situation is back to normal by the second or third day if you use a distinctive phrase/word and use it consistently.

PS - have you checked for pee?

I'm grinning here, TCN. What did your Mum say?

Oh no! Haven't checked for pee! The poop was right by a pile of clean washing. The sink sounds preferable to carpet...so grim.

Will definitely do the seed tray thing. Will get husband to bring a couple back from the allotment. Cats are both sniffing about the garden now the scary men have gone!

Yes the sink is preferable to carpet that's for sure. Cozie my mum is quite used to cats. I think all she said was 'cats are strange'. Isn't that the truth:)

I think they will get used to the builders, ours loves tradesman because he can sit at watch them and sometimes get on their step ladders to look in the loft.

It will be interesting for them.

If you're going anywhere near a supermarket, I think I'd maybe get some proper litter tomorrow Madam. If you have to use soil in extremis, so be it, but personally I've found that soil is not adequate if they're caught short and use a tray for peeing - it turns to hard mud. (Maybe sprinkle some soil on top of the litter for a day or two until they get used to the new texture - if you try it - and so that they get the message more clearly.)

Secondcat was an inveterate 'shoulder-rider' (and surprisingly sociable) which did indeed make for an interesting job for any workmen we had round.