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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

CPL home check tomorrow

632 replies

MrsMoggy · 08/01/2016 18:52

Hi all,

This subject has probably been done lots of times so apologies in advance. Got a home check tomorrow for an indoor cat who we haven't actually met yet. What should I expect to be looked at and what questions may I be asked?

So far I have answers to where the cat would eat and use litter tray, where it could have privacy in first few weeks, what vets I may sign up to, feeding schedule, what I'm going to buy etc. can anybody think of anything else?

Thank you

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RoastChickenDinner · 30/01/2016 18:39

How are you and Mimsy today MrsMoggy?

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 30/01/2016 20:18

I've been out most of the past couple of days so not seen much of her. She is eating and drinking well. She is letting me and my son give her a stroke but still hiding away in general, under the table or near the heater or in her bed. I'm still feeling positive though and it's so nice watching my son interact with her. Hopefully in another week or so she will be coming on even more

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RoastChickenDinner · 31/01/2016 08:54

I think that's definitely positive. Your DS must be so good. PPG is only just coming round to 2.5 year old DD2 and we've had her since November, although she did sleep beside her last week when she wasn't well bless her.

Another week of the antibiotics doing their thing then back to the vets for you?

You're doing an amazing job.

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 01/02/2016 08:56

Got up this morning and she'd pooed behind my sofa. Obviously didn't like the hood being put on the litter tray. She's probably weed somewhere but I can't find it. No doubt it will start smelling later Confused

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Original poster
MrsMoggy · 01/02/2016 09:06

On another note, we can't get her in to be microchipped until the 20th feb. So there's a fair few weeks yet until we are back at the vets

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Original poster
MrsMoggy · 01/02/2016 09:43

Well I found the wee... All over my new top and coat!!

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timtam23 · 01/02/2016 10:06

Oh no...! Having had cat continence problems of my own I would suggest cleaning any soiled areas ASAP with a solution of biological washing powder if you have any. Also white vinegar is very good (the vinegar smell doesn't linger for long). Don't use bleach or Cillit Bang or anything like that as they don't get rid of the scent and the cats return to the same area....
Some cats are super-fussy about litter trays, hoods, type of litter, scooping as soon as they've used it etc. Hopefully it will settle down, she and you have done so well so far.

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 01/02/2016 10:17

I've taken the hood off again. I've shut her in her room for now. I've had to make do with cleaning down with fairy liquid and hot water followed with pet odour spray for now. It's on my wool coat and leather dining chair. I've also had to carpet mousse the carpet. Will have to find a way to block off access to under the table for now

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Original poster
MrsMoggy · 01/02/2016 10:36

To be honest I find this bit harder than everything else, I have a bit of anxiety around germs and cleaning and smells and my living room stinks now and my clothes are covered in wee Sad

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FinestGrundyTurkey · 01/02/2016 12:29

Oh dear Sad

Have you got any bicarb? It's very good at neutralising vomit smells in carpet & I think it should work on poo & wee too. Worth a try anyway (& it doesn't have any masking odour which is always worse IMO)

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 01/02/2016 12:45

I found some bicarb at back of cupboard so I've sprinkled some of that about and pasted it on the sofa and dining chair. I've had window open but it's really windy so had to shut it again. The poo was solid so wasn't too bad it's the wee that's soaked in that is the issue.

I'm just hoping it was having the hood on that caused it and that now I've taken it off she will go back to the tray. She has had one poo incident on the stairs a week or so ago where there was one lump on the stairs and another in her room, rest of it in the tray.

For today she will have to stay in her room whilst chemicals disperse and to make sure she uses the tray again. I'm disappointed because when my son and I came down this morning she was sat on the sofa for first time rather than hiding (she soon ran off but was there a good minute) so I thought oh that's a good start, next thing I find her pile of poo.

Like I say I know this is just a thing that happens sometimes I just find it harder with my cleanliness anxiety. Id been doing well dealing with litter and the smell of her food etc and the pet hair, but the weeing and smell put me on edge slightly

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MiddleClassProblem · 01/02/2016 18:28

How many trays do you have? It's often worth having a few

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 01/02/2016 22:25

Just the one will look at getting another. She's been in her room
All day with the tray but has done nothing in it. My living room and sofa still stink does anyone have any suggestions already tried fairy liquid, bicarb and pet odour spray and have applied another layer of bicarb for overnight. Can't bear the smell. And she's been scratching the carpet so will be in trouble with landlord argh

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Chaseywraith · 01/02/2016 23:02

Biological washing powder \ liquid as another poster said is probably best Mrs Moggy it breaks down the proteins that cause the odour.

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 01/02/2016 23:17

I will try and get some tomorrow thank you, only got non bio in at the moment. It's horrible! It's up back of sofa where I can't remove anything, at least if it had been a cushion I could have stuck it in the wash

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timtam23 · 01/02/2016 23:59

MrsM I also find white vinegar really good for the urine smell. Dilute it with some water and either put it in a spray bottle or apply with a cloth. It neutralises the urine smell. The room may have a bit of a chip shop smell for a bit but it honestly does wear off soon. And for the carpet scratching I think one of the cheaper solutions is a cardboard scratch pad, they are in pets at home or other pet shops too. They look like a long shallow cardboard box filled with corrugated cardboard. My cat really likes his (he doesn't scratch carpet but was a terrible scratcher of the sofa).

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 02/02/2016 00:03

I think part of the scratching was her digging into the carpet like litter as it's where she weed last night. It's made a right mess the scratching but can't do much about that. Will get some vinegar and try that too thank you.

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timtam23 · 02/02/2016 10:44

Also with those covered litter trays they can get a bit freaked out by the door flap, we had to take the flap off before one of our cats would use it. We needed the cover on to stop the DCs faffing around with the cat litter when they were toddlers. As long as we cleaned the litter regularly the smell was hardly noticeable even with the flap off. I hope things are a bit more settled today.

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 02/02/2016 11:04

I've left the lid off now. I'm regularly scooping, it just looked neater with the lid on.

She's still up in her room at the minute as I've been cleaning the sofa again. Will let her down a bit later but only supervised, she will have to go back up at bedtime so she's near the tray. Will go out and get another tray tomorrow so there's one up and one downstairs

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Original poster
MrsMoggy · 03/02/2016 14:35

She's now allowed downstairs when supervised. She hasn't been around much as she's doing a lot of snoozing in her bed. She still hides out under the table/behind sofa but if I get down there with her she will come for a fuss, eat dreamies from my hand, and last night she let me groom her with a grooming brush so her fur feels lovely. All of this done under the table! She will also let me pick her up if I need to (had to do this a couple of times, I know it's not really advised and wouldn't do it unnecessarily)

Now I've taken the hood off she's been regularly pooing and weeing in the tray again so I can only hope it was the hood causing the issue. I've bought a second less flash litter tray for downstairs just in case.

Luckily my son is still enjoying having sleepovers in our room but soon I will have to move the cat downstairs permanently as we are struggling for space with my sons stuff in our room.

The sofa still smells of cat wee despite trying all sorts. I've got vinegar and bio powder left to try I gave zoflora a go last night but not much change.

Just a quick update, sorry if people are bored of our tale by now!

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RoastChickenDinner · 03/02/2016 15:37

Definitely not bored! Look forward to your updates!

Glad she is a bit more settled again.

FinestGrundyTurkey · 03/02/2016 17:20

No, not bored at all, I look for updates every day Smile

Glad she's using the tray again & I'm sure the cat wee smell will dwindle (of course unlike vomit you can't see where you need to clean)

Mine don't like being groomed so I'm jealous of you for that! There's always some hair about & at season changes there's piles of it.

MiddleClassProblem · 03/02/2016 20:34

Love the updates. Definitely keep them coming x

timtam23 · 03/02/2016 21:10

Not bored at all MrsM! Your updates are great!
Re: wee smell, there is a spray called UrineOff which is great at removing smell if all else fails, it is not particularly cheap though. Also hydrogen peroxide is great for wee smells (it oxidises them) but it can also bleach a bit sometimes so needs to be diluted. I have some cleaning solution with hydrogen peroxide which is for exactly this sort of pet problem, I think it came from home bargains/quality save

PolterGoose · 03/02/2016 21:36

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