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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

If the cats are not allowed outside at night do they need a litter tray

90 replies

MrsFogi · 05/10/2018 22:34

Our kittens are about 6 months old, I allow them to go in and out during the day but am keeping them in at night. How do people deal with this in relation to the litter try - do you end up having a litter tray overnight forever?

OP posts:
redsummershoes · 05/10/2018 22:35

evem if your cats go outside you still need a litter tray.

WingsofXXSteel · 05/10/2018 22:36

Unless you prefer they use that bit of carpet under your bed that you can never quite reach...

MrsBlondie · 05/10/2018 22:38

We never had a litter tray for our cat once he could go outside. Was never an issue.
However Id have one overnight. Fir now just until they can go out more often

Maryann1975 · 05/10/2018 22:38

Yes, they will need a litter tray and it is recommended that if you have more than one cat, you have more than one tray. It’s not every night that our cat uses her tray (out during the day, in at night) but she uses it a couple of times a week. If they had no tray, where do you expect them to toilet?

Wolfiefan · 05/10/2018 22:39

Cats should always be in overnight.
You should always have a litter tray.

LondonLassInTheCountry · 05/10/2018 22:40

Even if they go out in the day, they still need a litter tray.

You have a cat, you will always have a tray.
A cat cant hold on all night long???

MrsBlondie · 05/10/2018 22:40

Really people always have litter trays? Once ouf kitten goes out and we have a cat flap we wont have one. Was honestly never an issue in the 18 years I had my previous cat.

Honeyroar · 05/10/2018 22:44

Depends whether you've already litter trained them or not. All our previous cats have not needed litter trays, they've just gone when outside and held it when inside. However our current cats were rescued and had been house cats for a year. The female insists on coming in to the loo, if there's no litter tray she picks whatever most looks like a litter tray (often the dog's bed!), so we have to keep the litter trays.

Disclaimer- we have no near neighbours so they're not crapping in anyone else's gardens.

hapagirl · 05/10/2018 22:45

My cat is locked in at night. She usually doesn’t need the toilet in that time but I have a litter tray for her for emergencies. She uses it occasionally. Imagine having to need the toilet and not having anyway to go.

hazeydays14 · 05/10/2018 22:46

Another who’s cat comes in from outside to poop before going back out Grin obviously we always have one for her.
We always kept a litter tray with my mums cat who rarely used it but it was always an option.

Beamur · 05/10/2018 22:47

I'd put down a tray if they are in overnight.
I don't have trays for mine as one pees in every one and it stresses the other cat out, who then toilets in the house.

thecatneuterer · 05/10/2018 22:47

Cats can't just 'hold it' when they're inside. If they have to go, they have to go. You must have a tray at night and preferably all the time.

Blankspace4 · 05/10/2018 22:48

Definitely have a litter tray that they are trained to use (put them in it!!) and please don’t let the cats out at night as there will likely be foxes roaming

Cindersdonegood · 05/10/2018 22:48

My cat doesn't have a cat flap and is kept in overnight and just like a dog she is fully capable of holding it all night long and asking to be let out in the morning. We open the door and let her out when we get up and she runs off and does a pee on the lawn and comes back in for breakfast. She has only once had an "accident" in the house and that's when she pooped in the bath plug hole. Clever kitty. Very easy to clean up.

For your kittens though I would say don't just go ahead and get rid of the litter tray. We got rid of ours by popping it outside all day and bringing it back in at night. She got used to pooping outside in our loose soil area during the day and we eventually stopped bringing the hooded litter tray back inside.

Lindy2 · 05/10/2018 22:50

Unless you want them to wee and poop on your floor then you need to provide litter trays for overnight use.
Our cat stays in at night. She uses her tray quite regularly late at night and early morning. During the day she goes outside.

Fooferella · 05/10/2018 22:52

Our cat didn't use the litter tray unless she was desperate, but we always had one. She's an old girl now and won't go anywhere else, even on a warm summer day when it's being cleaned and drying out in the garden. She waits until it's back in place and promptly does a big turdAngry. You've gotta have one, soz.

fastfooder · 05/10/2018 22:52

It depends on your cat our cat used to have a litter tray but we found she never used it so we stopped putting it out and we just let her out first thing and get her back in before bed and multiple times a day to feed her.

For now I would put one out and if they don’t use it during the night then get rid of it

gamerwidow · 05/10/2018 22:56

If they’re locked in at night they need the litter tray. It’s cruel to deny them a toilet they can’t be expected to hold it in.

Bringonspring · 05/10/2018 22:57

Please if you live in an urban area train them to go in a litter tray.

gamerwidow · 05/10/2018 22:57

Fwiw we have a cat flap and the cats have constant access to the garden.

mineofuselessinformation · 05/10/2018 22:58

Yes! Of course they do.
Would you rather they weed or poohed on the floor?!!!!

LanaorAna2 · 05/10/2018 22:58

Yes. How would you like being locked into a house with no loo all the time.

cariadlet · 05/10/2018 22:58

I wish more cat owners were as considerate as redsummershoes and had litter trays.
I had cats years ago, used to let them out in the day but still had well-used litter trays.

Those of you who don't have them and say it isn't a problem are like my selfish bloody neighbours.

There are a couple of cats that regularly visit my garden. I shout and shoo them off whenever I see them, but that doesn't stop me frequently finding their shit in my garden. If I'm really lucky they will have hidden it well enough for me to tread in it.

Orlande · 05/10/2018 22:59

Mine is kept in 11pm-7am and has a tray but never uses it.

Bringonspring · 05/10/2018 23:00

Cariadlet-could not agree with you more

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