Where to put kitten litter tray?

[Darksideofthemoon19]

Bringing kitty home today! Where would you put their tray and how many? We have a small kitchen/dining room and an open livingroom/stairs area. Do they go in corners? What if she can’t find it? Can I have a few and then when she goes outside get rid of them?

I would personally have a few, then when she starts to go outside reduce it to one or two that she's used the most. When I got my pair they were initially restricted to the (large) living room and I put 2 trays in semi-secluded areas at opposite ends of the room. They have only ever used one of them after 3.5 years.

I wouldn't get rid entirely once she's going out. Some cats prefer to feel protected as they are vulnerable when going their thing, so much prefer to go indoors. Plus if for any reason they need to be kept in, they are used to the tray.

I’m not sure where to put it 😂 we don’t really have anywhere secluded, maybe next to the sofa?

Do you think keeping her in the kitchen at night would be ok?

My cats (3) are shut in to kitchen/dining room at night. Their food & water are in the kitchen & 2 litter trays in the dining room, along with a cat tree & sundry boxes/chairs/cushions for sleeping.

There are only 2 places the litter boxes can go so that’s where they are, in corners at the end of shelf units (well away from food)

There is a cat flap too so they can go outside if they want.

I put one of mine by the french doors, so it was enclosed on 2 sides by the curtains & a small chest (this is the one they use). The other one I put at the end of the sofa - it's a corner sofa & there's a big gap between that and the wall where the cat tree is and no human stuff at all, sort of dead space.

I'd try one in each downstairs room, and maybe one in the bathroom?

They tend to stink you wont want it by the sofa.

My cats' litter tray is in downstairs loo. But for now as they're new keep it accessible but away from the food area

Our litter tray is in the kitchen diner.

Ours is in kitchen diner. Just keep on top of it.
She will find it eventually but puppy training pads would be a good idea to start with.

Hope it went ok. Ours were shut in the kitchen the first night. Then explored the house the next day when the kids were at school.
Your kitten can’t go out for months. It needs to grow up a bit, be neutered and develop a sense of self preservation first. It should always be in at night so you need a litter tray. Always.

She’s been absolutely fine! She’s been using the tray in the kitchen and isn’t bothered by the one in the living room at all. She’s had free run of downstairs. She slept in the kitchen last night again. I tried the livingroom but she just meowed and ran around which woke the middle child up.

She’s so funny and cute. This morning she was mega hyper and it was hilarious!

She hasn’t really bonded with DH yet, but he’s always at work and when he’s home the Dc are all over her.

Dd11 has been cleaning litter up etc, so she’s been helpful 😂

She’s a darling. Ds10 is on the autistic spectrum and freaks out if she gets abit close when he isn’t ready, but I went upstairs to put toddler to bed and came down and he had fell asleep with her!

Oh my. She’s gorgeous. So glad she’s settling well.

Beautiful cat. Does she really need the collar though?

Awww op! Sounds like she is going to have a fabulous life with you and your fam

I’d rather her have a bell, so we can keep track of her. Plus my ds likes to know where she is if she’s sneaking up to him. He panics else.

Collars are a real risk. Collar injuries or choking/hanging.

God don’t tell me that.

Ds will have a fit if I take it off her. I will do though

It is a quick release one if that makes a difference?

No it doesn’t. TBH I’m not sure why you opted for a kitten if your child is so freaked out by normal kitten behaviour. An older cat would’ve been more sensible. Can you keep them apart?

I mean he’s not freaked out on his terms...

I walked in from the kitchen to him asleep with her on the sofa..

It’s mostly when she jumps up the sofa behind him 🙈

Thank you for the photos. Google Jackson Galaxy- cat behaviourist.
One thing he recommends for kids is that they come up with the cat's life story to date - write it or draw it or just have some phrases that are easy to remember. It can be utterly fantastical or a bit of reality or whatever. They just sit and read it aloud when the kitty is in the same room and it helps with bonding.
We have little songs or phrases that we use still for our overlord.
Who has just decided that a radiator bed (that she has ignored for three years and which was about to be donated away) is THE best thing ever.

As long as it’s a good quality collar with a quick-release buckle - no elastic - properly adjusted (2 fingers), & the bell is attached with a strong ring so she can’t get a claw stuck in it, the collar is fine, OP.

My cats are chipped but all have collars with ID tag with phone number. I know if a cat is killed by a car it wouldn’t necessarily be scanned, & if that happened to one of them I’d want to know.

www.cats.org.uk/telford/news/cat-collar-safety-tips

Collars aren’t fine at all @GiantKitten and the quick release can fail. We did have one killed by a car. He was taken to the vet and they scanned him. Then called us. Standard here.

Even quick release collars can kill cats. It really isn't worth it.

Wolfiefan scanning might be standard where you are, but it’s not compulsory or universal, & it does rely on someone seeing the dead cat & bothering to take it to a vet.

My cats have come home without their collars, & without injury, several times so I’m reassured about the quick-release collars they wear. I know they’re not perfect, but I’m happy with them. (Also think they help reduce predation by one cat in particular)