Husband wants rid of cat

[lepetitfromage]

Yes, I know I should LTB 😁😁 but hear me out.

He reluctantly agreed to let me get a rescue cat a couple of months ago, I've posted pictures of our handsome puss here before. He's settled in very well after a couple of weeks of hiding, though I'm not sure he'll ever be the lap cat I hoped for. But has lots of funny little habits and definitely knows we are his family. Loves the kids. Not aggressive at all. We let him out after about 4 weeks and he'll always come back after a little wander about. Has tried to kill birds a few times (succeeded at least once) but has a bell now and has been very well behaved. Always, always uses his litter tray and is generally a good boy.

So far so good, you'd think. The issue is my husband hates having a cat. Can appreciate that Tom is a lovely cat and well behaved, though he's not buying the personality traits that we ascribe to the cat, thinks he's pretty boring (he's more of a dog fan). His main issue, however, is that the cat has taken over our living room. His litter tray is there because there's nowhere else to put it - I wouldn't have it in the kitchen, the downstairs loo and hall are way too small, so what else can we do? His climbing tower (of little interest to him tbh), water bowl and bed are in the living room too (though of course he sleeps on the couch!). We do have a second family room but DH feels that the cat has taken over, the room stinks and we've basically lost it to the cat. Me and the kids try very hard to keep it clean but there's no denying the cat sheds a lot of hair and though it is a covered tray and I clean up mess immediately, there's definitely a smell that wasn't there pre cat.

So what are the options?

1. Get rid of the cat
2. Get a cat flap (DH refuses)
3. Put the cat outside permanently
4. Any other options??

Me and the kids have got very attached but honestly, DH is miserable and was not really prepared for the disruption. I obviously love my husband more than I love the cat but equally I don't want to upset the kids. How can we fix this? And apologies for the epic message!!

I have a very expensive and stupidly large tower that they don't use. They prefer the stairs carpet. These are not my first cars so don't know what I was thinking. I got rid of their beds a while ago

No, no flat roof alas. We've a small window in the downstairs loo and I've tried to persuade puss to use it (too small for a human) but he won't. I could put his litter tray in the downstairs loo but it is a tiny room (under the stairs, so no understairs cupboard either!) and there would be no room for a human in there any more. But maybe that's the solution?

I'm quite attached to DH as are the kids, he's not a bad sort, honest!

Just get a cat flap fitted and don't bother consulting your DH, he's being ridiculous.

You can't make the cat live permanently outside, that would be really unkind.

Also if you get a cat flap and he's annoyed, just say you'll pay to replace the door in the future when you no longer have a cat / move house.

Its your house too, just tell DH that you have rehomed a cat and the cat needs a flap. You can have them put into glass doors very easily. Any glazing company will be able to do this. It is not expensive and you just choose whatever flap you want. We have one that detects you cats microchip so only your own cat can enter. It is locked for all other cats. I would recommend one of those. Ours was from CatMate but I am sure there are many brands

We have French doors in our kitchen diner at the back of our house, so we ended up putting the cat flap at the front. Would this be possible?

Train your cat to use the toilet?

One of ours used to just use it any way which was quite a shock. But you can also get training kits from pets at home.

I've spent a fortune in towers. All those pictures with cats on the top level, on the bottom level, scratching post, sunbathing, playing with toy, in the den. I never had one flaming cat that used it. The settee was the scratching post, the back of the armchair was its top level. So tower can go.

Honestly the cats by far preferred the hutch to the little kennel thing. My cats are all gone now, as has the hutch, but before it fell to pieces, next doors cats like to avail themselves if it's accommodation. Not expensive you can some flowers on the top to disguise it.

You won't ever see your cat pooing in your garden. He'll be pooing in someone else's. But he will want to poo outside once he gets confident. I do feel sorry for your husband. It's hard if you don't start off with the love but get the kids onside and he'll find it much harder to get the cat gone!

Could you accidentally smash the patio windiw and they say, oh might as well get a cat flap in the replacement? Hehe.

I understand why you can’t put a cat flap in the new patio doors.
But why not the kitchen door? Yes it’s new, but it’s just a sodding cat flap.
And why can’t the litter tray go in the second family room?

How about this?

Or this?

Anywhere upstairs the litter tray can go? I have one in the bathroom.

This was the one I had.

You won't ever see your cat pooing in your garden.

🤨 2 of mine poo in our garden...

@Shmithecat2

You won't ever see your cat pooing in your garden.

🤨 2 of mine poo in our garden...

You need to trade them in. 😄😄😄

Sorry, am about to go to bed but just wanted to say thanks for all the responses and also clarify that yes we have two living rooms but they are more or less the same size and we use both. Probably one more than the other as it has the comfier sofa so I picked the other one for the cat to settle in (which seemed to be the advice, pick a room and make it the cat's room until he is settled...well now my husband wants it back!)
The patio doors are the kitchen doors. The only other door is the front door but we also have an internal hall door and the space between the two is too small for a litter tray, and so we'd need two catflaps! Patio doors best/only option really so must continue the campaign to wear down DH! I already scored a victory getting the cat. Maybe I can win this battle too!

I have a cat and no easy way of fitting a flap in our French doors. The simple solution is just to act as your cat's slavish door monitor. Our cat only has a litter tray if we are away overnight or if the weather is truly awful.
You don't need a litter tray or cat flap just answer your cat's requests (instruction) to open the door for them as needed. And don't leave a window open when you are not there as that will invalidate any insurance.

@lepetitfromage

I'm not sure the kitchen bin is comparable to a litter tray. Nobody poos in the bin! It's a small bin with a lid inside a cupboard and is emptied daily. Recycling is outside. Seriously, tell me how you can deal with litter in your kitchen but not the living room?? Why is it better?

Of course the catflap is 100% the best option. But I can't persuade DH. And of course he's not jealous of the cat. Can't people just not like cats? I'm cross about it but as I said, I love my husband a wee bit more than the cat, strange as that may seem to some.

I want a solution that involves keeping both of them!! I know the catflap is the best and obvious one...I was just hoping there was another solution I hadn't thought of!

Does your husband always get his own way?

My cat was like this. Get rid of the cat paraphernalia in the living room. As he’s an outside cat he can poop there now. My cat used to have a shed to himself. We cut a square out in the door and had a cosy bed in there for him.

Not remotely, I got a cat didn't I? 🙄

I don’t agree with people not having a cat flap,they need to be able to go in and out at will.

My cat is not a lap cat but he loves human company.

Obviously LTB 😀 and show him the thread.

It's a nightmare putting cat flaps in fully glazed patio doors by the way and hardly any companies will do it

I do think it's weird having a litter tray on the lounge though - what about an upstairs bathroom?

The rescue wouldn't be happy that they've regimes him to you and then you put him outside all summer

I could never get my cat to bloody come inside all summer, he moved out from May-Sept. insisted on taking all meals in the garden. If you wanted his company you had to go outside. If there was a thunderstorm he might come in but apart from that, not a chance.

It will be so sad to rehome your cat now, I’m sure there’s a way round this

I never had a cat flap, neither did my dm. My cat jumped onto the porch roof from the side gate, meow under my window and he’d jump up.