Is it possible to have a cat with no litter tray indoors?

[SpeedofaSloth]

That's all, really.

I haven't had a cat for some years now, mainly due to not having a good place in this house to pop a litter tray.

Is catflap-only even possible? Slightly wondering if rescues might have an outdoorsy kind of cat we might be able to give a home to, maybe. We live in a quiet cul de sac which backs into woods so would be good territory for a mouser.

Any thoughts?

My rescue cat never used the litter tray until we moved to a place without a garden. Hoping when we move back into a place with a garden again soon he’ll revert back to his old ways!

Can anyone advise what to put down in my front garden to stop the cats crapping in it? I've tried... lemon, coffee, cat deterrent granules and changing the gravel to larger pebbles. Nothing has worked. We are probably going to have to pay a few £K to get it paved over as my son trailed some into the house the other day and every day their is a new poo out there. That's why threads like this piss me off no end. Someone earlier saying "they much prefer the neighbours garden" ?! I'm just aghast how people can be so selfish. I'm quite tempted to pellet gun them next time they step into my threshold to crap.

Before I start ww3 that last comment was obviously anger speaking. I don't even have a pellet gun and love animals but I can't bear dealing with someone else's pets crap every single day!

Best bet would be to join the party, and get a cat 😁

I am always a bit thrown by the fact that people experience cats shitting ON gravel or grass. I have never seen a cat do this?? They dig and dig and dig until they have a big hole, and then cover it over with a mound of soil. That's what mine do anyway. I do wonder whether these are cats that are used to cat trays and therefore just crap on the surface ie: they were never trained by their outdoor cat mums to dig properly??

I don't blame you for feeling angry. Other people's cats' shit isn't something you want on your own property, especially if they're being flippant and selfish about it.

I'm having medical treatment that makes me immune suppressed.

I have now spent a lot of money on catproofing my garden, so the neighbours' cats can't get in (hopefully). These cats have been also attacking my own animals and damaging my property, notably a Bengal cross that is locked out most of the time.

We tried eveything prior to this - noise scarers, water sprays, repellants, everything. So we've gone now for huge fences, mesh and wires. The neighbours don't like it, but (a) they refuse to get their cats litter trays or to have flower beds; and (b) I'm past caring.

You can also get fully legal plastic spikes - but they didn't work either! I wasn't prepared to use metal ones. I actually like cats - just not the neighbours' cats' shit and the damage they cause to my own animals.

I have 2 cats and both use cat flap and toilet in an area in corner of garden. DH turns over soil once a month and sometimes adds a bag of sand to soil. They have litter tray around fireworks every year as afraid of fireworks. They don't use it but I provide it just in case. When they were neutered they had to use tray as I kept them in for 10 days. When they get older I will provide tray in case they want it.

All three of mine shot outside.

That's a bit harsh

Yes. We have only put one down for any of our cats if they have to be kept in briefly or are ill, or - in my DH's case - if he thinks it's too cold for their little bums outside (bless). All have known how to use one but prefer my veg bed 🙄

🤣🤣🤣

I had one for the first few weeks but once she got used to going outside - in our garden, I hasten to add - she refused to use it any more. I had a previous cat who wouldn't go outside in the snow so I got the tray out for this one when it snowed and she still went outside. Cats can be temperamental though and you could end up with one that only uses a tray.

My cat is exceptionally stupid though and it took me 3 weeks to train her how to use the catflap. I do also still have to pick up her mess quite frequently as sadly her preferred toilet spot is a gravelled area down our side alley, no matter how many times I've tried to encourage her to go in the flower bed. Better than having it inside though.

My cat doesn't use a litter tray and we don't have a cat flap. Like a dog does, she asks to go out, we open the door, she does her business in the garden, I pop scoop and dispose of it and kitty comes back in.
Someone once had a go at me because apparently I was being cruel and my cat wouldn't be able to go to the toilet inside overnight. Same person owned a dog and I asked if the dog had a litter tray or dog flap. Answer was of course, no. Well our kitty master is no different. One time she was caught short and pooped in the bath plug hole. Clever kitty, easy clean up.

That said, if I were getting a new cat then a litter tray would be provided because no cat is guaranteed the same as others.

Cayenne pepper seems to help here. Until
it gets washed away, anyway.

(Never ever seen a cat dig here - they crap freely in our front garden. Brilliant when we have a severely allergic to cats person in the household. Ironically it’s only since getting a puppy that they are attempting to get in the back garden. I keep a box of old shoes handy for chucking at them
whilst I fire up the water gun. (Don’t want to put cayenne in the back garden because of the puppy.))

Neighbours seem to accept that if they let their cats out there is a risk of them encountering anti-cat measures.

Yes. Mine is an indoor & outdoor cat and he goes to the toilet outside only.

I don’t know anyone who has a litter tray for an outdoor cat. Only seem to see this on mumsnet.

@PashunFroot I do, their cat is a resuce and apparently does go outside to the loo but when they've tried to get rid of the litter box he still kept going in the house 😖so not they get to do both!

Our cat is 14, he hasn't had a litter tray since he was able to go outside, doesn't have a cat flap either. He's had about 2 accidents in the house when unwell in all those years.

My cat refused the litter tray from about 4 years old. If she was caught short she would wee in the bath!

Yes we've never had a litter box

I know so many cat owners. All their cats go outside and it is only ever on here I hear of people not having trays. It would never occur to me not to have a tray

Really depends on the cat.

Had 2 cats that never went indoors and the litter tray was only for decoration.

One of my current cats will come in from outside especially to use the litter bin despite having a large garden to use. Idiot.