Encourage cat to toilet outside instead of the litter tray?

[peanutmandmss]

My cat has very quickly learnt to use the litter tray but now we are struggling to transition and getting hi to go outside!
Tips please ?

You mean into your own garden?

Have you got flower beds to rake? An area for soil and compost?

Mine needed to be encouraged outside and carried when they were little, and placed on fresh and clean earth.

Then we had to keep to keep the earth clean by digging/picking it up, maybe every week?

We also 'catio-ed' the garden to keep them in and other cats out.

Ah, we did this.

• Slowly move litter tray from current position to nearer the catflap. (Make sure cat always knows where it is.)
• when you scoop poo out of the tray, put it in the garden, in a location that had fresh soil, that you’d like the cat to use.
• also scatter poo / used litter in several places at edge of your garden boundary so cat understands garden = a place my poo goes.
• after at least a couple of days of litter tray next to cat flap, put litter tray outside in garden very near the catflap. You’ll need to waterproof it somehow (we had a tarp over bits of wood, making a temp igloo round the tray).
• every day add some soil to the litter tray
• eventually the cats will find themselves using a litter tray outside that’s chilly and filled with 100% soil, and they’ll probably have a revelation “why bother when I can just go in the bush and have more privacy and less smell.” When they’ve abandoned the tray, remove it.
• if they don’t abandon the tray, slowly move it further from house and take away the waterproof shelter.

It sounds a faff but only took us about a werk I think and then 12 years of no litter tray 😁

Mix a bit of soil with the litter, and increase the proportion of soil. Also need to take cat outside to let them get used to soil.

Or keep encouraging the litter tray so they don't go and crap in other peoples gardens

Exactly this! I say this as an owner of 3 cats. Why would you not encourage them to continue using the litter tray? Whilst I can’t control my cats pooing in other peoples gardens, I can do my best to encourage them not to.

Mine started doing it randomly one day. I was digging up the soil and trying to rake it. Next thing I've turned to dump it in the wheel barrow. Turned back around and the cats had a big poo in it . Don't know what possessed him but he's forever out there doing it now!

So it can go crap in other peoples garden's?!?! Leave it in the litter tray..

What's the benefit of making him go outside?

Ours just decided themselves that outside was better, it took them a few weeks of exploring outside before they were comfortable enough with their safe territory before they did though. Still come in for a pee sometimes, i guess its a bit cold!

Plan is to keep the litter tray through the winter, and then see if we can remove it in the spring. But will keep it if they are still using it obviously.

I presume so OP doesn't have to clean the litter tray. The cat can just shit in everyone else's garden so other people can clean up after it.

I don't want your cats pooing in my vegetable patch or digging up my plants to do their business.

Make them use the litter tray and be considerate of your neighbours.

Mine are monkeys, in the summer they don’t use the tray, they do their business outside on their explorations, and yes I have seen them use my garden in the raised beds many times.

come the winter, if they’re outside they will go outside, but when it’s cold, dark and miserable they use the tray.

i don’t have a cat flap though, and My trays are in the small dark downstairs shower room.

Because he spends a lot of time outdoors
And yes I mean so he can go outside in our garden as opposed to having a litter tray inside.
Some people are so bloody snappy and presumptuous. Jeez.

Thanks for the useful tips will try the soil in the tray and a bit of litter outside

I was actually asking because lots of cats don't like toileting outside as they feel vulnerable, so I was curious as to why you were so keen.

I'm a pet sitter and care for lots of cats with outdoor access - every single one has a litter tray indoors and uses it, especially in the winter.

I guess what I'm saying is you don't want to get rid of it only to find your cat starts having accidents indoors, as once they start peeing on carpets or furniture, it can be impossible to get them to stop.

He's an outside cat, right? Do you have a fence that stops him from leaving the garden? If not he will be doing his business anywhere outside, not just limited to your garden. You should be encouraging him to use the litter tray.

I say this as the owner of an outdoor cat who has stopped using his litter tray and whom I am trying to encourage back into using it (any tips anyone?!)!

Put the litter tray outside.

Rabbits, deer, fox - all poo in your gardens, does anyone get outraged about that?!

Have you tried putting some litter in the spots where he goes in your garden, or a litter tray outside the door? Or soil in his litter tray, the slowly transitioning back to regular litter?

Outdoor litter trays are a thing:outdoor tray

I remember putting the litter tray outside

Thanks @thelobsterquadrille - I'll give that a go. I might re-invest in one of the enclosed ones as he used to like that.

My boy mooches around outside, comes in to use his litter tray and then heads back out to mooch in the garden again. And I’m completely happy with that. I don’t want to be finding random crap when I’m gardening. Plus, though he’s not a roamer, I wouldn’t like to think that my cat was crapping in other peoples gardens.

I find it weird that some cat owners want to find any excuse possible not to deal with a litter tray. Until recently I had a dog as well. Would obviously clear up her shit out on a walk. My view is that it’s the same responsibility, as much as possible, with cats.

This. All cats should have a litter tray. Toileting outside only can be stressful, or uncomfortable and cats reluctant to go outside (due to bad weather or social conflict) are more st risk of UTIs or inappropriate toileting indoors.

choice is key.