Litter tray woes

[graygoose]

I have two very well behaved boys and litter mates. As is usual, one is an angel, the other is a troublemaker but they are both joys in our lives. Before we moved house Mr Troublesome went through a spate of spraying and despite multiple visits to the vet and specialist medication, the only thing that seemed to fix it was time.

We've been in our current place now for over 2 years and there hasn't been a single accident. However, we had to move the litterboxes from their normal place to an enclosed yard area that is quite noisy. We can't move the litterboxes back to where they were (long story) so they have to be in this yard.

We moved them gradually inch by inch over a couple of weeks and both cats seem to have got the hang of it. However, I woke up this morning to my difficult boy yowling away and I knew it was toilet trouble. I took him to the litterbox to do this thing and he ran away. Then 10 minutes later pooed in the corner by the front door. I also discovered wee under the console table in the same place.

I've spent all morning cleaning with vinegar and enzyme solutions but am at a lot as to what I can do or why he's suddenly averse to the litterboxes. I have moved one just outside of the yard as a temporary measure so he doesn't have to go in that area but it can't stay there forever. Did something spook him? If so, how do I get him to go back out into that yard again to do his business?

None of my cats would toilet in a noisy yard area - it would be too stressful and scary.

What's the reason for moving the trays and is there really nowhere else they can go?

His brother goes in the yard fine. It’s not super noisy but when the air conditioner is on in one room the aircon riser outside is noisy (we don’t live in the U.K.). I think something specific must have spooked him because he did go there before.

Their litter boxes used to be in the guest bathroom but my SIL is moving in with us for a while and we can’t really have her sharing her bathroom (and shower!) with 2 litter boxes, it’s not fair on her or the cats so the yard is the only other place in the house where it’s remotely hygienic to move them. Our ensuite bathroom doesnt even have the floor space for one litter box.

Your cat is giving you the message that the yard is not an acceptable place to toilet, and unfortunately if you don't provide a spot he likes, he will choose one himself - under the console table.

Cats like quiet, private places to toilet. I wonder if the yard feels too 'exposed' for him. You could try giving him a covered litter tray out there, he may find that more acceptable. Otherwise he's going to continue to pick the spot in the house he likes whether there is a litter tray there or not, which is definitely not hygienic.