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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Picking up our cat that's been 'missing' for years

459 replies

KiffyKiffyKiffy · 03/02/2025 14:57

Well not missing exactly but we lived at our old address and as our cat got older and we had kids and 2 dogs our cat spent more and more time with our elderly neighbour. We would try and coax him home but he always went back.

The neighbour loved him and spoilt him rotton.

2 years ago we moved house and we tried to catch him a few times to bring him with us but he evaded us. So we went to the neighbours house to ask him to catch him for us. The elderly neighbour said he would like him to stay (his wife and dog had passed away) as he was good company

So over time we check in on him, make sure he doesn't need vet care etc.
Neighbour has our number.

We just stopped by to check in and he asked if we could take him.

Of course!

But I'm worried as he's not seen our dogs in years. He's never been to this home and we have somehow adopted a stray cat here who treats it like his home and is basically out unplanned cat too now.

We are picking him up in an hour and I'm just a bit stressed at how to navigate this!!

We never planned to be apart from him but he chose the neighbour over us and at that time the neighbour really needed him.

Any advice please!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
23
TurquoiseDreamCatcher · 08/02/2025 12:27

GlomOfNit · 08/02/2025 09:26

Wow, the number of posters on the last page of a really short (and lovely!) thread who haven't RTT! Grin

OP, this is SUCH a beautiful thread to read on a gloomy Saturday morning. You've done so well for him, and I wouldn't beat yourself up about leaving him initially. That must have been a wrench but sometimes cats are just dicks and decide they want to live with someone else! I think the lovely thing about this story is that it seems like he remembers you and is so happy to be back with his people. I'm sure he had a nice enough life with the elderly neighbour - he got to a ripe age and was in good enough condition (apart from the fleas) so something must have worked.

For the poos in the wrong place, can I suggest this enzyme spray? MNers recommended it to me when I was losing my mind with two kittens who were over-fastidious about their trays and were peeing on jumpers, bags, coats etc if on the floor, or rugs ... The enzymes seem to break the connection the cats make with a particular place to toilet. I also use it after we've cleared up cat sick, as just a clean with an antibacterial spray seems not to shift the residual smell (I can't smell it but they can) as they were scratching at the floor where it was.

Check the litter too - maybe in his old age he's become fussy and doesn't like whatever litter is available to him. I'm loathe to suggest World's Best Cat Litter to you as it's freaking extortionate, but someone on here suggested it to me and I've never looked back. The odour control is phenomenal and he might be fussier about that, assuming his sense of smell is still good.

What a lovely old boy he is, and you named him after my favourite Lord of the Sith, too! Grin

What is the name of this enzyme spray? I want to give it a try. Thank you.

KeziaOAP · 08/02/2025 12:36

@KiffyKiffyKiffy

Try putting a layer of garden/topsoil on top of litter. Also as PP suggested put poo in litter tray to encourage him to use it.

CerealPosterHere · 08/02/2025 12:55

I’m also interested in the spray!

7catsisnotenough · 08/02/2025 13:16

amzn.eu/d/0rrkjPV

Hi @KiffyKiffyKiffy, what a gorgeous boy!! Our elderly lady was also a tiny cat - she was black and lived to be over 23 😊

I've posted a link above for the pet wipes I bought on Amazon when her grooming needed a helping hand. She loved being wiped with them, basically I just stroked her all over with a few against the grain strokes too (she didn't mind but I know some cats really dislike that!)

So very happy for you and Vader 🥰

7catsisnotenough · 08/02/2025 13:17

For those asking about the enzyme spray Glom linked it above at 9.27 😊

Original poster
KiffyKiffyKiffy · 08/02/2025 14:48

So he ate lunch and tried to go to the area that he's been shitting and I wouldn't let him so he went and pooped in the tray! Yay!

Should I leave it in there to reinforce it's right or remove it so its ready for the next one? It's stinks to high heaven.

OP posts:
Original poster
KiffyKiffyKiffy · 08/02/2025 14:49

Have ordered some wipes to keep him fresh

OP posts:
CleansUpButWouldPreferNotTo · 08/02/2025 15:01

KiffyKiffyKiffy · 08/02/2025 14:48

So he ate lunch and tried to go to the area that he's been shitting and I wouldn't let him so he went and pooped in the tray! Yay!

Should I leave it in there to reinforce it's right or remove it so its ready for the next one? It's stinks to high heaven.

Edited

I'd remove it - he'll still be able to smell it with his millions of scent receptors, but you won't.

Great result - well done that gorgeous boy.

Marinel · 08/02/2025 15:07

I agree, remove it as he will still be able to smell it in the litter residue anyway.

Original poster
KiffyKiffyKiffy · 08/02/2025 15:42

It went down the loo. I couldn't have left it. Stinky boy

He's crated in my sons room whilst I did the indorex as I think I got a flea bite last night.

OP posts:
CleansUpButWouldPreferNotTo · 08/02/2025 16:48

I'm going to try that enzyme spray, £7.75 with free delivery from my 99p one-week Amazon Prime trial. My mad little ginger female has suddenly started decorating my oak worktops. Scrubbed and used a brillo pad taking off half the danish oil finish but I can still smell it so about 100 times stronger for her.

She 4 years old, quite mad, but has started having dominance wars with her litter sister. Running out of ideas, hope the spray works, thanks to the poster who mentioned it.

Edit - it was @GlomOfNit who suggested it, thank you.

Original poster
KiffyKiffyKiffy · 08/02/2025 18:31

I'm itching so badly. I've got serval bites on my legs and bum 😭😭

Everything's been sprayed and all linens washed today. Have taken an antihistamine but feel like they're all over me.

Weird because I've brushed him again and he's completely clean and not seen a live one for days.

OP posts:
CleansUpButWouldPreferNotTo · 08/02/2025 18:44

I'm itching so badly. I've got serval bites on my legs and bum 😭😭
Everything's been sprayed and all linens washed today. Have taken an antihistamine but feel like they're all over me.

Check your bed and your bedroom carpet, @KiffyKiffyKiffy you might have accidentally brought them through, meantime the cat's room is now clear.

Ohnobackagain · 08/02/2025 19:38

@KiffyKiffyKiffy put a white towel on the carpet in your room. The buggers may jump on if any are about. Years ago a boyfriend’s cat gave them to me and I transported them home in my car’s carpet. Was an absolute nightmare getting rid until I realised they were in the car!

Original poster
KiffyKiffyKiffy · 08/02/2025 19:42

CleansUpButWouldPreferNotTo · 08/02/2025 18:44

I'm itching so badly. I've got serval bites on my legs and bum 😭😭
Everything's been sprayed and all linens washed today. Have taken an antihistamine but feel like they're all over me.

Check your bed and your bedroom carpet, @KiffyKiffyKiffy you might have accidentally brought them through, meantime the cat's room is now clear.

He's in my bedroom. Been here from the start. We didn't have a spare room to put him

OP posts:
Original poster
KiffyKiffyKiffy · 08/02/2025 19:43

I'm hoping it was one rogue little monster thats either been boil washed or poisoned now!

OP posts:
Dunkou · 09/02/2025 07:15

Gorgeous boy and it's lovely to read how you are spoiling him.

For the fleas, put on a pair of white socks and tuck joggers / PJs into them. Walk slowly around the rooms Vader has been in. Fleas will jump on to your socks. Quickly stick them down with sellotape. Go in garden when you pull the tape off as some will still be alive and you can't always fold the sellotape quick enough to entomb them.

Caterina99 · 09/02/2025 10:53

Urgh my (indoor) cat somehow got fleas last summer. I indorexed the entire house, vacuumed and washed everything. Took a couple of weeks, but they all disappeared. Horrible horrible things. There’s a life cycle so you have to wait for them to complete it before they’re all gone.

We were told let the cat into the rooms where the fleas are. They will be attracted to the cat over anything else, and since cat is treated they will jump on cat and then die.

Honestly I feel itchy just thinking about them again! Good luck.

Original poster
KiffyKiffyKiffy · 09/02/2025 17:08

I'm covered in hives.

I don't know if I'm having a reaction to the fleas or something?

But I've got spots all over then these ...

I'm itching like hell :(

Sensitive content
Picking up our cat that's been 'missing' for years
Sensitive content
Picking up our cat that's been 'missing' for years
OP posts:
TwatOnAHotTinRoof · 09/02/2025 17:14

Honestly @KiffyKiffyKiffy , I think you are an angel in disguise. I love my 🐈‍⬛, but the thought of fleas and 💩 in my bedroom is just 😱.

I’m sorry you’re suffering, have you taken an antihistamine?

TwatOnAHotTinRoof · 09/02/2025 17:17

Oh, I’ve seen the photos - bloody hell.

Floralnomad · 09/02/2025 17:31

I’d take some piriton or similar , are you still seeing live fleas ?

Binglebong · 09/02/2025 17:32

Go to a pharmacist tomorrow- definitely some kind of reaction.

OP posts:
Agapornis · 09/02/2025 20:37

Ah I remember your hand thread. Maybe try a different antihistamine, and a cream too? But who knows whether it's related to the fleas. I've had a flea issue before but it was just small bites. We ended up using the flea powder that you leave in the carpet or sprinkle between floorboards.