Need to get my 19 year old cat to use a litter tray again after being an outdoor cat all her life

[stitchanditch]

We are having a lot of building work done which means it will be dangerous for my cat to go outside for a few weeks so I’m going to set up a litter tray in a quiet part of the house. I didn’t think I’d pick up some soil from the flower beds where she currently goes and sprinkle that on the litter. Would that work or is it just too late to expect her to learn to go in a tray again after all these years?

I think she will remember how to use the tray. We have MIL’s cat here at the moment and he’s used to toileting outside, but used the litter with us from night one - he’s younger but about to turn ten so still an older boy. MIL didn’t actuslly have a tray so he’s got one of our cat’s, not even a familiar one, he’s been great with it.

Even feral cats will use a tray when confined!

She'll be fine, I'd provide 2 trays in different locations with different litter in each to see if she has a preference.

You might want to get some Feliway as she might be stressed to lose her outdoor access, and perhaps set up a cat tree or furniture so she can look out of the windows.

You won’t need to do anything, it’s instinctive for them to use it so she’ll just go as normal. Just make sure that she can easily hop in and out with her age.

Oh this is reassuring thank you ☺️

Use dirt from outside instead of litter if she proves reluctant, you can reintroduce litter once she's using it regularly

Get one with a low edge. Cats that age almost always have some arthritis in their elbows, possibly hips and knees as well, and it's a lot of flexion to step over a high sided tray- many old cats just don't have the range of motion in their joints to do it comfortably (imagine asking a 90 year old to step over a wall- it needs to be a low wall)

If you need to experiment, cut down a few cardboard boxes and put a puppy pad in the bottom of each one, and you can experiment with the litter on top.

Most cats even ferals will use a tray without needing to add dirt to it. They know what they are. you might have to try a couple of different litter types to see what she prefers - mine like Katkin scoop.

Do get the largest tray you can find as outside cats are used to more space and most trays are too small. My big boy's is 70cm long but I had to shop around a bit to find one that large and in stainless steel (less smells). Before that I used a plastic underbed storage container with the lid off which is a cheaper option you might want to consider.

Agree also if you don't have one, get a cat tree for scratching and height or one of the stick on window perches so she can look outside . And some cat toys - indoor cats need some play and fun to keep them stimulated.