Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: wobblewobble on June 20, 2012, 22:47:20 PM

Title: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: wobblewobble on June 20, 2012, 22:47:20 PM
Hiya...i am new to the forum!

We have had our rescue cat since 10/06/12. She is 12 months old and was a stray. No issues at all for the first four days, however after this she has taken to pooing on the floor by her litter tray. I sought advice....tried putting paper down around her tray...she does it at the edge of the paper or moves it, its a hooded tray so took the lid off - no difference, cleaned the tray thoroughly - no difference. I have now tried changing the litter from catsan to sophisticat crystals. She did a poo in there tonight, but i think this is because i was there and prompted her to go into her tray. When she did this i observed that she was scratching high up in the tray lid to cover the poo.

Can you offer me any advice please? I dont want to keep pestering the rescue centre - and she is not going back! No way...she is an awesome little kitty apart from this behaviour!

What would make her change after being so perfect the first 4 days?

thanks for all your help and hello from me! (and tilly)
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on June 20, 2012, 23:11:17 PM
 :welcome: to Purrs

How many litter trays do you have for her? If only one then the solution could be getting a second tray as cats very often dislike using a tray for both bodily functions :-[ Not sure why she would suddenly start doing it after being OK for the first few days though, unless she is starting to feel more comfortable so making her demands known?!

P.S I'm sure you don't need telling but Tilly is beautiful  :Luv2:
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on June 20, 2012, 23:38:29 PM
 :welcome: to Purrs  ;D

She is gorgeous and have to say my 18+ elderly boy suddenly started doing this only about 9 months ago!

Two trays was the answer and hope that works for you.
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: Liz on June 21, 2012, 06:34:48 AM
Welcome to the best plaice to be

Your girls is gorgeous and have you tried mixing some compost or soil  mixed in with the cat litter, being an ex stray she hasn't seen all the wonderful types of litter and may need abit of comfort like the soil

We have used it here on our ferals to great effect and its a case of mixing less in the litter till it is all litter and the extra tray is a good idea to and make sure it is somehwre quiet and not in a human traffic zone they do like their privacy
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: wobblewobble on June 21, 2012, 21:25:12 PM
she doesnt seem to be covering up her poo at the minute either....we had two poo's in there today and one on the floor! Its progress i suppose!
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: CuteCats on June 22, 2012, 16:31:25 PM
We used all soil to get ours used to a tray.  Or you could mix it like Liz said. 
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on June 22, 2012, 23:13:00 PM
Some cats dont cover and never will, believe its a dominance thing and whether they think they are or want to be the top cat.

I have one cat who digs and covers and makes all the litter in a pile and Lupin covers up too but Sasa and Ducha dont.
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: wobblewobble on June 23, 2012, 12:35:23 PM
She now has a touch of the runs. Will try soil and getting another litter tray. Also have tried different kinds of litter to work out if she has a preference.

Never wee'ed outside the box or soiled anywhere else in the house

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: wobblewobble on June 28, 2012, 10:11:26 AM
Ok so we have two trays...one with just soil in....and she is still pooing on the floor.

it is getting quite stressful now.

she uses the second tray...but again just seems to wee in it.

both trays are cleaned regularly with ca sanitiser spray.

please help...
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: Mymblesdaughter on June 28, 2012, 12:43:22 PM
Three poos a day seems a lot, my cats only go once a day and it was the same with my old cat. This might be a silly question but my cats wait for me to clean out their trays in the morning before they go in them. When you say she had two poos in her box I presume these were cleaned out when she went on the floor? Mine really hate to use the box if there is already a poo in there. You could try a larger tray. My two had three trays at one time but totally refused to use the small one.   
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: wobblewobble on June 28, 2012, 14:15:42 PM
yeah she wasnt too well when she had three in one day. i clean it out as often as i can, but when i am out - i always come back to a poo on the floor - even when the tray is clean, i dont mean just removed poo - but had a thorough clean.

when you say a 'large' litter tray, the one i have is quite big so please can you give me a photo of what your thinking

thanks

Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: Mymblesdaughter on June 28, 2012, 14:35:46 PM
Hi

Here are a couple on zooplus, my cats have got a couple of bigish boxes but I'm thinking of getting them one of these. I'm only working part time at the moment but think they could be good when they are on their own all day.

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_litter_litter_boxes/litter_tray_cat_toilet/19584

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_litter_litter_boxes/litter_tray_cat_toilet/19584

Is she just going to the loo next to her box now or is it other places? Just wondered if she could be trying to go on the box and missing it. 
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: Liz on June 28, 2012, 20:50:50 PM
We have both of those with sheepskin fleeces in them as they slept in them :-[
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: wobblewobble on June 28, 2012, 22:32:22 PM
Its around the area of her box so she isnt missing, sometimes she goes to the other side of the kitchen to do it.

its getting really frustrating :(
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: Dawn F on June 29, 2012, 08:18:22 AM
I've read a couple of vicky halls books and the first thing she seems to recommend is getting the finest grain litter you can, closest to sand that they would have used in the wild (way back obviously!)
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: Mymblesdaughter on June 29, 2012, 14:06:14 PM
Ha, ha. Liz, was that because they didn't like them as litter trays or did you buy them as beds?
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: wobblewobble on June 30, 2012, 00:53:29 AM
what book is this please Dawn?
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: Dawn F on July 01, 2012, 11:01:08 AM
she has a few but I think cat detective and cat confidential cover it, have a look on amazon
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: wobblewobble on July 07, 2012, 00:54:29 AM
got some books...moved the tray and we have success for now! Four poos in the tray over last 2.5 days!
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on July 07, 2012, 20:56:40 PM
Sounds good  ;D
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: wobblewobble on July 07, 2012, 22:00:12 PM
nope we are back to pooing on the floor....both trays appear to be clean though. how often do you guys completely change your litter?
Title: Re: Rescue cat....now being selective in using the litter tray for number twos!
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on July 07, 2012, 22:33:39 PM
Not often!

Sorry the good news didnt last.

If you completely change the litter and clean the tray, it no longer smells of the cat so they dont recognize it as theirs. However some cats like my Ducha use two trays as wont go in one when he has used it