Quietest Cat Litter (!?) & A Big Thank You

[madamcat (Edd)]

It's been 7 weeks since he was neuter

If anything, I'm sure if he is stressed it's down to the fact that we've moved house and there's often change going on while we settle in. Either way, I'll try some Feliway and a change of litter and see if it helps. He's only done it three times, so hopefully if I act now the spraying won't get worse.

Thanks again for any advice given - I seem to have gone more than a little off topic!

Think the hormones can stay for around 6 weeks and yes a house move could well be a siginificant stress factor for him. Feliway always worked for my stressy boy so hope it works for you - good luck 

[Lauryn]

It's been 7 weeks since he was neuter and thank you for your advice, but I won't be removing him from the rest of them. Firstly, he's only allowed around them when I'm there and I don't actually allow him to play with them. When he stops behaving paternally, I usually put him outside or in another room it's just occasionally that this happens. Secondly, they never seem unhappy with the playing, they actually encourage it often. Thirdly, it would be impossible to keep them apart all the time partly due to house layout, partly due to the fact that they can both open doors and partly because they simply want to be together. I can only really manage this for short periods if I get him settled.

If anything, I'm sure if he is stressed it's down to the fact that we've moved house and there's often change going on while we settle in. Either way, I'll try some Feliway and a change of litter and see if it helps. He's only done it three times, so hopefully if I act now the spraying won't get worse.

Thanks again for any advice given - I seem to have gone more than a little off topic!

[madamcat (Edd)]

How long has the boy cat been neutered - Think someone told me takes a number of weeks to get "tomcat hormones" out of their system after neutering. And although you say he is not stressed I would think that the sight of new kittens could be a stressful situation for him as they are unpredicable - strange as that may seem  . 

So either or both of these could contribute towards inappropriate spraying. Stress can also cause cystitis which can manifest itself by inappropriate weeing.

Hope you don't mind me saying but I am not sure I would let the male cat play with 3 week old kittens. My girlie when she had her kittens many years ago, introduced her kittens to my male cat (not dad but top cat) at around 5-6 weeks when they were much more developed and stronger. And it was mum's choice to do it otherwise I kept the kittens separate from the other cats except mum of course. At 3-7 weeks my girlie was teaching her babies all she knew about using the litter tray, hunting, fighting etc. - would any male interaction interfere with that?

Maybe someone with more recent experience could advise better on timing for introductions.

[Lauryn]

That's okay, I'd make the same assumption probably. I can understand the stress making him spray, but what about the being too playful? Just personality? He seems to have got more hyper in the last few weeks, it might be just him settling down but he was about 100% calmer after I had him neutered. He exhausts me!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Sorry my apologies.

Sounded like he wasnt neutered.

ummmmmmm feliway defuser cos he may be stressed in his little head with kittens around.

I am sure others will come up with other answers. 

[Lauryn]

He is neutered. I neutered him the week I took them in. Not my fault she ended up knocked up, trust me...

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Neuter him!

[Lauryn]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the responses! Sorry about the delay, BT are not in my good books RE: broadband connection, let's put it that way.

I've a big bag of Catsan on the go a the moment since that was all the supermarket had. I'm not really a fan though. I'm going to try some of the suggestions here - I don't really mind the clean up. I can't wait to be shot of the stuff! Once the kittens are grown, I'll phase it out.

The tomcat has developed some issues though - he's pee'd on my ironing twice and last night he went in the bathtub (which is preferable on the clean-up scale). I don't really have any ideas about why he's doing this. We've had that cat litter before and he's used it fine and he doesn't seem stressed. Any ideas?

On a completely different note - he's playing with the kittens a bit too roughly. They're 3 weeks today and he is paternal towards them, but more as though he doesn't know his own strength. I'm not sure what to do about this, should I be worried? He seems to think that they're the same size as his sister.

[Gillian Harvey]

Cats Best (OKO plus) might be a bit quieter than the gravelly clay litter. Its wood based, but still granular (and tracks like mad!)

[Fire Fox]

I would have thought sand or compost are quiet, depends how easy-clean you want the litter area to be tho! Lulu makes most of her noise scratching the hood, the wall, the adjacent furniture ... this is a 2.4kg cat in super extra jumbo trays! Earplugs wise I highly recommend wax ones as they mould to the shape of your ear canal once warm, very comfortable and effective.

[shirleyp01]

lol
we use the pellet cat litter for our two girls, I know what you mean about the noise through, but ours is just there during the night in case they need to go, usually they are very good and go in the garden before they come in.
Good girls

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I know what you mean about the noise.  Sometimes when Mosi is digging away in there it sounds like a landslide is about to happen.  I use worlds best cat litter which makes less noise than the clay clumping I used to use.

Congrats on the kittens!  But I demand pics! 

[Liz]

We use paper litter here in 2 of our grit boxes we use yesterdays news and it is quite effective, we also have worlds best and its quiet, stillwe also have clumping clay and pellet sawdust and currently a fresh compost for Riley feral who after 9 months still won't use anything but compost and that is very quiet, a tad messy but quiet

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I believe there is a paper litter although I have heard that its not brilliant but that may be quieter if the cats actually like it.

Afraid I have always used wood pellets and dont really notice the noise, except to vaguely register that the tray is being used during the night, which is good 

I think you will gradually not notice the noise.

So please the kittens and mother are OK 

[Lauryn]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to make sacrifices for the sake of this. Just merely wondering if there's a softer material I haven't thought of which would be worth trying.

[Feline Costumier]

Erm, ear plugs? Sorry, noise control is low on my list of cat litter requirements so have never thought about it. I just lie there sighing as Chilli scratches around for 3 days after doing her business. Luckily mine do go outside mostly these days and it's only for overnight emergencies I am subjected to the endless digging noise!

[Lauryn]

Hi everyone,

Firstly, I want to thank everyone who helped me a few weeks ago with advice about my pregnant queen. Some of you may remember that I took on two cats who had been abandoned by a former neighbour and that the female was pregnant. I'm proud to say that nearly a month after the vet insisted she'd give birth to two kittens, I helped Dave give birth to four new little ones. All of whom are very loved, despite the fact she should have been spayed months ago. Your advice helped me get her through a difficult birth, so thanks! 

Secondly (and this may be a big ask), I'm wondering about quieter cat litter. This might be a slightly mad question, but everything I've tried sounds like a large box of gravel being shook in my ear in the early hours of the morning! Ordinarily, I wouldn't use any since I've always had outside cats and it would be unfair to these particular cats for me to keep them in after being used to a very outdoor life, but there's no way around it since the birth and a change of address.

So, does anyone have any ideas? I'm pretty limited about where I can put it - but it sounds the same wherever it is in the house. 

Between that and the full time job of keeping my young male nice and exhausted, I'm beginning to go a bit mad!