Author Topic: Still unreliable litter tray user.  (Read 3262 times)

Offline snarf

  • Hero Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 1314
  • Slave to: Bridge babies Lucifer & Neko. Sparecat, Saph
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2011, 18:11:40 PM »
if the different cleaning regime doesnt work it might be worth trying a sandy litter or even cheap compost and if she uses either very gradually swapping to the type of litter you prefer.

Offline Mark

  • Purrs Registered Cat Rescue
  • Purrrrrfect Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 33326
  • Clapton
    • AnimalAid - Support Humane Charities
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2011, 13:31:38 PM »
Zoflora is another bad one - any disinfectant that turns cloudy in water is poisonous to cats.
DO NOT BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER ANIMALS DIE

I believe I am not interested to know whether Vivisection produces results that are profitable to the human race or doesn't. To know that the results are profitable to the race would not remove my hostility to it.  Mark Twain

Offline Mojo

  • Distinguished Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 874
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2011, 12:19:54 PM »
The trouble with bleach is it smells a bit like pee! It can encourage rather than discourage them to go in the same place. Whatever you do, donyt use Dettol it is very bad for kitties  :briggin:

Add Glitter to Pictures

R.I.P My beautiful Mango xx 13/05/2006 - 01/11/2009

Offline miss charlie

  • Kitten
  • **
  • Posts: 6
  • Slave to: Sir Didymus & Mad Madam Mim (Devon Rex crazies!)
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2011, 22:34:46 PM »
Ah ok will give it a go...hubby seemed to think bleach and or zoflora would be for the best.

I had said that I had read otherwise....men eh?


Offline madamcat (Edd)

  • Hero Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 1001
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2011, 20:50:24 PM »
You don't say what you have been using but bleach and disinfectant can make the cat soil the area again. As it is vinyl you could try biological washing powder diluted with 10 parts water to clean up. Here are a couple of links you may find useful:
http://www.celiahaddon.co.uk/pet%20problems/cats/clean-up.html
http://www.catchat.org/urination.html
Not all of it may apply but may be something in there for you  :hug: :hug:


PS how old is the kitten now?
« Last Edit: January 20, 2011, 20:57:27 PM by Edd, Reason: To add PS »

Offline miss charlie

  • Kitten
  • **
  • Posts: 6
  • Slave to: Sir Didymus & Mad Madam Mim (Devon Rex crazies!)
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2011, 20:07:49 PM »
I havent tried an enzyme cleaner but I thought it might not be necessary as she's going on vinyl flooring not carpet?

Offline Alex S

  • Adult Cat
  • ***
  • Posts: 76
  • Slave to: Sadie
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2011, 19:55:21 PM »
Have you tried cleaning the areas she pees in with enzyme spray? A month after we adopted our cat she used the sofa a good few times as her toilet until we realised and cleaned it with proper stuff to get rid of the scent. Since then problem solved, perfectly litter trained and even announces when she's just used it.

Offline miss charlie

  • Kitten
  • **
  • Posts: 6
  • Slave to: Sir Didymus & Mad Madam Mim (Devon Rex crazies!)
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2011, 18:07:40 PM »
The cats have separate trays.

Didy the older cat has a tray in the garage-with a  cat flap out to it.

The kitten - Mim is being shut in the bathroom over night with 2 litter trays with different litters, when we're out during the day she goes in teh bathroom and we take her to the room over regularly when we're in during the day and evening. 

Like today she has wee'd and pood in the tray but also wee'd and poohed on the floor! 

I clean the trays morning and evening but cannot do more than that as I'm at work.

I will put a poo in the tray or leave a little bit of kitchen paper ive wiped up pee with in her tray so she knows it's her place to go.

Not sure what else to try?

Offline JackSpratt

  • Moderating Staff
  • Purrrrrfect Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 21871
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2011, 11:08:26 AM »
Just about to ask that Liz! Do you only have one tray? Some cats don't like sharing toileting areas - my cousin has one that will only do number ones in one tray and number twos in the other. :evillaugh:




Carrie, Jack,Toby and Parsley ~ Love and miss you all always.x

Offline Liz

  • Cat Rescue
  • Royal Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 9133
  • Here come the boys!!!!
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2011, 10:52:24 AM »
I think perhaps a couple of extra trays with her preferred litter in a quiet place may halp, we also use the putting in a kitten pen/dog crate at night with bed, toys and a litter tray to get them to associate what they are supposed to do in fact 8 months on from trapping one of my wild feral boys I still have the kitten pen set up in my downstairs study as he won't go any where else :shocked:
Liz and the Clan Cats and Dogs

Offline Mark

  • Purrs Registered Cat Rescue
  • Purrrrrfect Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 33326
  • Clapton
    • AnimalAid - Support Humane Charities
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2011, 08:46:35 AM »
Have you tried putting a poo in the tray to let her know what it is for? I haven't tried attract litter.

Not sure what type of litter you use but some can be sharp on their little paws. I use cats best oko (from pets at home or online) and it is soft wood pellets but also clumping. I had no trouble changing 4 cats over to it. Our new boy (8 years old) took to it straight away as well  :)  Even though we have a garden, I like my cats to go in trays so I can keep an eye on what they are doing. The day before yesterday, Kylie had a soft poo with some blood in it - I have wormed her and if she does it again today, she is off to the vet.

Don't know if this is any good http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kitten-Attract-Clumping-Litter-2-x-9kg-%2820lbs%29_W0QQitemZ350201924022QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=200613517947&rvr_id=200613517947&cguid=df154eb512a0a0aad2918d61fe5ccb09
« Last Edit: January 20, 2011, 09:18:30 AM by Mark »
DO NOT BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER ANIMALS DIE

I believe I am not interested to know whether Vivisection produces results that are profitable to the human race or doesn't. To know that the results are profitable to the race would not remove my hostility to it.  Mark Twain

Offline miss charlie

  • Kitten
  • **
  • Posts: 6
  • Slave to: Sir Didymus & Mad Madam Mim (Devon Rex crazies!)
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2011, 08:37:47 AM »
She's an indoor cat so I can't move her to be outdoors at all.

We took her to the vets shortly after getting her to register her and she had sticky eyes...which we treated (although it seems to be back - mind you Dad had permanently sticky eyes) and ear mites - treated.

The vet wasn't very helpful she just said well she'll get the hang of it, just keep cleaning and putting her in the tray.

When we're in we periodically take her to the tray and put her in it.  Its just so haphazard.

She didn't use the wooden litter very much and seemed better with the clay type yet now she sees to be using the wooden and not the other when she does go.

We've put a try in one spot where she will go on the floor yet she will go in other places at random without much pattern that I can recall.

I've wondered if it is stress at being in a small room all day yet others have said it's for the best and I worry the other cat will bother her when she tries to use the tray and I don't want to risk getting more cat wee/poop on carpets/under furniture (we rent and I'm pregnant and cleaning a litter tray or vinyl floor is bad enough without scrubbing carpets too)!  We're going to take her back to the vets and see if they can suggest a physical reason - cystitis etc.

Have any of you tried Feliway/Zyklene (sp?)

I've thought about trying cat attract litter additive - anyone tried it?

Offline JackSpratt

  • Moderating Staff
  • Purrrrrfect Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 21871
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2011, 07:28:37 AM »
http://www.thepurrcompany.com/cat-articles/index.php?id=77

Does she have a favourite spot to toilet at all? It might help to figure out what litter she'd prefer.




Carrie, Jack,Toby and Parsley ~ Love and miss you all always.x

Offline The GFP

  • Kitten
  • **
  • Posts: 8
  • Danny
  • Slave to: Ken, Merson, Bergkamp, Bella, Lilly
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2011, 04:02:32 AM »
my kittens arrived when they were 6 months old

we got a big house tray (with roof) from argos and used wood pellets and put them all in it one by one 3 times (they went in then walked out but got the smell) the first day every time they did the "meow i need a wee" noise we picked them up and put them in it, by day two 3 of the 4 were house trained and the 4th we found later was weeing on a plastic bag behind the sofa that had very nice xmas LED lights in it (now ruined) so we kept an eye on them 24/7 for their first few days (i did nights) we watched them and trained them and by day 4 no more problems

then when they had all their jabs we started putting the box outside the cat flap in the garden and again put them all in it one after the other 3 times so they knew where it was and then took it in at night

next stage was to leave it out there all the time and only once did a cat do a plop in the house as it was raining and he had never seen rain before

then after a few days they stopped pooing in the tray and doing it in the mass of trees n bushes in the back gardens around here

so by 3.5 months old ish they no longer used the tray
The German Flower Pot, although im neither German nor a flower pot.

Offline Steff - Petsearch Bedford HQ

  • Hero Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 1170
  • Mummy to Six!!
    • Petsearch Bedford - Facebook Group
  • Slave to: Bourneville, Marble, Soap, Tyson, TT and Esco (the Staffie)
Re: Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2011, 23:14:25 PM »
To me it sounds like you are trying the right things so I can't suggest anything else. Have you tried using soil/compost as litter? Some cats prefer it but seeing as she has never been outside I can't see why she would be more used to soil than normal cat litter.

Do you have a good vet that could give you some behavioural advice? Also has she generally been checked over by your vet? One of my cats had toileting problems due to stress, fortunately she didn't have cystitis or anything (got that checked) but it was all down to stress/behavious. The vets gave me some tips (extra tray, kalm aid and I already had feliway). If your vets are good maybe they could help brainstorm ideas with you.

I'm not too sure myself what else you could do, maybe some of the other may have some other suggestions.

I can imagine the current situation isn't great for you or your new addition because she is a bit restricted at the minute *hug* 
Stephanie Novell
Lost & Found Coordinator
Petsearch UK - Bedford HQ

Offline miss charlie

  • Kitten
  • **
  • Posts: 6
  • Slave to: Sir Didymus & Mad Madam Mim (Devon Rex crazies!)
Still unreliable litter tray user.
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2011, 20:18:55 PM »
Hi everyone,

I posted a while back about my new Devon Rex kitten, I have a Rex who is 18 months old now and we got a kitten 2 months ago and although she came from the breeder apparently litter trained (came from a very busy house with many many cats and 2 large dogs) to our home with the 1 cat and our 1 year old.

Now from day 1 she has been weeing and poohing all over the place.

We tried a few trays in her fave places to go but no no avail.

She is currently being shut in one room (the bathroom) over night and while we are out after some suggestions to get her used to being in 1 place with easy access to a tray and to stop the other cat from bullying/bothering her while she eats/poops etc - although in all this time the older cat haas only hissed at her once - mildly and nothing else aggressive.

But still not reliable - have switched litter and thought we were making progress but still unreliable.

The bathroom is not big but we have 2 trays in there each with a different litter (1 usual 'clay' type and 1 wood), they're easy to access open trays as we tried a hooded tray and she would not use it at all!.

Obviously being in the bathroom it's easier to clean up and I'm hoping we're stopping lasting smells on the vinyl so I dont think its necessarily just the smell.

Any suggestions?

It's really starting to get me down - she's just starting to come out of herself and we can see her character now as she was soooo quiet until recently and I'd hate to have to pass her on if we can't come to some solution!

Thanks

 


Link to CatChat