Removing the litter Tray?

[Lenore]

Hi There.

My cat Newt is 11 months old and w have finally managed to teach him to use the cat flap, much to his obvious enjoyment (and our other cat tiggers annoyance - he feels the need to check every time it 'flaps' which at the mo is 20 times in the space of an hour, in out in out etc). So now I want to get rid of the litter tray, I suspect he's started going outside a bit lately anyway. I tried to straight out remove it last weekend but he spent a lot of time pacing around where it has been looking desparate and 'posturing' for want of a better word against the wall, at which point I would calmly place him outside in case he needed to go. I made sure I had cleaned the floor with a specially designed disenfectant spray from the petshop to try and remove any scent the tray may have left behind.

He just seemed so confused that in the end I brought it back (this may have been his plan - it is cold out;) ) I just wondered if anyone had any advice for removing the litter tray whilst avoiding any accidents - he has been very good in all fairness we have never had an accident at all and he had a very sensitive tummy as a small kitten, or unnessary confusion for Newt - he's not the brightest cat, though he may be the softest:-D

[Mags]

Cassie has access to outside during the day but I lock her in at night. I still keep a litter tray indoors for her though .......

[alexgirl73]

TBH Lenore, I would just leave it. If he's going outside he'll use it less and less and then you can decide whether to take it away completely.

[Lenore]

TBH Lenore, I would just leave it. If he's going outside he'll use it less and less and then you can decide whether to take it away completely.

That was my plan initially, however as Newt has got older my other cat Tigger who is 7 has become very interested in the litter tray (we got Tig when he was 5 and he has never had a litter Tray - the old owners of our house left him behind, long story) and I am alittle concerned that

a) Tig will intimidate Newt into using other parts of the house as a toilet, as i said he is v interested in the littertray and sits as if on guard, plus they are ver much in the stages of asserting who is the 'boss' cat, Tigger is huge but V soft, Newt is a bit cocky for someone so small!:shock:

b) Tigger will try to use the tray and regress so he needs one too, I am unsure what his interest signifies, both cats are male and have been neutered, so he isn't spraying or marking territory, I am worried he likes this warm indoor loo thingy:)

[Shadowdh]

As I am a newbie to all this my advice may not be so sound but... perhaps if you move the litter tray (if possible) closer and closer to the cat flap till its eventually outside then he might get the idea... it may work... (its how we got the kids used to the toilet from the potty... lol)...

[Fran]

Even before I had indoor cats only, I still had litter trays in the house as I like my moggies in at night anyhow. But if I was going to attempt to get rid of my trays then I would try what Shadowh has suggested and slowly move the tray nearer to the cat flap until it was outside and where you want him to do his biz. I'd also try putting some of his soiled litter in the appropriate place in your garden that you want him to use so the smell is familiar to him and encourage him to use it.

Good luck!

[Sweet]

I have litter trays, all mine go in and out - I have no cat flap, I leave the door open mostly x

[dinahsmum]

All sounds good advice.
Maybe leave it till the weather improves though? ... remove all potential obstacles to success?

[smudgley]

If the idea is for him to go outside to the toilet, you could start using soil in his tray.

[Kim]

It is very cold outside and the soil very wet and often icy, so he may well prefer his nice litter tray! Why not wait until the weather improves if you really don't want a tray in the house? My cats have access to outside via a catflap, but I have a tray inside. This time of year most of them use it rather than go outside, but in the summer, days can go by without it being used at all! I personally prefer to let them have a choice. ;)

[Mags]

Lenore, have you considered getting a covered litter tray? If you don't like the thought of a litter tray indoors this is the next best thing. They are more hygienic and many of them have a carbon filter in the hood to minimize smells, they are a lot better to look at too.... you can get one at Argos for £12.99

[Shadowdh]

Thats where I got our covered tray, it also comes with a scoop thing... its good but doesnt stop all the smell... our boy sure does stink... sigh...

[Donna]

I have decided I want to get rid of my cats litter tray in the house. This year I am gonna do it!!

Just teaching Misty at the moment how to use a cat flap which is difficult as she has not managed it for two years now!!

Hoping by summer she will have managed to work out the way in and out and can then proceed to get the cats using the garden rather than the litter tray.

The reason I am determined to do this is that Misty often misses teh tray and if I use a covered one Chloe wont use it, and if I have two then that is two trays for Misty to miss and for Chloe not to use!!!

Its so complicated.

[Mags]

Are Misty and Chloe locked in at night Donna? I just wondered if you would need to leave a litter tray down during the night for them?:?

[Donna]

Are Misty and Chloe locked in at night Donna? I just wondered if you would need to leave a litter tray down during the night for them?:?

Again, they have up till now been locked in of a night, but I have been leaving the flap unlocked. Chloe comes and goes as she pleases and seems to like the convenience. Not sure she realises it is open all night tho at the moment. Both Misty and Chloe have started to get more confident in going outside and interacting with other neighbourhood cats. Chloe even chased two cats out of the garden yesterday!! Think the real nasty cat that used to come in the house has gone as not seen him for months.

If they both are happy to use the flap in/out day and night then I cant see the reason for the tray which creates more problems indoors than it is convenient.

But at the end of the day, if it is not working or the cats cant get used to the flap being open 24/7 then I will of course keep the tray. :lol:

[Lenore]

Lol, I have the covered litter tray (it is Newt's) third litter tray :o The problem is that no matter what we try he will kick litter all over the floor, which means we have to clean/disenfect the floor daily - which is fairly expensive in cat friendly disenfectants.

Both our cats have access to outside all the time, luckily we live in a very quiet area with a huge green about 300yds away - Though that said they both sleep in their beds in our room http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c154/Cloakedkungfu/DSC01336.jpg
like so. They come in when we go to bed and settle there and are always there when we get up in the am (which is not to say that they're not out hellraising in the beween time:-D ) - they love to go out in the dark and like I say Tig has never (in the 3 years we've had him) used a tray so I would really like to wean him off it - with the minimum inconvenience to him naturally:lol:

[alexgirl73]

What a fantastic photo!

[Fran]

That is a lovely piccie indeed!

[Mags]

What a brilliant photo!!

[Donna]

Never as straight forward as you plan is it????

Been leaving the flap open 24/7 and Misty is starting to learn to use it to come in (although I was on hands and knees at 1am this morning coaxing her in holding the flap open as I had not slept as she had gone out).

Came home from work to find a strange cat in the house. My cats seemed ok, but hope it is not the one that I caught spraying over my rabbit hutches the other day.

If I want my cats to go in and out as they please how can I stop other cats coming in and why dont my cats chase them out???

[Fran]

If I want my cats to go in and out as they please how can I stop other cats coming in and why dont my cats chase them out???

What about getting the collar magnets and catflap that would only allow access for your cats Donna?

My cats wouldn't chase another out of the house but my dogs would ;)

[Donna]

What about getting the collar magnets and catflap that would only allow access for your cats Donna?

My cats wouldn't chase another out of the house but my dogs would ;)

Chloe is fine with the magnets and can use the flap fine, but Misty is still struggling with a lose flap so dont want to introduce the magnet just yet as she will sit outside all day if she finds any resistance to the flap. She only comes in at the moment as hasnt learnt it is a two way thing :shock: :shock:

Once she has fully passed all intensive training I will reintroduce the maget (although that didnt stop the nasty bully cat breaking through that last year :shock: ).

[kado]

Ive got 2 litter trays and no cat flap. Kado will go outside and guinness wont. I think Newt will decide when or if he wants to use one

[ATD]

uma has never used her litter tray in the 4/5 months she has been an outdoor cat but it is still under the bed "just in case" although we dont have a cat flap but even if we did she sleeps in our bedroom at night :)
ATD xxx