View Full Version : Please help - litter tray problem!
The kittens are now 8 months old and growing fantastic and getting into everything they shouldn't be! :roll:
Over the past two months or so we've been having problems with them not using the litter to do a number 2 in. They seem to go everywhere but the tray - their usual place is behind the toilet in the bathroom, which is now happening on a daily basis if the door isn't shut tight but they've also been IN the shower, IN the washing machine, on the floor in the spare room, in the ferret's cage (numerous times) and finally this morning ON their food tray, right next to their breakfast bowl!!
We are expecting our first baby on Christmas Day and really want this behaviour to stop before then.
Anyone got any ideas? :(
Elaine
06-07-2007, 10:03 AM
How many cats? How many litter trays?
The general rule of thumb is one litter tray per cat plus one. Many cats dont like to pee and poo in the same place.
You may also want to experiment with different kinds of litter. Here's a good link for you.
http://wizz-catz.co.uk/soiling.html
There are two cats and they have always shared the litter tray without any problems so far but I guess they are getting older.
I have always used wood based pellets for their litter.
If I add another litter tray where should I put it? ie. upstairs as the original one is downstairs or can I just put it in another room downstairs?
Put it where the "go" most. When it's been there for a while you can then start to move it. I would leave it there for about a month.
Oh and congratulations on your forth coming arrival:D
The problem is the main place they go is behind the toilet so there isn't much room for a litter tray. I could probably squeeze a very small flat one in but that'll be it.
Thanks for the congrats. :D
Yep they are both neutered and have been for a few months. When they were approx 4.5 months old the girl kittie, Lexi, started to wee in odd places like our bed but after being spayed this behaviour stopped.
Soiling inappropiately can be a dominance issue. Is one of them more dominant than the other? Are there any jealousy issues between them? Do they have access to outdoors? I would definitely get another litter tray and put it in a totally different area from the other one. Good luck and congratulations on your forthcoming baby :cool:
The tom cat, Zoot, seems to be the more dominant I think. If he has something nice to eat like a chicken wing he'll growl at Lexi to tell her to stay away and at times she's even stopped eating her own chicken wing and left it for him.
Is there anything we can do about dominance issues?
tilly
06-07-2007, 08:24 PM
I hope you can get it soprted out soon. I think as the other have said another litter tray in a different place should help.
Best of luck
Sally
mable1718
06-07-2007, 09:05 PM
best of luck rrr
Well I've now added another litter tray (they only had one left in the petshop so will get another one this week from a different shop) and put it behind the toilet. I couldn't fit it in the exact same place they have been going to the toilet but its less than a foot away and they still pooped on the floor and not the tray! I did pick it up and put it in the litter tray though and since then we've not had any other accidents and I've seen both of them using the other tray downstairs but neither of them have used the new tray.
On the dominant issue though I've been observing their behaviour very closely this weekend and Zoot the male is definitely more dominant than Lexi the female. If they are eating then he will push her out of the way and eat out of her bowl and she just stands there looking at him and after a while starts to eat out of his bowl. I then fed them at opposite ends of the kitchen but Zoot still went over and pushed Lexi out of the way.
The same goes with toys, if she's got something he wants then she'll just give it to him straight away, the same goes with treats. They were also playing on Saturday and it got slightly out of hand and they were both making a racket and hissing at each other. When I intervened I found Lexi's hair stuck to Zoot's paws. :(
Is this normal behaviour for two cats or is there something that I can do to help the situation, I feel awful for poor Lexi. :(
I must add though that they aren't always like this, at the moment they are both laying next to me fast asleep.
Regarding them pooping behind the toilet, I would be inclined to keep the bathroom door shut and not allow then in there at all. Is there any room to put the tray outside the bathroom?
We tried to keep the bathroom door shut but unfortunately the bathroom is tiny and doesn't have any windows so everything was constantly damp, including the toilet seat! :lol:
I'm trying to make room on the landing for a bigger tray but the ferret's cage is there at the mo so we need to sort that out first.
I hate living in a tiny house! :roll:
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