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Cat Toileting
She took in a cat from the RSPCA five weeks ago. As there are so many cats needing homes we decided we had the room and love for another to join us. We already have two cats.
All went well at first she was integrated slowly with our other cats and she has fallen in love with our similarly aged male cat and they are inseparable.
She is under a year old and had been found starving and pregnant by the RSPCA. She was taken in and given to a fosterer where she had 7 kittens. Once they were old enough she was taken for neutering and then into the centre and she then came to us. she has had a lot of change and is very nervous in nature.
She had a couple of little accidents but over the past two weeks she is choosing not to use the litter tray at all. As much as we love her and want to be there for her, we can't have a cat that wants to go to the loo around the house as it smells and it is not fair on her, us or the other two cats. Even when she goes out she comes in and pees on the carpet.
We have tried to use the same litter as she is used to. We have 5 litter trays for 3 cats. She has a private area to go if she wants. The trays are clean.
Any ideas? My partner is now saying we should not have rocked the boat in getting a resuce cat and as we sites the problem that she is older and set in her ways (We had our other two cats as tiny kittens)
If she seemed ill at ease with our other cats I could understand it but she seems to love them. She is still a nervous cat but in the main has settled well.
Any advice folks
All went well at first she was integrated slowly with our other cats and she has fallen in love with our similarly aged male cat and they are inseparable.
She is under a year old and had been found starving and pregnant by the RSPCA. She was taken in and given to a fosterer where she had 7 kittens. Once they were old enough she was taken for neutering and then into the centre and she then came to us. she has had a lot of change and is very nervous in nature.
She had a couple of little accidents but over the past two weeks she is choosing not to use the litter tray at all. As much as we love her and want to be there for her, we can't have a cat that wants to go to the loo around the house as it smells and it is not fair on her, us or the other two cats. Even when she goes out she comes in and pees on the carpet.
We have tried to use the same litter as she is used to. We have 5 litter trays for 3 cats. She has a private area to go if she wants. The trays are clean.
Any ideas? My partner is now saying we should not have rocked the boat in getting a resuce cat and as we sites the problem that she is older and set in her ways (We had our other two cats as tiny kittens)
If she seemed ill at ease with our other cats I could understand it but she seems to love them. She is still a nervous cat but in the main has settled well.
Any advice folks
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Question: Do you use clumping cat litter? I ask as clumping litter will absorb smells much better than non-clumping litter plus it is cost effective.
Any gravel textured litter should do it. Non clumping is better. And clumping does not absorb smells better. Catsan is the best, if a little expensive.
Spiderpig, we tried not allowing the other cats to use the litter by isolating her. She found that very stressful actually and still messed on the floor. We have bought new trays for her too and actually the others don't seem to be using them!
The cat behaviourist suggested Sainsbury's ultra gravel rather than cat san so we are going to use that. Well we bought some tonight and we shall see if it works!
(spiderpig and orangebird)
cats_five, we have been speaking to the RSPCA. They actually gave zero advice. Most of what I have been doing has been off the net or my own knowledge. All they seemed to suggest was "give her a chance" and "clear the mess up". She is a baby herself. So tiny, how she ever had
7 kittens I do not know.
She seems keener on my other cats than she is on us. Picking her up is a no no. Stroking she likes but is nervous. she does get very excited and bound sinto our room in the morning when we open the door for a cuddle. She seems happy apart from this toileting!
This did start to get worse after we took her for her second jab. I did think it would resolve once she knew she was back but it is not
Yes tried that!:(
Yes does go sometimes but she is getting in there less.
She HATES being picked up. She looks so scared when you do. I have managed to put her in the tray but she cowers like it is wrong, She doesnt smell it, she doesnt dig. She just gets out when she thinks it is safe.
Or if there is a specific place that she pees more than anywhere else, move the tray to that spot.
If and when she uses her tray, give her lots of fuss and maybe some treats. Not everytime because she'll expect a prize everytime she pees and poohs.
Cats. Don't you just love 'em?
I did actually move her tray earlier to a place she seems to like!
So desperate for her to get it right, we love her so much and she could have a fab life with us to make up for the wrong start she had!