Hiya, I have one cat who used to be a flat cat and is a bit timid and a kitten who is excited about going out in the garden. They both like to go out and play but come back inside to do their business!

I've tried putting a bit of litter on the earth but no luck yet. Should I just be more patient or do any of you lovely people have some ideas?

You could try leaving them out for longer, i.e. don't immediately let them into the house when they want to come in (obviously do this in good weather!). They will figure it out eventually, but don't deprive them of their indoor litter tray, habits are hard to break! I've got a couple of outdoor cats who are locked in at night - if they're out when they're "caught short", they'll go outside, at night they go inside, so they will get the hang of it.

If you have an area in your garden that you don't mind being used as the loo, dig it over so that the earth is soft. Put their litter box there for a couple of days and then take it away, they'll soon use the soft earth. At the same time, when you take their box away, don't immed put it back indoors. If your cat cries to use the loo, carry it to the spot where the box was, and where the soft earth is.

It really shouldn't take long at all, as they prefer using soft soil as opposed to grainy litter anyway.

You need to regularly put their soiled litter in the garden, rather than clean litter, and you need to give them time to become comfortable about being out there.
Cats can feel vulnerable when toileting and if they haven't been going out lfor long the chances are the garden is already well scent marked as belonging to other cats.
You can also gradually move the litter tray nearer the door (but not near their food) until you can put their litter tray outside the back door.
I wouldn't take their litter tray away until they have decided to stop using it or they may have little option in their minds but to go somewhere indoors that isn't their litter tray.
Cats can become used to going on certain surfaces so with some cats it helps to gradually add garden soil to their litter tray to accustom them to a new substrate/surface but don't use any that smells of other cats!

Do you actually want them going in the garden OP??? Chances are they will eventually start venturing further afield and end up poohing in your neighbours garden

Is ia huge problem for them to carry on using the litter tray but still have outdoor time?

My cats now go outside and they have their litter tray for night times (not that they need or use it anymore but it's a just incase) .... but I have a small sand area on my side garden and they love using that, and all I've done is spread a small bit of sand over the soil, and I sweep it up after a few uses and replace it with more sand ... they love it and usually only go there in the garden rather than in my pots and around the garden.

why in gods name would you want to make your neighbours suffer the result of you getting a filthy horrible cat to go and do its buisness in there garden.
you got them . make sure they do there buisness in your property and keep them away from your neighbours.
its discusting that people think its fine for there god damn awful cats to go doing there buisness wherever they like. when us good responsible dog owners are fined and made to clear it up ..
bloody cats stinking discusting awfull creatures

I just got rid of the litter tray and put loads of peat out in the garden which was lovely and soft to play in as well as go to the lavatory in.

She was 14 weeks old,so it was easier.

I found your comments untrue and offensive.

Properly brought up cats do not do what you suggest. Mine goes in the space prepared for her.

well every single cat i have ever seen must not have been properlly brought up then.
as nearly everyone i know has problems with cats coming into there gardens and messing in there.
and as for offensive i have no idea what you mean. i was in no way offensive.

Well my street is full of cats and if what you say was true, there would be feline faecal matter all over the place and there is not.

You must have chav cats in your area.

Probably wear burbery collars
(Sorry I'm not a chav so can't spell burbery)

can you not keep you hatred of cats in your own thread and not poison everyone else's

no its a public forum for people to give there opinions on all manner of diffrent subjects.
so i think i will continue to do what a forum is primarily for and that is to give my opinion.
dont like it ? block my posts quite easy really