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Cat's litter tray

(16 Posts)
ninathenana Wed 21-Dec-16 10:44:49

Our 13 y.o. cat has over the last few months been deficating under the dining table rather than in her litter tray which is in the conservatory. She does use her tray but although she has 24/7 access to the tray which is cleaned regularly she often prefers the dining room ! During the day the doir to the garden is left ajar too. We have sprayed the area to try and break the cycle but once again I discovered she had been under the table during the night.tchsad

posie Wed 21-Dec-16 11:10:20

Have you tried using a covered cat litter tray? Maybe she needs a bit more privacy? lol. Leave it under the dining table at night and if she seems happy using it gradually move it to the conservatory.

TriciaF Wed 21-Dec-16 11:43:00

I put ours in the space beneath the staircase,but occasionally she has a phase of soiling elsewhere.

shysal Wed 21-Dec-16 12:23:10

I agree with the idea of giving her a tray, uncovered if that is what she is used to, under the table. I would make it an extra so that she has the one in the conservatory too. This sort of behaviour in cats is sometimes difficult to change, but have you tried a Feliway diffuser to calm her? They are sold in vets and on line.
I hope you manage to resolve this, as I did when my cat was weeing on the sofa at one time, I think due to having a new cat in the household.

LadyGracie Wed 21-Dec-16 13:34:41

My 16 year old cat sometimes messed just inside the kitchen, her tray is also in the conservatory accessed via a cat flap in French doors. The vet told me she could be constipated and associates her tray with pain. I now give her hair ball paste and occasionally if she has an accident a little lactulose.

grannylyn65 Wed 21-Dec-16 13:41:02

How on earth do you manage to give cat lactulose!!!!

ninathenana Wed 21-Dec-16 15:48:55

LadyGracie I did read about constipation and the association. However, without putting to fine a point on it, it dosen't "look" like she's constipated if you follow my drift.
Also the fact that she does deficate in the litter tray, just not all the time..

TriciaF Wed 21-Dec-16 17:16:45

Nina - even though we provide our elderly cat with a private litter tray, she still seems to prefer the soft soil in the veg. patch.
So much for the privacy theory!
Maybe it's something to do with being close to humans, or not?
I don't understand cats.

shysal Wed 21-Dec-16 17:45:15

One of my cats has no modesty! She almost always uses the litter tray while I am scooping out the clumps! It is recommended that you should have one tray per cat plus one, to give a choice, which I have, but she is the only user, the other cat goes outside.

ninathenana Wed 21-Dec-16 18:33:24

Tricia I wish she would 'go' outside. She rarely ventures into the garden unless it's warm and sunny. Even then she will come in to use the tray rather than use the garden.

Charleygirl Wed 21-Dec-16 18:38:59

nina my cat is around 12 years old and has been with me since she was 2. For the last year she has decided that she will go out for around 14 hours each day, where she vanishes to I have no idea but she returns around 8pm in winter for a bite to eat, use her litter tray and in many cases, to vomit! She then retires to bed, usually mine to catch up with sleep. That is the life that she likes, who am I to argue?

Have you changed the type of litter that you use? Some cats hate a change, mine does not bother as long as it is clean and fresh. Her servant is at her command.

Katek Wed 21-Dec-16 19:05:03

She doesn't have any physical ailments such as arthritis? Sometimes if it's painful to get in/out of litter box they will start to use other places. Solution is to use a shallower tray

granjura Wed 21-Dec-16 19:51:20

Strange that she has changed recently- so something is bothering her, physical or otherwise.

Our 23 year old is as good as gold- but now really seems to like her new litter- which is wood granules (sold for wood burners) - and it smells lovely and then goes into compost.

f77ms Wed 21-Dec-16 20:32:32

charliegirl your post made me laugh (sorry)!

Cats are a law unto themselves , You may have to give in and put another tray under the table . Once she has `been` there she will probably do it again , it`s no use fighting it grin .

If anyone is interested there is a little cartoony thing on youtube called Simons cat which explains cat behaviour in a very amusing way .

mumofmadboys Wed 21-Dec-16 20:35:41

Cut citrus fruit is supposed to put cats off . Maybe you could leave some cut lemons under the dining table . However you don't want her to just choose somewhere else!!

f77ms Wed 21-Dec-16 20:47:11

mumofmadboys Citrus fruit has no effect unfortunately , the cat would probably just use it as a toilet !