Newly acquired elderly cat and refusal of litter tray

Doing better with the toilet training but something frightened her yesterday (don’t know what) and she is very wary and sometimes hostile so I think quiet patience will be called for. In 40 years of cat owning I have never seen behaviour like I witnessed yesterday - I was almost frightened of her, and she is still inclined to yowl and hiss though eating well. She looked like a Louis Wain drawing of an angry cat. Calm routine and not looking directly at her should help but any advice welcome. Who knew adopting an unwanted cat would prove so challenging?

Unlikely I think MissAdventure as he has a litter tray and uses that as well!

Sometimes cats do this because there is another cat hanging about outside.

Is that likely?

Sorry to jump on this thread but I have a thirteen and a half yr old tomcat (neutered) who persistently wees on my back doormat inside the kitchen. I have swapped coir for a fabric one that I can wash but he persists.
Does anyone have any suggestions that work? Thanks.

When our cat was elderly he started wetting outside of his tray. We also used puppy pads, bought from Poundland so were not expensive. Sadly, he had a health issue and did pass away eventually. He found it difficult to get into the tray and when he did he widdled over the side. Nevertheless we loved him to bits and were very sad when he was put to sleep.

The poor little dear is adjusting and wondering about her new life, new people, new smells. So happy for you that she is delightful and affectionate.

Things will work out in time. In the meantime be gentle with her - you need to build up trust with her. You have good ideas here - you need to get a litter pan that has higher sides perhaps (misfiring?), puppy pads around the box to absorb till this passes.

Maybe MOVE the TRAY - cats cannot have a litter box that is in tight quarters! They instinctively walk around and around the pan sniffing before they get in.
Give her a hug when she scores❣️ 🍀🍀🍀

Our rescue girlie has 2 trays. One for wee and one for poo.
We use wood pellets and no problems. Sometimes if it's sunny and we are in the garden she will be a proper cat and have a poo, but still comes in for a wee! Bless her! 😍

I came back on here to suggest a Feliway calming plug-in diffuser. I see it has already been suggested, as cats often wee in inappropriate places when they are stressed. It worked when one of my cats had an injury and started to wee against my bed head. I used a Feliway and also put down a new litter tray in my bedroom, where it has remained to this day.

My first kitten used to wee under the coffee table.
Advice from my sister who had cats was to put some cat litter in the wee, scoop it up and put it in the litter tray.
It worked a treat. He used the tray every time.
I use a recycled paper cat litter. Grey pellets No smelly tray like some I'd used in the past. It's brilliant. Can be bought from B&M stores or Pets at home. Maybe other stores or online. Called Bio-Catolet.

I've had rescue cats for the past 40 years - hence the name madcatwoman - and one thing is for sure, every cat is different and there's no 'One size fits all.' I can only offer a few tips:
Cat pee smells like bleach and vice versa. First off, I would buy two new litter trays. Clean them both with bleach and rinse mega-thoroughly. Your cat will smell the faintest traces of bleach - they have fab noses - and hopefully, should put 2 + 2 together. Et, voila! Or not!
I use Tigerino which is clumping litter, so you just need to lift the lumps and all is good. No horrid, smelly trays. (Cheapest on Zooplus - 10kg lasts a month or more.) That's when it is cleaned out and trays bleached etc. twice a month.
Cats are weird - what suited in the last house, may not suit in the new house. Which is why I suggest new trays and different litter.
Good suggestion regarding trays next to outside door - maybe Pusskins wants to try a new toilet vibe ... like going outside.
Please give it time. These things can take a good while to get going. Cats are, in some ways, resistant to change (but you've just said get new trays!) I know, I know ... but you're dealing with a cat ... and only a cat understands The Way of the Cat.
My heart goes out to you, but be patient. I'm sure when she/he settles down they will repay you a thousandfold. All of mine have (little blighters) and I couldn't love them more.
Best of luck.

On a side note here (sorry, but I thought it was rather wonderful), my last cat used to shove the door open and sit and watch when we used the loo. We heard her opening the door one day and went to check. She was balanced on the rim/seat, peeing into the bowl perfectly, entirely unbothered by us watching her. She was 6 when she learned this, and it continued until she was hit by a car a year or so later. She never missed the bowl, never peed on the seat either. (Although, obviously I cleaned it each time.) She was the most amazing, loving little cat and we still miss her.

Our nervous rescue cat tended to pee right over the edge of the tray in an arc, and as he is a large tomcat, it was usually a big clear up. (He won't go outside, even after five years. ) We bought a grey and white tray with cover from Pets at Home - it looks like a pet carrier. It was £10.00, and is excellent. He creeps in there and has privacy - a much happier chap.

Lots of good ideas so thank you all. Will report back in due course. Currently have two trays and will buy puppy pads and hope going outside soon will help. Olive is a very companiable cat and comes to sit with me - not a lap sitter yet, but who knows. Have dealt with today’s offering next to the tray but will try various excellent suggestions tomorrow. Who knew another cat would prove so exciting?

Try putting some litter on the puddle of pee to soak it a bit and mix it into the clean litter in the tray! 🐈🐈‍⬛

Try to put some of her unrine in the litter tray, the smell of it might trigger the desired response. We did this with our elderly cat, dementia.

I wonder if an Adaptil plug in would help? I think the cat version is called feliway. I always use one if I have a new pet. When I had cats my girl cat used to wee everywhere ( the smell was awful).

Where was the tray in her previous house? Lounge, Kitchen or Bathroom? Can you put it in a similar place in your own house.? Also if she is now going in the same place on your floor, she may think that's where she is supposed to go. Thorough cleaning and anti pee spray in such places is worth trying too. When I first started letting my cat out he used to come back in to use his litter tray because that is where he thought he should be going.

Make sure to clean any accidents with hot water with biological washing powder dissolved in it. Only thing that will remove smell when it is dry wipe down area with surgical spirit let it air dry. If cat is elderly maybe hurts climbing in or out of tray use some books etc to make a wee step for her. I've had lots of foster cats through the yrs volunteered with animal rescue the biological powder is only thing worked for me.

When you clean up the pee, put some in her litter box so she has the chance to figure out what it's for, it may have come with her but it may not be one she has used before

I'm wondering about the placement of the tray; Does she/he feel safe when in it or is it quite exposed?
and I know that she/he was used to using a tray but I remember training one cat by gently plonking them in the tray and moving their front paws as though they were covering up what they had produced. It eventually worked. Might be worth a try - very gently.....

nanna8

One of our little cats had taken to poohing next to our downstairs toilet. We went out and bought a much bigger litter tray with higher sides and so far so good, she either goes outside or uses this new tray. Just a thought.

Same here. Our cat was over 20 when she passed away. During her last few years she became a house cat only venturing out occasionally so we invested in a litter tray but most were too small and she scattered litter everywhere until we bought here a large solid sided washing basket and she and we were happy with that solution.

I inherited my daughter’s eleven year old cat two years ago as she was stressed and peeing everywhere except in her tray. But there was also blood in her pee…
Took her to the vet and she had small crystals in her bladder so after having them removed she has been great with no problems at all. She is also on a diet of dry and wet food which is specifically designed for cats prone to urinary problems.
Plus puppy trading pads are great under the litter tray.
Hope it improves…

Hello to a very patient GrannyS - there's nothing worse than cat pee where it shouldn't be!!
However, it sounds as if you have otherwise hit the jackpot with little Olive, so I think you're very wise to persevere and not let her outside until she has properly bonded and will be safe.
In the meantime, does she also not poo in the tray? If she does, then she obvs knows what it's for - and you say she uses the same tray and litter. Wonder if she shared the tray with others at her earlier abode - and maybe she's not keen on that memory, (we once had to have 3 trays for 3 cats).
Perhaps a new tray? The ones like little 'cat conveniences' with a roof are an excellent idea, but our cats never took to them.

Maybe putting a new tray down, or even the very clean current tray (you'd know not to use bleach products or disinfectant, just washing up liquid). If you see the next puddle in her usual place, mop up some of the pee with some clean cat litter and put a tiny bit into a part of the clean litter tray. She may smell this and get the message to use it. Clean the floor (hopefully tiles) - again, no bleach because apparently it can encourage cats to misbehave again! Put the litter tray to completely cover the spot and fingers (and paws) crossed.

She has clearly warmed to you and doesn't have things to worry or harass her in her new home. Hopefully she will settle soon and repay all your love and affection in the right way!🙄

Empty the tray completely, wash it in hot water with a little washing-up liquid, dry it thoroughly and fill it with clean litter.

Most cats will not use a dirty tray - you may believe it is clean, but if the cat can smell that it isn't, you will not convince her to use it.

Female cats in my experience are far more fussy about the state of their trays than males. Probably because like women, the female cat is more likely to get a chill on the bladder or any other urinary infection than the male.

Next point: if the poor cat does have a uninary infection she may be trying to tell you so, by weeing outside her tray!

Put newspaper down and scrutinize it - if the stain is darker than it should be or looks like it contains a smear of blood - then you and the cat are on your way to the vet ASAP.

She may just be stressed at moving to a new home.

Did she go out in her former home? If so, she may, like my cats, only ever have used the tray if she was desperate overnight and be trying to get you to let her out.

Which of course, you can't do until you know she has settled in, and knows where she lives now, if indeed you are prepared to let her go out.

Thank you all. I have moved the tray to her chosen spot (very inconvenient as it’s by a door to the outside) and am waiting to see if that helps - she seems to be a once a day pee-er at present). Am reluctant to change anything that I don’t have to because I realise she is quite set in her ways, and maybe the problem will resolve itself once she is allowed outside but think I ought to keep her indoors for another week. All suggestions gratefully received!