Keeping my cats in? And getting rid of litter tray

chocolatelover93

Hello everyone,
I'm back again with another question lol!
I'm moving house soon and so will need to keep the cats in, when I first got them I kept them in for over a month, was thinking this time about a month? Does that sound about right?

The other thing is since I got them a year ago they've had a litter tray, now I'm not massively fond of these plus they take up room. Now they go out they don't very often use it. I was wondering after moving to the new house and the cats have settled what is the best way to get rid of the tray? As I don't really want them to be using it forever.

Thanks xx

chocolatelover93

Can anyone help please?

WeAreGhosts

"they don't very often use it" suggests they DO use it. so if you're not bothered about accidents on the floor then go ahead and remove it. but i can't help but think the cats may be unsettled by not having anywhere to 'go' in the house. i mean, would you want to go outside for a pee in the middle of the night?

Ilona

If you remove litter trays how will you know when your cats want to pee or poo, will they tell you? What happens when they need to go and you are not there? Will they do it on the floor? Will you get up in the middle of the night to let them into the garden, and wait for them to come back in again? Or are you one of those people who chucks their pets out at night?

You need to monitor what comes out of their bottom as it is an indication of their general health, and to do that you need them to go in a litter tray. I have three cats, they are outside in the day time and I get them in at night. I have three litter trays in the house, I would not want them to be uncomfortable, then pee on the floor in a panic. How would you like it if you could not use a toilet for a long period of time?
Ilona

karmacookie

My cat only has a litter tray in really bad weather. she has a cat flap and comes and goes as she pleases.

When we moved here a year ago She was kept in with a litter tray for a few days. I emptied her 'doings' on an appropriate place in my garden so she learned to go there

In the old house we put her tray outside then slowly moved it to an appropriate spot in the garden.

minerva_windsong

Our two have a litter tray each as they are currently indoor cats, but once they can go outside we will still keep at least one tray for overnight use (as they will be kept in at night) or in case we need to keep them in for any other reason. I know I hate not being able to go to the loo at night if I need to so I don't see why my cats should be any different.

Can I ask where your tray is? If it's somewhere like the kitchen then maybe move it to a low-traffic area like a utility room? Might mean you have to see it less and it's not in the way as much. Ours is in the bathroom with the door left open and they seem to have adapted to it pretty quickly - haven't had any accidents so far anyway!

On the point of how long to keep them in: ours are from Battersea and we were told to keep them in for 4-6 weeks when we first got them. They've been in for three and a half weeks now but their interest in going outside wavers - some days they're mad for looking out of the windows, scrabbling at the back door etc and others they're not that bothered - so we'll see how we go for the next few days. But I would say a month sounds about right.

TBagpuss

When you are 'weaning' them off the tray after you move house and start letting them out again, I would do it gradually.

Put some litter down in the area you'd like them to use in your new garden. Then once they are comfortable using the garden you can remove the tray indoors. I'd suggest that to start with, you keep the tray inside at night and while you are out.

When thinking about where to encourage them to use, in the garden, think about where they are likely to feel safe. If they are nervous, or if there are a lot of other cats around, this my take a while.

Do you use the covered kind of tray? If so, you could start by putting the cover over where you want them to use,.

you could also put cat litter down on the bit of earth you want them to use so they get used to digging in earth again.

I think you need to keep them in for at least 4 weeks after the move. Then start by letting them out for short periods when you are around.

fairy_lights

When I moved to my current flat and my cat started going out a lot, he almost immediately stopped using his tray and started using a corner of the garden. We kept the tray for a few months in case he did occasionally want to use it in bad weather but he never did, and when I noticed a layer of dust has settled on the rim decided it was time to put it away. Going out to pee in bad weather or at night doesn't phase him - he's got night vision and a fur coat, after all!
I'm moving house again soon and when he starts going out I will keep the tray set up until I'm sure he's stopped using it. Then it will go away in a cupboard with some litter because I think it's a good idea to have in case of emergencies or if your cat can't go out for some reason.

sheramber

When my son adopted his cats he kept themin for three weeks. One was not amused and used to try and sqyeeze out through the letter box.

After sevrarl years, during which one cat died, he recently moved house but only kept the cat in for 24 hours. The cat explored the garden only for the first couple of days after it was allowed out, then ventured further afield.

chocolatelover93

I don't chuck them out at night, they come and go as they please. I had a cat before and he didn't have a tray (only when he was a kitten and when we moved house he would have it for a few weeks) but he would sit by the door and meow to go out and same when he wanted to come back in.
The only time he had any accidents was when he didn't feel well but he would always do it in the shower or on the tiled floor which was easy to clean.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to get a cat flap for the new house so that they can come and go as they please which will be a lot better for them when we're at work and in the night.

At the moment in our current house the tray is by the back door between the kitchen and bathroom but when we move will probably be in the utility room as I don't like it being in the kitchen.

The cats love being outside so will probably keep them in for a few weeks, I have a harness and lead that I used when I first got them so might take them round the garden on that so they can have a sniff!!

SensibleSarah

In my experience the amount of time to keep your cats indoors after moving very much depends on the individual cat. I moved house 4 times in 6 years with my 3 cats. By the final move, I knew the signs really well that they were settled into the new place enough, so 2 of them were going out after a few days and the third cat after a week.That said, in other houses it was considerably longer depending on the area, surroundings etc.

In terms of litter trays... I always keep 2 trays down regardless of the fact they haven't been used in forever. It's a great early warning if they're ill and despite the pet flap which means they can get outside 24/7, if they're spooked by something outside (fireworks, thunder, another cat etc) then I want them to have a safe indoor option. The trays are hidden away in the utility (door to which is always open) so I don't notice them to be honest.