Encourage cat to toilet inside, not out?

pinkteapot

Yesterday a neighbour came to complain about our cat pooping in their garden. We bought them some repellent granules and told them to follow the instructions closely, clearing the area completely (offered to do this for them) and applying the granules every couple of days to start with. 

We also said we’d *try* keeping kitty in till he’d been, and letting him out later. 

He used to be a house cat and always used the tray just fine, but he’s stopped using it since he started going out six months ago. Now this morning of course I have a cat hurtling round the house and shouting. I feel so bad. He poops first thing (neighbour confirmed he did yesterday) so we’re picking him up and putting him in the tray, but no joy yet. 

We know that long term this won’t work - he’ll just hold it until he’s allowed out. But we’re hoping that if we can stop him going outside for a week or two the neighbour can get the repellant well built up and it might do the trick. 

Does anyone have any advice for encouraging a cat to use the tray, rather than outside? 

Every other thread on the internet is from people who want their cat to go outside, not in! 

Cat proofing the garden isn’t an option as were open to fields with very low walls on two sides. And we don’t have enough space to create a good size catio. 

KxMx

The repellent doesn't always work in my experience.
Even if he starts going in the tray again (out of desperation) if he prefers going outside he will start doing so again as soon as he is let out. 

I only have two suggestions:
Offer to remove the poop on a frequent basis. 
Look at the surface he is using, sometimes things like small wooden spikes or heavy gravel stones can act as a deterrent.

theoretica

Is there an area of your garden that is appealing for cat toileting?  If your garden is all grass/paving and your neighbours nice soft soil and bushes to hide under then a bit of change to your garden might help move the toileting habits to you.

pinkteapot

theoretica said:

Is there an area of your garden that is appealing for cat toileting?  If your garden is all grass/paving and your neighbours nice soft soil and bushes to hide under then a bit of change to your garden might help move the toileting habits to you.

We had the same thought. At present it's just patio and lawn because it's a new-build. In the autumn, a landscaping company is going to dig out borders for us. However, this afternoon we'll dig up a corner of the turf (which will become bed later in the year anyway), and create a nicely forked over soil area. Once he's caved in and been to the loo we'll spread some of his used litter on that corner to try and tempt him there. 

pinkteapot

KxMx said:

The repellent doesn't always work in my experience.
Even if he starts going in the tray again (out of desperation) if he prefers going outside he will start doing so again as soon as he is let out. 

I only have two suggestions:
Offer to remove the poop on a frequent basis. 
Look at the surface he is using, sometimes things like small wooden spikes or heavy gravel stones can act as a deterrent.

Yeah, the repellents have very mixed reviews, so not convinced that'll work, but we wanted to show the neighbours we were doing what we could. They probably wanted us to say we wouldn't let him out but he's much happier now he's no longer house-bound.  

KxMx

Totally appreciate you were being a considerate neighbour

I lost my cat last year, I was always willing to offer to remove the poop after seeing proof it was her, or encourage use of water against her if she was seen doing it.

I do know she went in our garden (soft bed running the length) but have no way of knowing if she also went elsewhere on her travels. 

pinkteapot

The neighbour doesn't have a hose but we did say that if they have a water spray bottle they should use it on him - few goes of that and he'll be much less likely to come in their garden. When he first started going out we'd see him go to the loo in the field behind our garden, which has horses in it and therefore lots of horse poo, so we figured it didn't matter too much! Shame he's moved on to someone's garden. *sigh*

MovingForwards

I can confirm if you have a nicely dug over patch in the garden, cats will be tempted to use it. So far my new rose garden, herb garden and hugel mounds are giant litter trays for the local cats. 

Sadly, they will not use the sections which have not had anything done to them, as that would save OH digging / loosening soil.

Poop patrol is a daily occurrence.

pinkteapot

Update: We dug over a corner of our garden and put a bit of his used litter down to give it the scent.... He's not shown it the slightest bit of interest. 

We're keeping him in until he's been to the loo each day, but it's really upsetting to see him waiting to go out and not understanding why he can't. It's gone 1pm now today and he's not used his tray so he's still stuck in. He's a fairly anxious cat and has spells of rolling around, biting his own back legs when he gets stressed - that's increased.  

I just don't know what to do for the best. We can't cat-proof our garden as it's open on three sides! 

KxMx

I would absolutely just let your cat out, please put him first he is clearly very stressed and unhappy. He could be making efforts to hold in pee & poo which could lead to health problems. 

If the neighbours complain then listen to them, inform them you've made efforts with your own garden to encourage him to toilet there, keep endorsing the use of water to scare him away, but otherwise let your cat out. Maybe remind them nicely living in a rural area there will be many wild animals using their garden as a toilet unseen.

Legally there is nothing they can do and I'd put the welfare of my cat over neighbourly relations any day.

Also just because he has been seen toileting there doesn't mean he will always toilet there. 

pinkteapot

I know - that's the point I'm reaching.  

He's always been one to hold it at the first sign of stress. He doesn't pee or poop for 24 hours when we get back from holiday, for example. We got him at two years old and he didn't go for almost 48 hours when we first got him! At this moment he hasn't been since first thing yesterday so I'm getting beyond caring where he does it.

We've created a patch of garden he could use, we've got litter trays (we've always had them - he just goes outside given the opportunity), we've bought the neighbours the granules to try. We did tell them we'd try keeping him in till he goes but if they come back we'll just have to say it didn't work. Will happily offer to go round and scoop the poop whenever necessary but I'm pretty sure from the initial conversation that they won't be happy with that and I don't know what to do at that point...