# Putting my cats outside?



## neilzomg (Oct 15, 2014)

My older cat 1.5 years and a new kitten maybe going on 2 months old live with me and my girlfriend in our two bedroom apartment. It's getting a bit hard with work between the both of us to keep cleaning trays before work, after work and in between and i'm looking to put them outside at night and when at work.

The problem is we're on the third floor of the apartment complex and im worried if I let them out they may not come back,

Neil.


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## wicket (Aug 22, 2012)

*I very much expect I am feeding a troll so all I will say is if you are going to put them out overnight and while you are at work they will only be in about 4 hours a day out of 24 - hardly worth having apart from the fact they will be hungry desperately unhappy, cold and the youngest at 2 months will likely not survive foxes etc. If you no longer want them please find someone who does  - if you do want them then please accept that while you are living in a flat and your cats have no free access to it they will need to stay in and this means litterbox cleaning.


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## Ang2 (Jun 15, 2012)

neilzomg said:


> My older cat 1.5 years and a new kitten maybe going on 2 months old live with me and my girlfriend in our two bedroom apartment. It's getting a bit hard with work between the both of us to keep cleaning trays before work, after work and in between and i'm looking to put them outside at night and when at work.
> 
> The problem is we're on the third floor of the apartment complex and im worried if I let them out they may not come back,
> 
> Neil.


Are you being serious? Takes all of ten minutes to clean a litter tray!


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## Satori (Apr 7, 2013)

Could you post a picture of the two cats together please.


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## Summ3rain (Jun 5, 2014)

I can't believe you would leave them outdoors all day/night just because you don't want to clean their trays  At 2 months, your kitten shouldn't even have left his/her mum yet, let alone be all alone outdoors! If you get a good litter, scooping twice a day should be enough to contain smells, and will only take you 2 minutes! If you can't even spare your cats these few minutes I don't know why you have them


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

use a good cat litter like Oko, it should be easy then.
Do you have a communal garden? Cat flap? Otherwise don't let them out


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## Aubrie30 (Aug 10, 2014)

No, absolutely not. For these resons....

1. Your 'older' cat, at 1.5 years is not a cat. It's a kitten.

2. Your two month old kitten is not yet old enough to have all its vaccinations yet so cannot go outside under any circumstances.

3. Have either of your kittens had any vaccinations at all? Are they neutered/spayed? Have they had flea and worm treatment? Are they microchipped?

4. If you can't be bothered to clean a litter tray, why on earth did you get cats when you live on the third floor? It takes a few seconds to scoop mess out. You are being lazy.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

OMG :frown2: :frown2: :frown2:

I seriously hope to hell this is a wind up


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## LapsedGrace (Sep 30, 2014)

Why do you even have cats? If you were a responsible owner you would know that a cat at 2 months is far too young to go outside. Also a responsible owner wouldn't throw there cats out all day without food or water and in the cold! 

I think you are either trolling to get a reaction from people or you really have no clue as to how to look after your animals properly in which case you shouldn't have any.


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## Torin. (May 18, 2014)

neilzomg said:


> a new kitten maybe going on 2 months old





Summ3rain said:


> At 2 months, your kitten


The kitten (if it exists) isn't even 2 months. "Going on" means nearer that age than the one before. So a child who's say 8 and 3/4 will be "going on 9", but that means they're not quite that age. So I dread to think how old a kitten "going on 2 months" is, especially if they're not certain.


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## neilzomg (Oct 15, 2014)

Before anyone panics- they are very well looked after. I feed them wet food breakfast/dinner and leave dry food throughout the day. I also feed them cat milk which they love once a day. 

The reason i would like them to be outside is mainly for toilet use, if i was to let them out for an hour at night. In the mornings i usually don't leave for work most days until 1pm- I'm a chef so i work odd shifts like that. So they will not be left out longer than an hour each time they are outside. Just to clarify. 

Now to the reason i need to let them outside-

They tend to drag cat litter out of the box and around the house and it's running the carpets in my rented apartment which i will need to replace before moving out. I love having them in the house but for the sake of my carpets i need another alternative if anyone has advice that would be great 

I also change the litter tray 3-4 times per day just so that's thrown in there as well


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## Torin. (May 18, 2014)

What litter trays do you use, and what cat litter? A simpler solution may be to make changes there to reduce spillage and tracking.


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## neilzomg (Oct 15, 2014)

We have quite a big tray with a top on it, the kind with a flap. We have removed the flap just to make it easier for them to get in and out. We also have another Bob martin tray we got just for the kitten which is smaller. But that was even worse with litter going everywhere. 

We've tried all kinds of litter but so far it's been the same result. We did an online shop at asda last week and were a bit short so we had to get asda's branded litter for the time being which is a nightmare. 

is there any you can recommend me trying?


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## Soozi (Jun 28, 2013)

You need to keep your cats in and just get on with cleaning the litter trays, it's part and parcel of owning cats. Surely you realised that cats do sometimes make a mess with litter? Get a good clumping litter.


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## Sacrechat (Feb 27, 2011)

Buy a piece of remnant floor vinyl and place it under the litter trays. Make sure it is large enough to allow for litter that tracks as they step out of the tray. This should help to protect your carpets. As far as letting them out is concerned, you would have to be out of your mind to even think letting a kitten as young as 7/8 weeks outside unsupervised or at all because it cannot possibly have been vaccinated. Even the older cat in the coming winter months needs access to the warmth of indoors at all times. Blimey, I even have a fair weather dog, who doesn't like stepping outside into the garden for a pee during bad weather, let alone go for a walk and she loves the outdoors in summer, so there's no way I would lock my cats outside for even a minute.


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## neilzomg (Oct 15, 2014)

I'll try natural wood litter today to see how that goes. Maybe the fact that the fine grains are being carried out and it may help.

I do apologies if anyone was offended, I clearly didn't explain the situation properly and the cats are indeed very happy and also get to sleep on our bed at night if they don't they cry!

Neil .


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## georgypan (Mar 31, 2014)

Get a good clumping litter. I use Golden Grey which only tracked a little, but then I got these little mats from Zooplus which trap the litter off their paws and now it doesn't track at all apart from a very few grains near the litter box which is easily swept up. 
Paw Print Litter Tray Mat | Free P&P on orders £29+ at zooplus!

I feel I should add my voice to the others who have already given you advice. Don't let them out! How on earth do you expect them to find their way home from outdoors to a third floor apartment? What if the apartment door is closed? You can hardly fit a cat flap to a communal front door.


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## Sacrechat (Feb 27, 2011)

Natural wood cat litter tracks very badly and often becomes trapped in the fibres of a carpet. I hate the stuff. Silica crystals absorb and trap the moisture sealing it inside. It still tracks but doesn't become trapped in the carpet fibres, because it is large, it is easier to sweet up. Bob Martin crystals are expensive but if you have a Home & Bargains store locally, you can pick up a bag of crystals for about £2.49. One bag reputedly lasts one cat for a month, but I preferred to change it more frequently.

Today I use World's Best because it's biodegradable and my dog tries to eat the cat poo if I don't clean the tray fast enough and I don't want to risk the dog swallowing the crystals, so that is one reason why I no longer use it. Another reason is because I have two cats with short bowel syndrome who have regular loose stools and I don't this it's ideal for them. They need a clumping litter.

Otherwise, for solid stools, urine and associated smells, I would highly recommend it.


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## Sacrechat (Feb 27, 2011)

The only reason I haven't recommended World's Best is because I know it's expensive and not everyone has the budget for it.


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

buffie said:


> OMG :frown2: :frown2: :frown2:
> 
> I seriously hope to hell this is a wind up


I hope so as well


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## Aubrie30 (Aug 10, 2014)

Your kittens are far too young (by several years) to be let outside, especially from a flat when it is harder for them to find their way back or gain access if they do.

So you need to research different litter trays and different types of litter. It can be a bit costly to try different things and find a litter that doesn't track but it's definitely better than leaving tiny kittens outside by themselves for hours on end.


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## Buttons1 (Sep 2, 2013)

I totally agree with everyone, you absolutely can not let your cats out. The youngest is WAY too young to go outside and unless you have a cat flap leading back in to your apartment the older one couldn't come and go as they please so could be stuck outside in all kinds of bad weather.

It's also a really bad idea to let your cats out after dark. Most cats that are killed by cars are killed at night.

We use OKO plus clumping litter. It tracks a little bit but holds the smells really well and the wees clump in to a ball so it's very easy to scoop. You need a really deep tray if they dig a hole to save the litter from being kicked over the sides. You can also get a special mat to put under the tray to collect any spilt litter.

This is the litter tray that we have:

Van Ness High Sided Cat Litter Tray Pan Giant - Kennelgate

This is the cat litter:

Cats Best OkoPlus Cat Litter 5kg/10Lt - Kennelgate


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## Aubrie30 (Aug 10, 2014)

This is our litter box. An 80L storage box from Tesco, costing £9.50.










Rupert is 13 weeks and can jump in and out over the side but until recently we had one with a hole cut in the side so he could get in and out.

We have Oko Plus inside, about six or seven inches and an old bath mat on the floor outside. As you can see there is very little tracking.


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## Satori (Apr 7, 2013)

Sacremist said:


> Buy a piece of remnant floor vinyl and place it under the litter trays. Make sure it is large enough to allow for litter that tracks as they step out of the tray.


Good idea. Our cats' toilet room has wood flooring nowadays (used to be carpet) and the litter trays are placed against the far wall so the cats have to walk the length of the room before they get to the [carpeted] hallway. The oko litter tracks all over the wood floor, and is easily brushed up but it is very rare to find any granules outside of the room.


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## neilzomg (Oct 15, 2014)

I won't let the cats out i promise 

I appreciate all of the help given to me. We usually don't fill our litter tray. We just put a liner in and cover it would it be a better idea to just fill the tray up and scoop?


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## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

neilzomg said:


> I won't let the cats out i promise
> 
> I appreciate all of the help given to me. We usually don't fill our litter tray. We just put a liner in and cover it would it be a better idea to just fill the tray up and scoop?


If you get a good clumping litter - this is a new one I have tried and like it very much Applaws Nature?s Calling Cat Litter | Free P+P on orders £29+ at zooplus! - then you need a good depth of litter in the tray to make the clumps work. Approx 6-8" is good and you don't need a liner. The clumps can also be flushed down the loo. I have 5 cats and do understand that the litter tray is not a nice chore. But one you need to do if you have cats. Since I moved on to the clumping, flushing litter, I have found it not so much of a grotty task.

This particular litter ^^^^ - is made from walnut shell and is very fine & sandy in texture. I found the tracking to be much less than the other litters I have used (Oko & Natures Gold) and, along with a mat or a couple of mats outside the box, you should find the tracking problem less that you have now.

Also, due to the excellent clumping of these litters, you do not need to do a full litter change for 4-6 weeks. Simply remove the soiled clumps and top up when it gets a bit low. So, whilst they may look expensive in the short term, over a period of 6 weeks, you will most likely find you are paying less for litter.

When I changed over to these brands, I worked out I was saving almost £200 a year.

HTH.


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

you can vaccuum your carpets, I'm sure they won't be ruined by bits of cat litter.


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## Alisonfoy (Mar 20, 2013)

Hi Neil,

I use silica litter crystals, a cheap hooded tray from Pets at Home and position the tray so the flap is on a dirt-trapping doormat. There is virtually no tracking and the maintenance is lower than with standard litter (the poos desiccate and can be picked off the surface - I wear a plastic bag over my hand to do this. Pee is absorbed by the crystals so there are no clumps to remove but you have to stir it around a bit every now and again). 

The outside of the bag says that it will last 3-4 weeks or something ludicrous. Well, we change ours weekly on bin day and there are no complaints from anyone.

Please don't shut your cats out - bad things happen to cats at night time and the little one should really still be with its mum still&#8230; he'd be cold, lonely and extremely vulnerable :-(


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## Mirx3 (Jun 20, 2013)

Not read every post...

If the litter is such a BIG deal.

Try toilet training them... Litter Kwitter - The Original Cat Toilet Training Kit I've seen it on ebay, Im sure you can get it anywhere. I'd rather see them using this than being shut outside in the cold and dark when anything could happen to them as they are still quite young.

Although, I think the advice everyone has given you isn't unreasonable and perhaps you could give it a try before going as far as I suggested above.


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## Iheartcats (Aug 25, 2011)

Ang2 said:


> Are you being serious? Takes all of ten minutes to clean a litter tray!


Yes I agree and if you don't like the stink get good quality litter not that awful fuller's earth rubbish from the corner shop.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Moggybaby, interested to read your recommendation for the new Applaws litter Natures Calling. How would you say it compares with World's Best for example? Does it clump as well, and similar low tracking? 

I recently switched from WB to Maizey trying to save a bit of cash, but am disappointed with Maizey as it tracks almost as much as Oko Plus (which I used to use before WB). 

One of the things I really like about Worlds Best is that it only needs a complete change about every 3 months.

Btw, I hope your drains can take it, flushing all the litter. I was flushing all the Oko at one time and our sewer got blocked.  Nowadays I only flush the poo deposits and bin the wet clumps, and it has been fine.:thumbsup:


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## Aubrie30 (Aug 10, 2014)

chillminx said:


> Moggybaby, interested to read your recommendation for the new Applaws litter Natures Calling. How would you say it compares with World's Best for example? Does it clump as well, and similar low tracking?
> 
> I recently switched from WB to Maizey trying to save a bit of cash, but am disappointed with Maizey as it tracks almost as much as Oko Plus (which I used to use before WB).
> 
> ...


Yes, I'm interested to know too.


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## neilzomg (Oct 15, 2014)

I'm heading down to get shopping soon and i'll have a look about to see what i can get. I'll fill the tray up and get rid of the liners and i'll report back if it helps or not. Thanks for all the help guys/girls


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## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

chillminx said:


> Moggybaby, interested to read your recommendation for the new Applaws litter Natures Calling. How would you say it compares with World's Best for example? Does it clump as well, and similar low tracking?
> 
> I recently switched from WB to Maizey trying to save a bit of cash, but am disappointed with Maizey as it tracks almost as much as Oko Plus (which I used to use before WB).
> 
> ...





Aubrie30 said:


> Yes, I'm interested to know too.


I wish I could help you ladies here but I have never used WB. 

Re the Applaws - I was only able to test it on its own for a couple of days as I had gotten the small trial bag to test. Being so dark was a surprise and finding the poop was a bit of a treasure hunt  but the cats took to it immediately and really liked it. I had to mix in some OKO after a couple of days but that has still worked well and it definitely did track less even when mixed. I can't wait till next week to do my ZP order and get a couple of the big bags to use properly. An extra benefit for Moggy Towers is that we have mostly dark carpets so any that does get out of the bathroom will not be so noticeable. :thumbup:

CM - I have been flushing my 'clumps' (oo-er missus!!!) for 3 years now with no problem. I make sure not to send too many down at once, so do a number of flushes, and then finish off with an empty flush for good measure. 

.


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## neilzomg (Oct 15, 2014)

Well so far so good, it's been a few days testing. I just filled the box with litter without liners and there's next to no tracking. No dirty paw prints over the carpet either, that was the main problem. 

I'm not using clumping at the minute but it would make it even easier when i do


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## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

Aubrie30 said:


> This is our litter box. An 80L storage box from Tesco, costing £9.50.


I use these too, have done for about 5 years now. Considerably cuts down on tracking because most of the litter gets shaken off as the cat jumps out. I've had no trouble getting cats to use these storage boxes, from 13 week old kittens to a 4 year old who'd never used anything but an ordinary cat litter tray before. You can buy them from anywhere, B&Q, Asda, Homebase, Poundland etc, etc, etc.


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

chillminx said:


> Moggybaby, interested to read your recommendation for the new Applaws litter Natures Calling. How would you say it compares with World's Best for example? Does it clump as well, and similar low tracking?


I have been using Natures Calling with WB as a top layer. Today I put a good thick layer on top of the WB / nature Gold mix, this is the photo.





I have a photo of a wee clump but photobucket isn't playing ball although I suspect its iPad update  updated from phone

Anyway both girls have just used the tray and there isn't a spec of litter outside the tray on the mat.


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## LostSoul (Sep 29, 2012)

just find an old bitof carpet to put under the tray, thats what i did and i dont get much litter tracked about anymore...i also scoop throughout the day and clean the trays every morning. I use wood pellet litter, i used the clay clumping stuff for many years and never really had any problem except for the dust but when one of my cats was sick he started eating the litter so i changed it and i much prefer the wood pellets.
I have 3 cats in a flat so i know how awkward it can be, my cats dont go outside, simply because it isnt safe and i dont trust my neighbours to be nice to them.

if you want them to go outside i would think about using a harness, (if they are vaccinated and neutered) that way you can be with them, they will safe and they get to enjoy the outside.


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