# Help to settle adopted cat



## Macbethan (Jun 27, 2021)

Yesterday we welcomed our new member of the family. She's a beautiful 3 year old moggy. She came from a home where she was sadly being bullied by the neighbourhood cats who were coming in to her home. She was getting very stressed and her owners had tried everything to help her. We agreed to take her in.
She's initially settled in very well, and is full of love and purrs. She's still preferring to spend most of her time under my chest of drawers but will come out for love and is currently sat on the window sill looking out.
She's eaten twice since arriving, quite happily, but not wanted any more than that.
The problem in having is that she seems petrified of her litter tray. It's her tray from her old house, with the same type of litter she's used to. Every time we take her near it, she freaks out completely. She's not had a wee since she's arrived and is over 24 hrs now so this is concerning me. I don't want her to end up with a uti. She did have a poo today, but not in the tray, instead she did it next to the tray. 
I thought she would feel more comfortable with her usual litter tray, but now I'm something whether I should get her a new one, in case this neighbourhood cats have used hers previously. She apparently mostly used to go outside but would also use a tray, so it's not unfamiliar to her. I've also put newspaper down in various spots around the house as apparently she will happily go on newspaper. 
We've always had cats from kittens, so this is our first adoption of an adult cat, so I'm not quite sure what is best to do to encourage her to use the tray. Does anyone have any advice to help her? I'm just concerned she's not had a wee in over 24hrs.
Thank you


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## Macbethan (Jun 27, 2021)

Excuse the typos


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## TriTri (Oct 31, 2017)

Macbethan said:


> Yesterday we welcomed our new member of the family. She's a beautiful 3 year old moggy. She came from a home where she was sadly being bullied by the neighbourhood cats who were coming in to her home. She was getting very stressed and her owners had tried everything to help her. We agreed to take her in.
> She's initially settled in very well, and is full of love and purrs. She's still preferring to spend most of her time under my chest of drawers but will come out for love and is currently sat on the window sill looking out.
> She's eaten twice since arriving, quite happily, but not wanted any more than that.
> The problem in having is that she seems petrified of her litter tray. It's her tray from her old house, with the same type of litter she's used to. Every time we take her near it, she freaks out completely. She's not had a wee since she's arrived and is over 24 hrs now so this is concerning me. I don't want her to end up with a uti. She did have a poo today, but not in the tray, instead she did it next to the tray.
> ...


@Macbethan I don't know think anyone has seen this and had you posted in the health and nutrition section, you probably would have had several replies by now. Anyway I hope your cat has settled in now and is using the litter tray ok, is she? I was told by a vet a few weeks ago that this can be very serious and would be classed as an emergency (a cat not weeing for 24hrs).


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## Macbethan (Jun 27, 2021)

Hi TriTri

Thank you for your reply. 

Fortunately, Solo is now using the litter tray happily. I bought a new one and a different type of litter, as thought the old tray might have bad associations for her. She immediately started using the new tray and has been fine since so I think that's what the problem was. I'm not overly keen on the new type of litter as she tracks it everywhere, because it's fine and sand like (I thought this might encourage her as it's similar to what she'd go on outside). I might leave her with this one for a few weeks and then slowly transition to a different one. I don't want to freak her out though or make her regress again. She's settled in to the house really well now and is full of love, cuddles and head bumps .

I'm new to this forum so so figuring it what goes where. I posted in this thread as I thought it might be a common problem with newly adopted cats, but I think you're right, it might have been better in health and nutrition. Thank you


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## TriTri (Oct 31, 2017)

Macbethan said:


> Hi TriTri
> 
> Thank you for your reply.
> 
> ...


Wonderful news @Macbethan and welcome to the forum! Your instincts were all right then, well done. Good idea to do the new litter changeover gradually too…I've been using this forum a few years now and I don't recall ever popping into this section before, so presumed that's common and why you hadn't got any replies, as it was an urgent matter. Once she's settled, don't forget to introduce her in the Cat Chat section, and we LOVE cat photos! I hope you have many happy and healthy years together :Cat.


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