# Cat litter issue, please help



## red1974 (Apr 11, 2013)

Hi all,

Sorry to make my first post a question but I really need some advice as this is now driving me nuts. 

I have 4 all indoor cats, 2 boys (brothers) neutered 2yrs old, 1 boy and 1 girl both 8 months old (bro and sis) not neutered (going to be first week of May though) .

Ok so the problem is this last week the 8 month old boy on 4 occasions now when going for a wee has unintentionally stood in it before either he covers it or I get chance too. Always the same foot, it's like he finishes, steps aside to start covering but when he moves that foot, slam straight into the wee.

This obviously means he then has a very smelly foot, so each time this happens I am having to get a flannel and wash the foot to minimise spreading the odour round the house. 

I'm worried that my washing it every time will eventually lead him to stop going or something?

I am using a little (aloe Vera) handwash on a damp flannel, then rinsing and drying off as best I can, will this be ok? (I don't have pet shampoo and nor have funds to get any right now)

What can I do to try and stop this happening?

Other than that the 8 month olds are now very fusy at meal times in so much as most meals they eat very little but do manage maybe half the meal once a day. The vet has advised that's fine as long as they're eating something daily and it should settle back to normal once they have been neutered (hormone related we think). All 4 of them get on really well without any major (nasty fights) and play great together so pretty sure non of this is a stress thing. Oh btw when he goes number 2 this problem does not happen .. very frustrating 

Many thanks guys


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## red1974 (Apr 11, 2013)

Little update - Having done a quick google of aloe vera and cats I can see it's a toxic plant to cats .. just great, I should have checked first but no time when this happens, have used it every time this has happened without any noticeable side effect though.

Based on this though I have just taken him back in bathroom and run his paw under running water quite thoroughly to make sure as much of it is off as possible (can no longer smell any of it on him). Will this be ok, what do I look out for? 
Google seems to suggest bad diarrhea (which he ain't had since been washing with it)? 

Thanks again


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## Cloudygirl (Jan 9, 2011)

I would ring the vet for advice about the aloe just to be sure. What cat litter are you using?


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Standing in their wee, (or poo) in the litter tray whilst covering it up is something that young kittens sometimes do when they are learning toiletting skills.

I am surprised your 8 mth kitty has just started doing this, and I can't explain why this would be However what I can say, is that in my experience they all naturally grow out of the habit by the time they are adult cats.

Meanwhile, I would suggest getting some extra large litter trays and see if it helps. A couple of really big ones, so kitty has plenty of room to move around. This often resolves toiletting problems.

These are good:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Primo-XL-Li...29033&sr=8-6&keywords=extra+large+litter+tray

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Large-Litte...7&sr=1-4&keywords=large+litter+trays+for+cats

How many litter trays are you providing? For 4 indoor cats you need to provide 5 large trays, to avoid toiletting issues developing.

Use a soft litter, such as a cereal based one like Oko Plus, so your cat can dig a nice hole for himself to pee in, and the wee will be soaked up quickly, so less chance for him to stand in it.

I agree with you, best not to use Aloe Vera. An unscented no rinse shampoo would be best, but if you can't afford it, then I'd get some inexpensive *unscented* baby-wipes from the supermarket, and use those. Kitty will probably immediately wash his own foot afterwards to get rid of the faint smell from the baby-wipe.


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

I think I would be on tender hooks with 2 un-neutered cats in the house.


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## red1974 (Apr 11, 2013)

Thanks for the replies.

Cloudygirl - I am going to just see how he goes, did rinse it quite well last night and he currently does not show any ill effects (or from the previous times I did this over the week). Will be keeping an eye on him though, cheers.

Chillminx - it is odd he only just started doing this after previously not having a problem, the stupid thing is he has literally just been in the smaller tray this morning and did not have this problem at all, go figure lol.

I am going to borrow some baby shampoo from a friend of mine, would this be ok?

As for trays, I use 1 extra large (quite deep) and 1 large tray. Whilst they have lots of room in here, it is only a cottage and running 5 trays would be far too much. However I will say I clean the trays very regularly and have never had a problem with them previously. 

TBH from the way these guys are with toileting, they seem to mainly go before or after meals, so this is when I clean both trays (before I do meals and if they end up full in between meals). I know an extra tray would be handy but I don't mind keeping an hourly check on them and cleaning if required 


Cookieandme - Yup I kind of am on tender hooks with them, but 5/5 is soonest I can afford to get them both in, would have been sooner but one of the others had a problem couple of weeks ago (diarrhea) so kind of wiped out my vet allowance for the month.

Many thanks, will see how it goes today and let you know re this foot in pee issue. Cheers guys


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

red1974 said:


> <snip>
> my vet allowance for the month.
> <snip>


If you don't use the vet one month, hopefully you put this (or say 80% of it) into a vet account so you will gradually build up a vet fund.


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## red1974 (Apr 11, 2013)

I do of course keep some money behind to help with vet bills, tbh I have a really great vet too that happily invoices me so I can pay over a few months for anything major.

Neutering is getting done on a scheme which is also why there's a bit more of a wait (earliest appointment tbh) but lower cost


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## CharlieChaplin (Dec 30, 2012)

regarding your aloe comment - I saw it was toxic to cats and promptley moved my plant, however some food actually contains it as an ingredient..

Yarrah Organic Wellness Pâté 6 x 100g: Great Deals on Yarrah Canned Cat Food at zooplus

so I don't know if it is or isn't or just certain parts of the plant e.g skin or sap....


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## red1974 (Apr 11, 2013)

Thanks for all the comments,

To update - He ceased doing this these last couple of weeks, however last night and again just now he's done it again  

I took the advice here and got some baby wipes (ASDA cotton soft baby wipes) only to see they have Aloe Vera too (Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice to be precise) and chamomilla Recutita flower extract, will it be ok to use them? I did last night and they worked really well.

Many thanks guys, much appreciated


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

I would not use them as chamomile is harmful to cats. 

The safest baby-wipes to use are the scent-free ones (mine are Tesco's own make).


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

What cat litter are you using and how big is the litter tray? As this is an 8 month old kitten and it's only recently become a problem sounds like it's one he's grown into. A larger tray with enough suitable cat litter could be the answer.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Cookieandme said:


> I think I would be on tender hooks with 2 un-neutered cats in the house.


Of opposite sexes... Scheme or no scheme, 3 months ago would have been a better time to get them neutered. Getting the girl neutered then would have made sure there was no danger of an oops litter.

If getting a cat neutered is a bit tight financially a litter would be a disaster - my last foster litter of 5 kittens cost me about £250 over 8 weeks.

Next time you think about getting a kitten or kittens please, please make sure you have the funds to neuter as soon as your vet will, preferably by 6 months.

Bigger trays sound like they might be called for, and it might also be that the unneutered boy is developing tom-cat smell in his pee - or was it poo he stood in?


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## red1974 (Apr 11, 2013)

Thanks for the reply guys

I bit it and got some pet wipes, £2.25 for 40 as for the problem, again he seems to have stopped doing it 

OrientalSlave - They are getting done next week, they were supposed to be done earlier but financially things came up which prevented it. Was not in a position at time to sort it, however as above they are due to be done next week.

Not sure the bigger trays are any answer, the ones here are XL and L which get cleaned many times a day and it seems to work.

I use Catsan / pets at home ultra clumping (cannot see why anyone would use anything other than clumping tbh).

Cheers again


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## Supasilvfoxy (Apr 6, 2013)

red1974 said:


> Thanks for the reply guys
> 
> I bit it and got some pet wipes, £2.25 for 40 as for the problem, again he seems to have stopped doing it
> 
> Cheers again


Sorry to hear that your having probs with kitties - I'm sure the lil buggers are sent to try us.

Just a thought on the pet wipes. Waitrose do their own bargain pack (4packs x 72 wipes in each pack), baby wipes for around a £5 - unscented and biodegradable. I personally recommend these as I use them on my bum and the dogs and the cat when I had him. I also recommend their own scented nappy bags to use as pooh bags - as well as using them for the dogs pooh I used to clean up the cats with them as well. No I dont work for Waitrose - tehe!

Good luck with your kitties!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Supasilvfoxy said:


> > Just a thought on the pet wipes. Waitrose do their own bargain pack (4packs x 72 wipes in each pack), baby wipes for around a £5 - unscented and biodegradable.
> 
> 
> These are an excellent bargain!  So much better and cheaper than the ones sold especially for pets.


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