# Litter training for older cat?



## Gothic_Mermaid (Mar 10, 2008)

Hi

Just come accross this forum and really hopeing someone can help

About 3 weeks ago my brother gave me a cat he had living with him
He rescused her about 2 years ago from a family who beat her dail, screaming and shouting at her etc,

When he got her home all she did was live under his bed, she would not let anyone go near her and so she stayed there for 2 years ventureing out at night for food and water, so earned herself the name midnight,

3 weeks ago my brother and his fiance admitted he didnt have the time and paticene she needed so tried givim her tp a cat rescue centre, Mini Moo (as we call her) refused to eat or anything so they called my brother and said take her back

I told him we would have her

3 weeks later she is a totally different cat, she purrs comes out at night looking for love and affection, she has found the kitten in her she has never been able to be, we spend an hour a day just sitting and talking to her which I think helps,

We still cant pick her up, if we so much as look like we may she will run, any sudden bangs and she is gone and all cuddles are on her terms in no way do we apporch her

Any way, we had a cat litter tray upstairs which she weed in but didnt poo in perferring the floor next to it,

so we put down a second tray,

she wees in one but still poos on the floor, so we moved the tray to were she pooed (pretty much next to the tray) so she promptly pood were the tray had been, so we moved it between the two areas and she still pooed next to it

We dont want to shout at her or get cross with her as we are worried it will set her right back so really at the end of out tether and dont know what to do

we use cat san litter which is the one she pees in, we changed to poo tray to wood based but she still wont use it

any help or advice would be great please

thanks

x


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## Siamese Kelly (Jan 6, 2008)

HI GM and welcomeKnow this one too wellMy older cat Noodles does this after only 1 wee sometimes,and does it just at the foot of his tray.With him his tray has to be totally clean and funky fresh before he'll do a dump in it-so it may be this,try putting a bit of her dump in the tray or if you can watch for signs that she's about to dump and gently put some paper underneath at firstIt takes a bit of time to retrain an older cat to use the litter tray but though it's hit and miss as with kitts,it can be done and if my suggestions fail their will be more and the other members will also have suggestions


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## Esined (Nov 2, 2007)

Hi, I have read that some times when a cat is straining to have a poo some cat litters can hurt their feet, is the litter you use fine and soft?


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## Siamese Kelly (Jan 6, 2008)

I have read that some times when a cat is straining to have a poo some cat litters can hurt their feet, is the litter you use fine and soft?
Yes one of our kitts had this problem,she didn't like the small pellets of our usual woodbase litter so we have (for her) tried one similar to catsan and she is fine with it-when she's not playing with it


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## Melissa (Mar 22, 2008)

You could try using a covered litter tray, if he is in the tray, but misses it, this should sort the prob, if he is not going in the tray, I guess he will only use the tray once!!!!!


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## cats4eva (Mar 21, 2008)

Hi - It is slightly harder with her being older but not impossible...the easiest and most effective advice I could give is when she has had a poo dont throw it away put it in her litter tray and she can sniff it out there the next time. I'm not saying it will work first time round but it should do eventually. Just make sure you keep putting her poo in the correct place(litter tray)...the penny should drop eventually..I dont think this is to do with the litter you are using this is behavioural. As I always say patience and time. Let us know how you are getting on. xxx


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