# Change of behaviour in relaiton to cat toilet



## missye87 (Apr 4, 2011)

Hi all,

having a few problems with Soot's toilet.
He hurt himself on the flap of the toilet and it pinched him, resulting in a haematoma. One night the haematoma started pressing onto his spine and he was in absolute agony trying to go to the toilet. He started avoiding the toilet and going on the floor just in front of it.
We have taken the lid off but he scrapes for king and country so it goes everywhere on the floor. He has always had hooded trays and you can tell he isn't completely comfortable while going to the toilet without the hood as before you could walk into the bathroom while he was in there and he wouldn't be disturbed, now if you even walk past the bathroom he scurries out of it. 
We have tried putting the lid on without the flap, and I've lifted him up and popped him inside just so he can see that the lid won't hurt him, and spoken to him and given him cuddles at the same time just to encourage him. Done this about three or four times and each time he has tried to make a run for it. 
He can turn around inside it, so there is just enough room for him in there.

I'm wondering if I should persist, popping the lid on while we are home and putting him in there just so he gets the idea that the lid isn't hurting him. Or am I just better off ordering a complete new litter box for him? 

Ems x


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## kelly-joy (Oct 14, 2008)

its very difficult to get a cat to understand that the litter won't hurt him after an experience like this, but not impossible. Most cats get this when they have a UTI the cat goes into the tray pees its hurts and then the cat is scared to go back in the tray because it remembers the pain it had when going in there the last time, so associates litter with pain. You could try buying another litter tray it does work for some cats but not for all. I would not keep putting him in the tray though as you are doing, as you will just make him more fearful of the tray and could even make him fearful of you, the only time you should put him in the tray is if you see him going to the toilet in front of you anywhere that is not his tray.You say that he doesn't like to go to the toilet when you go past the tray in the bath room,this is because like us cats like to go to the toilet it private not in front of everyone and this is where most people go wrong with where they should put a litter tray and is often one of the number reasons cats inappropriately toilet outside their litter tray. If your bath room isn't that private is there anywhere else you can put a litter tray, a quite place away from human traffic so to speak. I have two of the litter trays I have for my cats under my stairs that my cats love to go in as its very private. Before this happened did your cat go happily in their tray?


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Did you take him to the vet for his injury? Is it healed? It's possible he is still in pain.

Give him a high sided box like this one. It's a rubbermaid tote container.


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## missye87 (Apr 4, 2011)

Lorilu; How would he get inside the box?  He has arthritis in his back legs so won't be able to climb very much 

Kelly-joy: I'll stop popping him in  It is in quite a private place, in the same place it always has been, but I think now the lid has come off it he gets more interested when seeing us walk towards the kitchen than not being able to goto the loo. He has no problems going if I'm lying in the bath  He sees us walking towards the kitchen and scurries out of the loo and demands food. :

He has happily gone in that tray several times a day, and it's been in the same place the whole time since we moved in, it was very obviously linked to his haematoma and the pain he exoerienced form it while in the toilet. He still goes there, as long as the lid is off, but refuses point blank if the lid is on. 

I've ordered a new one where the lid opens up at the front, so he can used used to using it first with the lid up, so it's covered but in effect open at the front, and eventually I'll try and put the lid dwn see if he accepts it. I've also got some differentlitter wood-based rather than clumping, to see if that encourages him when we change.

As we are getting a MC kitten we will be buying another cat toilet and popping it in the corner udnerneath a table in the living room (the only other space we have) so he might even be more inclined to use that one in the end.

We'll have to try and see


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## debbie29 (Feb 6, 2011)

Aw poor Sooty, I have no helpful advice but feel sorry for him! :crying:

I wish they could understand us when we tell them something won't hurt them
xx


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## missye87 (Apr 4, 2011)

debbie29 said:


> Aw poor Sooty, I have no helpful advice but feel sorry for him! :crying:
> 
> I wish they could understand us when we tell them something won't hurt them
> xx


He is my little baby  This weekend I'm going to try and pop the lid on again without the flap, and see if he goes in out of his own accord. If he does his business outside his toilet I'll take it off and order him a new one straight away


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

I used a deep sided recycling box.....so like the one shown above by lorilu, but with a U-shape cut out at the side so the cats could step in easily ( it came that way, but you could always adapt a storage box )


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## missye87 (Apr 4, 2011)

Guess who was a good boy during the night?! We popped tge lid on yesterday without the flap and he went to the loo twice during the night, yaaay! No more litter all over the floor! 
Gave him a treat this morning, I know he won't associate it with his toilet habit but I think he deserved it!


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