# Getting a cat to go to the toilet outdoors!



## delilah90 (Mar 1, 2014)

Hi there
I was thinking there must be an existing thread on this but couldn't see one - if there is, apologies and please point me to the old one...
Our 9mo Burmese, Sushi, has recently been diagnosed with probable asthma, and I want to get rid of his litter tray as the vet said cat litter can be a major irritant to cats with asthma, which makes sense. We have recently cat-fenced our garden and put in a cat flap, so Sushi has been going outside independently for a few weeks and loves it. But how do we persuade him to go to the toilet outside? I put some of his litter in the flowerbed and he did go there once. But basically he comes inside to go to the loo. He's an intelligent, confident puss and not particularly fussy about things, so I'm sure he'd take to the change, just got no idea how to make it happen! Any tips greatly appreciated...


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## Jannor (Oct 26, 2013)

You could put the litter tray outside with him when he goes, might help him get the message.

Which cat litter do you use? 

I'm not much help but I have seen lots of threads on cat litters before which have said which are the best dust free ones. If he really wants to go in a tray you might be better going that route - people with asthmatic house cats do.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will post later.


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

My Misha never did, she always came in to use the tray. However there are different litters out there without the dust issues and I'm sure someone will be along very soon to tell you all about them


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## Jannor (Oct 26, 2013)

ForeverHome said:


> My Misha never did, she always came in to use the tray. However there are different litters out there without the dust issues and I'm sure someone will be along very soon to tell you all about them


Cross posted!


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

Jannor said:


> Cross posted!


Oh I'm not cross - are you?


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## Jannor (Oct 26, 2013)

ForeverHome said:


> Oh I'm not cross - are you?


lol Nope


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi Delilah, if you want your cat to toilet out in the garden it might be best to train her to do so in stages.

I'd leave the indoor litter tray in situ for the moment. The fact is there will be times when she needs to use an indoor litter tray anyway, e.g. when shut in at night, or if the weather is bad, or if she is unwell. But there may come a time when you can take the litter tray away in the day time and just bring it out at night etc.

There are outdoor litter trays you can buy, and it may be useful to start with this for the first stage. Here is one from Zooplus:

Product Search - Over 7.000 Products

Gradually move the new outdoor tray to the area where you will be creating an outdoor toilet for her, e.g. a flowerbed. When she is using the outdoor tray fine, then you can make an outdoor toilet for her by marking off an area about 60cm x 45 cm on the soil, using bricks, stones or strips of wood. Then dig out the soil to a depth of 5 cm and spread around the garden, Fill the hole with fine sand, the type used in kiddies sandpits. Can be bought from Garden Centres.

Then fill the outdoor litter tray with the same sand, so she gets used to the change of litter. Once she is happy using that (maybe a week) then scoop some of the soiled sand into the toilet you've made on the flower bed, so kitty knows it is meant for her to use. Then remove the outdoor litter tray.

Note, that it is very important you treat a specified outdoor cat toilet the same as an indoor litter tray, i.e. you must clean it out every day and top up with fresh sand as needed. If you don't do this your cat will soon run out of clean space and will stop using it, and will go elsewhere, perhaps indoors again.

With regard to indoor cat litters, I suffer from severe asthma myself but find that I am OK with the cereal based litters. Cats Best Oko Plus litter gives me no problems when I empty the trays. All other types of litter I've tried trigger asthma attacks for me. I haven't tried paper pellets mind you, as I prefer a clumping litter - easier to scoop and more economical.

If you were to use Cats Best in open trays this may not cause a problem with your cat's asthma. Might be worth a try. Or you could use sand as an indoor litter, in a covered tray, which would certainly be fine for your cat, but may make rather a mess of your house. :lol:


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

Can I ask if you have a covered or open tray ? Hopefully someone will be able to recommend a "dust free" litter so he can continue to toilet inside, but if he has a covered tray might be worth considering an open tray so that any dust which does get kicked up with have a more ventilated area. 

I have recently started to volunteer at a donkey sanctuary where one of the donkeys has asthma, they have a steam box for all the straw bedding although he has his own box with wood shavings for bedding - with a companion of course 

Maybe a wood based litter would work for Sushi.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

A few years ago before I started to use a clumping litter I used this,well the cats did ....................Yesterdays News Cat Litter on Sale | Free UK Delivery | PetPlanet.co.uk

Of its type it is one of the best but is a bit pricey.


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## delilah90 (Mar 1, 2014)

hello 
Thanks so much, everyone! We have experimented with different litters and currently we are on Cats Best - it does indeed seem much less dusty. Biocatolet (made of recycled paper) is also good, though not so great at disguising smells :frown: We used Catsan once and it was awful - dust everywhere. 
However, yes, he does use a covered tray, and I'm really aware this is not good. Unfortunately the layout of our flat makes an open tray difficult as it is not very big and we just don't have any good corners or discreet places. In fact the tray is currently in our living room, by the table we eat at - that was the best place we could find for it - a covered one there is just about ok, not so sure about an open one. So on balance I feel that getting him to go outdoors would be the best solution. It's not that I think we'd struggle to get him to go as he's got a fairly amenable temperament and isn't particularly picky about things - it's more a question of how we actually get him to do it. What do other people do - do most cats just naturally start going outside?? The outdoor tray is a great idea though - I will look for one, thanks!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

My experience is that most cats who are given the opportunity to enjoy the big outdoors will be only too happy to toilet outdoors too. I know there are some exceptions where cats prefer to go back indoors and use a tray but personally I have never known one.

If you are happy to have a covered outdoor litter tray with a low dust litter then that may be the answer for your cat. In which case you would start off with the covered outdoor tray indoors and gradually move it nearer the door then outside, and hopefully he would accept the gradual change.

The reason I gave the details in my last post of how to make an open cat toilet in the back garden was because I thought an open one might be healthier for his asthma. If he is at all reluctant to toilet outdoors he is more likely to take to using a specific toilet area you create for him, rather than just use the flowerbed.

Bear in mind any litter tray or cat toilet you have outdoors may get used also by other cats in the neighbourhood, unless your garden is completely enclosed with 'cat-proof' fencing so none could get in.


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## delilah90 (Mar 1, 2014)

I see - yes, thank you! I absolutely love your idea and think it will work really well for Sushi. I will get order an outdoor tray for Sushi. We have completely cat-proofed our garden so he won't have to share his toilet 
i think you're right we should keep a tray indoors - we tend to keep him inside when we're out, so it would be good for him still to have an indoor tray. 
Thanks so much for your help. Will let you know how we get on!


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## Citrineblue (Sep 28, 2012)

chillminx said:


> My experience is that most cats who are given the opportunity to enjoy the big outdoors will be only too happy to toilet outdoors too. I know there are some exceptions where cats prefer to go back indoors and use a tray but personally I have never known one.
> 
> If you are happy to have a covered outdoor litter tray with a low dust litter then that may be the answer for your cat. In which case you would start off with the covered outdoor tray indoors and gradually move it nearer the door then outside, and hopefully he would accept the gradual change.
> 
> ...


Bizarrely all of our five rush back to the litter trays if they have a need and I do mean rush. We have a cat proofed garden with never any invaders at all, however I think it is so engrained with the eldest that they all have been perfect at using the litter inside and out. They do literally come in like the clappers. We have four trays, two are sited by their accesses to outside.


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