# Lead trained cats and outdoor toilet training



## daniellecool2003 (Jan 2, 2010)

Me and my husband have our two cats leash trained. We do tether them up outside but we dont leave them out there alone. We watch them very closely. What we now want to do is train them to deficate outside so they dont need to use the litter tray as much when they are indoors. We wont stop them using the litter tray when they are in. We just dont want them to be dependant on the tray when they have the opertunity in the day to be outside on their tether and go. Is there a way they could be trained to do it?


----------



## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

You could put a litter box outside when they and you are outside, but I don't really see any point. It's better for cats to use a litter box. You get to know what is normal for them. Often the first indication that a cat is ill is a change in litter box habits. And why fill your yard up with cat poop?


----------



## daniellecool2003 (Jan 2, 2010)

Well it was more the piddles than the poops i would like them to do. See our female cat is what myself and my OH call a presious ass. Basically the tray only has to have two or three piddless in it and the little brat wont use it and piddles on our couch instead. Then the male something similer. He sits in the tray but while piddling rises his ass in the air so he piddles on the wall instead. It is costing us a fortune in litter for the trays having to change the litter like that every day. This is no matter how much we shake it up so it drys up.We said we would try a praising technique, where as when the cats go in the tray we praise them and treats. However soon as the tray is a little bit dirty our baby crys at us and we end up changing the tray anyway so as not to have a wet couch. lol we are hopping if our babys piddle outside the tray wont get as wet and changing can be done every couple of days.


----------



## buffie (May 31, 2010)

What litter do you use.If you dont alredy use a clumping litter it may be an idea to try it.I dont personally use it but I have heard a lot of good reviews of that type of litter.There are a few threads regarding "litter" on the forum I'll see if i can find one for you.

Have a read at this link may get some help from it. http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-health-nutrition/158548-catter-litter.html


----------



## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

I've no experience of trying to train a cat to toilet in the way that you described though I think you may have your work cut out, cats being what they are 

I can't see why it's necessary to tip the whole contents of the litter tray when it has a few pee's in it; do you use a clumping litter? We use Oko Plus cat litter which clumps *extremely* well. Our trays get scooped twice a day (or more if I'm around and have the time) and the remaining litter is clean/smell free.


----------



## missye87 (Apr 4, 2011)

Cats will go where they want, basically. I don't think you will get them to go to the loo knowing that they are going to sit next to it for another half an hour! 

Sooty has no problems going indoors or outdoors. If he happens to be outdooors when the need arises, he does his business outside. If not, it's the tray. Simples


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

First I would encourage outside pee-ing by putting some of their used litter in the patch you want them to go in.
Second...for the boy making a mess inside...I used a high sided tray ( actually a recycling bin with a u shape cut out of the side for entrance, I then lined the tray with newspaper and overlapped it coming high up the sides. When one of the boys had been it was then a simple matter of removing the wet upstanding paper, and lifting the wet clump out on the underlying paper.
Oh, and most cats wont want to use a tray with 2 or 3 pees in, they are fussy little beggars!


----------



## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

daniellecool2003 said:


> Well it was more the piddles than the poops i would like them to do. See our female cat is what myself and my OH call a presious ass. Basically the tray only has to have two or three piddless in it and the little brat wont use it and piddles on our couch instead. Then the male something similer. He sits in the tray but while piddling rises his ass in the air so he piddles on the wall instead. It is costing us a fortune in litter for the trays having to change the litter like that every day. This is no matter how much we shake it up so it drys up.We said we would try a praising technique, where as when the cats go in the tray we praise them and treats. However soon as the tray is a little bit dirty our baby crys at us and we end up changing the tray anyway so as not to have a wet couch. lol we are hopping if our babys piddle outside the tray wont get as wet and changing can be done every couple of days.


Pee habits are just as important to watch.

NO cat wants to use a dirty litter box. Dirty boxes cause litter box avoidance (as you have already discovered) and urinary tract problems

You should have three boxes for two cats.

You should be scooping out the pee and poop at least twice a day. Not spreading it around to dry. That causes odor.Scoop it out. It's just part of having cats. Cats don't like dirty or smelly boxes. They are extremely fastidious and picky about their bathrooms.


----------



## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

PS For the stand up pee-er (I have one, too, a female) use high sided boxes like these.


----------



## debbie29 (Feb 6, 2011)

Reg is a fussy toileter! He either waits until I get in from work to go and then jumps into the tray and does his business, which is obviously so I can immediately clear it out for him  or when I scoop the wee/poo out he jumps straight in there and goes again!! If I know there is a wee/poo in there I pretty much scoop it out as soon as possible afterwards, as I dont want him starting the habit of going elsewhere!

He did make me laugh the other day when I did the full clean out. I was pouring new litter in and he got in it to go as I was still adding new stuff! Little monkey ended up covered in white dust!


----------

