Bathroom Battles

Has your cat stopped using the litter tray?

You may need to

retrain your cat but rule out these problems first:

1. Lower Urinary Tract Disease: a painful condition, potentially life threatening. A check over with the vet will rule this out

2. Dirty litter tray: remove faeces daily, completely empty twice weekly

3. Tray too clean: do not use disinfectants, these discourage your cat, clean with mild detergent and warm water

4. Wrong litter: avoid scented litter, try a recycled cardboard

5. Position: place tray in a safe, quiet area, away from threats, such as the dog. Don't place food and water bowls too close to the tray

6. Bad association: some cats associate scary noises with using the tray, for example the washing machine

7. Incorrect tray to cat ratio. The rule of thumb is, you'll need one more tray than the number of cats. Ie; 1 cat = 2 trays, 2 cats = 3 trays, etc

Retraining:

Cats won't toilet where they sleep so start by confining your cat to a crate or a small room with the tray and a bed.

Place any faeces in the tray to help your cat get the idea.

As your cat starts to use the tray again, move the set up to a larger room. Clean accidents with a vet approved enzymatic cleaner to prevent your cat re-offending.

Speak to us for more information.