Broke down and got matching cat trees for the kids’ rooms to encourage the cats to exhaust the kids more often than they exhaust me.
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Question for you cat folks… is it possible to train a young adult cat that has always used a litter box, to instead go outside through a flap-style doggie door? She will go out if the door is open but doesn’t seem to get the flap idea, despite the dog happily demonstrating it twenty times a day.
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If she’s used to going outside, that’s not an issue, but I’d say make sure the flap is clear so that she can see where she’s going.
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Is there a particular area in which you want your cat to pee and poop? I think it’s possible, if that’s the case. And she probably thinks the dog is stupid for not using the knob, like the human does.
Does she ever follow the dog’s lead? Maybe it could help her learn what it’s for?
The feral who’s adopted us, I don’t know if she can be litter-trained, but she’s really good at letting me know when she wants to go outside, usually soon after she eats.
AND SPEAKING OF SUGARPLUM…she came in through the front door on her own today for the first time! But it was raining, the roof protected her to a degree…still, she knew there’d be food on the back-screened-in porch, so she just nyeoomed on back there.
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Maybe put the litter box outside (but protected from rain)? Show it to her, and that may be enough for her to use it. Then slowly replace the litter with dirt (or put a little bit of used litter where you’d want her to go.
I don’t know if this would work or not. Years ago we had a cat who got outside (even though all our cats have been indoors only), and was out for seven hours. When she came back the first thing she did was use her litter box. So they do have pretty strong habits.
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I wouldn’t say we trained our old cat, but she liked being outside so much, that she ended up never using the cat box in the house.
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Nope. I just want her to go outside to do it. I suspect she’ll either choose the garden or the chicken run, both are an appropriate texture. Maybe not the chicken run, they already showed her who’s boss there.
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Yeah, the thing is, I need her to spend most of her time inside and in the garage. We got her because of her mousing abilities, which are indeed excellent. But there just isn’t any place in the house for the litter box.
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Yeah, that sounds right. Maybe reinforcing that choice of area would help?
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I’m in lurv.
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A toad got in the house while I was hauling in the succulent log. Luckily I was able to rescue him, but the cats obviously feel accomplished
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Toad?
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Good catch. I opened the door for a sec and he dodged in towards the light.
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Oh, what a lovely cat that is! I’m in lurv!
I MISS LUKE SOOOOOOOO MUCH MUCH MUCH!
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I can relate. We miss Dyson and Talia!!!
(I’m not sure the “we” includes Sona and Lyta . . . )
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i rarely get good photos of our cats, but the other day Nora actually was in such a mellow, happy place that she let me get this one of her. It’s one of the best photos i’ve ever managed of her, honestly. She’s so camera shy… normally, she turns her head or just leaves whenever she sees me coming with my phone.
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So cute! The image of Talia.
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