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Expert: - 12/14/2009


Question
I have recently brought in our old (10 years old) tom barn cat as a younger neighborhood tom as gotten him a few times and we cannot stand to have him hurt.  We felt he deserved an indoor life at this stage in him life.  He will be neutered and declawed in a few weeks and I will then let him start to interact with the other house pet.  However, I am having a problem with the litter box issue and getting him to use it.  He has a room of his own, a gate when we are home to start getting to know the others (he has not even tried to jump out or the others to go in).  I am using Feliway and have had no spraying.  What do I do to get him to use the litter box??  Help!!  

Answer
Sue,

The difficulty is, at 10 years old and cats being creatures of habit, if he was not used to using a litter box outside, he probably has no idea what it is for!!!!!!!!!! It will take him a while to get to using a litter pan.

There may be a couple of things you can do.  First is to crate him with a litter pan until he gets the idea that this is where he should do his business.  Eventually, most cats do figure it out as they hate living in their own filth.  Secondly, I would try "Cat Attract" litter to see if he will use that.  Between being crated and the "Cat Attract" litter, he should figure it out.  Once he is using a litter pan, have him stay in one room with the litter pan until you are sure he is using it constantly.  After that, you can let him roam farther and wider depending on his consistency in litter pan use.

Here is a link to a series of articles on litter box problems which may have some further hints:

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html


No matter what, wherever he messes inappropriately, the area should be cleaned with an enzyme based cleaner specifically for pet stains and pet odors (available from most pet supermarkets or farm stores).

Please let me know how he does.

Best regards... Norm.

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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