Litterbox training a stray?

Question

Recently my realative adopted a strary cat. This cat has been a stray for most of his life and has no clue whatsoever on how to use a litterbox. He is an indoor cat so he will urinate and defecate anywhere in the house. This is a big problem and we could use help solving it. So how do you train a cat who has never been near a litterbox to use one? Step by step instructions or links to places with step by step instructions would be appreciated.Note this is not a kitten this is an older cat which could make things more difficult.
Thanks in Advance!

Answer 1

Many years ago when I moved to where I now live, there was the most handsome blue-eyed Himalayan looking stray kitty. I tried for months to make him a house kitty. That winter was particularly bitterly cold and he would come in just long enough to eat and then wanted back outside. I respected his wishes since I was trying to gain his trust.

That February after he'd been gone for about a week, he reappeared with a nasty abscess over his right eye. That is when I cleared my extra bedroom to make him a place. I caught him, made a vet appointment. He was the sweetest kitty! He sat with his front paws dangling over the exam table while the vet shaved his forehead around the wound. She cleaned it and gave me meds. We scheduled an appointment the next week for bloodwork to check for illnesses and start his vaccinations.

Ohhh yea, litter boxes..the vet recommended using clean potting soil in a litter box. Then put him in and take his paw and make a digging motion. Worked like a charm, he went right to the litter box and didn't have the first accident. After about a week, I started mixing litter with the potting soil until it was all litter.

It made perfect sense, he was used to using dirt to do his business. And surprisingly, there was little odor, no more than with regular litter. I just put an old rug in front of the box to catch what is on his paws, like the other litter boxes.

The beautiful blue-eyed boy became Hershey, because of his chocolate face, sweet nature and soothing purrrrr. Unfortuately he was only with me for a little over two years, the blood work the vet had run did not include FIV and in late March of 2003 when I was desperately trying to find what was causing my beautiful boy to fight for his life..the test result came back..FIV positive. I held him while the vet euthanized him and he went peacefully to the bridge.

I hope the potting soil in the litter box trick works for you. And please have them test him for FeLV and FIV since your stray is also an adult, and most likely intact, male.

Purrs to you and kitty.

Answer 2

It could take up to a month or so to totally train him, especially since he's an older stray now becoming an indoor. I'm assuming your relative already has a litterbox in the house, so that's one step taken care of. One method that might work is to simply show him the litterbox and move his paws around in it. This will show that it's not a totally solid/rigid substance. Since most cats are just natural 'clean freaks' by instinct, that might be all your relative needs to train him.

If that doesn't work, your relative could try to do that same thing (put the cat's paws in the litterbox and show that it's like dirt) right after he 'goes.' He might be able to make the connection better, and hopefully will start using the litterbox.

Lastly, and this may be undoable if the relative in question is gross or a germophobe, but they could try if they'd like. When the cat poos, pick it up (obviously, use a napkin) and move it to the littlerbox, on top of the litter itself. Bring the cat over, and do the paw thing I've described in the first option, but make sure the ones done while holding his paws actually cover up part of the poo. He should then cover up the rest by himself. If whoever it is absolutely rejects the idea of picking of feces, as they probably will, maybe they could use a different material to put in the litterbox. It might not be as effective, but it could work.

Hope this helped, and good luck.

And this is off topic, but you answered my question earlier, on Swim Bladder Disease in fish. I added some info, and would like to clarify a couple things before I go ahead and set up trying to cure my barb. Should I put it in quarantine without any others, or should I treat the whole tank of nine barbs (including the sick one) and a pleco by not feeding them fish food and giving them a few peas? Again, thanks in advance for the help.

Answer 3

I can tell you that this cat will not be trainable to be an inside cat. He can be inside/outside but not just inside. Cats are very self sufficient and by now has set his ways. He may be a nice loving cat but has the instinct to be wild. Stray cats are wild cats. Training it to be inside/outside is going to be easy.
First week, take your cat out on a leash and tie it somewhere in the yard and (always pay attention to the cat, make him feel special). Place it's favorite food in a bowl somewhere where it would be ok. When you are ready to feed him, shake a box of food so he can relate FOOD to the sound of the box. If your cat is 2 blocks away from your house and you shake that box he will come home. The cat will go to the bathroom outside. Cats both domestic and wild find a home and lay there roots so if you can get him to love you and love where he lives he will always return....and sometimes with family in tow.

Answer 4

I've taken in two strays who lived their whole lives outdoors. The one took to the litter right away (clay litter), the other still liked the feel of leaves against his butt, but adapted.

I think if you try sandbox sand, that would make things easier than starting with litter. Outdoor sand boxes for kids are magnets for outdoor cats. You can also sprinkle some dirt over the top of regular litter, to give it the smell of the outdoors, or toss a handful of grass clippings and leaves on it--simulating the stuff he'd have used outdoors. Sometimes they just need a memory jog to make things right.

Answer 5

If you go to http://www.littlebigcat.com Dr. Jean Hovfe has four articles on litterbox training in her article library. There might be some tips for you there.

The cat needs to be confined to a small space such as a bathroom with its food, water and litterbox until he starts using a box. Once they start going all over it can be impossible to break them of it.

You can put a small amount of dirt from outside for a top layer over the litter. Don't clean the box too much so his smell gets there and he knows that's hig place to go.