Difference between revisions of "Cat Latrines"

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==Introduction==
 
==Introduction==
−
Feral cats do not share latrine locations, and they use separate latrine sites for urine and faeces. A single cat will have numerous latrines located throughout its peripheral territory, so that it can conveniently access somewhere to eliminate during a [[Feline Predatory Behaviour|hunting]] trip or whilst [[Feline Territorial Behaviour|territorialising]]. Latrine sites are located away from hunting, feeding and resting areas. Cats show a preference for dry, sandy soil as a substrate for elimination, possibly due to their ancestral origin in drier, hotter climates.
+
Cats do not share latrine facilities so, in multi-cat households, the optimum number of latrines should be '''one per cat plus one extra'''. This number of cat litter trays is obviously a horrific prospect for the owner of a lot of cats. The answer is to provide cats with outdoor latrines in the owner’s garden. With the current fashion for hard landscaping, cats may have few opportunities to use good outdoor latrines and may have to travel across several gardens to find somewhere suitable. In winter, these toilets may become sodden or frozen, making them unusable. For this reason, many [[Feline Housesoiling|housesoiling problems]] are worse during the winter.
  
−
In a domestic setting, the natural preferences of cats are often compromised:
+
Cats have very specific requirements for the places they prefer to go to the toilet. These include:
−
* A single litter tray for urine and faeces
+
* '''Privacy''': Cats prefer not to share toilets with other cats and do not like to be disturbed whilst going to the toilet.
−
* No outdoor latrine sites (e.g. paved garden)
+
* '''Substrate''': Cats prefer certain kinds of material to go to the toilet on.
−
* Several cats using shared latrines
+
* '''Dedicated latrines''': Cats prefer not to use the same toilet for urination and defecation.
−
* Latrine locations that are too close to [[Effect of Environment on Feline Behaviour|other resources]], such as food and water, or where there is no privacy for the cat.
 
  
−
The ideal number of latrines in a multi-cat household would be '''one per cat plus one extra'''. It may not be possible for cat owners to accommodate this, even if [[Inappropriate Elimination - Cat|inappropriate elimination]] indicates that there is a problem with latrine provision.
+
Owners can make use of this information when they want to provide cats with a suitable toilet as well as when wanting to discourage them from using the wrong places.
  
−
Even cats that do have outdoor access and suitable latrine sites in their own garden may show seasonal problems of [[Feline Housesoiling|housesoiling problems]]; outdoor latrines may become waterlogged or the ground frozen during winter, making them unusable.
+
Before the use deterrents, cats must be provided with a suitable set of toilet facilities, otherwise the inappropriate house-soiling can be moved to another equally undesirable place.
  
−
It is common for owners to use deterrent methods to stop inappropriate elimination, but this will not be effective unless the cat has suitable latrine sites; the problem will only be moved to another part of the house.
+
==Outdoor Latrines==
 +
[[Feline Housesoiling|House-soiling problems]] tend to be worse in the winter, probably because the cat’s natural/incidental outdoor toilets start to become difficult to use. Hard, frozen ground is difficult to dig and water logged soil is messy and unpleasant for the cat. Cats are evolved from desert living ancestors so they naturally prefer to dig dry, light and sandy soil. Sand latrines do not get wet or frozen and they give the cat an easily accessible toilet close to the house. This stops the cat from needing to travel away from the garden, and reduces the nuisance to neighbours.  
  
−
==Indoor Latrines==
+
There are often concerns that other cats will come into the territory to use the outdoor latrines. This is a possibility but rarely causes a problem. In fact, the presence of nearby latrines tends to strengthen the boundary of the resident cat’s own territory.
−
The following characteristics should be taken into account when installing indoor latrines for cats:
+
 
−
* '''Privacy''': Each cat needs to have its own latrine, not shared with other cats, which is located where the cat will not be disturbed whilst eliminating.
+
If the cat is provided with an outdoor toilet close to the house, it will reduce its need to have an indoor litter tray and can help to reduce the number of indoor litter trays needed if there are several cats living in the same house. Outdoor toilets are easy to make and maintain and the cat can use them all year round. These outdoor toilets should be hidden in flowerbeds behind shrubs and tall plants to give the cat privacy. These latrines are essentially self-cleaning but it is sensible to regularly use a litter scoop to remove faeces in the same way as with a conventional litter tray. The sandy part of the latrine should be dug out and replaced every six months. One outdoor latrine is unlikely to be enough, and different cats will have different preferences for location. At least two latrines should be provided.
−
* '''Substrate''': Cats prefer certain substrates to eliminate on.
 
−
* '''Dedicated latrines''': Cats prefer separate locations for urination and defecation.
 
  
−
A good starting point for litter tray provision for a single cat would be:
+
Simple outdoor toilet:
−
* Two trays; one for urine and one for faeces, located at least one metre apart.
+
* Find a suitable location for the latrine, preferably at the edge of the garden, obscured by flowerbeds and bushes to give the cat some privacy.
−
* Each tray should be high-sided and large enough for the cat to easily turn around on.
+
* Dig a hole that is approximately 90 cm deep, and 90cm square.
−
* The tray should be filled to a depth of 2-3cm with an odourless mineral based litter (not scented, or pine based).
+
* Fill the bottom 60cm of the hole with pea-sized gravel, to create drainage.
−
* Locate the tray in a quiet part of the house, away from food, water and resting places.
+
* Top up the hole with soft, white sand like that used in playgrounds. Don’t use the orange sand used for building (also known as sharp sand).
−
* The tray may be covered or uncovered, according to the cat's preference.
+
* Once the cat is using the latrine regularly, you can scatter a little earth over the top to help disguise it.
 +
* Use a litter scoop to remove any faeces every couple of days, as you would with an indoor tray.
 +
* Dig out and replace the sand every few months to refresh the latrine.
  
−
==Outdoor Latrines==
+
==Indoor Latrines==
−
The provision of outdoor latrines has a number of benefits:
+
Indoor latrines should be made as appealing as possible. They should be positioned in quiet locations and deep filled with a scent free mineral based litter. In some cases, soft sand or a mixture of soft sand and litter is attractive to cats, and the sand content can be reduced gradually once the cat has shifted its location preference to the designated litter tray.  
−
* Reduces the need for a large number of indoor litter trays (especially in multicast households).
 
−
* Provides latrine access close to home, which reduces the need to roam and reduces nuisance to neighbours (the most common complaint by non-cat owning neighbours is that cats defecate in their garden).
 
−
* Strengthens territorial ownership so that non-resident cats are less likely to become a threat.
 
  
−
Outdoor latrines should be located in flowerbeds or behind shrubs to give the cat privacy. They do not need to be cleaned, but it may be necessary for the sand to be dug out and replaced every few months if it becomes heavily contaminated. This can be reduces by occasional scooping to remove faeces. As with indoor latrines, multiple locations will be needed for multi-cat households.
+
Cats do vary in their preferences, but here is a general indication of what cats would regard as an ideal litter tray:
 +
* Deep sided and large enough for the cat to turn around in.
 +
* Filled to a depth of at least 3 cm with a dry, soft mineral based litter (not wood chips, or litter made from wood pulp or scented). You may try using soft white sand or a 50% mixture of litter + sand as this is more attractive to some cats.
 +
* Position the tray in a quiet place where the cat will not be disturbed.
 +
* Try having litter trays open and covered to see which the cat prefers. To test this, cover one tray with a large cardboard box with a hole in the side.
  
−
Creating an outdoor latrine:
+
Inappropriate facilities may be at the root of inappropriate toileting problems and it is important to consider the type of litter used in the tray, the sort of tray that is being offered and also the location of that tray. The cleaning regime may also be relevant since most cats are reluctant to use trays that are dirty and some others will fail to bond successfully to their latrine if it is cleaned too frequently. Other potential causes of a breakdown in house training include challenges to security in nervous individuals, overcrowding within a small-sized territory where there is competition over the resource of the latrines or access to the trays is controlled and manipulated by one individual within the household. There is also the issue of old age and debilitation.
−
* Choose a location at the edge of the garden, obscured by flowerbeds and bushes.
 
−
* The hole should be the dimensions of a litter tray, and 30-60cm deep.
 
−
* This is filled with soft playground sand (not sharp sand used for construction).
 
−
* Once the cat is using the latrine regularly, earth can be scattered over the latrine to disguise it.
 
  
 
==Deterrent Methods for Inappropriate Latrine Locations==
 
==Deterrent Methods for Inappropriate Latrine Locations==
−
If the cat has a suitable set of latrine locations and is using them, then deterrent methods can be applied to prevent inappropriate elimination elsewhere.
+
Once the cat is regularly using the appropriate latrines, deterrent methods ca be used to stop the cat from using the wrong places.  
−
 
 
−
Methods to deter elimination include changing the underfoot substrate or making the location less private:
 
−
* Cover the location with heavy grade polythene or aluminium foil, applying strips of double-sided sticky tape to increased the deterrent effect if necessary.
 
−
* Use brighter lighting and PIR (passive infrared) activated lamps to make a location less private.
 
−
* Place additional food and water bowls near the location.
 
  
 +
Here are some suggestions:
 +
* Cover the location with thick polythene: urine will then drain towards the cat’s feet when it is standing on the sheet.
 +
* Cover the location with a large sheet of silver foil: some cats do not like to stand on this.
 +
* Apply strips of double-sided sticky tape to either of the above to make them even more repellent.
 +
* Place small bowls of food on top of the latrine sites, so that they become feeding stations. Cats are usually reluctant to urinate near sources of food.
 +
* Illuminate dark corners with a bright spot lamp so that any privacy is taken away. The same effect can be achieved using a small, battery powered infra-red activated lamp, which will turn on each time the cat approaches.
  
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{{Jon Bowen written
 
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|date = July 2, 2014
 
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}}
 
  
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{{Ceva}}
 
−
{{OpenPages}}
 
  
 
[[Category:Feline Housesoiling]]
 
[[Category:Feline Housesoiling]]
 
[[Category:Feline Behaviour Management]]
 
[[Category:Feline Behaviour Management]]
 +
[[Category:JBowen reviewing]]

Revision as of 16:07, 26 June 2014

Introduction

Cats do not share latrine facilities so, in multi-cat households, the optimum number of latrines should be one per cat plus one extra. This number of cat litter trays is obviously a horrific prospect for the owner of a lot of cats. The answer is to provide cats with outdoor latrines in the owner’s garden. With the current fashion for hard landscaping, cats may have few opportunities to use good outdoor latrines and may have to travel across several gardens to find somewhere suitable. In winter, these toilets may become sodden or frozen, making them unusable. For this reason, many housesoiling problems are worse during the winter.

Cats have very specific requirements for the places they prefer to go to the toilet. These include:

  • Privacy: Cats prefer not to share toilets with other cats and do not like to be disturbed whilst going to the toilet.
  • Substrate: Cats prefer certain kinds of material to go to the toilet on.
  • Dedicated latrines: Cats prefer not to use the same toilet for urination and defecation.

Owners can make use of this information when they want to provide cats with a suitable toilet as well as when wanting to discourage them from using the wrong places.

Before the use deterrents, cats must be provided with a suitable set of toilet facilities, otherwise the inappropriate house-soiling can be moved to another equally undesirable place.

Outdoor Latrines

House-soiling problems tend to be worse in the winter, probably because the cat’s natural/incidental outdoor toilets start to become difficult to use. Hard, frozen ground is difficult to dig and water logged soil is messy and unpleasant for the cat. Cats are evolved from desert living ancestors so they naturally prefer to dig dry, light and sandy soil. Sand latrines do not get wet or frozen and they give the cat an easily accessible toilet close to the house. This stops the cat from needing to travel away from the garden, and reduces the nuisance to neighbours.

There are often concerns that other cats will come into the territory to use the outdoor latrines. This is a possibility but rarely causes a problem. In fact, the presence of nearby latrines tends to strengthen the boundary of the resident cat’s own territory.

If the cat is provided with an outdoor toilet close to the house, it will reduce its need to have an indoor litter tray and can help to reduce the number of indoor litter trays needed if there are several cats living in the same house. Outdoor toilets are easy to make and maintain and the cat can use them all year round. These outdoor toilets should be hidden in flowerbeds behind shrubs and tall plants to give the cat privacy. These latrines are essentially self-cleaning but it is sensible to regularly use a litter scoop to remove faeces in the same way as with a conventional litter tray. The sandy part of the latrine should be dug out and replaced every six months. One outdoor latrine is unlikely to be enough, and different cats will have different preferences for location. At least two latrines should be provided.

Simple outdoor toilet:

  • Find a suitable location for the latrine, preferably at the edge of the garden, obscured by flowerbeds and bushes to give the cat some privacy.
  • Dig a hole that is approximately 90 cm deep, and 90cm square.
  • Fill the bottom 60cm of the hole with pea-sized gravel, to create drainage.
  • Top up the hole with soft, white sand like that used in playgrounds. Don’t use the orange sand used for building (also known as sharp sand).
  • Once the cat is using the latrine regularly, you can scatter a little earth over the top to help disguise it.
  • Use a litter scoop to remove any faeces every couple of days, as you would with an indoor tray.
  • Dig out and replace the sand every few months to refresh the latrine.

Indoor Latrines

Indoor latrines should be made as appealing as possible. They should be positioned in quiet locations and deep filled with a scent free mineral based litter. In some cases, soft sand or a mixture of soft sand and litter is attractive to cats, and the sand content can be reduced gradually once the cat has shifted its location preference to the designated litter tray.

Cats do vary in their preferences, but here is a general indication of what cats would regard as an ideal litter tray:

  • Deep sided and large enough for the cat to turn around in.
  • Filled to a depth of at least 3 cm with a dry, soft mineral based litter (not wood chips, or litter made from wood pulp or scented). You may try using soft white sand or a 50% mixture of litter + sand as this is more attractive to some cats.
  • Position the tray in a quiet place where the cat will not be disturbed.
  • Try having litter trays open and covered to see which the cat prefers. To test this, cover one tray with a large cardboard box with a hole in the side.

Inappropriate facilities may be at the root of inappropriate toileting problems and it is important to consider the type of litter used in the tray, the sort of tray that is being offered and also the location of that tray. The cleaning regime may also be relevant since most cats are reluctant to use trays that are dirty and some others will fail to bond successfully to their latrine if it is cleaned too frequently. Other potential causes of a breakdown in house training include challenges to security in nervous individuals, overcrowding within a small-sized territory where there is competition over the resource of the latrines or access to the trays is controlled and manipulated by one individual within the household. There is also the issue of old age and debilitation.

Deterrent Methods for Inappropriate Latrine Locations

Once the cat is regularly using the appropriate latrines, deterrent methods ca be used to stop the cat from using the wrong places.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Cover the location with thick polythene: urine will then drain towards the cat’s feet when it is standing on the sheet.
  • Cover the location with a large sheet of silver foil: some cats do not like to stand on this.
  • Apply strips of double-sided sticky tape to either of the above to make them even more repellent.
  • Place small bowls of food on top of the latrine sites, so that they become feeding stations. Cats are usually reluctant to urinate near sources of food.
  • Illuminate dark corners with a bright spot lamp so that any privacy is taken away. The same effect can be achieved using a small, battery powered infra-red activated lamp, which will turn on each time the cat approaches.
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