So let's cut to the chase, the short answer here is YES! Absolutely YES... I say that as a cat vet trained and experienced in both feline medicine and kitty psychology. Unfortunately, I know too well the pain and suffering that many cats endure when they come in with a life-threatening urinary tract blockage - some who have sadly been left so long before their humans have sought veterinary attention that their bladders have ruptured while travelling to the vet. Others have died on the treatment room table from the toxins and salts that have backed up into their blood stream from a bladder outflow tract obstruction and many in the moments before I've desperately tried to pass a urinary catheter into their melon-sized, brick of a bladder. I still remember these cat's names even though some were 20 years ago. It's not something that's easy to get over!
On the flip side, with my vet hat off, I speak as someone who has lived in a multi-cat household all my life and has experienced inappropriate toileting with several cats over that period. I've had cats that went outdoors to toilet and had no litter tray (when I was growing up), I've had cats that lived in my apartment with litter trays and never went outdoors and now we have the best of both worlds with a cat friendly townhouse and specially secured cat-proof garden with litter trays on every floor.
So you can perhaps understand why I'm being so emphatic on this one! Even if your cat goes outside to toilet by choice, they should always have access to an indoor toileting facility as well.
There are lots of reasons why your cat may want to avoid going outside, including:
I can hear some of you protesting from here... "but I don't want a litter tray in my house ...if I put a tray down then they will start using it!". My response to this is as follows:
If this isn't enough to convince you, then think of it this way, by using a litter tray...
On the flip side, with my vet hat off, I speak as someone who has lived in a multi-cat household all my life and has experienced inappropriate toileting with several cats over that period. I've had cats that went outdoors to toilet and had no litter tray (when I was growing up), I've had cats that lived in my apartment with litter trays and never went outdoors and now we have the best of both worlds with a cat friendly townhouse and specially secured cat-proof garden with litter trays on every floor.
So you can perhaps understand why I'm being so emphatic on this one! Even if your cat goes outside to toilet by choice, they should always have access to an indoor toileting facility as well.
There are lots of reasons why your cat may want to avoid going outside, including:
- Inclement weather - cold, wet, snow, storms
- Medical problems (pain, disease)
- Psychological obstacles (fear or anxiety eg another cat)
- Physical obstructions (eg a closed door)
I can hear some of you protesting from here... "but I don't want a litter tray in my house ...if I put a tray down then they will start using it!". My response to this is as follows:
- We expect our cats to put up with an awful lot without realising it already.
- If they choose to use the litter tray then they obviously prefer not to go outside all of the time.
- The more you make your cat's life as stress-free and comfortable as possible, then the happier they will be. The happier they are, the healthier they are and the happier and less worried you'll be (and your vet bills are likely to be less frequent or as costly)!
- Responsible people with dogs are obliged to scoop up after their pets so providing a litter box or tray is a similar sort of commitment and is all part of being a good cat person.
- And lastly, an analogy I say to my clients (I do love an analogy!), you wouldn't send your guests or elderly Grandmother to use a toilet at the bottom of your garden in all weathers that was open to public use, so it's unfair to expect your cat, especially an older one, to do the same.
If this isn't enough to convince you, then think of it this way, by using a litter tray...
- You are significantly reducing the chance of your cat(s) getting caught short and using an area like the carpet, your favourite rug or duvet!
- Once a cat has started house soiling it can be a long, difficult and costly process to correct and will definitely involve litter trays at that stage. Far better to prevent an issue arising in the first place.
- This is not just me being OTT, it is considered best practice for our feline friends by International Cat Care & ISFM who say "Litter trays are a necessary evil, absolutely essential if your cat is housebound or has limited access outdoors and highly recommended even if your cat is free to roam".