How hard was it to get Ditto used to a litter box? There's a very sweet neighborhood stray cat I want to bring inside permanently, but I've never had a cat before, and I don't know if she's ever been owned or used a box. Do you have any tips, or preferred litters?
Ditto actually had no issues with it! We’re pretty sure she was previously owned, given how quickly she adjusted to being inside & how happy she was to be pet. So we got lucky with that. But I can definitely still give some tips:
- Big boxes! I prefer just using plastic totes instead, they’re cheaper for a larger size than buying large litter boxes. Most cats are fine to just hop in, but for an older kitty or one that has mobility issues, you can cut an entrance in one end.
- Be open to trying different litters. Small grained clumping clay seems to go over well with most cats, so personally I would give that a try first. But if she doesn’t seem to like it, there are non-clay options, silica, etc. If she really seems picky or like she’s struggling with the change, you could also try play sand or plain topsoil (like what she’d find outside), but you won’t want to use that long-term since it won’t do much for smell. But it’d be someplace to start, then you can slowly mix in clay litter to switch.
- Another useful thing to know about - Dr. Elsey’s cat attract litter. Vets recommend it & it seems to have a decent success rate. I’ve used it with Ebony once & my boyfriend has used it with a cat as well. So that could be something to try if she seems to struggle a bit too.
- Make sure you have at least two litter boxes in your place, and put them in different areas where they’re not closed up. That gives her a place to mark her territory & she’ll be more likely to use them.
- Keep them clean! Scooping daily is best, but at least aim for 2-3 times a week.
- When you first bring her in, keep her in one room for a while, with everything she needs. Cats don’t deal with change well & it may take her some time to get used to such a different environment. Having a smaller area to adjust to initially helps with that, and will also help her start to bond with you. After a few days, you can start letting her explore the rest of your place, and she’ll have her safe room to fall back to if she gets spooked.
- Feliway sprays & plug-ins can help too, they emit calming pheromones that tell cats “you’re safe, all is well”.
- Oh, and if she has any accidents, make sure you use an enzymatic cleaner to clean it up. Otherwise they’ll still be able to smell it & she may repeat accidents in the same spot. I use Nature’s Mirace urine destroyer.
Good luck, I hope you can get the kitty inside & settled! :) Let me know if you need any more help. (And I’d love to see pics if you wanna share!)