Dear Sinéad and Siouxsie:
I'm facing a situation in my household now that I hope you can help me with. We have a cat named Patchie who has lived on our deck for 12 years. We feed him, groom him, love him, had him neutered and take excellent care of him letting him spend a lot of time in the house--but always under supervision. We would love to integrate him into our household, but he does not get the concept of a litter box. We have tried on three previous occasions to integrate him into our house--but it was just too stressful on Wiley, who up until his death was our oldest and dominant cat. We are wishing that Patchie could join our household, but his history of just spraying or peeing whenever or wherever will not do. Even outside he doesn't dig and bury--he goes wherever and just walks away. He came to us as a young adult in very rough shape and had been obviously struggling for survival on his own for some time. Perhaps he never had a home, perhaps he was separated from his mother too young to learn appropriate bathroom habits. We love Patchie dearly and would love for him to spend his final years in the lap of luxury with us, but how do we teach him about using a litter box when indoors?

Thanks,
Joanne

Sinéad: First of all, Joanne, we want to let you know that Patchie is very grateful for all you've done for him over the years. Many stray cats only wish they could find a human family who would love them and treat them so well!

Siouxsie: It's a very difficult task to introduce a cat who has always lived outdoors to the concept of using a litterbox when indoors. But in some cases, it can be done.

Sinéad: We don't want to get your hopes up too high, because it may be that Patchie will never understand the idea of using a litterbox and not spraying indoors.

Siouxsie: However, we think we can give you some ideas on how to accomplish this task.

Sinéad: An animal communicator might be able to help Patchie understand that you really would like him to have a forever-home with you, but in order for him to live with you, he needs to understand this part of indoor cat etiquette.

Siouxsie: Since you tell us that Patchie spends a lot of time in the house, and he probably knows he'd be living the good life with you, we're quite sure that gradual training in the art of litterbox use plus some help from an animal communicator (and feline pheromones) will get him with the program.

Sinéad: The first step of the training is to help Patchie understand the concept of the litterbox. To start out, you will have to get a brand-new litterbox. A litterbox with another cat's odor (such as Wiley's old box) may be too stressful for him. We recommend that you get a large box with shallow sides. If you really want to go wild, you could get a long, flat plastic storage tote. Mama says the kind sold for under-bed storage (as long as they don't have wheels) would fit the bill pretty well.

Siouxsie: When you get the box, put a good two or three inches of dirt or gravel in it. If you know the type of areas Patchie prefers to use as his toilet, get that type of dirt. If he doesn't have a preference, then just start with standard kitty litter and save a step. Also, if you've noticed that he prefers privacy when he goes to the bathroom, maybe you can put some tall house plants near Patchie's litterbox.

Sinéad: The next task will be to put Patchie in a room or enclosed area with the dirt box. If you have a screened-in porch or a rarely used--and uncarpeted--room, this would be a good alternative. It would be even better if this room were one that Wiley didn't spend a lot of time in, because Wiley's leftover scent might induce spraying.

Siouxsie: Put the litterbox in one corner of the room and his bed, food and water in another corner. We cats don't like to have our food dishes right near our litterbox; it's an instinct thing going back millions of years in our evolution. Make sure he's got some toys, a scratching post, and maybe some boxes to hide or play in, too. He'll be happier that way.

Sinéad: Feed Patchie, and then if he'll let you handle him, place him gently and calmly in the litterbox. If he won't let you handle him, you'll have to take a "wait and see" approach.

Siouxsie: If Patchie poops on the floor or some other unacceptable area, scoop it up with a litter scoop and place it in the litterbox. Then scrape a little bit of dirt over it. Ideally, Patchie will be curious about what you're doing with his poop and come over to check it out. But don't force him or stick his nose in his poop or pee--that will just make him resent you.

Sinéad: Hopefully Patchie will start to get the idea that he's supposed to go to the bathroom in this dirt-filled box. This may take a while, though, so be patient.

Siouxsie: Although we always tell people that they should clean their litterboxes at least once a day, we recommend that in this case you refrain from removing urine and feces until Patchie gets the idea and starts using the litterbox on his own.

Sinéad: A feline pheromone could help Patchie relax and reduce the amount of territorial stress he will feel upon being "housebound" for a little while. We hate to sound like salespeople, but Feliway (a cat pheromone analogue) works very well to eliminate unwanted spraying and defecating.

Siouxsie: Mama's been using Feliway in our house, and it's made a big difference. Our new little brother, Thomas, has relaxed quite a bit since Mama started the Feliway. You can read more about Feliway, or order it if you want to, at the Cat Faeries website.

Sinéad: Once Patchie has grasped the concept of "pee and poop go in the dirt-filled box," start cleaning the box regularly, and start mixing in a standard cat litter that has a texture similar to the dirt he's been using.

Siouxsie: Do not, under any circumstances, buy scented cat litter! You could undo all the progress you've made by introducing scented litter into the mix.

Sinéad: That's right. We cats have very sensitive noses, and those "freshness crystals" which smell pleasant to you can be nauseatingly overpowering to us. Not only that, but since these fragrances are often created artificially, they can cause allergic reactions.

Siouxsie: Gradually increase the proportion of cat litter to dirt until Patchie is used to using a box with standard kitty litter.

Sinéad: We sure hope this helps, Joanne. We're rooting for Patchie, and for you! Please do write back and let us know how things went.

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail Sinéad and Siouxsie at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the advice in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.