Can you train a cat where to go outside?
 

We are new to cats, having taken in a stray about amonth ago.
She is an outdoor cat with a small house on the deck.

We have never seen her venture out...she seems to always come jumping
up from underneath the deck when we call her.

There is gravel underneath the deck, and we are worried that she may
be pooping under there. Mainly because we are being swarmed with
flies when we try to sit out on the deck. We don't smell anything
foul, though...we're just guessing.

Is there any way to train here to go to the bathroom somewhere
else....out in the cornfield, garden, etc., and insure that she
doesn't go under the deck?

Cats like very finely dug soil , the type you put seedlngs in , so you
could dig a patch in your garden , but other cats might use it . You
could put heavier gravel / stones under the decking to discourage her.
I think you wouild smell it if there was a lot there. If she sleeps
and lives there I think she would mess else where.

--
Alison
(Links to animal information websites
http://mysite.freeserve.com/petinfolinks


wrote in message
...
We are new to cats, having taken in a stray about amonth ago.
She is an outdoor cat with a small house on the deck.

We have never seen her venture out...she seems to always come
jumping
up from underneath the deck when we call her.

There is gravel underneath the deck, and we are worried that she may
be pooping under there. Mainly because we are being swarmed with
flies when we try to sit out on the deck. We don't smell anything
foul, though...we're just guessing.

Is there any way to train here to go to the bathroom somewhere
else....out in the cornfield, garden, etc., and insure that she
doesn't go under the deck?

Cats like very finely dug soil , the type you put seedlngs in , so you
could dig a patch in your garden , but other cats might use it . You
could put heavier gravel / stones under the decking to discourage her.
I think you wouild smell it if there was a lot there. If she sleeps
and lives there I think she would mess else where.

--
Alison
(Links to animal information websites
http://mysite.freeserve.com/petinfolinks


wrote in message
...
We are new to cats, having taken in a stray about amonth ago.
She is an outdoor cat with a small house on the deck.

We have never seen her venture out...she seems to always come
jumping
up from underneath the deck when we call her.

There is gravel underneath the deck, and we are worried that she may
be pooping under there. Mainly because we are being swarmed with
flies when we try to sit out on the deck. We don't smell anything
foul, though...we're just guessing.

Is there any way to train here to go to the bathroom somewhere
else....out in the cornfield, garden, etc., and insure that she
doesn't go under the deck?

On Sat, 9 Aug 2003 17:10:29 +0100, "Alison"
wrote:

If she sleeps
and lives there I think she would mess else where.

It's not actually gravel, but the large smooth marble-sized stones.
We called them "lucky stones" when I was a kid.

So you think she's not using that as a toilet?

Maybe it's just that time of year for relentless flies.

On Sat, 9 Aug 2003 17:10:29 +0100, "Alison"
wrote:

If she sleeps
and lives there I think she would mess else where.

It's not actually gravel, but the large smooth marble-sized stones.
We called them "lucky stones" when I was a kid.

So you think she's not using that as a toilet?

Maybe it's just that time of year for relentless flies.

in article , at
wrote on 8/9/03 8:45 AM:

We are new to cats, having taken in a stray about amonth ago.
She is an outdoor cat with a small house on the deck.

We have never seen her venture out...she seems to always come jumping
up from underneath the deck when we call her.

There is gravel underneath the deck, and we are worried that she may
be pooping under there. Mainly because we are being swarmed with
flies when we try to sit out on the deck. We don't smell anything
foul, though...we're just guessing.

Is there any way to train here to go to the bathroom somewhere
else....out in the cornfield, garden, etc., and insure that she
doesn't go under the deck?

I would try introducing a litter box outside. Just a thought.

Karen

in article , at
wrote on 8/9/03 8:45 AM:

We are new to cats, having taken in a stray about amonth ago.
She is an outdoor cat with a small house on the deck.

We have never seen her venture out...she seems to always come jumping
up from underneath the deck when we call her.

There is gravel underneath the deck, and we are worried that she may
be pooping under there. Mainly because we are being swarmed with
flies when we try to sit out on the deck. We don't smell anything
foul, though...we're just guessing.

Is there any way to train here to go to the bathroom somewhere
else....out in the cornfield, garden, etc., and insure that she
doesn't go under the deck?

I would try introducing a litter box outside. Just a thought.

Karen

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 9 Aug 2003 17:10:29 +0100, "Alison"

It's not actually gravel, but the large smooth marble-sized stones.
We called them "lucky stones" when I was a kid.

So you think she's not using that as a toilet?

Maybe it's just that time of year for relentless flies.

Hi Mitch ,
Sorry if this is a daft question but have you tried looking under
there with a torch or is that not possible .?
I can't guarantee shes not going under there but maybe there's a dead
animal or something under there Euw !
Alison

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 9 Aug 2003 17:10:29 +0100, "Alison"

It's not actually gravel, but the large smooth marble-sized stones.
We called them "lucky stones" when I was a kid.

So you think she's not using that as a toilet?

Maybe it's just that time of year for relentless flies.

Hi Mitch ,
Sorry if this is a daft question but have you tried looking under
there with a torch or is that not possible .?
I can't guarantee shes not going under there but maybe there's a dead
animal or something under there Euw !
Alison