WE MADE IT!!!! MOVE SUCCESSFUL

andieg

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Hi everyone - I wanted to give an update as to how the move 500 miles away went with Toupee, our semi-feral cat.

He is doing awesome!!!!  When some of you mentioned to keep him in the house for two weeks, I was concerned as to how he'd take to that since at our old home he would scratch at the door if I tried to keep him in one day. After the first day of him getting over being timid and nervous (he clung to me the way a toddler clings to his mother while being held in her arms), he has become King of our Home. Loves being indoors, and my husband and the two people who helped us move put together a catio the same day after driving 7 1/2 hours knowing how concerned I was (and after 6 hours of loading the truck the day before driving). I placed his bedding he used under the old house, one is a cat home with warming mat and I put a bench so one bed can be under it.

During the day after a morning of brushing and breakfast and hanging out with us inside and on the catio, he goes under the couch for a full day of napping.  Comes out for dinner and more brushing and hanging out.  I think part of his comfortability is Jane, our other cat my husband had 15 years (10 with me) has passed on a couple of days before we moved and so feels freer and unafraid to hang out.

He is a night owl - wakes me around 2ish - I'm usually up at 4 AM anyway, so it's not too bad, and it's our special time together. He has a snack, and heads out onto the catio to look around and then takes a snooze with me for a few minutes or so.

The difficult part is potty time. He was already trained to use pads to pee on I had under and around litter pans for our other cat. So that's not a problem. I set up a closet and also around other areas and under a table in a private room. BUT, he always went outside to poop - he may have used the litter pan a few times so it isn't anything strange to him. I also set up two litter pans - one indoors and one on the catio and filled them with dirt we brought from areas he had used at our old garden.  BUT he won't use them. It's been a few days now, he's not acting ill, but he walks around the house meowing looking for spots. And I haven't found any poop anywhere. The catio is on the smallish side (didn't realize it was this small - it's two dog runs together maybe 8x8) so we are expanding it another 8 feet later today so his bathroom place can be way off on the other end instead of where everything else is located. I read some posts, the special litter hasn't worked. I ran my fingers through it like they were paws with him watching, still nothing. Tried potty training which he didn't like at all.  So I hope extending the area works.

Any ideas, please let me know.
 

shadowsrescue

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Congrats on a successful move.  THe catio looks great awesome.  I would love to see more pictures.

As for the litter box.  I had great success when I brought a feral cat inside using Dr. Elsey's Litter Attract.  I too started with soil and he would not use it.  He potted on the rug a few times so I sopped up the urine with a paper towel and buried it into the litter box with the Litter Attract.  I did the same with the poop.  It took him one day after that to use the box.  I then slowly transitioned to Dr. Elsey's Precious cat litter since it was the same texture.  I would definitely try the Litter Attract.  I have 3 ferals right now that live on my deck with a shelter.  One of them has been using a litter box for a few years.  The other day the latest feral used it for the first time.  I use the Litter Attract for them too.  I have the best luck when I use it straight instead of mixing it. 

Hopefully he starts to use the box soon.
 
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andieg

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Thank you for your advice.I took away the dirt and only used the cat attract. Like magic!!!!

He's peed in it twice and around 10:30 last night he came up on the bed and stuck his tush in my face so I'd know

he pooped!  I went to take a look, and although he didn't use the litter box for that, he went on the pads. What a relief!

I'll get a separate litter box for him to use for his poop. I had read some cats like two separate areas.

We are building a patio for his catio. I'll take more pictures when done. The dog runs are expensive, so for a third the price

my husband bought black galvanized steel fencing, stakes/posts and garden staples and we'll open one of the panels and build out from there and place a top on it.

This will give him another 30+ feet so he has dirt and can see in alot more directions. We'll place bushes in containers (we're renting this

first year of our move) so he has shade and hiding places for security.

Thank you again. I feel so much better now that he's pooped.
 
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