1

We have two cats (both female, 6 & 4 yrs old). The older one is becoming less mobile (can't get over the fence), and has started taking to digging up the lawn to do her business. Whenever I see her do it I run and shoo her away, which seems to work for a day or two, but then she starts again. There is a border along the edge which we don't particularly care about, and I've seen her use that before.

I saw a related question for dogs: Is there anything I can put on my lawn to prevent my dog from digging? but I don't think that answer would work for our cat.

We could go back to using a litter tray but that seems an awful pain. Does anyone have any ideas on ways to encourage her to go elsewhere? I saw this article Natural Cat Repellents which suggests growing catnip plants and/or a sandbox. But how healthy would a catnip solution be in the long term for the cat? And I'm not sure about a sandbox, since we have a young child (and another on the way!) who would probably make a beeline for that as soon as our backs are turned!!

Any help appreciated.

Community
  • 1
tdc
  • 111
  • 1
  • 5

1 Answers1

3

Tdc, at 6 years old, your cat should still be running about like a 2 year old. Cats are middle aged to old when they get to 9 years and onwards, so if your cat is having difficulty moving about, I suggest a trip to the vets or the local RSPCA/PDSA clinic. It's also very odd for any cat to scratch in grass - they always prefer loose material to do their business in because it's easier to move around. Tom cats sometimes use long, uncut grass as a toilet, but female cats, never. In the meantime, if its been a while since you turned the soil over in the border, give it a dig now to loosen it up - this might be enough to persuade the cat to go there instead of the grass, once she discovers how much easier it is. But I still can't help thinking the poor cat has an underlying health issue.

Bamboo
  • 135,647
  • 3
  • 80
  • 169