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Pets and toilet training

Cats are so easy. They come fully toilet-trained, don’t need to be taken for walks, don’t bark, and don’t require entertaining. It has been a long time since I had a cat and after 14 years of my dogs, Freud and Zeki, I had forgotten what is was like.

I got Freud and Zeki as puppies at a time when I really shouldn’t have got a pet, let alone two of the naughtiest dogs on the planet. I was a poverty-stricken student who knew nothing about dogs. The toilet training was painful. Then there were the puppy training classes which we failed at and no matter what I tried I couldn’t stop Freud and Zeki barking uncontrollably at every other dog and cat they saw.

Victoria on the other hand is 11 weeks and knew straight away where to go to the toilet. Indeed, she was so discreet that on the first day I was worried she wasn’t using the litter tray because I couldn’t see anything in it but it turned out that she’d buried it all. She could teach some adult humans a few lessons about hygienic toileting. And she would definitely never poo in her bed.

Yesterday she finally managed to get to the highest level of her cat tree and can now climb into the bed at the top. I had to move it slightly closer to the windowsill so she can use it as a step up.

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She’s asleep in her bed at the very top now.

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She fell asleep on Daniel’s keyboard today.

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All the playing tired her out.

A couple of wood pigeons visited the bird feeder today. They look quite young and I don’t think they’re fully grown.

 

We’re still getting lots of strawberries. I made a chocolate banana cake today and Elizabeth decorated it.

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5 responses to “Pets and toilet training”

  1. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    LOVE your cat. Our little rescue cat spent his first months wild, so doesn’t really humans at all – he tolerates us just long enough to get fed, and then happily lives in the back garden (luckily we have a big garden). I do wish he was a little more sociable though.

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      Yes, even though we didn’t plan to get a kitten and instead set out to adopt a rescue cat I’m kinda pleased how things turned out because now we can mould this little one a bit and get her used to human company. Although I don’t think she needs much encouragement. She’s already very affectionate and likes being around us.

      Reply
  2. Denise Avatar
    Denise

    We rescued our kitten from a rather disorganised hill farmer we knew, who didn’t want to pay to get his cats spayed. I wish I’d got her used to a cat tree when young as she has no interest in the scratching post I’ve got her since she became an indoor only cat.
    Also if they are used to going to the toilet outside, you do need to indoor toilet train them if you move to a house without a garden, but it only took a day (and a few accidents). And then I tried to get the natural wood pellet litter but she refused to use that, really didn’t like it.

    Reply
    1. Rachel M Avatar
      Rachel M

      Interesting! I ended up with two cat litters for Victoria because the one I first ordered (a rather expensive one with wood pellets) didn’t arrive on time so I got a cheap £3 thing and a big bag of catsan natural clumping litter. She’s always preferred the £3 tray with catsan! I’ve never been able to get her to use the wood pellets so I’ve since put catsan in both litter boxes. Now I’m wondering what to do with the wood pellets?

      We’re not sure if she’s going to be an indoor cat or not. She’s still too little to go outside anyway. Did your cat have trouble adjusting from outdoor to indoor only?

      Reply
      1. Denise Avatar
        Denise

        Our cat was 15 when we moved house, so she was lucky to have had a hunting life outside. I think it’s helped her keep healthy. She is a bit stiff now, but she is 18 years old. I think I had to throw the pellets away. I offered them round to people with cats but they all said their cats didn’t like them. I wonder if it is the feel, or the smell? But I think you can put it in a wood burner if you pack it into kitchen roll tubes or paper bags.

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