Barn cat question: using my aisle as a toilet

[Simkie]

The barn cat saga continues. A few weeks ago, we finally bit the bullet and let Tulip loose in the barn. She’s done quite well and has stuck around, and leaves us dead mousie presents from time to time. Yay!

But. She’s using my aisle as a litter box. I can’t entirely blame her, because it’s just lime and it’s nice and fine and soft. But it’s Got. To. Stop. She HAS a litter box that’s cleaned daily that she uses. The stalls are also nearly always empty and open and she can go in there. We also leave a barn door open so she can go outside. When it’s nice outside, it seems like she does go outside. I can’t really blame her for not wanting to go out to crap when it’s snowing…but this is why she has a litterbox.

How can I make my aisle less cat crap friendly?

Backstory for those who aren’t familiar: this is a feral cat we got from a local TNR rescue. They delivered her freshly spayed and vaccinated. She is not handleable AT ALL and spent a few months in a crate acclimating as we worked through some upper respiratory stuff, the sudden death of her feral kitty friend (heart issue), a few contractors in the barn and our general “we want her to stay, how do we let her go and keep her around?” concerns.

[aurora171989]

I’m not sure how to picture your barn aisle, but I’m thinking maybe put wooden boards down, or mats? You could try putting gravel down in the aisle. Might help if we have a picture of the aisle and if possible Tulip.

I would use something that’s not pleasant to walk on, or can’t bury anything because it’s solid.

[gaitedincali]

You can try spraying diluted white vinegar in her favorite aisle poo spot. While it smells, it smells better than cat poop. And it’s cheap enough that you won’t break the bank spraying down a barn aisle.

[macmtn]

Put her poop in the litterbox. Keep at it…do not clean it out…cat needs to associate the box with going.

[cowboymom]

Put lime in her litterbox? And dust something extremely non-cat friendly but safe in the aisle? Put a litter box in the aisle? Definitely move all her results to a litter box or 10 to point the way.

[Pippigirl]

What about sprinkling some stuff called “Cridder Ridder” around areas where Tulip likes to poop and like the others suggested, move the poop that you do find to her litter box? Is the kitty litter in the box scented?

[2DogsFarm]

I had the same problem with a visiting stray.

My barncat uses my indoor, at 60X120 surely the World’s Largest Litterbox :lol:

So when I started finding piles in my aisle I knew who to blame.
What worked for me was putting a piece of rubber roofing material (ice dam?) over the chosen spot AND spraying with my homemade flyspray mix of vinegar & Pinesol.

[Mango20]

What if you put the litterbox in the aisle?

[MidnightWriter]

[QUOTE=Mango20;8006897]
What if you put the litterbox in the aisle?[/QUOTE]

This sounds like the best idea to me too.

[aurora171989]

I don’t know why I didn’t think of that, but putting the litter box in the aisle first would be a very good idea, and the cheapest/easiest idea.

[RPM]

Then when she is in the habit of using it, maybe you could move it back to where you want it?

Or not …

[vxf111]

I would close her up in a big kennel with the litterbox until she gets reliable with it and then let her out. Keep the existing poop/pee in there so she remember it by smell.

You can also try cat attract herbs but I have never personally had much luck with that.

[Kimstar]

I had one very alpha neutered male barn cat who would use a litter box exactly ONCE before dumping and urinating elsewhere.

Perhaps try a second litter box in the aisle and keep both scrupulously clean, even if you have to clean them more than once daily.