Litter training a former barn cat

[Ceylon_Star]

Well, the barn cat has decided he doesn’t want to be a barn cat now that winter is coming, even though he has unrestricted access to a heated tackroom complete with cat tree and fluffy bed. It’s also where he gets fed, but he hasn’t gone up to touch his food in a few days. Instead he’s been hanging out on my doorstep, begging to come in.

I finally caved and let him in for the night, but will be kicking him out in the morning when I leave for work. I don’t trust him in the house unsupervised because he is a sprayer. He got neutered a bit late, according to his previous owners, and ended up being given to BO to be a barn cat. He is a great hunter and does his job as barn cat well. I don’t mind him in the house, but the spraying is a problem.

If I can litter train him, he could spend more time inside. But he’s five years old and has lived outside, so litter box use is a bit foreign.

Any insight would be appreciated

[Fred]

Aww, CS, your kind heart won the day.
I would put a litter box there for his use, and gently stand him in it, maybe encourage him to scratch in it…he will probably catch on.
Looks like that fellow has found a nice place to live.

[HannahsMom7]

I would be nervous about a sprayer too.

as to the litterbox, what Fred said.

[Ceylon_Star]

The hope is to get him litter trained so he can spend the winter inside,and then go back up to the barn when the weather is nice again. He does enjoy being up there because so many people come and go and give him attention. But for now we will have to continue the routine of coming in at night and going out in the morning until I can get him reliably using the potty box.

[Christa_P]

I have 2 former ferals living mostly in the house. They both spent some time in a crate with a litter box after initial trapping, but I haven’t had an issue with them since then. One stayed in the house after neutering, the other went back to being a barn cat for a few years before moving in. Both toms, caught and neutered as adults.

[Justmyluck]

One of the easiest way to litter box train outside cats is to fill a gigantic box( Think underbed plastic bins) with plain sand/dirt. Its what they use when they are outside and the large box lets them fit their entire selves in it and move around and dig. I would one in several places. As he gets used to them you can switch one by one to cat litter or mix a little litter on top of the sand. Eventually you will be able to decrease the size of the box.

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[Rackonteur]

I’ve only known one cat who would not use a litter box and he could not be trained to.

I like the idea of using real dirt for a barn cat. Maybe scoop some of the footing from the arena? It is the biggest litter box in the world, after all!

Unfortunately, spraying is a whole different issue that has nothing to do with using a litter box and everything to do with marking territory.

I would let him continue to be a barn cat and enjoy the heated tack room (and hope he doesn’t spray there! Boarders hated that!) and the attention he gets from the barn humans. If he stays in all winter he will develop indoor softness and maybe allergies and sensitivities and it will be harder on him going back to barn life in the spring.