Recently a cat wandered into our house. We tried to find its owners but to no avail. Now the cat lives with us but it will only "partially" use the litter box. In other words it will do number 1 in the litter box but wont do number 2 in it. Is there any way I can at least try to get the cat to go both number 1 & 2 in the litter box? :) Would appreciate the help.

Hi,
Perseverance and Consistency are two key words here. It may take a little while for it to get the idea that this is where to go.
Here is a link with some suggestions:
http://www.worcester-arl.org/trainin...attraining.htm
I do wish you the best of luck.

There are a number of things you can do to make sure your new cat is comfortable. First of all, do you have any other cats in the house? If you do, it might be a good idea to give this new cat his own litterbox. Is the cat fairly large? Maybe the litterbox is not big enough for him. Make sure it's big enough so that the cat could lie down and sleep in there if he wanted. You might also try getting a covered litterbox or hide the litterbox in a place where only the cat can fit, so that he feels more secure when doing his business. The cat may also not like the feel of the kitty litter on his paws. Standing in the kitty litter to urinate is not so bad, because it's fairly quick, but having to do number two can take a lot longer for a cat. So if he doesn't like the litter, he may very well avoid the box all together. Whenever I've had a new cat I always use very fine, scent-free litter, and I fill the box quite deeply. That way the litter most resembles the dirt or sand in the great outdoors, which your cat is probably more used to using.

Do you let your cat out? It could that the cat has a special "number two bathroom" outside somewhere, that he is comfortable with and also uses as a means of marking territory. If that's the case, it might be pretty hard to break him of this habit. Most cats hate to soil in the house, and will only do it if they really have to. So if you let him out on a regular basis, at the same times each day, he will likely learn to "hold it" until he gets outside.

Good luck, and please come back and let us know how it's going!

Questions to see if I can help you

Does the litter box have a lid on it?

How long has he been in the house?

Does he free roam the home at the present time?

Do you have any other pets?

If he is free roaming at the present time you could try to contain him in a smaller room. This way he might use the box rather than your plants or floor. Try keeping him in a room with his food water and litter box. Place #2 in the box if in the event you find it. Not knowing the cats back ground makes it hard. Some cat (like my Peek A Boo) do not use a box with a lid on it to do #2, god for bid if she smelt her business. If you do have other pets you should have this cat checked by a vet as he may have some thing you do not want him sharing with your pets. You may also try switching the litter, clay verses crystal and pellets.

Also if you would like to do some research om your own you van try
Pet Education.comIt is a really good site filled with information. I hope that this was in some way helpful to you. (O: