How to stop my outdoor cat from using neighbor's yard as a litter box?

That's a tough situation. Unfortunately, short of keeping Honey inside, there really isn't anything you can do. Cats develop substrate preferences, and Honey appears to like dirt, so you can make litter boxes for her inside filled with a mixture of dirt and sand. However, I suspect the outside litter box/garden will still be more appealing to her.

You may just need to limit Marley's access to the lawn by either placing fencing up, or trying to encourage him to go where you want him by placing deterrents on the lawn but not in the garden/soil areas. Placing out a litter box, or bringing him indoors to use a litter box may also help. As some cats do have substrate preferences, you can try placing a bit of sod in a box in your garden area, to see if he'll start going on that bit instead of the lawn you use.

That could be tough. You can try taking away the litter box for short periods of time. Make sure he has access to the outside. If everything seems to be going well, gradually length in the amount of time the litter box is removed. Be careful though, he may find another place to go inside the house. You could also try gradually moving the litter box to the door from its current location. And then move the litter box outside the door. Then take it away. Of course he would still need to watched that he is not finding an alternative place to go in the house. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Inappropriate urination is hard. It is best to rule out medical causes first (bladder stones, crystals in the urine, urinary tract infection) before assuming it is behavioral. I would confine the cats in a room for 1-2 weeks where they can not see the outdoor cats. Use a Feliway diffuser in the room and set one up where they were marking. Get blinds or keep the blinds down so they can not see the cats. You can try to talk to your neighbor but I doubt they will keep them inside. Cleaned the soiled areas with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle and Anti-Ichy Poo. Then let the cats back out. If they continue to mark then I would ask your Vet for Prozac. Good luck! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=37240

Unfortunately if you are planning on keeping him indoor / outdoor, it is very difficult to keep him away from other stray cats. I would recommend ensuring his vaccinations (Feline Leukemia, Rabies and FVRCP) are all up to date to prevent transmission of these diseases. There are motion activated sprinklers you can get that will startle cats and keep them away from your property and you can find these online quite easily. Really, keeping him indoors is the only 100% way to keep him away from stray cats. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Yes, no problem but consider that if you need to keep him indoor in the future (even for few days), and he is not trained to use the litter tray, he might urinate/defecate in inappropriate places within the house. Hopefully will never happen but consider that won't be possible to check for any change in urine/feces pattern or appearance in case Oliver get sick (i.e. diarrhea, urine tract infection,..). Please post again on the forum or request a consultation if you would like to discuss it any further.

Start now with closing the cat door at night and keeping Kitter in with a litter box available. After a few days or a week keep him inside only. That way he will adjust before the stress of moving. Most cats naturally use the litter box but you may want to confine him to a smaller area with the box at night when he's in. Use plain litter without fragrance and clean it daily and fully empty it and scrub it with mild dish washing soap weekly. Cats are fussy and if the box is dirty they can start going out of the box. Also pick up bath mats and laundry so he doesn't start urinating on those. He should be fine, most cats adjust well. Make sure you play with him a lot and he may enjoy a cat tree since he is probably used to more exercise when he's outside. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kitter.