We adopted Cleo three weeks ago from the RSPCA. She was found in a rough part of town as a stray and pregnant with seven kittens. I think that she has had a hard life and is very very nervous of humans. We love her so much and despite her being nervous there are some break through moments. All we have wanted to do is give her the home she deserves.

But she has started toileting outside the litter tray. I have tried isolating the room she was doing it in. I moved "her" litter tray away from the others BUT Archie just goes in any litter tray availabile and as soon as he does, she messes on the carpet.

Apart from that she gets on with Archie and Ella so well. But the house is just starting to stink despite us cleaning it all up. My OH is saying that we have tried but it's not working and that we have to be aware that our hosue can't slowly be ruined. I just wnat to give her a loving home and the thought of her going back to the RSPCA where she could be for ages (as a black and white cat that is nervous) is breaking my heart.

I know that cats struggle living together and maybe I have just been unreasonable by forcing the issue of a third cat. I really really wanted to give a rescue chat another chance but this is my worse nightmare!

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Have you tried doing a reintroduction, putting her in one room with her tray?

I would also look to provide more trays as it may be that she doesnt like the fact others are going n 'hers' so more choice of clean trays may make her feel better.

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I'm no expert but you could try
- have the vet test for any UTIs
- putting her in just one room with just her food and water and bed and litter tray till she starts using it again
- have you tried feliway?
- has she got plenty of places to go and hide away on her own from the other cats when she feels stressed?

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If she's going outside the tray, then it's either a stress issue or a health issue. As others have already suggested, get her checked for UTI's and provide an additional tray or two until you get this sorted. Cats want to be clean, so she should go back to her earlier habit if you find the root of her issue with the litter box now.

Also, clean wherever she has gone (and if it's wee, double the circle around it) with white vinegar or biological washing powder or even both. You can't clean it too much. The expensive enzyme cleaners seem to work, but I can't tell that they do any better than good old vinegar. Oh and hydrogen peroxide works really well on pee as well.

Good luck and don't give up on her yet. Poor baby has been through a lot and while I know having the house stink is dreadful, there are ways to fix the problem.

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My babies
Aber, Ragnar, Kelso (the corgi trio), Daisy (our rescue mystery-mix puppy), Ellie, Henry, Gwennie, Jezebel (the kitty quartet), Blake, Chaucer, Molly and Milton (the kittens), and Bingo the African Grey parrot

Over the Bridge:
Pippin: 1/6/08-17/5/11
Freja: 11/8/10-30/10/10
Kirby: 11/8/10-1/11/10

"Praise liberty/The freedom to obey/It's a song that strangles me/Well, don't cross the line" Billie Joe Armstrong

Yes we did that but she cried to be with the other cats, She started using the tray agaij but on the reintroduction she stopped.

We have four trays, I really don't want to go to five! Literally Archie goes in all of them as it is!

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I am sure you clean them as much as possible but I would definitely think of adding another tray, at least one, possibly 2, and cleaning up anything you see asap so there is always a clean one for her to go in.

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Hi Shyboots, thanks for all that - we have tried it all!

- have the vet test for any UTIs
Yes!
- putting her in just one room with just her food and water and bed and litter tray till she starts using it again
she did but then as soon as we started the reintriduction. Archie went straight to her littertray and she started to mess again.
- have you tried feliway?
Yes it has always been plugged in
- has she got plenty of places to go and hide away on her own from the other cats when she feels stressed
Yes and she does spend a lot of time hiding but I think more from us than the other cats!

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Hi - this is the problem. The issue is Archie and the fact he won't stick to one tray!

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This suggests that she was ok to begin with but has started doing this more recently - would that be correct?-

Has anything occurred that could have upset her? Was there a change in the house - ie; you going back to work after a holiday? - that has resulted in her spending more time on her own with the other 2 cats?

3 weeks is no time at all in re-homing terms and if she was already a nervous cat, she will need a lot more time to adjust.

You could also try some Rescue Remedy to help ease her stress. Maybe she needs more time alone in a solitary room before she feels secure enough to mingle with your other two cats.

We got Abby from a rescue after she had given birth to 4 kittens - she is a very friendly outgoing little thing but it still took the best part of 2 months before we felt that she was settled within our home.

Be patient, you WILL get there. She just needs a bit more time - after all that she has been through, can you blame her.....

You CAN do it. It's hard but you WILL get there. (((hugs))) because it is still a stressful time for you.

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I have been doing that - I haven't got room for six trays!

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