so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

I found them on craigs list, originally I was only going to get one but decided to take both of them this way they will have each other.

Anyway I have not had a cat in years, the ones I did have were indoor/outdoor cats, they ate, slept in side and went to the bathroom outside- no litterbox
can someone please remind me how to train the kitties to do their business outside

Do you think I need a litter box since they are litter trained already?

Thanks

Re: so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

If they are litter trained already, then all you need is the box and some litter. When you bring them home, just put them in it, drag their paws through the litter and leave them there to find their way out. They should have no problems after that. Our kitty was 8 weeks when we brought her home, and she never had an issue after we did that.

Re: so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

congrats and GL

Re: so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

congrats!!

kitties usually want to hide their poop and pee.. so its a natural instinct. have a litter box, and just show them where it is.. and then they will be ok.. hmm, not sure if you will need different boxes for the them, maybe someone will multiple cats can help.

but they bring u soooo much happiness.. and how sweet of you to adopt two of them together..

Re: so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

please don't have them be inside outside cats.

Buylitter and litter boxes and out them in it. They have the right instincts and will figuire it out especially since they are litter trained.

Re: so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

i totally misread your post. Would u reconsider making them only indoor cats?

Re: so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Just one question. Why does everyone think it is better to have the cats as indoor only.. I always had cats that were both indoor/ outdoor. One lived till 21 the other one was 19. I just hate litter boxes and my other cats loved to go outside, it's their choice if they want to go outside or not.

Re: so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

There are a lot of variables outside-cars, other animals, fleas and ticks, and illnesses like rabies and leukemia. One of my cats growing up was an outdoor cat and was bit in the behind by some kind of animal. She got infected, almost died because the bite nearly nicked her colon. It cost my parents a fortune for the surgery. My cat now is an indoor cat and she's very happy and I don't have to worry about where she is.

ETA: Good luck with your new kittens! I'm not a fan of the litter box smell either, and we only have one, but we keep ours in the bathroom and clean it everyday and you can't even tell a cat lives here.

Message edited 11/9/2010 7:00:51 PM.

Re: so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

Message edited 11/10/2010 9:18:53 AM.

Re: so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

Outside cats have a life expectancy of only 3-5 years because of all the hazards outside. I would worry like crazy if I let my cats outside. I don't know why anyone would want to take that risk.

Re: so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

we have 3 cats. one is indoor only, and 2 are indoor/outdoor. they're 16, 14, and 13. honestly... with the prevalence of feline aids and leukemia amongst strays, i would not choose to have an indoor/outdoor at this point. it's very risky for them. our 13 year old has feline aids. poor old guy.

Re: so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

My last cat was indoor/outdoor. It was the way my cats always were growing up as well.

In her lifetime, here are just some of the things we went through with her:

-Being hit by a car and needing a metal rod in her leg
-Getting into countless fights and coming home bloody
-(Wayyyy gross, just a warning) she had a gigantic grub growing inside her muscle tissue...the vet believes that a fly or something must have laid eggs in an open wound that she had. Her fur lost luster and she stopped eating...we would have never known why if she didn't sleep on my bed--I found blood spots all over my comforter one morning. When I went to investigate...OMG. Makes my stomach turn just to think about it.
-Her throwing up live worms and having them come out of...ahem...other openings...
-fleas and a few ticks
-using our tree to climb up on the roof, getting stuck there, and fracturing her pelvis when she decided to jump off the roof

My mom also had another cat that she let out into the yard one night. He never came back...she found him dead under the bushes about an hour later, some animal had gotten to him and nearly decapitated him

My sister's cat was killed (here in NC) when 3 of her neighbor's dogs wandered into the yard and literally tore him apart. He didn't die right away--it was only after over $4,000 worth of surgery that he went into cardiac arrest.

I'm not writing all this out to be gross, but merely to have you realize all the awful things that can happen to cats outdoors. I will never, ever have another outdoor cat again. Our cat is 100% indoor, and I know that he's safe at all times.

Re: so excited picking up 2 kitties tonight

Growing up our cats were always outdoor cats they always were getting run over, fleas, bitten, etc.

My cats are all indoor now, they are really healthy and the only way they get hurt is if they scratch eachother.