how to get a stray to use the litter box

[drray23]

So we now have taken in Phryne. As you may have seen in my previous post she is a 9yr old female stray cat. Gentle and affectionate. Only issue is that we have yet to get her to use a litter box. Any tips on how to facilitate that ?



Update 2/25:
The evening after I started to use unscented litter mixed with Dr Elsey's attractant she started to go to the box!

[spooky3]

1. Keep her in a small room with litter box at first. Try

Dr. Elsey’s Cat Attract litter.

[magicarpet]

2. Find where she poops,... dig it up and bring it to the litter box.

Then put her in the litter box and encourage her to acquaint the smell, the box, and new poop location.

[KT2000]

3. Use unscented litter

with Dr. Elsey's Cat attract and a regular type litter than is not weird to the cat. Also put it in a place where she has privacy.

[drray23]

4. ok. thanks!

I have ordered some Dr. Elsey litter attractant. We will see how it goes..

[raging moderate]

5. There is special litter that attracts cats.

I think it is called "Cat Attract" or something. You can buy it at special pet stores. Also, if she could watch other cats using the litter box, that might help. I took in a stray and her kitten many years ago, and it was a problem. I bought one of those large flat plastic trays that are used as the beds of wire cages, and I set the litter box on that. Then, when the cat misses the box a litter, it does not land on the floor It seems to help if there is no lid on the litter box. The sweet girl and her shy daughter never did achieve 100%, but they did get much better. I had a sweet little male only 5 pounds, who became friends with them both.
Incidentally, we later took in my daughter's cat who had scratched her baby. He was somewhat aggressive and eventually bullied my sweet girl cat. I set up a small litter box in a back room where I confined Mr. Bully much of the time. One day, I came in and found my sweet girl cat had sneaked in to poop in Mr. Bully's box. He really was pretty grouchy. My little male, very sweet and non-aggressive. He and the sweet little girl were like a happy married couple. When this sweet 6 pound male caught 12 pound Mr. Bully hitting his "wife," my sweet little male marched right over, reached UP, and smacked Mr. Bully square across the face, clearly ordering him to "Leave her alone!"
The little stray kitten became a reclusive cat and never warmed up to humans; she died of lymphoma at age 13. My sweet little boy spent many hours helping the mother provide the nursing care cats give each other in illness, cuddling and licking and kissing. Mr. Bully died at age 16, apparently of a heart attack. The sweet girl cat lived to be about 20 years old, and finally seemed to die of a stroke. My sweet little boy widower is almost 16 now, the sole survivor, has finally stopped looking everywhere for the girl cat he loved. He is still sweet, still loving. After all the kindness and devotion and flat-out bravery he showed to his two girl cats, there is nothing I would not do for him.

[Karadeniz]

6. All my rescues go into a wire dog cage initially. The litter box is right there. As suggested, put

Stray poop into the box. Pee can be sopped up with a paper towel and tossed into the box. Cage pan should be lined with something easy to change out to remove accident smells.

[spooky3]

8. I use puppy pads with my cat rescues. Nt

[hamsterjill]

7. Dirt initially

In our rescue, we’ve occasionally had to use potting soil instead of litter JUST long enough to get the cat to use the litterbox. Once they’ve figured it out, we’ve immediately switched to litter and it’s worked every single time.

[spooky3]

9. That's a good idea. Thanks. Nt

[Ziggysmom]

10. Avoid covered litter boxes, too. Agree on the Dr Elsey cat attract litter 😊