# If one puts a kitty litter box outside will feral cast use it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 7, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832 "2010-11-07T23:14:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/1 "2010-11-07T23:14:08Z")
If one puts a kitty litter box outside will feral cast use it instead of my rose beds? ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/2 "2010-11-08T02:43:34Z")
We have a feral cat who has become semi-tamed for us, and she has gotten in the house and used our cat’s litter box, so I’m pretty sure shed use one outside. It was December or January and I think she appreciated the dry litter as compared to the snow outside. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/3 "2010-11-08T15:37:45Z")
Oh, man, I bet your indoor cat _loooved_ that. With one of our cats, at least, that would be the surest way to start a (literal) pissing war. OP, I’ll say this: at best, the cat will use the litter box _and_ the rose beds. The only real reason the cat would switch exclusively to the litter box would be if the existing dirt was too hard/packed/rocky to comfortably scratch and dig in … in which case, I’d think your roses would be caput, too. Suggestion: buy bulk cayenne and/or finely ground black pepper, and sprinkle liberally where you don’t want critters to dig/poop. Has to be re-applied after heavy rainfall or watering, but it does deter most - not all - critters who would prefer not to get a snootful of spicy pain. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/4 "2010-11-08T16:21:04Z")
Don’t feral cats and bears (or is it the pope?) have something in common? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/5 "2010-11-08T16:26:58Z")
May work, may not. The cayenne suggestion is a good one. Clean up every trace of feces first, and put a piece or two into the litterbox. The cat may get the hint, as cats naturally like to consolidate their feces (literally!), and the icky smelling stuff on the ground might enhance the urge to keep the crap in the litterbox. ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/6 "2010-11-08T17:38:23Z")
I dunno, but they will sure use a kid’s sandbox, if you leave it uncovered. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/7 "2010-11-08T19:27:57Z")
When we had some renovations done on our home, the contractors put up a portable toilet in the yard. I asked them why it had a padlock on the outside, and they said that they’d found that if they left it unlocked, the mailman would use it. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/8 "2010-11-08T21:20:06Z")
It really depends on whether they’re able to get a new acting gig quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/9 "2010-11-08T23:42:17Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Oh, man, I bet your indoor cat _loooved_ that. With one of our cats, at least, that would be the surest way to start a (literal) pissing war.. You are right. Our indoor cat took offense, and I had to empty the litter box, wash it, wash it again, and humbly beg his forgiveness. He still didn’t use the litter box for a couple of days, so I was thoroughly punished. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/10 "2010-11-09T00:41:26Z")
What about putting down a layer of large gravel in the rose beds plus the litter box. The gravel might be uncomfortable, leaving the box the better pooping option. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/11 "2010-11-09T00:49:30Z")
If you’re letting ferals/strays in, be sure your animals are loaded up in terms of vaccines for FeLV and FIV. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/12 "2010-11-09T02:57:18Z")
The feral cast? My Og, You Did Send Socks To India!!! ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/13 "2010-11-09T03:09:32Z")
> [@cerberus](#): > > If you’re letting ferals/strays in, be sure your animals are loaded up in terms of vaccines for FeLV and FIV. I know a vet and she has trapped the feral cat, spayed her, and vaccinated her. For some reason she likes us but won’t go near anyone else in the neighborhood. She showed up at our door with her mother and 4 or 5 siblings as a tiny, tiny, kitten. As the weeks went on the siblings and mother quit coming around, but she still does. I put some blankets out for her, and in January and February offer her the house at night. Maybe twice in 9 years she’s come in, but by 5 AM she wants out. We keep fresh water out for her. My neighbors have tried to get close to her but she runs. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/14 "2010-11-09T04:24:48Z")
Ferals have low mana and are restricted to Druidic lore spells anyway. A true magic user (over level 12), on the other hand, could cast Use It on a single item for a duration of 6 rounds. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-one-puts-a-kitty-litter-box-outside-will-feral-cast-use-it/559832/15 "2010-11-09T04:46:47Z")
I’ll bet they’d use it, but do you really want to clean it?