Dear Cathy,
Regarding Gloria in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, (who was trying to get a feral cat to adapt to a litter box), tell her to cover the regular litter with outside dirt since that is what the feral cat is used to. It is not that difficult to get a feral cat to adapt to a litter box, but it takes patience. I have several cats that have adapted nicely.
– Rita, Hauppauge, New York
Dear Rita,
I received several letters from readers offering the same advice. They phased the dirt out over time, so eventually the cat was just using the litter. Using a Cat Litter Attractant might still be quicker, but I can see the benefits of using dirt to transition a feral cat to cat litter.
Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, children’s author, syndicated pet columnist, and pet expert with more than 30 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to moc.tidnuptep@yhtac. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal