>We did take their litter pan out with us and Michael made it once as did
>Gabriel but after playing they could not quite get to it quick enough
>even though they were only 10ft away at any given time.  Is it a good
>idea to take out the litter box or let them poo and pee in the yard?
 
Hi.  We got our boys in the winter, and we did take them out a few times
to play in the snow (they particularly enjoyed the 3' blizzard!), but they
obviously didn't spend too much time outside till it got nice this spring.
By then, they were so well littertrained that when we started taking them
out for long periods of time in the nice weather, they had a hard time
going to the bathroom outside!  They'd back up looking for a spot for
15 minutes, give up, try again... They'd get so flustered ("there's no
litterbox here!  I can't use the bathroom here!") that I'd eventually just
bring out the litterbox to their great relief.  It was kind of funny-I
guess I trained them well, and they didn't want mommy yelling at them!
Once Nicky backed up to a tree to go-closest thing he had to a corner-but
it was a pine tree, and mommy had to use antibacterial gel (for the
alcohol) to break down the pine tar he was covered in before giving him
a bath!
 
After awhile, however, as they have gotten more used to being outside,
it still takes them awhile, but they have learned that it's okay to go
without a litterbox outside, just not inside.  So you my want to start out
with the litterbox outside for their comfort, but eventually they should
be able to just go outside.  As long as you don't mind tiny poops here and
there in your lawn (not that you can even find them again, usually, and
ours seem to disappear/disintegrate pretty quickly-it's not like dog
poop).
 
Good luck and congrats on your new babies!
 
-April
[Posted in FML issue 3552]