Is 15 hours too long for my indoor cat to not use the litter box?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Usually about 24 hours is possible. It is very important to make sure that you have a litter box or two available with the type of litter that he likes and is used to. Sometimes this can be observed in times of stress or when adjusting to a new environment. Make sure that you have this available and monitor him for the next few hours and it is very likely that he will go. Good luck!

It should be fine if he’s choosing to go outside. I would think you would find urine or feces in the house if he is going indoors. Many cats prefer to go outside and as long as he has the choice to use the litter box I wouldn’t be concerned.

I would give Ostin a few days to settle down and get used to being inside. If he hasn't used his litter box, bringing him to it so he can explore it, or bringing in a little substrate he prefers to go potty in (such as some dirt from the garden) and mixing it with the litter may make it more obvious to him where he needs to go. If he continues to act lethargic, doesn't use the bathroom at all, or shows other signs of illness, an exam with your vet is best to make sure there isn't anything else going on.

Congrats on your new cat! You are correct that Oliver should stay inside for a while since he has moved to a new home, good on you for doing that! It is a little concerning that it's been 36 hours with no eating or going to the litter box, but moving into a new home is stressful. Because cats can develop a fatty liver when they haven't eaten for three days or more, which is fatal without treatment, I'm going to give you some things to try to tempt him to eat. You can soak his food in gently warmed low sodium beef or chicken broth, or soak it in tuna juice. You can also try offering him small amounts of boiled white meat chicken (no bones). If you can get him to eat, then he will use the litter box. Should he still not be eating in the morning, then I would take him into the vet for a health check just to be safe. Hopefully, however he will eat some of the tasty morsels I've suggested you give him :-)

I would be a little worried that Jinx might be urinating somewhere else in the house! I'd recommend confining her to a small area like a bathroom with the litter box so that you can closely monitor what is happening - pull all rugs up. It is also possible that she is nervous about her new situation and simply hasn't urinated yet. If she is eating and drinking well and you're not seeing her straining to urinate or defecate you could probably give her another 24 hours of very close supervision. If she still does not go I would recommend seeing a veterinarian.

Yes, even if a cat spends most of his time outdoors it is a good idea to have a littler box available Incase he has to go while he is indoors. If no box is available he will likely choose a spot which is not desirable! Good luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Yes, i would definitely recommend offering him a litter tray and possibly also a coveted, three sided sand tray in a quiet section of the garden. Urine retention and stress is a concern in cats and a trigger for significant inflammation and blockage so should be minimised as much as possible