@lowqualityfacts During residency I once got home so tired I shut the cats out of the bedroom and forgot they then had no litter box. When I woke up, the poor cats had knocked some papers off my desk and used it as litter, sparing the carpet. I praised and petted them and gave them treats for being such good boys and doing their best.
Unfortunately, they learned that while using the litter box is good, peeing on papers is WAY BETTER! YOU GET TREATOS! And I had to stop leaving any papers around.