Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with litterbox

How to get cats to use the litterbox?

djduckie — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:51:22 -0800

How can i re-litter train my cats? We had two cats, and they were good cats. they are about a year old, litter mates, didn't fight much, used the litter box, or atleast pooped on the tile next to the litter box in their bathroom, which was easy to clean. Then one day we are walking to the apartment and a kitten that looks almost exactly like the jumps out of a bush and comes straight up to us. He let's me pick him up, he has no tags so i decide i'll feed him and see if someoen puts up signs for him. Well, no one did, and he thinks i am the greatest thing on the planet, so it's pretty much too late to get rid of him. The bad news being that the older cats took a while to warm up to him, and now that they have and everything seems ok, one of them has stopped using the cat bathroom entirely, rather opting for the carpet in the dinning room.

I found another similar question and everyone suggested isolation, but the is the problem with that (possibly). There are three of them, and we live in a 900 sq ft apartment. Their bathroom is like a glorified broom closet with bathroom fixtures in it (which as i am sure you could guess take up most of the space.

I know the question of "why three" comes to mind because it often comes to my mind. Well like i said we started with 2, the first we got, and then i realized that with my work schedule and school there were huge chunks of the day that no one was there and i wanted him to have some company, so that introduced his brother. The third was a chance encounter and probably a mistake, but i am a big softy when it comes to poor defensless kittens.

Any suggestions?

Strangling the cat that poops on the floor would be acceptable to me.

grapefruitmoon — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:50:49 -0800

Litterbox Troubleshooting: Two cats. One litterbox. One bathroom. No flushing. HALP. The only place in our apartment suitable for the litterbox is in our bathroom, right next to our shower. As you can imagine, this means when the litterbox is stinky... taking a shower is also stinky.

I try to scoop it out every day... but we have the world's worst toilet and the pee clumps clogged the toilet every. single. time.

So, switched to Feline Pine (which one of the cats has used before), which would solve this problem, but created a new one: the other cat won't use it. To the point where she went and crapped ON the floor.

HALP ME. I AM LOSING MY MIND. How do we get both cats to crap in the litterbox with some kind of litter that does not clump?

Need advice on cat urination issue

MeetMegan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:53:58 -0800

Cat behavior question: urinating outside (directly outside) the litterbox. Vet has ruled out any blood issues or urinary blockages. I have darling, dear, adorable Coal. He will be 2 at the end of this month. Over the last six weeks, he has taken to urinating directly outside of his litterbox. All. The. Time.

I took him to the vet four weeks ago, when I realized this was a problem that wasn't going to go away. She tested him for everything generally imaginable in a young cat, and he's come out with a clean bill of health. She has suggested a high-resolution ultrasound (an ultrasound she generally gives to elderly cats or those with known urinary issues, in addition to the ultrasound she took at her office) and I am considering that, as he may have very small crystals/blockages invisible on her ultrasound. Barring that, it seems as though this is a behavior problem.

He no longer urinates in his litterbox at all. He still defecates in his litterbox, as normal. He stands with his two front paws inside the litterbox, his two back paws outside, and urinating like that - directly outside the box. I have always fastidiously cleaned his litterbox, when I wake up, before I go to work, when I get home from work, and before I go to bed. "Stale box" should not be a problem. He has, luckily and thank my stars, not ever urinated anywhere aside from the master bathroom floor.

I have four litterboxes in my house. Three are in the master bath, which is where his original one litterbox always was. There are now two litterboxes near where he often urinates, and those boxes have his old litter (World's Best). There is also a third litter box, about three feet away, with a new litter (Arm & Hammer Naturals - it was the texture that seemed most different from World's Best). There is a fourth litterbox in a guest bathroom with the old litter brand in it - that remains untouched in the last four weeks (by urine or feces). The other three boxes in the master bath have all been blessed by his feces, but not by his urine (in the last four weeks, at least). Is there another litter I should try? Does Cat Attract really work?

About three weeks ago, I had the genius streak and got some of those puppy training pads, and placed them all around the bathroom. He now urinates on those, which has been handy in showing me exactly where he goes when I am gone at work. They are still a bear to clean up though (they drip and aren't always watertight!).

I have cleaned up any urine outside a box by first wiping up any excess with a paper towel, then using Lysol or Clorox to sanitize the area, and then spraying with Nature's Miracle Advanced for Cats and allowing that to dry. Is there another technique I should be using to clean up his little mistakes?

I have tried using aluminum foil where I don't want him to urinate - that doesn't work since he sees it as a game and tears off large pieces of foil to chase around my house. I've tried picking him up and putting him inside his litterbox when I see him urinating outside, and that doesn't work; he just stops mid-stream and walks away, only to come back later and finish the job - outside the box.

One might think that I am somehow torturing him and he's acting out to get back at me. Alas, no. He lives an amazing life - he does not like other cats (he is very violent with them), so he does not have a kitty compatriot at home, and that is not plausible (the vet has recommended strongly against it). He gets plenty of cuddle time, and at least 45 minutes of one-on-one play time with me a day, either with a laser pointer, feather toy, ball chase, or other technique. He is indoor-only, and has been since he was rescued off the streets at six weeks of age by the Anti-Cruelty Society. I adopted him at twelve weeks. He's only ever known me as a companion. On the off chance I do have to travel out of town, my mom comes to my house and stays with him – the entire time I am gone. He’s never been left alone more than 12-14 hours at a time.

Other circumstances: We moved into this condo over a year ago. At the time, I was prepared for the worst, but he had no issues adapting and instead embraced his new, active life inside a bigger home and with terrific views outside. He spends much of his "alone" time looking out my windows and chasing after errant flowers, birds, and insects he sees outside. He has never had issues adapting to new people in my life, and I have had no new people in my life recently. He is the life of the party when I have them, but again, I haven't had one in the last three months.

I am sorry for the long post – I’m trying to provide as much information as possible! I love him more than anything, and if I have to keep cleaning up puppy training pads for the rest of my life, I will do so. I just think there has to be a better way. So, I turn to you for advice. Please help!

Help me contain my cat's huge pees!

oblique red — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:04:53 -0800

What is the best kitty litter for my big, large-volume-output, refuses-to-cover cat? There are tons of cat-litter questions but none seem to address the volume issue. I have a 17-pound (not fat but tall and big, stands almost knee-height), adult-shelter-rescue, front-declawed, indoor-only cat named Charlie. Charlie is a delightful cat and has very good and easygoing litter manners. The problem is not one of his behavior (well, mostly); it's one of logistics.

Charlie, being a big cat, has a correspondingly big bladder, and I have despaired of finding a cat litter solution that will help me deal with the sheer quantity of his output. (Note: this is not abnormal, he-might-be-diabetic pee, just big-cat-thus-more-volume pee.) Charlie seems to be willing to use whatever kind of litter I buy, and I feel like I've tried just about everything.

(Charlie's one issue is that he digs but doesn't bury anything. If anyone has suggestions for that, I'd love to hear them, btw.)

So here is what I've tried and what happened:
Grain-based litter - WBCL and Swheat Scoop - I like these because of their lower weight and better environmental footprint, but they resulted in giant wet sawdust clumps that had to be scraped off the bottom of the box like stucco.

Regular clay clumping (Fresh Step et al) - same thing.

Crystal or pellet - pee runs in between the pellets and puddles on the bottom of the pan, apparently in too much quantity to be absorbed in time to not make the pan bottom nasty. A sludge of pee-sodden crystals must be cleared, like the world's most revolting snow-salt on your steps.

My only former cat was a five-pound lady who made, and buried, dainty little pee-clumps the size of maybe a ping-pong or golf ball. I am at a loss how to deal with Charlie's softballs! I feel like it must be a combination of technique and type that I have not hit on yet. I'm hoping someone out there will have dealt with this before...

Cat-Pee To Meet You

spamguy — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:56:44 -0800

How do I manage litter box odour in my apartment? I've had my kitteh Wernher von Braun for six months, and only now am I admitting to myself that I have no idea how to maintain a litter box. The epiphany came when I was looking at litter at the grocery store and my girlfriend said, 'Can I make a suggestion? Choose scented.'

The litter box is enclosed and looks like a pet carrier. Even though the kitteh has normal bathroom habits, my apartment's kitchen reeks of cat poo and old urine. I do what I can to scoop the poo, even though the kitteh's a crap factory and I worry he may be a little diarrhetic. His fresh poo reeks. The pee-soaked litter I haven't been able to control either because it's hard to isolate. Thus, the blackened litter sits and sits and sits until I purge the whole damn litter box.

Teach me from the ground up your kitteh odour control skills!

Looking for the best litter-tracking solutions

phoenixy — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 11:27:44 -0800

Looking for the best kitty litter-tracking solutions. My cat is a prodigious spreader of kitty litter. I tried to solve the problem by switching to a covered litter box and then getting a little plastic litter mat but it doesn't really do anything; I think the problem is that she tends to jump out of the box, which just sends litter everywhere--I guess my problem is really more litter flinging than litter tracking. I know that there are more-enclosed types of litterboxes I could try, but she's a bit of a fat cat so I'm worried that she wouldn't be able to use them. I saw this Paw-Path litter mat thing that seems like it might work, but I can't find any unbiased reviews (all the reviews are positive ones cherry-picked from their email) so I'm a bit skeptical--has anyone tried it? How do MeFites tackle litter tracking?

Litterbox issue when traveling by car with cat

kathleenl — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:43:11 -0800

I am getting ready to move 1000 miles with my cat. I have a crate for him, and a litter box to travel with. But I'm concerned about when he might have to use it during the trip because I would like to keep him in the crate (as recommended by just about everyone I've talked to.) Is it ok to have him in the crate for 8 hours and give him occasional food and water and then let him use his litterbox when we arrive at our destination each night? Around the house he often goes that long without using his litterbox...but I'm just not sure if that will be ok. I don't really want to get a larger crate that I can put a litterbox in b/c I don't think he'd like laying next to a litterbox for 8 hours a day.

Some have suggested putting a harness on him and having him go outside, but he's an entirely indoor cat, and I honestly don't know that he'd know once outside (and probably freaked out) to do his business.

I'm also wary of taking him out of the crate in the car because it can be challenging to get him back in.

Any advice is much appreciated!

How to un-peppermint a litter box?

starbaby — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 08:23:49 -0800

Like an idiot, I cleaned my litterbox with peppermint-scented cleaner. Now one of my cats will not use it. How do I get the peppermint scent out? I used a Method-brand bathroom cleaner on my dirtier-than-usual litterbox. It was pepperminty. I use liners on top of the box, so I didn't really think about the smell affecting him. I know this was stupid, and one of my cats has been proving it to me daily by using the shower stall/bathmat instead.

Thursday I tried re-cleaning the entire thing with vinegar water, as it is known to get rid of odors (after the vinegar smell wears off). Either he's still traumatized or this did not work, as he still prefers the shower stall. I have also tried re-introducing him to the area, to show him that it doesn't smell like peppermint anymore. He still acts terrified of the entire idea of using the box. He walked around in the box when I originally cleaned it out, but when I try to put him in it, he reacts negatively and I have to stop immediately to not make it worse, and, of course, still won't actually use it.

Is there anything else I can use to neutralize the odor or peppermint (and now, possibly, vinegar)? Or do I just need to buy a new litterbox?

(I know that you should always get a cat to the vet when it stops using the litter box. I can't get an appointment until late next week, so I am trying to fix what I think is the problem in the meantime, as he seems to be actually using the bathroom fine and doesn't seem to be producing anything unusual. If I can't fix it, I'll keep the vet appointment.)

Stupid Littermaid!

wordsmith — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:14:51 -0800

My Littermaid cat poop box broke. Again. Are there any decent alternatives? Seems like lots of people have problems with these breaking. When they work, they're awesome, but this is the second unit I've purchased in two years.

My question: are there any decent alternatives (that are still automatic) to the Littermaid?

Kittens pooping everywhere. Send help, please!

kiripin — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:16:25 -0800

Help a first-time pet companion teach her kittens to use their litter box consistently! My two 8 week old kittens know how to use the litter boxes. The trouble is, they also like to use the carpet (under a bookcase and between the couch and a wall), linoleum, and towels. I've searched Google and AskMe, read books, and asked my vet and her techs for help. None of the suggested solutions I found has worked yet.

Relevant details: I have two litter boxes in different sizes. They're capable of getting in and out of both. After aluminum foil failed to deter them, I moved the small one to the most popular spot next to the couch, with a paper bag underneath to catch any stray litter. They've mostly transitioned to using the box there, but I've caught them urinating and defecating on the paper as well, just a few inches from the box. They also continued to use the spot under the bookcase until I put some double-sided tape down. The other box is in the bathroom, and I can tell it's being used, but occasionally they'll urinate on the linoleum or in the bathtub, and last night they pooped on a towel about a foot away from the box. They've been given a clean bill of health, so it's not parasites.

I scoop 2-3 times a day, so I don't think it's a cleanliness issue. I've tried World's Best Cat Litter and Feline Pine Scoop so far, and they treat both litters equally. Could it be a litter issue? Do I just have to keep buying different litters until I find one they'll use consistently?

My vet thinks it's weird that they will ignore aluminum foil and the scents of Nature's Miracle and citrus cleaner, which I've been using to clean up the messes. Double-sided tape is the only thing that works so far, but I can't put that on everything, obviously. She also suggested covered litter boxes, but they have a secluded spot by the couch and under the bathroom sink; it seems like they have enough privacy in both spots, but maybe I'm wrong. Has anyone else had a similar problem? What's worked for you?

Poop Eater!

kellyblah — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 08:36:30 -0800

Do I fix the dog, or fix the litterboxes? Or fix the cats, with some of that For-Bid stuff? My dog, a rescue whom was likely abused before we adopted him about 4.5 years ago, finds the "kitty roca" left in the litterboxes utterly delightful. Unfortunately, his colon & intestines do not, and, well... I am sure you can guess what happens. Usually either my husband or I are home, and we can take him out to take care of his business, and keep his head out of the litterbox, but there are times we'll be out with friends for a few hours, and he goes straight for the litterboxes.

We have three cats, three litterboxes, cleaned daily. Of course, cats being cats, they must "restock" the litterbox as soon as it is cleaned. These are all covered litterboxes, but no trap door thing on any of them, they are in three separate areas in the house, so blocking dog access is difficult.

I see a few ways to fix this
-crate the dog when out.
-auto-litterboxes for cats
-the aforementioned For-Bid stuff, it makes the cat crap taste bad.

Crating we have never tried with the dog, but he is a medium sized mutt, about 50 lbs. The crate would need to be a decent size, and then we need to figure out where in the house it can go. The auto litterboxes I am willing to try, but one of our cats is smaller, and I thought many of them worked on weight? Additionally, all three of our cats are stupid, I am not sure they have the intelligence to deal with the littermaid or whatever it is. As for the stuff to make the cat crap taste bad? Well, does it work? And who is to say the dog would be deterred by this? The mutt has been checked by the vet, very healthy pup, no issues there.

I did search, I figure someone had to have dealt with this, but came up empty. Which is my best option? Is there another option I am not listing?

LITTER ROBOT WILL STEAL YOUR POO

arnicae — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:24:27 -0800

LitterRobot filter: I got a Litter Robot after hearing great things about them on ask.me and my 17 lb cat is scared of it. He is pooping inside the globe (or on the steps) but he has peed twice on the floor of my living room. Help? In the continuing saga of my ask.me cat questions, my FIV+ formerly feral cat has been doing really well. I got the litter robot because it really seemed like fun, and while 17 lbs is above their ideal size (from the litter robot website) I thought the cat wouldn't mind.

I took it home, got all excited and plugged it in. It scared the cat, because it turned on while I was gone (I came back in and found it rotating in the bathroom and the cat flattened under the desk). So I unplugged it, enticed him over with cat treats, and tried to give him some time to adjust.

First night: he pooped in the dome! But then, after I'd turned out the lights, he peed on a plastic bag I'd left in the living room.

Second night: I came home to find that he'd poo'd partially in the dome, partially on the steps to the dome. Later that night, he poo'd in the dome. I praised him and gave him cat treats.

Third morning: He peed on my jacket that I'd left on the living room floor. I sprayed him with my little squirt bottle, he bounded away and looked abashed, then came over and sat on my lap.

So, I know he can get into the orb (or as I call it, the Death Star) but why is he only peeing outside? What can I do to help him with this process? The Litter Robot website suggests setting up the old litter box if the cat doesn't take to the Litter Robot right away, but then won't he ignore the Litter Robot? How long should I give him to adjust?

And why is he pooping in the orb, but peeing on my jackets? (You can see, this is the really consuming question for me.

Why is kitty trailing her poo?

weatherworn — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 10:09:40 -0800

Why is kitty trailing poo from the litter box--and how do we get her to stop? We've had kitty for about six months now, and she's always used her litter box very well--even in the six weeks she spent recovering from eye surgery. Recently, however she's begun trailing a nugget or two of poo after she uses the box. She seems to actually flee the box, taking some crap with her. The running is not new behavior, but the flinging of feces? Yep, that's new.

The specifics:
--Kitty is six, spayed, has chronic problems with feline herpes that we treat with lysine.
--Litter box is about 24" x 18" x 6", filled about halfway with World's Best Cat Litter (corn-based). It's kept in our only bathroom and scooped whenever we see hard detritus (once a day, usually). Litter is completely replaced every two or three weeks.
--She has two water dishes--a stainless steel bowl (changed twice daily), as well as a Drinkwell fountain (cleaned and refilled every week or two).
--She eats half a cup of kibble a day.

We'd been trying to switch her slowly from Science Diet to Felidae before we left for a week over the holidays (she's gained a chunk of weight since we got her, and we wanted to try something with less filler). Unfortunately, she refused to eat the new stuff. We had the cat sitters feed her just Science Diet while we were gone. When we returned, I tried reintroducing the Felidae. I suspected it might play a part in the poo problems, though, so I've been feeding her just Science Diet for the past four days. Thought the problem was fixed, but this morning led to two new nuggets on the floor. (Joy.)

She will be seeing her ophthalmogic surgeon next weekend; is a visit to her regular vet in order, too? Is this a food issue? A litter issue? A behavior issue? How do we get her to stop?

Retraining cat that pees inappropriately

zenpop — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:21:45 -0800

My cat has started urinating in inappropriate spots in my house (and also my friend's house who was taking care of her and my other cat while I went through a move). I've read the threads here on dealing with urine smell, etc. But need more detailed advice about the process of RETRAINING. I've had her taken to the vet and she checked out fine. And yes there are all the classic situations happening that cause behavior problems: i.e. I've had to move residence, with the upheaval of packing and boxes lying around all over (which she would pee in), not to mention my own stressed out state of mind during the chaos. As I got crazier she seemed to freak out more and start peeing in spots outside of her box.

I'm wanting to know from other MetaFilter folk how they retrained their peeing cat.

I'm thinking of confining her, in the new house that I'll be taking her to soon, in the laundry room (which has a decent amount of space) with her bed and food and water. There is a cat door in this room that leads to a small enclosed spot in the garage that will have her litter box. If I keep her in there for about five days or so does that seem long enough for her to relearn using her box.

Should I also put my other cat in there with her, who is acting fine, for company? And make her go through the five day process? Or should it be longer than that?

I'm at the end of my rope and would hate to get rid of her. She's been a great cat for the last three years, but, well, we all know what cat piss smells like.

i need litter box training.

kidsleepy — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 13:55:20 -0800

how to train a human to use a litter box? i did it! i've adopted a kitten from a rescue shelter, and i'm picking him up tomorrow. the only part i'm apprehensive about is the litter box. this will be my first indoor cat, and while there are bazillions of resources on how to train the cat to use a litter box, I can't seem to find simple instructions for me! i feel maybe this is a dumb question, but in the interest of little rudy mancke junior (pictures to come, i promise!), i need basic, "talk to me like a five year old," litter box training.

how often do i need to scoop? how often do i need to completely empty it and wash it? can i flush the litter? if not, do i just put it in a garbage can? where does the filter go? do i even need a filter? is a liner really necessary?

any other litter box tips/tricks/recommendations welcome!

Crazy Cat Ladies

joaniemcchicken — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 08:09:37 -0800

Has anyone found a cat litter box that successfully keeps the litter off the floor? We have accidentally become crazy cat ladies, having taken in 7 cats. (They were too damn cute and no one else was going to take them! And they were being killed outside, and we're women and research shows that women love kittens!) One of them is helping me type this (she loves to sit on my hands when I type). Anyway, everything works great, but they kick a lot of litter out of the box and it makes the room it is in very dusty and bad for my asthma. Not allergic to the cats, just the dust. We had a small litter box with a door that helped a little, but has anyone used a really good litter box with a door that prevents 90% of the dust from reaching the outside? If you have any ideas, Precious, Angel, Crybaby, Montecore, Speckles, Spreckles, and Peanuts would appreciate it.

Noooo! Not the sandbox!

gilsonal — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 22:09:12 -0800

My trusty Littermaid litterbox seems to have run into difficulties. The rake arm went all the way to the end where the waste goes, and stayed there. and has stayed there. I tried wiggling it around, and no luck there. Anybody fixed this before? I saw a "Littermaid repair guide" on ebay but its 12 bucks for an ebook, and who knows if it has any solutions in it. Any suggestions that might save me from the drudgery of endless scooping would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks!

Sh1tty Kitties

k8t — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 07:38:53 -0800

Please help our kitties learn to use the litter box again. We have an 8-year-old dog and a 7-year-old cat. In November we got a 3-month-old kitten. The introduction into the house went pretty smoothly. The cats play fight a bit, but generally tolerate each other (share food bowls and toys.) The older cat has been a bit withdrawn but has been given lots of extra cuddles and treats. We also moved them to one litter box (getting rid of the tiny kitten one.) Kitten sort of annoying the older cat, but no one really dominates.

THEN: a month ago we had an ant outbreak. This caused us to change the cats' feeding schedule. We used to leave out 2 bowls of dry food all day long and give the kitten 1/2 a can of wet food in the AM and PM. Now we give them a can of wet food to share in the AM and PM with a bit of dry food. The cats share one plate pretty well.

Ever since though, the kitten has been pooping on the floor about 5 feet from the litter box on the carpeted landing of the steps. This happens almost every day. The older cat has chosen the same spot to pee every few days (used to be on top of a cat toy there that has now been removed.)

We went back to 2 litter boxes and now are up to 3 (all next to each other). No change! HELP! My guess is that the older cat is somehow "dominating" the litter and kitten thinks she's not allowed to use the box. Maybe??

The Cat Pees Awry

kingfisher, his musclebound cat — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 07:16:01 -0800

I have an old cat. He misses the box. He enters, but aims right over the edge. In the deeper, hooded boxes, he just lets loose, right out the door. I clean this every day, but am slowly going batty. What solutions might there be? Um, "out of the box" thinking needed. I have considered building a high-walled box and waterproofing, getting a kennel and confining him during the days until he learns to keep his own space clean, getting a large smooth rubber mat (which I cannot find), or getting an enter-from-above style box.
Has anyone tried these? Can I retrain him? What solutions have I overlooked?!

Cat pee is killing me! :-(

twiggy — Thu, 25 May 2006 12:29:52 -0800

Catfilter: Questions about prescription food and cat pee problems... A couple of years ago, one of my 2 cats started peeing on the carpet. Luckily, rather than just thinking he was a dumb kitty, I looked around and found it was a sign of urinary problems. Sure enough, I took him to the vet and he was diagnosed with crystals in his urine. He is now on a prescription diet.

He's been on a prescription diet for a long time now, but still pees on the carpet relatively often and I can't seem to get him to stop. I've had him re-tested before and the crystals are gone. I've tried having 3 litter boxes (for 2 cats), cleaning them more often, changing litter, etc and nothing seems to work.

Now, I'm moving to a new place (my first purchase) and am even more concerned about his peeing problem.

I have 2 questions as a result:

1) Easier to answer, perhaps: Since I'm moving, I need to find a new vet. This prescription food is very expensive (I can't remember if it's Feline S/D or Feline C/D .. one of the two) -- is there anywhere I can get it online or not from a vet for perhaps cheaper?

2) The place I bought had carpeted bedrooms and hardwood in the rest of it. I prefer not to have carpet, and I wanted to avoid giving kitty a soft comfy place to pee other than a litterbox, so I've put pergo laminate flooring (i.e. "fake hardwood") in the bedrooms. Will this discourage kitty from using the floor to pee on, or am I just setting myself up for ruined wood/fake wood or for him to start using the couch/bed? Has anyone had good experiences with any sort of behavioral tricks to try and discourage this? I've broken myself of the habit of freaking out when I catch him (I started off by yelling for him to stop, which clearly scared him and probably just taught him not to pee when I was present, regardless of where). I've praised the living heck out of him when I do happen to see him coming from using the litter box. What else can I do?

As frustrating as this is, I am 100% against the concept of giving him up for adoption to someone else or putting him down, so please don't suggest that.

While I'm asking stuff: Any suggestions for a great litterbox? I have a LitterMaid that I love, and both kitties did too for quite some time, but once the pee problems came for one of them, he stopped using the LitterMaid entirely and will only use one of the regular junky boxes I have.

Why does my kitten suck at life?

BuddhaInABucket — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 13:51:39 -0800

Why can't our 4 month old kitten use the litterbox without getting poo all over himself? Additional question: I know it's not good for him to be bathed too often, but how about rinses? He's pretty good with water, so would it be acceptable to just rinse him off when he gets messy?

My dog loves the litterbox but my cat doesn't.

luneray — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 11:58:54 -0800

PetOwneratWit'sEndFilter: my cat is picky about the litter he will use. The dog loves to play in the litter and strew it around the floor. A covered litter box prevents dog from strewing litter all over the floor. The cat won't use the covered litter box. Is there a solution which will please all of us? Here's the deal. He prefers to do his business outside, but we do have a box indoors for him. He's really picky about litter, and he really, really likes the feel of cloth as a litter substrate. (It's his only quirk, but it's a doozy. Bathroom rugs, clothes in the hamper, a blanket left on the couch were all litterboxes for him.) It was a challenge finding a litter that he liked more than cloth, but he seemed to be okay with SwheatScoop. At least he relieved himself in the litterbox instead of on the various pieces of cloth(ing) around the house.

Enter dog. She became obsessed with the litterbox. She LOVES playing in the litter. She may eat some of it, but mostly she just loved strewing it around the floor. She's not going after cat refuse, since the cat rarely used the box (the box is backup for when he's not outside). She just loved the litter. Since it's wheat, I'm not concerned about her eating it, but I hit my limit with cleaning up several pounds of litter several times a day.

Solution (I thought): a covered litter box. Dog can't get her head into it. The cat used it once, so it seemed to be okay.

But cat has recently decided that either covered litter box/this litter is no longer okay. He's recently taken to peeing on a certain chair (and no amount of Nature's Miracle seems to get rid of the smell) and this morning, he took a dump on the bathroom rug.

Here's what I think I can do:

1. Accept that cat does not like covered litter box. Switch back to open litter box.
2. Accept that dog will dump over the litter box every day.
3. Accept that the cat is going through one of his periodic I-don't-like-this-litter-anymore-even-though-it-was-just-fine-before phases and test different litters to try to find one that he likes. I know there are tons of different litters available, but are they toxic to the dog if she ingests any? We've tried all the "all-natural" litters (like FelinePine, SwheatScoop, and World's Best) but none of the more mainstream stuff. (It's not snobbery on our part. Our neighborhood pet store only sells the "all-natural" stuff. If I have to drive across town to PetsMart to get something else, then fine. I'll drive there.)

We live in an apartment, so both pets are mostly indoor animals. The litterbox is currently in the bathroom, but there's no way to keep the dog out of bathroom without keeping the cat out as well. I suppose I could cut a cat door, but that's kind of drastic. The only other thing I can think of is to elevate the cat box, but I'm not sure where I could put it. The bathroom is kind of small.

Any suggestions?

That darn cat...

shinji_ikari — Sun, 19 Jun 2005 21:02:29 -0800

What are some ways to get a cat to adjust to a new, different (hooded) litter box? We've got a 6 year old female cat that we've just tried to switch to a hooded litter box from an uncovered one in an attempt to cut down on the amount of litter that gets kicked and tracked onto the bathroom floor. Our cat is pretty much terrified of any unfamiliar object that it sees though, and so far all we've gotten for our trouble is some pee on the bathroom rug. She's very good with using her old litter box and never goes anywhere else so she's obviously not thrilled with the change. Are there any good ways to help a cat get comfortable with a new litter box?

Where does the litter box go?

mrbill — Sun, 19 Dec 2004 21:34:12 -0800

Cat owners - where in the house do you keep the litter box? We're getting ready to move into a new home, and are having a heck of a time figuring out where to put it so that its (a) easily accessible by our furry friends, and (b) out of sight, out of mind for any humanoid visitors.

Cat Smells and Odors

thomas j wise — Fri, 23 Jul 2004 17:23:04 -0800

PotpourriFilter. As anyone who shares a house with felines soon becomes aware, with cats comes a certain...odor. (Or, as we refer to it in my family, "eau de chat.") Besides the obvious sanitary measures, I'm draining my life savings by investing in deodorizers (which are rarely effective for more than two or three days). Does anyone out there have recommendations for killer potpourri or other scent options, not including candles?