Another Kitty/Litter Box Woe Thread

[Melalvai]

Aggie, I just wanted to let you know that we did have success by isolating a cat. In our case the problem was the "new" kitten (a year later). It sounds like you only have the one cat, so it's unlikely to be issues with other pets.

I found a lot of good advice on http://www.catforum.com. I didn't log on or sign up, I just read some of the relevant threads. They also said that a LOT of cats end up at pounds because of litter box problems. I easily found our cat's story over and over.

Good luck, hope your kitty's behavior improves. It can be so frustrating.

[NadiaMac]

hi there-
litter box issues suck, but can often be worked out with some patience as you sort through the possible factors that are making kitty go outside the box. Good luck sorting out the problem!!

this handout is really useful (warning, it took a LONGGGGG time to load):
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals..._problems.html

It explores a variety of factors (size/configuration of box, location, litter type, cleanliness, multipet situations, etc.) that can impact kitty behavior and has a series of suggestions based on common possibilities.

My co-worker recently troubleshot a kitty peeing problem using the suggestions in this handout (her kitty was going on her bed, so she switched to softer finer claylitter litter from pine pellets and the problem was solved!)

I also echo the suggestions above to experiments with litter and box location/size by getting an extra box where you can field test different litters. I did this last year (after a pooping problem developed w/ one of my cats) and we tried all sorts of litters, box positions, open/covered, etc. and let the animals vote with their paws. We ended up switching litter types as a result of the experiments, and for quite a while had an extra box in operation in a different room.

One further comment- it sounds like you've addressed possibly health problems, but I wanted to mention that my mom's kitty started peeing in the sink and was found to have crystals in her ureters. The crystals caused straining while urinating and apparently it's pretty common for girl kitties in this situation to try and pee somewhere smooth and cooler, like the sink (or maybe the floor).

[Aggie_Ama]

My husband thinks Heidi (our miniature schnauzer) is the reason Tortilla started. A year ago Heidi had bladder stones, the vet removed them but said that most dogs end up with some permanent scarring and bad potty habits. If we are not very attentive with Heidi she sneaks into the same room and potties. I clean it to where we no longer smell it but the animals surely can. We are thinking of just pulling up the carpet but right now that is not feasible. I think I will try Nature's Miracle, maybe diapers for Heidi and new litter for Tortilla. Ugh, I love my pets but right now I want to scream at them!

Veronica- I could rant forever about how cruel declawing is. I threw a fit when my aunt wanted to declaw my Mammaw's kitten instead of teaching him good manners. Of course I wouldn't pass Tortilla at the kill shelter because she was declawed. I wanted her because she was sweet and a manx, I wish she wasn't declawed.

[NadiaMac]

nature's miracle rocks. you might need to use a lot of it, if the urine has soaked into the carpet pad as well (if there is a carpet pad). Cats do home in on urine odor- my mom's cat peed on a particular spot in her carpet for ages, despite all attempts to clean up the carpet. She ended up cutting that patch of carpet out, which ended the problem. It was in a corner, so the hole was inconspicuous

[Veronica]

Of course I wouldn't pass Tortilla at the kill shelter because she was declawed. I wanted her because she was sweet and a manx, I wish she wasn't declawed.

I'm glad you took her. She needed someone to love her. I just wish declawing wasn't an option. Kitty and puppy love is grand.


Veronica

[bmccasland]

I'm having the same problem with Calypso. She's declawed - came that way. I cleaned her litter box this morning, and after her morning ritual of a brief romp outside (she goes out with the dog, Nala, but does she find a spot to "go" outside? NOOOO!), she runs to the bathroom and promply pees on the towel in front of the box. I could scream She also poops on the floor.

For some reason, Calypso refuses to use the litter box, she goes right in front of the box on the towel. I long ago gave up on bathroom rugs - which used to be her target. I either clean the floor with white vinegar or a non-ammonia cleaner, but I'm really getting tired of it. Let alone the laundry. Could the pee smell be lingering in the towel load? I rinse the towels with the hose, let dry, then when I have something of a load - towels + cleaning towels, everything goes in hot water with bleach. Lately I've been adding a good handfull of baking soda to the load as well.

Calypso had been an only cat for about a year, the first year of her life, then was surrendered to her vet by her previous owner. Lived there for a month before I adopted her.

I have two elderly kitties with health problems. Sometimes I wonder that in Calypso's eye's I'm "spending time" with them just because I'm medicating them (twice daily). Calypso does like to spend time outside, will meow to come in, run to the bathroom, go on the floor, then run back to the kitchen door, wanting back out again. ARRGGGH!

[Becky]

FWIW, my female hated that pine litter too. Come to think of it, she didn't like the corn-based ones either. I finally figured it out, and switched to Precious Cat, a clay litter with larger grain sizes than most- really good for digging (or so the cat tells me).

Cat Attract litter is made by the same company, and contains some kind of herbal attractant. I can vouch that it works miracles. I think we've solved our litter boxes issues (knock wood!), but I've continued using a little with every box change just as cheap insurance.

Good luck!

[Shara]

Some great responses in this thread. If you have the time/money/room/motivation you could set up several litter boxes with different litter in it and see which one she gravitates towards.

Also, I just wanted to mention that the company that owned Nature's Miracle sold a few years ago and the original Nature's Miracle formula is being sold as Petastic. Not that the new Nature's Miracle doesn't work -I haven't tried it- but you might find that interesting if you have not switched and noticed a difference.