Cat Litter? Thread about cats - not pigs

[MissFormosa]

Ugh! Our cat litter situation is driving me nuts! We have a four cats and I'm pulling out my hair over this. I could kill my husband.

One of my husband's cats (Loki) is 11 years old and refuses to use the litter box unless he has his very own pristine box - at least this is the theory that my husband came up with. I think my husband was too lazy on the litter training when he first rescued Loki. Anyways, so this pristine box thing is not possible. Where there is a box, someone will use it. He pees and poops right in front of the boxes. So if someone else tries to use it, they get pee paws. And not to mention when he pees on the floor, he gets it all over his paws.

Three years ago when I started living with my husband in his shared apartment, Loki used to sometimes use the litter box and sometimes he would do his business in the bathtub. We were moved to our own apartment, I forbade the business in the tub and hence, the business on the floor. But it was occasional. So I thought it was because Loki wants a perfect box.

Well, now, he doesn't use the box at all. You can imagine my absolute horror at this, because I am a very clean person and I am too embarrassed to have anyone over because of the smell. I am so sad and angry. I feel like we have pee all over the house. I mop the floors and have covered all the furniture. It's not fair that I do all this extra work, especially since I just had a hysterectomy to remove cancer. So I am dealing with the stress of losing my female parts at 32 years old, at having cancer, raising two kids - one a toddler, working full time as an office slave, not to mention living in NYC is stressful to begin with, and I can't deal with much more. We have pretty much split the pet situation - I do the pigs and he does the cats. But I am ending up almost doing both. And not to mention the health hazards! Oh! I could just die I am so frustrated.

We have put various things in front of the boxes (like puppy pads) but then he goes and pees right to the edge of it on the floor. We had him checked and the vet said there is nothing wrong with his urinary system and that it was most likely behavioral. So we tried the various training sprays and whatnot. We even put him in a separate room with a clean pan while we are out and same thing. It's awful. Nothing works. I am at the end of my patience.

Anyone have any ideas?? I'm out of them. I'm ready to go buy some x-tra small doggie diapers.

[MissFormosa]

Oh- and second question I forgot to ask. My husband buys the cheap-o Hartz Ph5 clay cat litter. I hate this stuff but he said it is better than the clumping litters because the cats can eat it and it will clump on their insides. He also said Loki will not use anything else. I used the "World's Best Cat Litter" for my cats and liked it, but Loki won't use that one, as well as any other pine, paper, crystal, etc. litters. Well, heck, he doesn't even use the box so what does it matter, right? I think the Hartz litter retains a bad smell because it absorbs the pee. And I am suspicious of Hartz anyways because it seems like a cheap brand...they sell items unhealthy for guinea pigs so why should I trust them with litter? Any opinions on this as far as litter we should be using, or has anyone heard anything bad about this litter, or any other comments? I am just so frazzled I can't think straight.

[Amiee]

First, let me offer immense sympathy for your situation. And I thought my life was stressful! It sounds nearly impossible to manage everything you have to do! But you do, and you deserve mounds of credit for that, plus a little more help!

As for Loki refusing to use the box, all hope is not lost. Doggy diapers are a last resort, but would probably work quite well. As a plus, he might hate them so much that he'll shape up! You said you tried training sprays - did you try the rubbing his nose in it method? Seems a bit redundant as he walks in the pee anyway, but the successful stories I've heard of training a cat to potty where appropriate tend to sound just one step shy of abuse. Be mean! Cats are very tough (9 lives and all), so you're VERY unlikely to cause any harm. If rubbing the nose in it doesn't work, rub his whole body in it! Especially the parts he can't clean easily - it will offend his sensitive sense of smell, I'm sure. The poo is your best weapon - smear it on him if needed and shove him in a room for a while for the lesson to sink in (poo-proofed room, obviously). It will be worse for a while, but extreme measures may just work to get through to him what is proper and what is not. Oh, and when I say to do all these things, I of course mean your husband should do all these things - they're HIS cats!

Another idea (I'm throwing out whatever comes to mind) would be giving him what he wants - put a mat like is normally in front of the box on a tray (to keep liquid contained) with an empty box behind it - the other cats shouldn't use it as the box itself is empty, and he can go on the mat freely. Although, the smell... would he use a mat with holes in it that's sitting on top of litter? Your husband would still have to clean up poops and put them in litter, but that's pretty minor - my family has had to do that for one of our cats who won't bury.

As for the litter, I have NEVER heard of a cat eating litter!!! Guinea pigs eat their poo, so it makes sense they might eat litter. Cats are carnivores - why on earth would they eat it?? Clumping is great, only it IS dusty. I don't know about Hartz specifically, but if you want a different type of litter, I say go for it! Many people have safely used clumping litter, and it does help a lot with smell and makes clean-up so easy. As you said, Loki won't use it anyway, so he's not part of the litter equation. If your husband is really worried they'll eat it, you can always do what is recommended for guinea pigs and use Yesterday's News - it IS originally intended as cat litter! It might prove better than the Hartz clay stuff, anyway.

That's all the thoughts I've managed to pull up for now! Hope one or two of them might prove helpful! Again, sympathy for your situation, admiration that you're handling it at all!

[NicholsS10]

Originally Posted by Amiee

The poo is your best weapon - smear it on him if needed and shove him in a room for a while for the lesson to sink in (poo-proofed room, obviously).

How on Earth do you "poo-proof" a room?

[guineapigluver1]

Could be a number of things. Your husband says he won't use any other litter, but has he tried anything else? He may not like the litter.
He may not like the litter box or the litter box may not be big enough.
How clean is it being kept? I scoop three times a day to try to only let there be three or four "presents" in the box at the most. Some cats just do not like using a litter box unless it has absolutely no waste in it.
He also may have something going on and need checked by a vet.
I believe there are behavior consultants for pets, you may want to check into one.
And, Amiee, I am sorry but rubbing their noses or bodies in it does not work, and is really mean.

If he is eating litter, definitely switch to non-clumping. It could cause blockage.

[katiewilson]

There are few things more stressful than a kitty with litter issues. I sympathize. Because Loki insists on an "unused" litter box, I would invest in one of those automatic self-cleaning litter boxes. I have one, and they're great! I would imagine that if Loki truly does avoid litter boxes that have other kitty...stuff...in it, then having a litter box that constantly cleans out the messes and leaves the litter freshly raked through would be appealing.

I second the notion that rubbing parts of the kitty's body in the mess doesn't work too well with most cats and should generally be avoided.

Ingesting clumping litter is usually more of a problem with young kittens that are still working on getting the whole "grooming" thing down. Cats can almost always remove clumped litter from themselves without ingesting large amounts. If you're at your wit's end, a switch in litter may be considered. But if you or your husband suspects that Loki might in fact be eating his litter, you're better off safe than sorry, for sure.

There's also a plug-in that people often use to help with feline behavior issues. I believe it's called Feliway. Something that you might want to look into for Loki. I haven't used it, but it's definitely interesting. Home - Feliway

Just some thoughts. Good luck!

[Paula]

I have a cat who pees inappropriately too. I sympathize.

My Hooper's problem is also not medical - we've done just about every test you could imagine - but behavioral. That makes the problem infinitely more complicated.

It's hard to say why Loki is going right outside the box, but to me it does sound like it could have something to do with the litter your husband is choosing. I also have been through a variety of litters, from the very expensive to the not so spendy and what I've found to be the best is Fresh Step.

I think you're onto something with the way it retains odor, because I typically go two weeks between complete litter changes for our cat and when I've gone a little longer than that, the cat box tends to have a bad odor and I notice Hooper peeing outside the box a lot more than when the litter is fresh or relatively so.

You said you tried training sprays - did you try the rubbing his nose in it method? Seems a bit redundant as he walks in the pee anyway, but the successful stories I've heard of training a cat to potty where appropriate tend to sound just one step shy of abuse. Be mean!!

This advice is categorically awful. I personally wouldn't go this route for house training a puppy, but to a cat or kitten it could be devastating and make the situation far worse. No, it probably wouldn't cause any physical harm - but the psychological damage could be significant. I know the situation is frustrating, believe me, but degrading and borderline abusing your cat is most certainly not the answer.

I've tried the Feliway for Hooper. It was a waste of money in my opinion. The key has been figuring out what the triggers are, and they are different for every cat, and working around those things. Changing litters could be a great first step. If you think about it, you wouldn't want to go potty in a room that wreaks, so maybe Loki has the right idea and is trying to go to the box but he just can't stand the wretched smell of the pee/poop/cheap cat litter.

Good luck. I know it's a nightmare.

[MissFormosa]

Originally Posted by guineapigluver1

How clean is it being kept? I scoop three times a day to try to only let there be three or four "presents" in the box at the most. Some cats just do not like using a litter box unless it has absolutely no waste in it.

We scoop it in the morning before leaving for work and again when we get home and then again before bed.
We have two large boxes.

[MissFormosa]

Originally Posted by katiewilson

I would invest in one of those automatic self-cleaning litter boxes.

I tried convincing the hubby a while ago and he said the cats would be scared of it and not use it. I may just have to buy one despite his reasoning. I used to have one before I was married and all of the cats used it.

There's also a plug-in that people often use to help with feline behavior issues. I believe it's called Feliway.

We tried the Feliway

[MissFormosa]

Originally Posted by paula.m.moore

I have a cat who pees inappropriately too. I sympathize.

My Hooper's problem is also not medical - we've done just about every test you could imagine - but behavioral. That makes the problem infinitely more complicated.

Oooh...I'm glad I'm not the only one with a picky cat!

[katiewilson]

Originally Posted by MissFormosa

I tried convincing the hubby a while ago and he said the cats would be scared of it and not use it. I may just have to buy one despite his reasoning. I used to have one before I was married and all of the cats used it.

Haha, I've had the same fear with various foster kitties that I've had, and they've all adjusted just fine. There were two kittens that I had that were borderline feral that were particularly jumpy, and after the initial horror upon discovering that their litter box "has a life of its own," they used it without fail. The Feliway seems way more experimental, but I strongly recommend the automatic cleaning litter boxes. Since you're having problems with a kitty not using the box anyway...definitely seems like it's worth a try.

Oh, and you are FAR from the only one with a picky cat!

[Paula]

We just bought the Litter Robot and I love it. I highly recommend it if you're considering a self-cleaning box.

Fear has never been an issue, but I have freakishly impossible to intimidate cat to begin with, so Hooper might not be the best judge of whether or not something's scary.

Even with the self-cleaning box, the big issue my picky pee-er has is the odor of the litter. I suggest starting by going to a better litter (I Fresh Step) and not letting it go more than a couple weeks before you do a complete litter change.

[MissFormosa]

I love the Litter Robot - I've always wanted one in orange because it looks like Kenny from South Park to me!

How big is it?

Would it fit in a bathroom?

[Paula]

It's a little over two feet tall, wide, and deep. We got the expanded size. I have one in our half bath and one in the master bath. Both work just fine as far as space/size in my house.

[Peggysu]

My parents use Fresh Step and have for years and they haven't had a problem as long as it's cleaned out regularly. They have two litter boxes for three cats. One of the litter boxes is in a private location that only someone walks through and the dogs don't go. It's a big low tupperware/storage bin, two cats can fit in there at once if need be. The other litter box has a lid. My parents cats like privacy. If I had a cat I would probably get a self cleaning litter box as those seem really neat.

[Toadies]

The general rule is one cat box per cat plus one. For you, that would be five. I have seven cats and only six boxes, but they are large and deep. I use large storage bins (70 qt. or larger) with a hole cut in the end. It allows me to give them 3" plus of litter and the tall sides help keep the mess down. Perhaps at least one more large box would help, four cats can trash litter boxes in no time. Also, when you scoop, make sure that you scrape the stuff stuck to the corners and bottom. You can also mix about 1/2 cup baking soda into the litter occassionally (once a week or so) which will help neutralize the ammonia in the urine. Do you wash the litter box out with soap and water when you change the litter? The old stuff can make the new stuff not so nice too. If it hurts our nose, you know it has to be really horrid for the cats. There are litters that my cats won't go near, prompting inappropriate elimination. It all may be as simple as a new litter. Just put it out in one box and see how Loki does.

[Toadies]

As I'm cleaning cat boxes today, it occurs to me that I did not mention a couple of other things that have worked well for me. I have used Zero Odor on the cat litter, as well as Smart Scoop's Odor Control Litter Box Spray. Both are enzymatic and destroy the cause of the odors (bacteria), not just cover up the smell. Zero Odor has a faint bleach odor that disappears in a few minutes and Smart Scoop has a clean, green almost herby odor. Neither seemed to bother myself or my cats' allergies or asthma. Zero Odor is available at zeroodorstore.com and, although not cheap, lasts a long time. Smart Scoop is available on line at places like Entirelypets.com or at some pet stores. It also helps to wipe the fouled area down with vinegar and water, which neutralizes urine.

[diane]

We had a cat that was very bad about her bathroom habits, and the automatic cleaning boxes helped alot. She wasn't scared of it she would actually run into the bathroom and watch it scoop away everything and purr loudly. She also would pee on the floor or in the shower.

I have a question for you, is your cat declawed? I have heard of some declawed cats not using a litter box as the litter hurt their sensitive feet.

And I am so sorry to hear about your health problems I hope everything starts to look up.

[MissFormosa]

Nope, Loki isn't declawed. He's just picky.

[Shaffy]

Silly Question, but is Loki neutered? Intact male cats often like to spray and do their business where ever they please, like not in the litter box. If he is neutered, just disregard this question and forget about it.

If he likes clean litter, use the litter robot that Paula was talking about. My are quite picky as well, and it works very well for them.