Litter Box Bafflement

Pet Mate Hooded Litter Pan

Booda Dome Clean Step Litter Box

Clever Cat Top Entry Litter Box

Does this kitty look happy?

Homemade Storage Container Litter Box

 How much money do you think you need to invest in a cat toilet?  If you see a litter box on the market that claims to be "self-cleaning" ask yourself how does the  litter get to the trash can?  How much litter can be swept into a bin attached to it before your cat notices it still stinks and decides it wants to pee in the foyer?  Don't be seduced into buying a fancy litter box when you can make your own for $20 less by purchasing a storage container (like a Rubber Maid or Heavy Duty Sterilite) and cutting out a U-shaped door big enough for your cat to step over. You will be amazed at how simple it is to clean and maintain.  Cleaning a storage container is as just a matter of pouring the old litter out and (preferably washing the container out too with mild soap and water) and replacing with fresh litter.  The easier it is for you to clean your cat's box, the greater the chances you will succeed in happy toileting and a friendlier environment for all.  This is no substitute for frequent scooping, and an open container with high sides is much easier to keep fresh than a bubble-dome box where you need a flashlight to determine where the poop is.  I have also noticed the two-piece hooded pans will often leak if you have a cat that likes to stand and pee like my alpha cat, Tigger.  A single high-sided box eliminates this problem.  The Clever Cat Top Entry Litter Box (pictured) closely reflects the storage container concept, but older cats shouldn't be required to hop over a high side to climb into a box, and I think the cats prefer to see what's around them. Just remove the top and use the bottom and fill with litter.  Younger cats like this box just fine.  I have one of these without a door and my kitten thinks it's the bomb.  If you do go with a covered litter box, the advantage to an enclosed system is the reduction of dust and smell if you are faithful at removing dirty litter.  I still recommend a simple box with a lid that snaps on and with deep sides like the pictured Pet Mate Hooded pan.  Anything with gears and sensors just sounds too complicated to stay clean and if it's like the public toilets that flush "automatically"--we've all been there and I can tell you, they don't always work.  Someone has to clean that mess up eventually.

Placement of the box is also key.  All cats want a quiet place to do their business, just like humans, and definitely not high traffic areas where they may be startled or stalked while in the throes of squatting. Unfortunately, my cats have to compete with a furnace that sometimes comes on suddenly and even the laundry which can click on and off as it cycles.  Ideally, having multiple boxes throughout your home will allow your cat to choose the most peaceful place to go and avoid a stressful experience which can lead to accidents.  But I have five boxes and three cats.  Unless I am going to put litter boxes in the bedrooms, I had to resort to a laundry room box and the storage room. Your cat will become accustomed to certain house noises, but should never have to worry about constant interruption or an audience.

One more thing I have heard about, but never tried, is the actual TOILET TRAINED cat.  I have seen many sites that sell products that can train your cat to sit on a real commode and go.  This fascinates me, but I don't know if I have the patience to go there. If you have a trained potty cat, I would love for you to tell me how this is working out for you and how long it took for you to accomplish.  I just love the YouTube videos of a cat using a toilet.  What I want to know is what happens after and kitty doesn't need to scratch or cover up?  I'm just so curious about this... It's amazing.

So there are my little ideas on litter boxes and what works for me.  If you have any suggestions or comments, let me know!

The Face of Evil

PEPPER AT 4 WEEKS

PEPPER PRESENT DAY

You know it's a trap, don't you?  All those adorable purring kittens you see in the photos on the internet and in Hallmark cards.  Even when you go to the shelter volunteers go to great lengths to keep their cages clean and poop-free so you have no idea how much waste can be created by something so tiny and innocent-looking.  The photo above is our most recent rescue, Pepper.  We fostered her this past summer after a group of others had just gone back.  She was a singleton--no siblings.  Her sister had died the night before due to some kind of genetic defect and they didn't know whether Pepper would make it very long.  They told me not to hold out any hope or get too attached.  The first night I brought her home I just held her in a blanket for hours and watched her sleep.  She was no larger than a hamster.  I fell in love. The trap was sprung.

But just prior to Pepper we'd had fostered four other kitties and I'd never known how much work it was to care for so many little babies at once.  They were 4 weeks when we took them and 8 weeks when they went back to the shelter for adoption.  It was so difficult to say goodbye, but I'm happy to say they were all adopted.  The trick, however, is that no matter how tiny they are--the quantity of substances they produce is remarkable and even more amazing is how much square footage you need to devote to isolating the sheer stench of these little rascals.

They look so sweet and engaging when you see them, making such tiny mewing sounds that you can't imagine going home without one.  And then you're alone with it.  On the first visit to the litterbox you are in shock by what happens there and almost inevitably your kitten will step in what just happened and then run away because it just lost half its body weight, therefore smearing this offense all over the carpet and furniture while prancing wildly about with deranged eyes.  If you were smart enough to adopt TWO cats, they will be so frisky and delightful when they fight for the box and use it together and occasionally they will completely miss.  Kittens have immature digestive systems until they are around 6 months so you may be fortunate enough to the quiet but deadly kitten fart and there is nothing quite so pungent that makes you want to fling Baby Boots off your chest than when this happens so you can check for skid marks.

I haven't mentioned the cost or hassles of veterinary care, especially in the beginning when you need to have parasite and worming exams and treatments as well as rabies and other various vaccines.   These trips will be so exciting when you pluck Fifi out of her crate and her sweet little sabers for toenails dig into your forearms and bits of skin.  If you are smart you will invest in something called "Soft Paws" which we use at the shelter and they are little claw caps which you can get in colors too, they glue right over kitty's claws and last up to 4-6 weeks and save you from these DNA scrapings and ruined furniture.  Not to mention it looks really cute.

Soft Paws

Still interested in having a cat?  Well you SHOULD be...Did you think I was trying to talk you out of it?  Sorry, didn't mean to come off that way. I need to be realistic, however.  They aren't cheap and I have lots of friends who mistakenly believe that cats are maintenance-free.  I think the distinction we need to establish is that cats are INDEPENDENT but not easy.  They want your attention constantly.  They are so very social that once you have one you won't understand how anyone could have ever accused them of being unfriendly.  If they are, there is probably a good HUMAN reason for it.  Someone in their past antagonized them or gave them a reason to be mistrustful.  They do expect us to treat them royally after their evolution for 4,000 years of partnering with humans to do some of our dirty work hunting and cleaning up our rodent and pest population and making the Egyptian tombs way more fascinating.  Aside from the Middle Ages when cats were associated with witchcraft and evil, for the most part, cats have enjoyed a benign existence with us, so when I call my kitten the "face of evil" I am being entirely facetious. 

The trap is that all baby animals look that way so that we will forget the responsibility of ownership, and the bottom line is that once you've spent at least a couple weeks with your adopted cutie-pie, it will have worked its furry magic into your heart with its purring and kneading and you might even be able to forgive the stink because of the photos you start to share on Facebook and videos on YouTube with other crazy cat people.  So don't feel too bad about falling for the trap, we all relate.  Now please go get your camera and take a picture of your little foofoo.

PS.  If you click below you will see our "knock off" video of Pepper imitating the kitten tickle.  I think all kittens do this.  Never gets old.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE KITTEN TICKLE

A Little Privacy, PLEASE!

Not my cat, but what the???!!!

Does any mother out there remember what it's like to use the bathroom without spectators?  Once you've given birth you need to be available at a moment's notice when your baby cries and people often leave you alone in the house to fend for yourself (gasp!) So I had an open door policy until my kids were...I don't know.  Let's just say I have a bad habit of not always shutting the door behind me when I go in when I'm alone in the house.  Why should I?  The cats seem to think this is some kind of bonding experience we need to share, however, and are infiltrating my bathroom space with needy cries for attention and distracting leg rubs (which I call "potty hugs") and this is so unnecessary!  If I have the NERVE to close the door to the toilet, quite often every single one of my three cats is poised at the other side of the door plotting on how to: 1) open the dang thing, or 2) create a disturbance provoking crying and thumping which will allow them to sliver through the hairline crack I use to peek out and make sure no one is getting mauled.  Don't you agree that this is manipulative and rude?  Don't I deserve my alone time?  If I'm in a bathroom that has enough room at the bottom of the door, a stealthy paw will come slithering back and forth seeking a toe hold of some kind.  If it's dark at night it can be downright frightening.  I should have named each cat after a famous explorer or celebrated cave spelunker.  They have no boundaries.

So in this social forum we established in the house, I have surrendered my dignity on many occasions just to keep the peace and allow the little felines full access to my throne room.  And once they have this full access pass, what do you think they do with it?  They throw themselves at my feet with looks of such dramatic adoration and ceaseless agitation (hurry up!  I need to be fed again!  Aren't I adorable?)  I definitely think this performance is quite amusing because once they hear the flush they go running like it never happened and I am left with my shame to bear alone.  ha ha

This is what I have to climb OVER before I get there

Do all cats do this?  I have friends whose cats are constantly barging in on "private" moments whenever they perceive human inattention.  But I'm just curious if these potty provocateurs are exceptions.  These are little toilet monsters and it's my fault, sure.  Perhaps they are paying me back for constantly observing their litter habits--after all, there are no doors to their toilets either. I don't need a coach or moral support so why am I allowing this behavior?  Habit.  Pure and simple.  Will I change?  Don't know.  But I do get a little satisfaction from knowing I'm never lonely even at the expense of my self-respect and propriety.  Now if I could only train them to change the roll of toilet paper....