Litter box talk!

Previous Condo.

I'm thinking of bringing his dose back up to 1.5u again. On the 1.25u, he's running slightly higher than before with more numbers in the 100s instead of double-digits.

He also still has that problem of peeing on my bed at 5 am. At least it's not every stinking night any more, but it is once or twice a week. I've got two litter boxes in my room, one with their feline pine (which they use for #2) and one with the stinky, messy Green Tea Leaves (which Mikey seems to use exclusively for #1). I also leave my shower door open for Mikey to use the drain. Mikey is the absolute worst when it comes to the litter box. He's really terrible at covering it up and he gets obsessed with it. So for 10 minutes, he's trying to brush the tile floor of my bathroom with his paws, never even getting his paw in the actual litter box to bury it properly. ohmygod_smile :lol: He even follows after Henry and tries to bury it for him too! :roll: (Henry, unlike Mikey, does just fine at burying with just a couple of quick swipes.)

Every night before bed, I either let him out back or I bring him to the litter box and tell him to "go potty," which I think is why his bed-wetting is happening less frequently and NOT because of me using the Green Tea Leaves litter. I hate that stuff! Next time I'm at the pet store, I'm going to explore a few more options regarding different litter (probably the Dr. Elsey's). I don't have anywhere to put a third litter box in my room. :YMSIGH: I'm getting tired of being woken up that early in the morning because Mikey can't use a litter box more than once for his urine.

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

Mikey and Mona would be a riot together at the litter box since Mona has all kinds of box issues, too. She mostly refuses to poop in the litter box, especially if she's already peed in the one she uses, mostly because she works so hard to cover the pee that she completely mounds all the litter into a giant mountain in the corner with exposed box everywhere else. But, she won't use a second one at all so we've designed an area around her box where it's easy to clean up the poop off the floor. She'll paw around the poop on the floor FOREVER because, well, there's no litter there. *sigh*

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

I've had decent luck with the Dr. Elsey's, as have other people I know. I recently started using the Blue Buffalo Herbal Attract litter, and it seems to work well, too. Good luck! I don't think I could stand having my bed peed on over and over!!

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

That's why my Bessie isn't allowed in the bedroom at night. She peed on every bed in our house! But we narrowed it down to stress (we had to retire from fostering) and the prozac has helped her immensely!

I also have one that doesn't cover. Wipes her feet for about 10 minutes on the edge of the box but never touches litter. Little princess!

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

Thank God I'm not the only one with neurotic bathroom habit cats. Lol. Lady Jane stand upright on her back legs to pee, she stands like a meercat with back feet in the box and one front paw for balance on the edge. Duvessa won't touch the litter at all but perches with all 4 feet on the edge. Autumn not only covers hers but everyone's. :roll:

Mel and The Fur Gang

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

My mattress is zipped up in this amazing $200 "bed-wetting" cover (they threw it in for free when I bought my bed a couple of years ago). I never realized how magical this cover was until the first few times Mikey peed and I unzipped it and popped the mattress out to check for damages: absolutely pristine! The cover is slick and water repellant, but NOT like those plastic bed-wetting covers. I think it's some sort of silk hybrid. I spray it down with the enzyme stuff, wipe it down and place a towel over it, place a new set of sheets on, and I'm good to go for a few days. I've gotten so good at it that this morning, it took me only 3 minutes from start to finish.

I'm beginning to wonder if Mikey is stressed about something environmental because he only started this after I moved to my new place back in April. He had done it once before when he had his UTI at diabetes diagnosis, but when I took him to the vet this time around, there was no UTI. :YMSIGH: I know it's got to be something with the litter box situation but I just haven't been able to figure out what. :? (And I know it doesn't have anything to do with Henry because Mikey still does it even when Henry is sleeping over at the neighbor's house.)

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

Wow, that cover does sound magical! We're lucky that we haven't had any issues involving our beds, but I will admit that all of our couch cushions have garbage bags around the interior foam under the fabric now after one particularly horrible bout of cat UTIs a few years ago. Wow. I do NOT want to repeat that.

We've tried Cat Attract and it helps to get the cats back to using the litter box again after a UTI, but doesn't change Mona's pooping preference for the floor. It seems like good stuff though.

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

OMG that's EXACTLY how my Bengal Lennon poops!!! Sometimes 3 feet are on the edge! And lucky me, he taught our Bessie (she was a foster failure we got at about 4 weeks) how to go exactly like him!

And Lennon covers everyone else's too. He does this by pushing ALL the litter in the box in 1 corner. Which is great fun if I'm not home to clean it and someone pees on the plastic. SIGH. There are 11 litter boxes for 6 cats and they use the same 2.

Kay, do you know the name of that mattress pad? Sounds miraculous! And our new favorite enzymatic cleaner is Anti Icky Poo. That stuff is seriously the best we've ever used! We ordered it by the gallon from Amazon. It took out old pee stains that nothing touched.

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

This is the ONLY litter Alska will accept yet I have the same problem in that he prefers to poop on the floor outside the box. He also won't cover in the box but scratches at the floor outside the box. Weird - yet now I am finding out - common. I also have a civvie who will cover his stuff for him.

Alska pees on the bed in the mornings when he feels he can't get to his room because one of my civvies is oppressing him. He has a weak bladder so now I carry him out of bed with me at 5:30 am and put him in front of his litter box. I used to bring him upstairs at bedtime and lock him in his room with his box until he peed but now he comes up much later (after Jimmy Fallon). In my case, it is nervousness and a weak bladder. I wonder if there is something making Mikey nervous in the morning - like a truck outside or car starting...

It gets expensive to have to use Cat Attract litter in all three boxes but is worth it if it attracts him to pee there!!! I love Fizzion - I think you even told me about it.

Oh and I see now that Henry is not only day-visiting but also SLEEPING at the neighbors house :lol: :lol: :lol: Pretty soon, you are going to be asking for visitation with YOUR CAT :lol: Ah but that's a good problem to have.

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

It says it's 100% polyester knit but I have no other information on it. ohmygod_smile You zip the mattress up in it.

He's usually very dependable on when he has to pee. The one he does in the bed is always between 4 and 6 am, however, this morning, it was at 2:30 am. I caught him as he was still positioning his squat and got him to the litter box...where he proceeded to spend the next 10 minutes scratching surfaces as he tried to find an ideal pee spot in the litter box. He ended up opting for the shower drain. Crisis averted!

Henry is such a rad cat that it's completely understandable that others would fall in love with him, too. :lol: I'm going to be gone for most of tonight so last night, I told my neighbor he could have a Henry sleepover since I wouldn't be home till late. It's like I have a free cat sitter!

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

lol. i have 10 litter boxes too and they ALSO use the same 2. i scoop them at least 4 times a day

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

Talking about litter boxes ... I use Dr. Elsey's litter exclusively. Not the kind with the Cat Attract already in it, but the plain, unscented kind. It's the best litter I've ever used. No dust! And no problem with the cats not liking it. I get it from Amazon Prime - $17.99 for a 40 lb bag. I didn't realize how lucky I am that out of 9 cats, they all use their little boxes for #1 and #2. Actually, I don't use litter boxes. I use Sterlite 66 quart clear bins. Each one can easily hold 60 pounds or more of litter. For the older cats, I have these wooden foot stool/bench type things they step on to get in and out.

My 25 y/o daughter's cat, Larry, usually poops outside his litter box. The vet said it was because he was constipated. But now after treatment, he's poopin' like a champ ... but still on the floor. This is her very first cat of her own and she and her husband are very discouraged about it. I'll have to tell them it's not as unusual as they think! :?

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

That's not a bad idea. I already have the largest litter boxes they sell, but it might be worth it getting some bins instead. I know on Dr. Lisa's site (I think?), she mentions using storage bins and cutting a doorway into the side. I might try that out and see if it helps, along with another litter change. At least with the higher sides, I won't have to be constantly cleaning up loose litter that has been tossed out (one of the reasons I hate the Green Tea Leaves so much).

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

I'll give a two thumbs up for storage bin litter boxes. That's just about all I use here for the Fur Gang. I do right now have one large hooded regular litter box in the bathroom. And a couple small traditional litter boxes in a few tight spots. Afterall you've gotta get creative when you're talking 17 litter boxes. Lol

Mel and The Fur Gang

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169

Yes, I think Dr. Lisa's site is where I also first read about using storage bins. Except I don't cut a doorway in the side. At a craft show, I found several solid pine child-size benches, about 2 feet long and 9.5 inches high. I have one bench in front of every two bins. Works great. Even the older cats (Alice and Buffy) have no trouble using the benches to get in and out.

The main reason I switched to bins is that my calico Callie would position herself just so ... and pee straight out of the litter box doorway! She did it deliberately! These particular bins are a little less than 12 inches high, and when I first switched, I caught Callie trying to hike her backside up high, like she thought she could pee over the side! :lol: Silly girl. She finally stopped trying and does her business now without any drama or acrobatics!

Oh, and this may be news only to me, but I discovered today that PetSmart carries the 40 lb bags of Dr. Elsey's ... and for the same price as Amazon (17.99)! I got 4 bags!

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

I'm going shopping this weekend, so this is great to hear! I also just recently read (on the Main forum? Fb group?) that old litter boxes can also hold onto smells regardless of cleaning. Figures since they're made out of plastic. ohmygod_smile Maybe all he needs is new litter boxes?

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

I change ours out every 6 months. I stock up on storage bins when their dirt cheap during the Back To School Sales.

Mel and The Fur Gang

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

We went through hell around here with Sylvester peeing inappropriately. I tried every box and litter there was. (now I know it was all likely due to his kidney issues, but didnt know it at the time. Live and learn).

The most cost effective "source" of litter boxes I have ever found is plastic dresser drawers. Like this:

http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/sterilite-w ... 0080416816

I picked up one last year. I just take the drawer out and use it as a box. It is deep enough to keep it filled with plenty of litter. (I have learned the secret is to have the litter at least 2 inches deeper than the clumps of urine your cat produces, in order to make sure it doesnt stick to the bottom). It is big enough for Sammy to pee in different areas as she likes to.

I paid about $13 for the last one I bought (around this time of the year, dorm storage units are cheap). So I had three boxes (drawers) for just over $4 each. We are on drawer #2 now.

The kitten LOVES the big girl potty. She abandoned the little baby box immediately upon being let out of the bathroom on day 3

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

I didnt say so above, but I am sure you understand that I take the drawers out of the frame and use them on the floor as a box.

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

Linda - that's a great idea! I would have never thought of that! :razz:

This is the kind I buy: Sterlite 66 Quart Storage Box

I don't order them online like the link shows. I just get them in the store for about $8 each (twice as much as your dresser drawers). Do you cut a doorway in the drawer or leave them as is?

As Dr. Lisa says, the key is to have a box big enough so the litter is deep. One of my new boys, Charlie, loves to dig. Just dig, dig, dig. Just for the fun of it, even if he doesn't have to do anything. At his old house, he was constantly hurling litter over the sides by the pawful. Now when he sees me cleaning out any of the boxes, downstairs or upstairs, he comes running, knowing he can dig to his heart's content. He loves it! :lol:

KPassa - we sure have threadjacked Mickey's numbers, haven't we! haha_smiley

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

I don't mind at all! That's why I changed the subject. ;-) This is all great information and giving me tons of ideas for the Mikey situation!

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

i also spray the bottom of boxes with a light layer of cooking spray and then a dusting of baking soda and it stops the litter from sticking to the bottom too.

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

Hi all! I'm new and I just came over to see if I could get some advice to try NOT to send my cat into a hypo episode today, but I saw the litter box topic and had to read it. I am laughing so hard right now, and so grateful to hear that I am not the only one!!!! My cat pees on my husband's side of the bed when we let her sleep with us. We finally banned her from our room. (Once we get her regulated, my husband will let her back in during the day, but right now, he's still mad.) Every time she does it, he threatens to send her back to the shelter, so keeping her out of our room is a compromise. And our high maintenance cat doesn't do well with other kitties, so when we have visitors in the yard, she pees too. We currently have five litter boxes, plus a collection of puppy pads everywhere that she has peed on the floor, and we only have one cat! She mostly poos in the right spot. Her favorite trick is to make a pile of litter on the floor outside of the litter box and then peed there. It is an ENORMOUS pain to clean!

We recently tried the Breeze litter system in desperation. It's relatively cheap. (We had already tried more litter boxes, bigger litter boxes, puppy pads in litter boxes, different litter, Prozac, calming collar, etc.) She seems to really like it and it has cut WAY down on the litter box avoidance. She still poos in the regular box, but we have way fewer avoidance episodes.

Forgive me for butting in to your conversation!!

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

Lisa - So instead of just peeing in the box, Tisha scoops out litter from the box and pees there? That's quite a feat! I haven't heard of a cat doing that before! Makes you wonder what is going on in her mind. :lol:

Have you had her kidney function tested? Or maybe a possible urinary tract infection? Maybe it hurts to pee and she's trying not to get away from the litter box per se, but to get away from the pain? Does that make sense? :? I don't know what advice to give, but I sure hope the Breeze system works for you guys!

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

That does make complete sense, Geneva. Cats will not pee in a place that is associated with pain. Consider 2 things...get her checked, and if she has no issues, then move the box, even if its only a foot or two different. Cats are stupid that way, its suddenly a new box.

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

Just wanted to give an update of Mikey's litter box situation. I bought new, bigger, deeper boxes and different litter. Same issue. He'll use once to urinate and then not use again for urine (meaning he uses the shower drain and then my bed instead).

PetSmart is having a 30% off sale till September so I went to check it out last week. While there, I saw the Breeze litter box system and figured at $20, why not give it a try?

:RAHCAT It's Working! party_cat ​

In fact, it's working so well, both Mikey and Henry completely ignore the other four litter boxes (and my shower drain) and use that one exclusively. So now I have to go buy a second one. :lol:

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

That is AWESOME! What a relief for you! Congrats!

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

Btw, thank you for "butting in." :lol: If it weren't for your recommendation, I probably wouldn't have looked twice at the Breeze litter box system. It has changed my life in this last week alone! I'm still waking up around 3-5 every morning reflexively, but not because Mikey wet the bed any more.

 

Re: 8/6 Michelangelo AMPS 169 - Litter box talk!

KPassa - that is awesome about the Breeze system! I can feel the sense of relief right through your posts! :lol:

I have got to tell my daughter about this. Her cat Larry will pee in his box faithfully, but is real hit and miss with the poopin'! :?

 

So far, so good! Only had one problem since I started using the Breeze box and that's because I didn't change the pee pad fast enough. It says once a week, but when you have a diabetic...it's more like bi-weekly. :lol: I fixed that problem by buying that second Breeze box. Conveniently, they include coupons in the first Breeze System for $10 off so the second one still only cost me $20 (since the sale was no longer going on).

For the coupons in the second box, I gave them to a friend of mine whose has three cats and one of them was also having litter box issues. He told me that it's worked like a charm and all three of his boys are now using it exclusively! I'm telling you, there's something magical about this Breeze System.

 

I must have the only cats that refused to use the Breeze! I ended up tossing it in recycling after it sat in the basement for a year unused. Foster kittens tried to eat the pellets...dim boys! I was lucky to get the Breeze free from the shelter I volunteer for--I've been on the hunt for high sided litter boxes for our cats that no longer squat or have elevator butt. Finally found it! Nature's miracle high sided!

 

I'm pondering trying the Breeze system after reading your comments about it. I have three cats and two of them are fantastic about using the box, including Zoozey, my diabetic cat. But Molly will not pee in the litterbox. It doesn't matter if the box is clean, if the litter has just been changed, or if the box is brand new with clean litter. She will not use the box. She'll pee on the towel I put in front of the box, but that's about as cooperative as she'll get. I've had her checked out. She's the picture of kitty health, so it's definitely behavioral. I get paid tomorrow, and I'm willing to try anything to get her to inspire her to use the litter box.
But a question. If I have three cats, one of whom is diabetic, and two boxes--how often should I change the pad? Every couple of days?

 

i love the breeze! back whn i had the money i got 2 of those, but dont have the money to maintain. out of 6 cats, i think only 2 used it, and only for pee! ha 1 or 2 would poop in it at first, but then stopped.
i have thrown away a lot of furniture, a couch, a bed, a chair, etc, lots of clothes, b i have 1 that pees everywhere. she wants a box so clean i cant manage it. i was about to post on it yesterday. shes peed on my laundry so many times. i have run out of plaes to put it! ive almost given up. i cant wash laundry over and over lik ei used to. she needs either a new home where shes an only cat or maybe to be outdoors but i cant do that where i live. oh well. sigh. hard to rehome an overweight 5 yr old black cat who bites, scratches and pees on everything. i have tried many times.
good luk with breeze! i love love it! and would try more with those systems if i had money and could afford it. 1 cat is so good, there r hardly any pellets left in breeze bc i cant buy more, and so she is basically using it empty, with jst newspapers below to catch the pee. ha

 

LOL! I lost this post and just refound it. I'm so glad the Breeze system is helping so many people!

To answer earlier questions, yes, my cat is very talented at creating her own sand box wherever she wants it! When I showed the vet a picture, she said she had never seen a cat do that. She has been checked for kidney/bladder issues, and had struvite crystals. They are gone now, but some behaviors remain. She is pretty good with the Breeze box when she's healthy, but if she has a pancreatitis flare, or her BG is high, or her box isn't clean enough, then she "urinates inappropriately." (vet lingo) We have puppy pads out and she will use those instead, which helps with clean up. And now we know to check for problems when it happens.

 

I know none of these litter box problems/experiences are funny, but when listening to others describe the potty habits of their fur babies... well... I can't help but chuckle. Some of you even had me laughing out loud. Man, I really need to get a life! But so many sound so familiar... and some of you have such a comical way of describing the "event". And I thought Hannie was the only one being a bit fussy, disoriented, unusual, problematic... whatever you want to call it. Guess not! And @MommaOfMuse, your description gave me my chuckle for the day. Thanks for that. Isn't it good to know we can laugh at this kind of stuff??!!