Is there a better alternative to litter boxes?

On 2005-02-04, Slipslidinaway penned:
My indoor-only cats don't have a problem with the boxes but I was wondering
about any alternatives. I have considered a doorway to an outdoor enclosure.
My wife won't let me train them to a toilet, if they'd cooperate, that is.
How do you set up your boxes? just on the floor, raised, curtained,
whatever?

Well, why are you looking for alternatives? What aspect of the current
situation do you find problematic?

Oscar has two big litterboxes in the basement. Until a few months ago, she
just had one litterbox.

--
monique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!*

On 2005-02-04, Slipslidinaway penned:
On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 13:34:05 -0700, "Monique Y. Mudama"
wrote:

Well, why are you looking for alternatives? What aspect of the current
situation do you find problematic?

Oscar has two big litterboxes in the basement. Until a few months ago, she
just had one litterbox.

Maybe I'm just looking for a more up-to-date method. Maybe something a bit
more graceful?

I don't think there have been any major developments, but I could be mistaken.
The basics still hold true -- cats like to do their thing on a certain type of
texture. So that limits any alternatives you might have.

--
monique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!*

"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in
:

I don't think there have been any major developments, but I could be
mistaken. The basics still hold true -- cats like to do their thing on
a certain type of texture. So that limits any alternatives you might
have.


Yeah man. Based on Rosalie, who lived the first 3 years of her life outdoors but who
took to the litter box immediately when she began living inside, I conclude that litter
boxes are one thing we have gotten absolutely right in our relationships with cats.

--Catherine
& Rosalie the calico

On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 20:28:49 GMT, Slipslidinaway
wrote:

My indoor-only cats don't have a problem with the boxes but I was
wondering about any alternatives. I have considered a doorway to an
outdoor enclosure. My wife won't let me train them to a toilet, if
they'd cooperate, that is.
How do you set up your boxes? just on the floor, raised, curtained,
whatever?

My cats have an outdoor run with litter boxes. They come inside to
use the ones in the bathroom.

BarB

"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
...
On 2005-02-04, Slipslidinaway penned:
My indoor-only cats don't have a problem with the boxes but I was
wondering
about any alternatives. I have considered a doorway to an outdoor
enclosure.
My wife won't let me train them to a toilet, if they'd cooperate, that
is.
How do you set up your boxes? just on the floor, raised, curtained,
whatever?

Well, why are you looking for alternatives? What aspect of the current
situation do you find problematic?

Oscar has two big litterboxes in the basement. Until a few months ago,
she
just had one litterbox.

--
monique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!*

I have one litter box in a walk-in closet (with the floor of that entire
side of the closet reserved just for the litter box and cat entrances and
exits). The floor is carpeted, and I placed a plastic mat under the box and
extending the length of that wall to catch any mishaps (the kind of plastic
mat that is cut to size and has little sharp prongs to grip the carpet --
with the sharp prongs pointed *down,* of course). The other box is simply
placed in the corner of one room. Again, I have a mat under it, but this
one is a rubber mat that matches the color of the carpet. Incidentally, I
agree with your wife. Please do *not* try to train the cats to use the
toilet. It simply is not natural for a cat and also opens up the
possibilities of an accident. It is no problem at all to maintain the
boxes -- just scoop frequently to keep them clean, change the litter as
needed, and wash the boxes when changing litter (I use a fine-grained
clumping litter and change it more often than would really be necessary).

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

"Slipslidinaway" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 13:34:05 -0700, "Monique Y. Mudama"
wrote:

On 2005-02-04, Slipslidinaway penned:
My indoor-only cats don't have a problem with the boxes but I was
wondering
about any alternatives. I have considered a doorway to an outdoor
enclosure.
My wife won't let me train them to a toilet, if they'd cooperate, that
is.
How do you set up your boxes? just on the floor, raised, curtained,
whatever?

Well, why are you looking for alternatives? What aspect of the current
situation do you find problematic?

Oscar has two big litterboxes in the basement. Until a few months ago,
she
just had one litterbox.

Maybe I'm just looking for a more up-to-date method. Maybe something a
bit more graceful?

If you are looking for something to hide the boxes from view, you could
build or buy a folding screen -- the type of 3-fold screens that are often
used to partition a part of a room. Some are decorative, often with
Oriental artwork. It would be fairly simple to build a shorter version of
the same idea, and there are some pet supply stores that carry this type of
item. Just be sure that you allow plenty of room for the litter box. Some
cats will refuse to use the box if the area is too cramped (just as some
will not use an enclosed litter box).

MaryL

"Slipslidinaway" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 13:34:05 -0700, "Monique Y. Mudama"
wrote:

On 2005-02-04, Slipslidinaway penned:
My indoor-only cats don't have a problem with the boxes but I was
wondering
about any alternatives. I have considered a doorway to an outdoor
enclosure.
My wife won't let me train them to a toilet, if they'd cooperate, that
is.
How do you set up your boxes? just on the floor, raised, curtained,
whatever?

Well, why are you looking for alternatives? What aspect of the current
situation do you find problematic?

Oscar has two big litterboxes in the basement. Until a few months ago,
she
just had one litterbox.

Maybe I'm just looking for a more up-to-date method. Maybe something a
bit more graceful?

You'll really hate my upstairs setup. I keep Cheek's uncovered box right
in front of the highboy of my fancy bedroom set. No screen, no, cover,
nothing. Why? Because when I hide them away they are easy to forget.
When the box is visible, I will be sure to keep it clean. And when the
box is clean, there is nothing gross to hide.

I suppose you could go for some really cool looking litter box. However:
I would avoid the covered ones, cats seem to hate them. I think they
make them feel trapped.

"Mary" wrote in message
.com...


You'll really hate my upstairs setup. I keep Cheek's uncovered box right
in front of the highboy of my fancy bedroom set. No screen, no, cover,
nothing. Why? Because when I hide them away they are easy to forget.
When the box is visible, I will be sure to keep it clean. And when the
box is clean, there is nothing gross to hide.
make them feel trapped.



That's a very good point. "Out of sight, out of mind" -- and that is *not*
a good thing when it comes to litter boxes.

MaryL

From: Slipslidinaway
Organization: EasyNews, UseNet made Easy!
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Date: Fri, 04 Feb 2005 20:28:49 GMT
Subject: Is there a better alternative to litter boxes?

My indoor-only cats don't have a problem with the boxes but I was
wondering about any alternatives. I have considered a doorway to an
outdoor enclosure. My wife won't let me train them to a toilet, if
they'd cooperate, that is.
How do you set up your boxes? just on the floor, raised, curtained,
whatever?

I have one in the bathroom and on tile, so I just keep a dustpan and sweeper
in the drawer by it with a scooper for handy sweep up. FOr the one in the
bedroom where there is carpet, I bought a big office matt (the kind for
under your chair) and put it in the corner, put the box on it, and then got
a decorative wooden "fireplace" screen that partially hides it. Works great.

We live in an apartment and have two cats. Their boxes are at the end of a
hall in a corner and for more privacy for the cats, the view is obscured by
a folding screen that holds photos.

--
..oO rach Oo.


"Slipslidinaway" wrote in message
...
My indoor-only cats don't have a problem with the boxes but I was
wondering about any alternatives. I have considered a doorway to an
outdoor enclosure. My wife won't let me train them to a toilet, if
they'd cooperate, that is.
How do you set up your boxes? just on the floor, raised, curtained,
whatever?