Litter box help needed please

Am not asking for the usual type of help to get a cat to use it but to
leave it alone!!

Ever since I got him he has had a fixation for litter boxes. When he
was small (Like 9 / 10 weeks) he used to lay in it, play in it, ETC.
He would get chasing his tail and litter would go everywhere!!

Now at about 5 years he checks them out often and if the others do not
do a good job burying it he will do it which is not bad but he digs
until every bit of litter (Literally) is in a pile and lots of time if
it is by edge of boxes it will be on floor. I often am up the middle
of the night cleaning floors around litter boxes!!! I try to scoop
the boxes whenever I see them use them so their is no reason for him
to but mainly at night or when I am away he does it!!

Often times he will not even wait until the others are done but start
burying while they are still in the box useing it. I keep waiting for
him to get his nose peed on or worse!!!

I have tried covered boxes but they will not go in them and are afraid
of the automatic ones (The noise). I have even tryed water and noise
on him but then occassionaly the others will run from box even if they
are in middle of job!! They are all VERY scittish (SP).

What with this fixation and the other problems he causing I am on the
edge of rehoming him!!! I really do not want to because I love him to
death but am getting to old to put up with him!!!

He thinks he is the top cat here and acts like it. He attacks the
others, chases them, ETC. He bit one of the others when smaller and
she needed a tube the length of her belly to drain infection out. The
others are all females. The 17 year old one will not come out of
bedroom when he is up and around.

Anyway I am really looking for solution to the litter box problem.
The rest I can deal with!! :-(

TIA

no advice except maybe talk to vet about some kitty prosac, soft
kraut wrote in message
...


Am not asking for the usual type of help to get a cat to use it but to
leave it alone!!

Ever since I got him he has had a fixation for litter boxes. When he
was small (Like 9 / 10 weeks) he used to lay in it, play in it, ETC.
He would get chasing his tail and litter would go everywhere!!

Now at about 5 years he checks them out often and if the others do not
do a good job burying it he will do it which is not bad but he digs
until every bit of litter (Literally) is in a pile and lots of time if
it is by edge of boxes it will be on floor. I often am up the middle
of the night cleaning floors around litter boxes!!! I try to scoop
the boxes whenever I see them use them so their is no reason for him
to but mainly at night or when I am away he does it!!

Often times he will not even wait until the others are done but start
burying while they are still in the box useing it. I keep waiting for
him to get his nose peed on or worse!!!

I have tried covered boxes but they will not go in them and are afraid
of the automatic ones (The noise). I have even tryed water and noise
on him but then occassionaly the others will run from box even if they
are in middle of job!! They are all VERY scittish (SP).

What with this fixation and the other problems he causing I am on the
edge of rehoming him!!! I really do not want to because I love him to
death but am getting to old to put up with him!!!

He thinks he is the top cat here and acts like it. He attacks the
others, chases them, ETC. He bit one of the others when smaller and
she needed a tube the length of her belly to drain infection out. The
others are all females. The 17 year old one will not come out of
bedroom when he is up and around.

Anyway I am really looking for solution to the litter box problem.
The rest I can deal with!! :-(

TIA

Anyway I am really looking for solution to the litter box problem.
The rest I can deal with!! :-(

TIA

Only thing I can think of is to try a Feliway diffuser near the litter
boxes.

Dan

Now at about 5 years he checks them out often and if the others do not
do a good job burying it he will do it which is not bad but he digs
until every bit of litter (Literally) is in a pile and lots of time if
it is by edge of boxes it will be on floor. *I often am up the middle
of the night cleaning floors around litter boxes!!! *I try to scoop
the boxes whenever I see them use them so their is no reason for him
to but mainly at night or when I am away he does it!!


How many boxes do you have? I would suggest having at least three in
different locations, so he can't dominate all of them at one and the
others have access. As for the excessive digging, have you tried using
a higher-sided Rubbermaid type of container with part of one side cut
away? That way, they can get in and out easily but he won't be able to
get the litter outside of the box.

I have tried covered boxes but they will not go in them and are afraid
of the automatic ones (The noise). *I have even tryed water and noise
on him but then occassionaly the others will run from box even if they
are in middle of job!! *They are all VERY scittish (SP).

Please don't do this. You don't want the other cats to get scared and
start avoiding the box.


He thinks he is the top cat here and acts like it. *He attacks the
others, chases them, ETC. *He bit one of the others when smaller and
she needed a tube the length of her belly to drain infection out. *The
others are all females. *The 17 year old one will not come out of
bedroom when he is up and around.

I would suggest, as another poster did, a Feliway diffuser near all
litterboxes. You can also add four drops of Rescue Remedy (find at
Walgreens or health food stores) to their water to help calm the
skittish cats. It won't hurt your other cat if he drinks the same
water.

I have personally used Bach Flower Remedies with great success on my
own cats. Beech (for tolerance) and Vine (for aggression) might be
good additions for your male cat. There's an excellent book you might
want to buy with great information:
http://www.amazon.com/Flower-Remedie...0673015&sr=8-1

Rene

"kraut" wrote

Anyway I am really looking for solution to the litter box problem.
The rest I can deal with!! :-(


Petsmart has litter boxes (they might be for dogs) with very high
sides and a cutout on one end. That should do it for you. We have
a litter flinger and this has cut down on what winds up on the floor.

Please don't talk about giving him up after you've had him so long.
At this age, and with his eccentricities he will never find a home.
And don't EVER scare a cat away from a litter box, for any reason,
unless you like finding poop in the middle of your bed or in your shoes.

How many cats do you have? Is there enough space for them all to
have spots of their own to retreat to?

Can you put a new, large box out of the way, in a utility room or something?

How many boxes do you have?

If he is aggressive there are many ways to deal with it. I am assuming
everyone is spayed and neutered, right?

On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:09:35 -0600, Her Royal Highness Cleopatra Silvercat
wrote:

[quoted text muted]

Only thing I can think of is to try a Feliway diffuser near the litter
boxes.

Dan

Or, as an experiment, cut a sheet of cardboard or thin plywood into pieces
a couple feet high by the length of the litter box (2 pieces) and one the
width of the litter box. This would allow you to make 3 raised walls
without spending a lot of money, and see if the cats would use a box
configured this way. It would still leave one side open to flinging, but
might help cut down on the degree of flinging.

I bet the last thing any of us has to worry about is him rehomeing one of
the cats. This is the man who goes out in the cold to feed stray cats. It
can get exasperating (?) but giving up the cats is something I would be
willing to bet a ton of nip he won"won't do.
"cybercat" wrote in message
...

"kraut" wrote

Anyway I am really looking for solution to the litter box problem.
The rest I can deal with!! :-(


Petsmart has litter boxes (they might be for dogs) with very high
sides and a cutout on one end. That should do it for you. We have
a litter flinger and this has cut down on what winds up on the floor.

Please don't talk about giving him up after you've had him so long.
At this age, and with his eccentricities he will never find a home.
And don't EVER scare a cat away from a litter box, for any reason,
unless you like finding poop in the middle of your bed or in your shoes.

How many cats do you have? Is there enough space for them all to
have spots of their own to retreat to?

Can you put a new, large box out of the way, in a utility room or
something?

How many boxes do you have?

If he is aggressive there are many ways to deal with it. I am assuming
everyone is spayed and neutered, right?

kraut wrote in
:



Am not asking for the usual type of help to get a cat to use it but to
leave it alone!!

Ever since I got him he has had a fixation for litter boxes. When he
was small (Like 9 / 10 weeks) he used to lay in it, play in it, ETC.
He would get chasing his tail and litter would go everywhere!!

..
..
..


I have two of these for my brothers. Thankfully they like them but I
wonder if you started with something like this and just cut the top away if
the cat(s) would use it then. You could end up with a nice box with very
high sides like one of the others mentioned and and easy way to actually
make it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WT73V8


Andy

I forgot to mention that I have four boxes and all but one are high
sides (Bottom half of covered boxes. I keep one regular box for the
older furbaby.




Am not asking for the usual type of help to get a cat to use it but to
leave it alone!!

Ever since I got him he has had a fixation for litter boxes. When he
was small (Like 9 / 10 weeks) he used to lay in it, play in it, ETC.
He would get chasing his tail and litter would go everywhere!!

Now at about 5 years he checks them out often and if the others do not
do a good job burying it he will do it which is not bad but he digs
until every bit of litter (Literally) is in a pile and lots of time if
it is by edge of boxes it will be on floor. I often am up the middle
of the night cleaning floors around litter boxes!!! I try to scoop
the boxes whenever I see them use them so their is no reason for him
to but mainly at night or when I am away he does it!!

Often times he will not even wait until the others are done but start
burying while they are still in the box useing it. I keep waiting for
him to get his nose peed on or worse!!!

I have tried covered boxes but they will not go in them and are afraid
of the automatic ones (The noise). I have even tryed water and noise
on him but then occassionaly the others will run from box even if they
are in middle of job!! They are all VERY scittish (SP).

What with this fixation and the other problems he causing I am on the
edge of rehoming him!!! I really do not want to because I love him to
death but am getting to old to put up with him!!!

He thinks he is the top cat here and acts like it. He attacks the
others, chases them, ETC. He bit one of the others when smaller and
she needed a tube the length of her belly to drain infection out. The
others are all females. The 17 year old one will not come out of
bedroom when he is up and around.

Anyway I am really looking for solution to the litter box problem.
The rest I can deal with!! :-(

TIA

Don't worry. The brat is not going anywheres although I do threaten
him with becoming a fur hat for someone at times!!! :-)


I bet the last thing any of us has to worry about is him rehomeing one of
the cats. This is the man who goes out in the cold to feed stray cats. It
can get exasperating (?) but giving up the cats is something I would be
willing to bet a ton of nip he won"won't do.


Anyway I am really looking for solution to the litter box problem.
The rest I can deal with!! :-(


Petsmart has litter boxes (they might be for dogs) with very high
sides and a cutout on one end. That should do it for you. We have
a litter flinger and this has cut down on what winds up on the floor.

Please don't talk about giving him up after you've had him so long.
At this age, and with his eccentricities he will never find a home.
And don't EVER scare a cat away from a litter box, for any reason,
unless you like finding poop in the middle of your bed or in your shoes.

How many cats do you have? Is there enough space for them all to
have spots of their own to retreat to?

Can you put a new, large box out of the way, in a utility room or
something?

How many boxes do you have?

If he is aggressive there are many ways to deal with it. I am assuming
everyone is spayed and neutered, right?