Maine Coon "overshooting" the litter box

My Maine Coon, Nibbler, seems a little too big for his litter boxes. He's a HUGE cat (22 lbs) and I can't seem to find a litter box big enough for him. He thinks he's going in there but he overshoots it every time and it ends up on the floor. Is there a website I can special order a large litter box or is there some alternatives I can get?

Originally Posted by maryanny

My Maine Coon, Nibbler, seems a little too big for his litter boxes. He's a HUGE cat (22 lbs) and I can't seem to find a litter box big enough for him. He thinks he's going in there but he overshoots it every time and it ends up on the floor. Is there a website I can special order a large litter box or is there some alternatives I can get?

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Here's a litter pan that's 26 in.. http://cgi.ebay.com/Extra-JUMBO-Litt...QQcmdZViewItem

I've read some threads where people have made litterboxes out of big rubbermaid tubs- they cut a hole in the side,and just take the lid off to clean it .

Oh I'm sorry for laughing,I have one semi-longhaired who always 'over shoots'
He has an enclosed litter box now.... abit like these

http://www.petcompany.co.uk/acatalog...sories_33.html

I also have one who persistently likes to dig ALL the litter out of the tray before she
' does her business' Honestly !! she is like a beaver!! She also uses one of these but it saves on a lot of mess

P,S IT'S the cat toilet deluxe type

Im laughing also. I was at PetSmart today looking for a larger one also, Thumper has been missing the target a few times and has to go diagonally, its allready the biggest I could find.

Great idea on the Rubbermaid tubs. Im gonna take a look at some tomorrow and see if there is one better. Ill take the sticker off the old one and put it on the Rubbermaid one just so she doesn't get suspicious.

maryanny, do you have any photos posted of Nibbler id love to see him?

Cheap under-the-bed storage boxes are also good, though one person here used a steel pan! I'd not be able to lift it when it was full of litter...but it's presumably easier to clean than plastic and doesn't retain odors.

That's one big kitty you have! but even little Gizmo occasionally sprays...I have a jumbo litterbox with a rim. This can sometimes get a little grotty but Gizmo has been happier with a larger box.

Originally Posted by catsallover

I've read some threads where people have made litterboxes out of big rubbermaid tubs- they cut a hole in the side,and just take the lid off to clean it

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That's what I use for most of my boxes. I have a couple of cats that like to stand and pee straight out the back (no squatting) and always hit the side walls pretty high. They are also a lot less expensive than regular litter boxes and the cats actually like them better cause they are bigger.

Sterilite is cheaper than rubbermaid and works just as well. I get them at Target.

Beavis overshoots on regular even jumbo sized boxes. Rubbermaid for Pets makes a High sided litter box. He hasnt been able to overshoot it yet.! Hope he doesnt learn how to either! Beavis stands with all four feet on the edges of the box and pees! it can be sooo agggravating!

He wont do a top entry box otherwise i would go back to those.

Good Luck

Like any proud cat owner I have a TON of pics of my babies. Here are some pics of Nibbler, my 2nd cat (I have 3, 2 boys and a girl). These aren't the cutest of his pics but they show how huge he is



he wanted to touch the fan really bad and he cried under it until someone would pick him up.



Nibbler and the full size pizza boxes.



and here's Nibbler in my large dresser.

and just for fun, here he his when he and my boy cat Toby were little.




When I got him and I named him Nibbler I had no idea he would turn out so much like his namesake (anyone watch futurama?). I even had to go and buy him a dog collar b/c the cat collars won't fit him anymore. He's so funny.

The Tupperware idea sounds like a good one, I dunno about where to put the hole though, I might have to leave it uncovered. Nibbler can't really get out of top entrance litter boxes without tipping the whole thing over.

Amitiya, cats stand on the edges of the box to pee when they can't stand to touch their litter. Gizmo hated Arm and Hammer Crystal, or whatever it was, so much that she perched like a bird on the edge of HER box. Good thing the litter weighed more than she did!

Changing your cat's litter should eliminate the behaviour.

Originally Posted by maryanny

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I almost spit out my drink when I saw this pic. I have a long haired black cat (Muddy) whose favorite game in life is to play with ceiling fan pulls, and also cries to get picked up to play with them.

If you go the rubbermaid/sterilite route, get the ones whose sides are 12-14" tall. I've had big cats perch on the edge of those and not knock them over. I just throw away the lid.

Originally Posted by gizmocat

Amitiya, cats stand on the edges of the box to pee when they can't stand to touch their litter. Gizmo hated Arm and Hammer Crystal, or whatever it was, so much that she perched like a bird on the edge of HER box. Good thing the litter weighed more than she did!

Changing your cat's litter should eliminate the behaviour.

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He does this with EVERY litter i have tried from clay scoop to non scoop to feline pine to WBCL even the silica litters. I have tried everything. He also has done this for his whole life from what ive been told. Ive only had him since Nov 2005.

Thx maryanny for posting those, what a handsome boy ya got there... I think cosmo is going to be on the big side also, he's allready getting very long

nabu stands when he pees. sometimes he's like an elevator, starts squatting then stands up and hoses the whole side of the box. we use the sterilite tubs, just cut out an entry in the short side. i throw the lid away. the only other cat box that he doesn't overshoot or pee through is the tidy cats covered box. which may be too small for your 22 lb guy. although my stimpy is 17 lbs and gets in there. but stimpy's a little weird--he likes small spaces. the tidy cats box is made so there's a lip on the inside of the box, so if they pee on the side, it runs down inside. rather than other box designs that allow it to seep through the side then run down to the floor.

i also have dog training pads under the boxes in case of accidents. our apartment is pretty much all carpet, and this is definitely better for the carpet.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

If you go the rubbermaid/sterilite route, get the ones whose sides are 12-14" tall. I've had big cats perch on the edge of those and not knock them over. I just throw away the lid.

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That's what works for JC, too!! And sometimes KMart has them on-sale for $3.99 - way cheaper than the official cat boxes
I love the pic of Nibbler getting lifted up - Joey & JC like to be raised to sniff for spiders along the ceiling. Great way to work those back, shoulder and arm muscles

Just wanted to post and tell you that Nibbler is such a GORGEOUS kitty! Of course, I'm partial to fat black cats like my Alley was, but he truly is gorgeous.

Give him big kisses for me

I saw that someone else suggested the rubbermaid container. That's what I use for my 2. We cut out an opening on the side and it seems to work pretty well.

Every once in a while Reilly still manages to pee outside of the box

I'm late in finding this, but... it occurs to me that if a cat dislikes ALL litter and won't even step down into it, it could mean that his paws are hurting and the granular texture is unpleasant to him.