Bea & her "litterbox issues", she's driving me insane!

white cat lover

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This cat....
!

So. Big box. Swheat Scoop. Doing well. Now peeing beside the box. Still no UTI. Pooped about 3' away from box last night, but started the poop in the box.


I give her 1" of litter or less. She cannot dig, doesn't dig.

She has to have a big box or she pees over the edge completely (instead of just partially as she sometimes does now).

I can't be dumping the entire box every day or every couple of days....that's way $$$ for this litter. And she won't use any other reliably.


I change it & clean the box thoroughly once a week. It's scooped at least 2x a day, she needs a miticulously clean litterbox.

I've got a tray from the large dog crate under the box, with hospital pads between the tray & box. (I've got that there because she goes outside the box)

When she goes outside the box (pee) it's always on this tray, right beside the box.

Any ideas on how to get her to use the box? Cuz this could be the one thing that pushes her adopter over the edge.
 

goldenkitty45

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I thought by now she was with the adopter. When will she get her? I was thinking if the adopter wanted to do this.

Is there any reason the adopter can't use the 'double" tray method? We used to keep the litter pan in a large tray (like you'd get at a garden shop) so the cats would not track too much litter on the carpet.
 
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  • #3

white cat lover

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Bea's still here, the adopter is hopefully going to get her by the end of the month. If not.....then well.........

This is her litter set-up now. The box is 16" x 22". The pad covers 12"+ out on each side of the box.



I had a set-up using this box before. I set the one in the picture below, inside of the one in the picture above. After a few weeks she stopped using it, the edges were higher & it was too hard for her to get in.



I have continually kept those hospital pads under the box, as she has continually had issues. I've got Cat Attract additive, I stopped using it over a month ago, might have to start using it again. I thought about Cat Attract litter, but worry about clay/clumping like that on her toes. She has an aversion to clay litter, it seems.

I might have to check out the Wal Mart garden center to see if I can find a large tray.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by white cat lover

I thought about Cat Attract litter, but worry about clay/clumping like that on her toes. She has an aversion to clay litter, it seems.

I might have to check out the Wal Mart garden center to see if I can find a large tray.

3 suggestions:
1. get the Cat Attract litter additive, use it w/the WBCL. it says you HAVE to use Precious Cat litter, but i use Scoop Away unscented w/no issues. i think i've also used it w/WBCL when Firefox was a kitten. i've found it at my local Petsmart.
2. see if you can find an underbed storage tray. they're bigger, but still lower sided than the 1st one you tried.
3. get a hobby knife to cut an opening if necessary.
 
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white cat lover

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The box I'm using is an older style underbed storage tub. If I do something like a high sided tub, she won't use it. Nor will she use a covered box. I've looked at them in Wal Mart, but they are narrower than the one I currently use. I'm worried that narrower = butt hanging over the edge & peeing on floor. Now that I know they come in wider versions, I'll have to look other places to find them!!

I've added in the Cat Atrract additive, but she also refused to use the box when I initially used it, so I'm hopeful it'll work for her again. She might always have to have that added to her litter.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by white cat lover

I've added in the Cat Attract additive, but she also refused to use the box when I initially used it, so I'm hopeful it'll work for her again. She might always have to have that added to her litter.
it gets added to 3 of my 4. i don't add it to the 'favored' box, because it gets full too quickly already!
helps keep Chip on the straight & narrow!
 

taterbug

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Originally Posted by white cat lover

.


I've got a tray from the large dog crate under the box, with hospital pads between the tray & box. (I've got that there because she goes outside the box)

When she goes outside the box (pee) it's always on this tray, right beside the box.
Is she peeing on the pads?? Have you ever tried sprinkling some litter on the hospital pads and just letting her use those instead of the box since she doesn't do any digging?? Maybe train her to use those puppy piddle pads??
 
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white cat lover

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She uses puppy piddle pads, but her aim is terrible. She was continually missing the pads & peeing straight on the floor. If I remove the LB from the picture she goes wherever. I tried putting piddle pads on a tray, she still misses.

She's still not using the LB, I gave her fresh litter & added the cat attract additive last night, still peeing on the pad.
 

calico76

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This may sound strange but what if you forgo the litter and put the pad in the box? Maybe she likes the pad because it is softer on her sweet toes


The laundry and clean up won't be pretty, but maybe it will appeal to her?


Just a thought
 
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white cat lover

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At Laureen's suggestion.....I got a pool. I was in Wal Mart looking for a tray & they had nothing. But kiddie pools they did have. So, this is her LB set-up now. We'll see if it works, I don't even know that she can get over the edge into the pool, might have to create a "ramp". If it comes down to it, I'll fill the whole blasted pool with litter! (There is cat attract sprinkled on the piddle pads in hopes she'll go anywhere inside the pool)
 

addiebee

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Oh, you poor thing! You must be tearing your hair out over this!!! You have so much patience for this poor kitty!!
 

goldenkitty45

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Good idea Natalie, but if she has problems with getting in some of the litter boxes, she's not gonna get over that edge. And she may be too scared to use a ramp to get in there.

Let us know what happens.
 
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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Good idea Natalie, but if she has problems with getting in some of the litter boxes, she's not gonna get over that edge. And she may be too scared to use a ramp to get in there.

Let us know what happens.
I know, but I figure I've got to try everything. I can't find any huge plastic trays of any sort to save my soul.

I'm about to buy some plexiglass & make my own LB!!
 
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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Did you check in the garden/flower places - I know they have big trays they keep the flowers on.
I called several with no luck so far.
 
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  • #17

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She was squatting to pee elsewhere, so I picked her up & put her in the LB in the pool. She finished her pee & hopped out no issues. Since then, she's been walking around checking out the pool, tentatively putting a paw on the edge (which is a good sign, she always does that for new things).
 

ms.blackie

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Regarding post #3 - 2nd pic shown:

I was thinking you should try to cut down the box entrance
to a rounded lower entrance (like a smile) instead of straight across.
This would give better entry, but high sides. I have the roller litter
box which I took the top off and that is basically what is left.
If she gets to close to either sides it stays in the box, just hits the wall.
I definately would use the cat attract litter, or even buy the litter
cat attract litter itself. I know when my cat has UTI's
first thing she pees on is something soft, IE couch, her bed, rugs etc.
My cat would freak out I think if I put her litter box in a big swimming
pool, she is scared of lots of things. Also I would put 2 litter boxes side,
by side, if one is dirty the other would be clean. My cat hates
her own#2.

Let us know how things are going, with everything.
Brenda
 

littleraven7726

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Originally Posted by Ms.Blackie

Regarding post #3 - 2nd pic shown:

I was thinking you should try to cut down the box entrance
to a rounded lower entrance (like a smile) instead of straight across.
This would give better entry, but high sides. I have the roller litter
box which I took the top off and that is basically what is left.
If she gets to close to either sides it stays in the box, just hits the wall.
I definately would use the cat attract litter, or even buy the litter
cat attract litter itself. I know when my cat has UTI's
first thing she pees on is something soft, IE couch, her bed, rugs etc.
My cat would freak out I think if I put her litter box in a big swimming
pool, she is scared of lots of things. Also I would put 2 litter boxes side,
by side, if one is dirty the other would be clean. My cat hates
her own#2.

Let us know how things are going, with everything.
Brenda
That's what I was thinking. I have Sterilite containers with lower entrances cut (1 of my cats is a touch arthritic).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v25/littleraven7726/litterboxafter2.jpg
my current boxes are cut lower than this photo.
 
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  • #20

white cat lover

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Peed right beside the pool. Will try cutting down a large portion of the side, see if that helps.

She won't use a covered box....she has an extreme aversion of even something like the sterlite tub I used. (Terrified of carriers, too....vet trips result in me bit many times, and deep wounds)

Honestly, I don't really think she's ever much used a litterbox 'appropriately'.


Now I'm mad again at what you can call her "owners" for doing this to her!
 
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