TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Care & Grooming › Litter in a bathtub?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Litter in a bathtub?

post #1 of 12
11/22/09 at 3:37am
Thread Starter 
Hi

Lawrence and Elena here and this is our first post. Hello

We are thinking of getting two cats, a Siberian and a Ragdoll. We will be buying them from breeders as soon as we find breeders that can deliver both at about the same time. These will be our first ever pets.

We live in a one bedroom apartment and we are slightly worried about space. So much so in fact we are wondering where to put the cat litter. We would really like to buy this http://www.catgenie.com/ as it is self cleaning so no mess (hopefully). Can anyone recommend it?

One problem though, the only place we seem to have space for it is in the bathtub. It is a normal sized bathtub. Has anyone every placed cat litter in a bathtub before? Will the cats be able to reach it when they are younger or older? We will probably be getting the kittens at 12 weeks or more.

Many thanks for your help.
Reply
post #2 of 12
11/22/09 at 4:13am
Welcome to TheCatSite Lawrence & Elena,
You have asked an interesting question.
I live in a one bedroom apartment with two cats...
one is two years old with energy to spare, the other is nine years old, my couch potato.
Most cats could jump into a tub from kitten to senior, with no problem.
Keep in mind, cats can now live to age 20 and above...
I doubt the genie would last that long, so aging should not be an issue.
I am not familiar with the cat genie, hopefully other members will have feedback about that product for you.

If I were going to choose breeds of cat at the top of my favorites...
Siberian and Ragdolls would be near the top.
They are gorgeous cats.
I hope that when you get your kitties you share photos with us.
See you around the site.
Reply
post #3 of 12
11/22/09 at 5:14am
I've never used a cat genie, but I keep Larry's litterbox in the bathtub. I have a studio apartment.

When I first got him, I put the box next to the bathtub, and when he got used to where it was, (only a few days) I just moved it into the bathtub, and it was no problem.

It's a pain in the butt when I take a shower, having to move it and sweep the granules out of the tub, but it's not that big a problem.
Reply
post #4 of 12
11/22/09 at 5:20am
I have multiple cats and keep litter boxes everywhere but the kitchen and bathrooms (too tiny). Yep, that means there's even a litter box in the bedroom.

If you're worried about smell, simply scoop more often. That combined with a halfway decent litter should take care of things.

If you're creative you can stash a box anywhere. They even make tables and cabinets to disguise boxes.


The only concern I would have for you putting a cat genie in your bathroom is that you'd probably have to ok it through your apartment's owner.
Reply
post #5 of 12
11/22/09 at 11:21am
Thread Starter 
Thank you all for your replies.

We are thinking of getting just two Siberians instead now and no Ragdoll only because we think the Siberians are better looking

I don't think we will be able to put up with any smell and dealing with cat litter will annoy one of us for sure. It may be asking a lot but we essentially want all the good bits and none of the bad

We will probably go with the Litter Robot or the Cat Genie and see how that works out. It is quite encouraging to hear others also have multiple cats in small flats, we just don't know how much space a cat needs.
Reply
post #6 of 12
11/22/09 at 12:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lawrence_elena View Post
It may be asking a lot but we essentially want all the good bits and none of the bad
That is asking a lot. Kids and pets never work out that way.
When getting pets remember, pets first and your comfort later. You make the choice to get them after all so you have to compromise and suffer a little.

Personally I think automated boxes are a terrible idea, but only because I like to see what's coming out of the cats. How else am I to know if someone is getting soft stools? Too hard, if those pee clumps are looking awfully large or if there's any blood present. I'm a paranoid cat mom, though.
Reply
post #7 of 12
11/22/09 at 3:03pm
A Cat Genie needs to be hooked up to the plumbing and isn't movable once it's hooked up. So if you put it in the bathtub you're going to have to shower around it .

I have put a regular litterbox in the bathtub, and it does cut down on scatter. You have to watch out for litter down the drain, though---this can cause plumbing problems. If you use a Litter Robot, I'd recommend not putting it in the bathtub. Electricity and water do not go well together, LOL.
Reply
post #8 of 12
11/22/09 at 3:17pm
NO - not a good idea at all! If any of the litter gets in the tub and down the drain you are looking at some nice plumbing problems in a few months. And what happens when you want to take a shower/bath? Do you honestly want to wash in a tub where the cats have been peeing/pooping?

They have some nice cat litter box furniture out now that looks like a table with a hidden hole where the cat goes in and out and most people would not even think its a litter pan.

Here's a website for such furniture:

http://www.catsplay.com/kitty_condos.php3#litter
Reply
post #9 of 12
11/22/09 at 3:29pm
I tried this in the guestroom bathroom for a while and did not like it at all...and no one even showered in there. The litter was too messy to clean up every day and if you're using clumping litter, even if you miss a small piece or two, that's going to stick to your tub (if it gets wet at all) until you scrub it off. Not worth the hassle, IMO. I did plug up the drain to avoid any clogging issues, but I still wasn't satisfied. However, I know of at least two people that do this and seem to be okay with it. Maybe it also depends on the litter you're using -- perhaps it would work better if the cats were using something like newspaper pellets vs. clumping/clay litter.
Reply
post #10 of 12
11/22/09 at 4:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
That is asking a lot. Kids and pets never work out that way.
When getting pets remember, pets first and your comfort later. You make the choice to get them after all so you have to compromise and suffer a little.

Personally I think automated boxes are a terrible idea, but only because I like to see what's coming out of the cats. How else am I to know if someone is getting soft stools? Too hard, if those pee clumps are looking awfully large or if there's any blood present. I'm a paranoid cat mom, though.
We were joking about not wanting the bad bits

But you do have a very good point about seeing what comes out. It could help diagnose any problems. We need to think about that.
Reply
post #11 of 12
11/22/09 at 4:08pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you all again. We have a shower as well so we don't plan on using the bathtub at all. We would also use the bath tap and the drain hole to meet the cat genie's plumbing requirements so hopefully we should have no litter in the plumbing problems.
Reply
post #12 of 12
11/22/09 at 7:36pm
Quote:
We are thinking of getting just two Siberians instead now and no Ragdoll only because we think the Siberians are better looking
Never ever ever ever repeat something like that again!!! I am the mom of 2 ragdolls and they are the most beautiful things in the whole wide World!

Quote:
I don't think we will be able to put up with any smell and dealing with cat litter will annoy one of us for sure. It may be asking a lot but we essentially want all the good bits and none of the bad
I also live in a tiny one bedroom apartment, I have 3 cats, and 3 litter boxes (large!!). There are ways to hide them. As far as the smell, IMHO the BEST way to deal with it is good litter and good food. That will beat any machine you have. I feed great quality food, and use great litter, and you can not tell there is a cat in the house.

Quote:
We will probably go with the Litter Robot or the Cat Genie and see how that works out. It is quite encouraging to hear others also have multiple cats in small flats, we just don't know how much space a cat needs.
Be creative with vertical space, scratching posts and surfaces, toys and a window sill and if possible a cat tree... Give a cat things to do, maximize your space, and you will do good.
The are amazing creatures... You will be amazed by them.
Where are you located?
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Care & Grooming
TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Care & Grooming › Litter in a bathtub?