Random but what do you do with your cat's litter box?

[Lechatnoir]

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[Pomona2006]

Toilet training! (see avatar)

haha...but in all seriousness, it can be done. I have one cat completely trained and a new cat almost there. I don't have much experience with litter boxes to be perfectly honest. My cats only use a litterbox when I am on vacation and someone is looking after them.

 

[Kat0303]

My cat was peeing randomly outside of her box, and she didn't stop until I got her a bigger box and one without a cover (she was too big to be in the one I had with the cover). Could you upgrade the size of the box at all? It really might be worth it to sacrifice a little more space, because you're cat may feel cramped and that may be why it's peeing outside the box (as I believe was the case with my cat). I totally understand the space issue though, because there's nothing more annoying than having a huge cat box staring you in the face every day.


As far as the diarrhea goes, if there isn't anything apparently wrong with your cat that is causing the diarrhea (like if the vet is stumped and can't find anything in particular causing it), Science Diet I/D food is a god-send. One of my cats gets diarrhea if he eats anything but I/D (AND he is a long-haired white cat with cerebellar hypoplasia, which affects his balance, so he falls in it all the time and tracks diarrhea around the house...) So, you may want to try that if there isn't another obvious reason for the diarrhea, and that might help the poo in the bed in the middle of the night problem you're having

 

[sumstorm]

We use a large litter box contained in a particular area. We contain it with lattice work fencing, if we don't have a seperate room, like a bathroom. So, I set up the enclosure using 1" x 1" wooden stakes, screwed together, with lattice work on sides and top. So, imagine a large cube, with lattice on 5 sides (bottom uncovered). If you are looking at it from the side, the litter box is to the far right, then there is a mat extending at least 1' in front of the litter box. A plastic grid is on the edge of the box between the mat and box. The lattice work opens on the top with a narrow gap (6-9") at the edge above the mat away from the box. This helps make the cat knock the litter off their feet before exiting. The entire thing is set up on a plastic tray (often big plastic storage container lid) for easy cleaning. Once a month, I bleach everything, wipe down, dry in sun. I apply baking soda liberally before putting litter in, and use arm & hammer litter. I haven't had problems with odor. I have never had a box in my bedroom, but in the attached bathroom.

 

[r00]

I have a clear Sterilite container for my cat and I can honestly say since changing her food to Eukanuba (no promoting, just saying what it is doing for her) her stool has been nice and firm, dry pieces. Hardly any odor at all until it gets really full OR right after I scoop it and stir up the smell in the room...

As far as tracking litter - i have no ideas... my bathroom is COVERED in litter and it gets in our bed because it sticks to our feet before we get in... It is a problem we have been trying to solve for a few months but nothing has worked yet.

 

[Shanomong]

We placed a mat designed to catch the litter in front of our cats box (it was covered, so it had a "front"). It also wouldn't hurt the litter-in-the-bed situation to switch to a non-clay based litter, like Yeserdays News. They're bigger pieces so they don't track far from the box. They are less effective with the smell though, so it's kind of win lose...

Hopefully the diarrhea is stress-induced from the move and subsides soon?

 

[natalieises]

i lived in a studio with my two cats and their litter box so I know exactly how you feel with the middle of the night litterbox trips! My strategy was just putting the litter box in one of my closets, I don't know if you have one big enough, but at least it sort of contains the smell. Also, they have a newer tidy cats litter called small spaces that is designed for this exact situation. I haven't tried it, but you could give that a go and see if it works. I guess just keep a lot of litter in there so your cat can be sure to cover everything and maybe it will help with the smell. I also know there's a product out there that you can spray on the litter after cleaning it out that is supposed to help with smell.

 

[twelvetigers]

I started using World's Best cat litter (corn based) because I noticed clay footprints on the new dark brown comforter and decided that was gross. I liked the litter well enough, but apparently Slater didn't think it was really the World's Best litter, so he opted for the 'not the best but this will do' carpet instead.

We switched back to clay.

 

[katryn]

I'm a huge fan of litter box in the closet if you have a closet big enough, and nature's miracle makes a product (probably similar to using baking soda/powder) that you sprinkle into the litter when you change it that definitely helps reduce the odor.

I also had a friend who's cat hated covered boxes but didn't mind a tent over the box made of mosquito netting. She made it about one foot bigger on length and width than the litter box and it did great to contain litter spread.

 

[Pandacinny]

I built my cat a litter box cabinet for my small apartment. It cost me around $75 and the cabinet itself takes up some space, but is SO worth it. I needed something to keep the dogs from using his box as a snack box!

The one I built is exactly like this one, but with a stronger top:
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2007/12/kickass-litterbox-cabinet.html

The cabinet is set slightly off the wall so my cat can get in from the back. It fits his litterbox and his food dish (I also need to keep the dog out of his food.) When I want to scoop the box, I just open the big front doors and do so easily. It cost me around $75-$80 to buy the cabinet and top, which was a splurge but was well worth it. I can also store things on top of the cabinet (it held my roommate's fish tank until recently) and on a shelf inside. I could do two shelves inside, actually, but I don't really need another.

With this, I have almost no litter tracking. A tiny bit spills out the kitty door in the back occasionally, but I can sweep it up pretty quickly. I do have the whole floor of the cabinet lined with a litter trapping mat, which probbaly helps quite a bit. I scoop it every day, empty the whole thing as needed, and sweep it all out/shake out the mat once a week.

If you check the blog where I got my idea from, there are other plans as well. My favorites are these:
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/03/flaren-stealth-cat-litter-box.html
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/07/ikea-ps-locker-into-litter-box.html
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/05/put-cat-litter-box-at-entryway.html


Remember that if the issue is that your cat has especially stinky poop, or bouts of diarrhea, you'll want to take her to your vet to be checked out.

 

[incendium04]

I use a dog kennel (door removed) to put my cat's litter box in. The kennel is pretty big so my cats step in it before coming out & it cuts back on scattering. I keep a rug in front to pick up the majority of the stuff my cats track out and there's a light cloth that covers the kennel too.

That cabinet looks like a fantastic idea though.

 

[Ktmewow]

This is an AWESOME idea! Thanks alot!

 

[Kat0303]

I built my cat a litter box cabinet for my small apartment. It cost me around $75 and the cabinet itself takes up some space, but is SO worth it. I needed something to keep the dogs from using his box as a snack box!

The one I built is exactly like this one, but with a stronger top:
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2007/12/kickass-litterbox-cabinet.html

The cabinet is set slightly off the wall so my cat can get in from the back. It fits his litterbox and his food dish (I also need to keep the dog out of his food.) When I want to scoop the box, I just open the big front doors and do so easily. It cost me around $75-$80 to buy the cabinet and top, which was a splurge but was well worth it. I can also store things on top of the cabinet (it held my roommate's fish tank until recently) and on a shelf inside. I could do two shelves inside, actually, but I don't really need another.

With this, I have almost no litter tracking. A tiny bit spills out the kitty door in the back occasionally, but I can sweep it up pretty quickly. I do have the whole floor of the cabinet lined with a litter trapping mat, which probbaly helps quite a bit. I scoop it every day, empty the whole thing as needed, and sweep it all out/shake out the mat once a week.

If you check the blog where I got my idea from, there are other plans as well. My favorites are these:
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/03/flaren-stealth-cat-litter-box.html
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/07/ikea-ps-locker-into-litter-box.html
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/05/put-cat-litter-box-at-entryway.html


Remember that if the issue is that your cat has especially stinky poop, or bouts of diarrhea, you'll want to take her to your vet to be checked out.

This is SO cool! I'm super jealous because I wish we could do something like this. Unfortunately, we can't because our dogs are smaller than our cats! (chihuahuas...)

 

[LVT2DVM]

I have an older cat with arthritis that cant get in and out of high walled boxes. In addition he hates (HATES!!) any kind of litter and Ive tried them all! Clumping, clay, corn, newspaper, crystals (my fav by the way) and then my mom suggested I use disposable underbed pads (CHUX). And voilà!—a happy cat and no smell. I found ones that fit the box and when there soiled I just pick them up and toss them out and put in a new one. Sucks environmentally, but better than pee/poo all over my house.

 

[Nexx]

I've just acquired a rescue cat about 3 weeks ago and I've been having good luck with a wheat-based cat litter (think swheat scoop). It does te

nd to track a bit, but hasn't made it to the bed and the smell is not bad at all (and I'm not the greatest at keeping the box clean. I am feeding her Euk kitten and while the poop does smell bad for the first 5 min, it isn't too bad afterwords.

I initially started on the wheat based litter because I wanted a clumping litter that didn't have any chemicals and stuff in it since this cat had a large laceration on her leg and just had her tail amputated--I've been pretty happy so far. It clumps a bit different (at the bottom of the pan, instead of near the top) but yeah.. decent stuff.

btw my room is about 7.5x9.. about enough for a queen size bed with a 3 foot walkway on one side only.

 

[sumstorm]

This is SO cool! I'm super jealous because I wish we could do something like this. Unfortunately, we can't because our dogs are smaller than our cats! (chihuahuas...)

yeah, that is why we had to go with the top entry...small dogs. Same concept, just put the opening in the top. if it is tall, use a step down inside

 

[Kat0303]

yeah, that is why we had to go with the top entry...small dogs. Same concept, just put the opening in the top. if it is tall, use a step down inside

We are probably going to have to try something like that, but the problem is it can't be too high because our cat with cerebellar hypoplasia can't jump. We may have to put some fabric on the side so he can pull himself up...I wonder if he would go to all that trouble to get in the litterbox or if he'd end up just taking the path of least resistance (the floor)...

 

[twelvetigers]

Or, if he could get in using the fabric only, how would he get back up & out?

 

[sumstorm]

on the ikeahack, one of hte set ups had a hole in the bottom which might be an option with some small dogs...if they aren't likely to go through it...or you might be able to set up a tight switch back (think s shape) that the dogs (generally less flexible) can't get through but the cat can. Other ideas, narrow ramps. cats tend to do better on narrow platforms against a solid side than dogs do. small platforms requiring jumping back and forth, preferably with traction mats/carpet on them. Again, dogs have a harder time with that then cats (but not sure about a cat with cerebellar hypoplasia.)

 

[starlene45]

i have had very good luck with exquisi-cat pine based pellet litter. it's a cheaper version of feline pine, basically, and i've only ever found it at petsmart. it absorbs urine incredibly well and the pellets explode into sawdust, but since that mostly only happens as they are absorbing water, there is only minimal tracking, and only in the area directly around the box-- i will probably be getting a little litterbox doormat to solve that.

when i had foster kittens i moved my cat's litter box into my bedroom and i thought it would be awful but as long as i keep it relatively clean there is NO urine odor and there might as well be no stool odor too.

i tried some of the other products but i was allergic to the ones that have scented things in them. i also tried the non-pelleted version of feline pine but found the tracking was a big problem. too messy!

my kitten had no trouble switching from the other types of litter onto the pelleted type.

good luck!

 

[sofficat]

I lived in a 27 foot camper with my husband and 2 cats for 3 years, now I live in a studio apartment. Here is what I do.

-Tidy cats small space (works great). The multicat does pretty well, too.

-booda dome litter box with stairs... helps with the tracking, but doesn't completely eliminate it. But because I don't have anyplace to put the litterbox out of the way, it looks nice out in the open in the bathroom
(http://www1.epinions.com/reviews/Booda_Dome_Clean_Step_Litter_Box_Color_Iris)

-litter locker, so I don't have to do to the dumpster every time I empty the litter box

my sister uses the crystals, which seems to help with the urine smell, but I don't know what it does for the poo.
The Yesterday's News pretty much eliminates tracking, but doesn't do much of anything for the smell

 

[shelterURIgirl]

OMG, thats my ikea inspired litterbox! I had completely forgotten that I posted it to ikeahacker! I'm so glad people have found it helpful, wow that totally makes my night!

Lechatnoir, do you have a window right above (or near) the litter box? You can set up a small squirrel cage fan or even a computer fan to a piece of flexible tubing that connects your litterbox to an open window. You take a strip of plastic or wood to set in the window and drill a hole to mount the fan into this piece of wood/plastic. This suctions a very small amount of air from the litter box out the window, creating a slight negative pressure which keeps the litter smell from leaving the box. Here is an example of someone doing this: http://www.instructables.com/id/Cat_Litter_Box_Odor_Eliminator_Fan_FlowCat/ or you can just google "litter box exhaust fan" to get more info. They sell window ventilation kits for people with dryers in apartments that need to vent through a window, but the DIY option is much cheaper. Plus, home depot or most other hardware stores will cut a piece of plexiglass or wood to size for you in the store. If you paint the wood the same color of the window frame, it looks very discreet. PM me with any questions!

Good luck with everything!

I built my cat a litter box cabinet for my small apartment. It cost me around $75 and the cabinet itself takes up some space, but is SO worth it. I needed something to keep the dogs from using his box as a snack box!

The one I built is exactly like this one, but with a stronger top:
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2007/12/kickass-litterbox-cabinet.html

The cabinet is set slightly off the wall so my cat can get in from the back. It fits his litterbox and his food dish (I also need to keep the dog out of his food.) When I want to scoop the box, I just open the big front doors and do so easily. It cost me around $75-$80 to buy the cabinet and top, which was a splurge but was well worth it. I can also store things on top of the cabinet (it held my roommate's fish tank until recently) and on a shelf inside. I could do two shelves inside, actually, but I don't really need another.

With this, I have almost no litter tracking. A tiny bit spills out the kitty door in the back occasionally, but I can sweep it up pretty quickly. I do have the whole floor of the cabinet lined with a litter trapping mat, which probbaly helps quite a bit. I scoop it every day, empty the whole thing as needed, and sweep it all out/shake out the mat once a week.

If you check the blog where I got my idea from, there are other plans as well. My favorites are these:
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/03/flaren-stealth-cat-litter-box.html
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/07/ikea-ps-locker-into-litter-box.html
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/05/put-cat-litter-box-at-entryway.html


Remember that if the issue is that your cat has especially stinky poop, or bouts of diarrhea, you'll want to take her to your vet to be checked out.

 

[shelterURIgirl]

I found another link for a litter vent kit. Here it is: http://www.littervent.com/Home.htm
(click on installation manual to view pdf with pictures. I believe the kit contains everything you need except the drill)

Oh, and totally off topic but did you guys know that home depot sells those cardboard tubes that they make cat tunnels out of? I bought a 4ft tube, cut it in half to make two tubes (I used a jig saw but a serrated knife, hacksaw or box cutter would work). Then I cut out holes on each side and covered them with carpet. The 4 foot piece of tube (12 inches in diameter) was only $7.99 and the carpet was under 20 bucks. Home depot sells them in the concrete/building supplies section, under "concrete pouring forms".

 

[Kat0303]

Other ideas, narrow ramps. cats tend to do better on narrow platforms against a solid side than dogs do. small platforms requiring jumping back and forth, preferably with traction mats/carpet on them. Again, dogs have a harder time with that then cats (but not sure about a cat with cerebellar hypoplasia.)

This is a great idea...his CH isn't as severe as some, and I bet he would be fine on a carpeted ramp, and I doubt my chihuahuas would try to shimmy up a ramp. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Lechatnoir]

You guys all have great ideas! Thanks so much I really appreciate all of your suggestions! I think I'm going to try some new litter and look into building some sort of enclosure for it, maybe with a fan. It's nice to know that my cat isn't the only messy one lol. Since I posted the first post, she passed an impacted hairball and has been diarrhea free since. She gets it every once in awhile because my parents' dog stresses her out, but she's been alright now. I can't wait to try all of your ideas! Thanks so much everyone!

 

[Pandacinny]

ShelterURIGirl - you are a genius! I made the litter box cabinet pretty much as soon as I saw it and could get myself to Ikea. It has worked out so well for me.

 

[rouxeny]

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[dyachei]

Has anyone tried one of those automatic litterboxes that scoop litter all day long? Have you heard anything about them, good or bad? They're on sale at WalMart for like $90.

I have the littermaid automatic litterbox and my parents have the one that looks like a death star. The littermaid cleans well, but the disposal cartridges get expensive. It also takes special litter - the silicon stuff. The death star was significantly more expensive and take regular clumping litter which it spins out after the cat has done his or her business. With the littermaid, you have to make sure the sensor is clean or it will not work unless you press the button. None of my cats have had a problem with the noise and it waits 10-15 minutes after the cat uses it to work.

 

[shelterURIgirl]

I have the death star (litter robot) too!

I've used the LITTERMAID motorized ones that you can buy at walmart, and they worked ok. The motor tends to fail after about a year with heavy to moderate use (I have 3 cats), and the raking mechanism can get jammed/stuck especially if your kitty piddles near the sides or back of the box (as opposed to the middle).

The plastic cartridges were annoying to replace, and they were gross to handle because the litter was tracked all over them. They do not contain the odor well, which means you can end up going through 1-2 waste recepticles a week even though they're not full. I was able to find cheap trash bags at the dollar store that fit the containers and this helped reduce the expense considerably. There is also a "perma-lid and bag-it" waste receptable that you can purchase at amazon.

If you have a cat (like mine) that will not use a "used" box, this litterbox works great especially if you're not home during the day.

The other type of automatic box at walmart is the SMART SCOOP box that uses the cartridges and special litter, and I don't have any experience with those. I thought about trying it, but the reviews from amazon were horrible. The cartridges and litter are VERY expensive. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Our-Pets-IM40...YE00/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1250111236&sr=1-1

If you have a small cat and no budget, the litter robot (litter-robot.com) is the best automatic scoop box out there. Considering I was buying a new littermaid each year, the litter robot's $329 price tag doesn't seem that offensive to me because I've already had it for 3 years and there is no cartridges or waste receptacles to replace.

 

[twelvetigers]

So you have three cats and just the one litter...er... 'Death Star'? Haha. The noise doesn't scare them? It's big enough? I really considered one of these...

 

[shelterURIgirl]

The death star/rotating spaceship works great! It rotates very slowly which prevents the clumps of litter from breaking apart as its dumped. I spend much less on litter because I don't have to change it out as much. The noise level is about the same as the littermaid ones (it doesn't start rotating about 10 minutes after the cat leaves). Heres a you tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCoUI_21vdI&feature=related. The best feature is the "dump litter" function. With the push of a button, the spaceship dumps all the litter (not just the clumps) into the bin.

The only drawback is its size. If your cat will not use a covered box then do not buy it. Here's another youtube video showing an average sized cat using it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhSqLQt6jlo.

I used to have 4 litterboxes, now I only have 3. In addition to the spaceship, I have an ikea litter box cabinet and a normal (uncovered) box outside in the patio area. In the winter, I move the uncovered box from the patio into the fireplace. The fourth litterbox used to be a cushion on my couch, but thanks to the rotating spaceship we're past that now.

So you have three cats and just the one litter...er... 'Death Star'? Haha. The noise doesn't scare them? It's big enough? I really considered one of these...

 

[twelvetigers]

That's really neat, but... kinda noisy. I dunno if my house is big enough for that, as I'm sure I could hear it really well from the bedroom. Also, if we got something that large, we wouldn't have room for more litterboxes (the laundry room is only so large and there's really nowhere else to put one) and we would still need it on a stand to prevent our corgi from treating it like a buffet...

But that does look REALLY cool. I'm jealous.