Litter Box Problems

[Craftlady]

The covers have to come off all the litter boxes and I need to get lower pans (cant use the ones that come with a cover, to high).

Poor Thumper cant get in fast enough to potty the last couple days and if I dont notice she is "dancing around the box" and assist her (take of lid in a hurry) she has an accident.

I really think if they arent covered and lower openings she will be fine.

I hate not having covers (odor) but I do scoop all the time.

I told hubby, it's always something with fur babies.
Poor Thumper is having a time of it. :eek:

[AbbyMom]

Poor widdle Thumper.

Do you have boxes scattered around the house for....quick access???

How's she doing on the antibiotics? You don't say on your blog why she's taking them. Does she have an UTI?

How is her appetite going? Still scrafing it down?

I often think of your little darling and hope she's doing well.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

Hopefully that will do the trick and Thumper will be able to get into the box alright. Does she use all the litter boxes or does she favor just one? Some of my cats favor a certain box and others will go in whichever is closest.

Hopefully it won't come to this, but if switching to lower boxes doesn't work you can use puppy pee pads. (You know what I'm talking about, right?) I had a cat that had a neurological disorder, she had extremely poor balance, she couldn't stand in litter at all, so she used the pee pads. A friend of mine used them for an old cat too (over 20 years old). She put them right next to the litter box, the old cat would use the pee pads and the rest of the cats continued to use the regular litter box.

[Craftlady]

Abbysmom:

I have 3 boxes throughout the house.
She favors the one in the computer room.
Her accidents are right next to the litter box or real close.
Our vet was not sure where the infection came from just her white count was high.
She is doing well on the antibotic.
Eating like a champ.

Kblaix:

She favors the litter box in the computer room.
I know about the puppy pads. Funny you should mention that because I thought about those and how would the others react to them, would they try to use them or just bypass and still use the box.

[jennielynn1970]

Have you looked at the storage containers that they sell at like WalMart and Target? You can get them really inexpensively there and they have sizes that are really low and long as well. I buy my litter boxes that way, they are durable too.

This is from Target, and is a set of 6 with lids, but I buy them individually and they're under $5.00 each.
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-6/qid=1185938122/ref=sr_1_6/601-3098326-9903316?ie=UTF8&asin=B000AVS7OK

[Craftlady]

Thanks Jenn, I will look at Walmart tomorrow.

[WELOVESPUPPIES]

They also sell dog litter pans which have a lower front....

http://www.petco.com/product/6677/Purina-secondnature-Dog-Litter-Pans.aspx

maybe something like this would work.

[Craftlady]

I like that dog one too. Dont have a Petco near us but we do have PetSmart. Next time we go up north we will have to check there, unfortunately our PetSmart is 28 miles one way :(

[Laura's Babies]

I use the pads outside the litter box for Amy and none of the other "girls" have ever used them. I find they are very handy for keeping the tracked litter off of the floor also. Amy just can't judge how bad she has to go verses how many time she will fall over and sometimes she don't even try to go in the box, preferring to use the pads. I'd try the puppy pads if I were you.

[moosmom]

I use the bins from Wal-Mart. They great and very durable. Not to mention cheap.

[WELOVESPUPPIES]

I like that dog one too. Dont have a Petco near us but we do have PetSmart. Next time we go up north we will have to check there, unfortunately our PetSmart is 28 miles one way :(


You can order right on line from PETCO or PETSMART.com also carries them(I think they also do online orders).

[Craftlady]

Laura,
Do you put litter on the pad so she knows it's ok to potty on that pad?
Inorder to get her used to the pad, would I go ahead put Thumper on the pad when I know she has to go?

[catmandu]

I have done well with the plastic freezer boxes that you can get from most grocery stores.
They are great for mistakes and are easy to keep clean. The Ones I get are about 2 x 4 feet.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I recently added 3 more litterboxes for my cats because I was having peeing problems. I tried the lower open boxes with the framed sides but the cats would pee over the top of them.:rolleyes:

I then went to Petsmart and bought an open box with very high sides but the entrance is very low so even senior cats cat use it without any problems. Storm loves them. Here's the link: Petsmart Litterboxes (http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444180 8078&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302047566&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023690&bmUID=1186020332259&itemNo=1&Ntt=litterboxes&In=Cat&previousText=litterboxes&N=2023690).

I have also been putting the puppy training pads behind and in front of the litterboxes to catch help catch accidents and litter spills. You shouldn't need to put litter on them first.Thumper will hopefully figure it out and just pee on it. I think that they come with a special scent to them. Good luck.:)

[Craftlady]

I like that one from PetSmart.
We went to our Walmart and the storage bin selection really stinks at our store. Everything was way to high (just like a regular hooded liter box).
Thumper gets help getting into the box, she can get out on her own.
I havent trusted her to get in by herself (making it on time) since she has had couple accidents. Mom knows her "look & action" of "I gotta pee" which works when your home but NOT when your away LOL

The only concern about puppy pads in front of the box is everyone else using the box has to step on them before entering. Now if everyone just thinks it's a mat we are set. Otherwise, I'm watching for peeing and pooping. Peeing, cant use to many times since it's wet. At least with poop, I can scoop it up right away.

Gotta think on this one a bit.

[Catty1]

Would she use a 'step' made out of a 2x4 or something? Lay flat in front of box - no assembly required. :)

Or cut down a cardboard box to the desired height, line with newspaper or kitty box liner, and add litter.

[Craftlady]

Would she use a 'step' made out of a 2x4 or something? Lay flat in front of box - no assembly required. :)

Or cut down a cardboard box to the desired height, line with newspaper or kitty box liner, and add litter.

A step situation might work. Cutting down a cardboard box is a quick fix because after a few uses with 5 cats it will be a pile of wet cardboard. Not to sanitary :(

[Catty1]

Cardboard...yeah...I thought maybe there was a box that only Thumper used...that's what I know from having only 2 cats! :)

Hope the step works...or even a ramp? (Cut down a worn out wedgie cat scratching post!)

[Craftlady]

She wanted down from our bed this morning at 4:30 a.m.
I feed the rest of the gang. Thumper was laying in the kitchen after getting a drink. Everything under control, I thought. Hubby woke me up at 6:30 a.m. because Thumper had an poop accident outside of the bathroom. Had to clean carpet and paw prints in the bathroom. :(

I put the hood back on that particular litter box. I'm not so sure it would of made a difference (on or off) in this situation. :eek:

Not being to wide awake at that hour, I'm going to have to be more aware when she wants down like that to take her to a litter box. It's hard to think at that hour of morning LOL



P.S.
We had a carrier that opened from the top (never like it). So I took it apart and using the base for a litter box in the computer room. IF it's a success, I will go get another cheap carrier and use the base as a litter box.

[Craftlady]

I got new boxes tonight at Walmart.
They are under-the-bed storage (27 inches long). Lot's of room for everyone. Eleanor & Cindy approve so far :)

It's going to be an on going "guess" when Thumper has to potty. We left for dinner and came back 1/2 hr later (picking up pizza) and she had a potty accident in the computer room. Thank goodness for my carpet cleaner machine.

Our theory is antibotic and new a/d food is causing the runs. She just cant make it to a litter box fast enough.

It's been only the last week she hasnt been using the litter box without my help. Is this a trend, we dont know. The outside the box started last week after finding out she needed the antibotics.

Wish our luck :)

[Catty1]

Becky - would Thumper lap some plain yogurt? If she would take some between ab doses, it would help put the good flora back in her system.

I don't know what she is like to pill - but acidophilus caps would work too...just not sure of the dose.

The runs aren't fun for anybody! I hope the yogurt or something will work.

[Craftlady]

Becky - would Thumper lap some plain yogurt? If she would take some between ab doses, it would help put the good flora back in her system.

I don't know what she is like to pill - but acidophilus caps would work too...just not sure of the dose.

The runs aren't fun for anybody! I hope the yogurt or something will work.

She does get some yogart with her hedge apple (mix the two together).
The new senior food (has yogart in it too).
Before tumor you could pill her, not now since the one side of her face/jaw is effected.

[critters]

Yes, the dog litterboxes are GREAT; around here, many of the monsters, ablebodied or not, like them. http://handicappedpets.com/wiki/index.php?title=Litterbox_for_handicapped_pet