My 14-week-old kitten just doesn't get it. She has to be in either a cage, or a very small room with litterbox, toys, and food, in order to understand that we USE THE BOX and not the corner for pooping. Her health is fine and there are no introduction problems with other cats (she's loving my playful neutered male, who is something like a giant motorized teddy bear to her).
Every time I experimentally expand her domain a wee tad -- opening the door to her happy kitty prison (the small room with the food, toys, bed, and litterbox) and letting her go down the hall into the office -- she poops in the corner of the office. It's like out of sight, out of mind with litter boxes. If there's a box within clear sight, she uses it, but if not, she uses the corner.
So now I'm thinking I put about 20 boxes around the house to see if she uses them, and if she does I start gradually removing them. And I do mean 20 boxes. Let no man say I failed for lack of thoroughness. My house isn't that big; I simply mean to see to it that there's a box within her line of sight no matter where she is.
N.B. Coyotes prevent the outdoor solution.
Has anyone ever tried this 20-box idea successfully? Or heard of it?
> My 14-week-old kitten just doesn't get it. She has to be in either a > cage, or a very small room with litterbox, toys, and food, in order to > understand that we USE THE BOX and not the corner for pooping. Her > health is fine and there are no introduction problems with other cats > (she's loving my playful neutered male, who is something like a giant > motorized teddy bear to her).
> Every time I experimentally expand her domain a wee tad -- opening the > door to her happy kitty prison (the small room with the food, toys, > bed, and litterbox) and letting her go down the hall into the office -- > she poops in the corner of the office. It's like out of sight, out of > mind with litter boxes. If there's a box within clear sight, she uses > it, but if not, she uses the corner.
Why not put the box in the corner and then gradually move it to where you want it to be. Inconvenient for a while but better than having 20 boxes all over the house? --
> My 14-week-old kitten just doesn't get it. She has to be in either a > cage, or a very small room with litterbox, toys, and food, in order to > understand that we USE THE BOX and not the corner for pooping. Her > health is fine and there are no introduction problems with other cats > (she's loving my playful neutered male, who is something like a giant > motorized teddy bear to her).
> Every time I experimentally expand her domain a wee tad -- opening the > door to her happy kitty prison (the small room with the food, toys, > bed, and litterbox) and letting her go down the hall into the office -- > she poops in the corner of the office. It's like out of sight, out of > mind with litter boxes. If there's a box within clear sight, she uses > it, but if not, she uses the corner.
> So now I'm thinking I put about 20 boxes around the house to see if she > uses them, and if she does I start gradually removing them. And I do > mean 20 boxes. Let no man say I failed for lack of thoroughness. My > house isn't that big; I simply mean to see to it that there's a box > within her line of sight no matter where she is.
> N.B. Coyotes prevent the outdoor solution.
> Has anyone ever tried this 20-box idea successfully? Or heard of it?
I should have mentioned, there is a box downstairs as well. Problem is, she just lets go in whatever room she happens to be in. Can't be bothered to get herself to a box unless it's a hop away.
I'll certainly add a box to the office at a minimum, and I'll use the unscented scooping litter.
another way to do it is to put her in a cage with a litter box, and whenever she poops in the box, let her out. you probably know well about her frequency/timing of the litter box use, so when you think she'll do her next one, put her back in the cage, wait until she uses the litter box, then let her out. continue this for a while and she'll learn to use the box. at least it worked with my cat :>
> I should have mentioned, there is a box downstairs as well. Problem is, > she just lets go in whatever room she happens to be in. Can't be > bothered to get herself to a box unless it's a hop away.
> I'll certainly add a box to the office at a minimum, and I'll use the > unscented scooping litter.
On Sun, 29 Oct 2006, Niel Humphreys wrote: > "arhooley" <j...@schwartz-family.net> wrote in message > news:1162140513.083442.35530@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com... >> My 14-week-old kitten just doesn't get it. She has to be in either a >> cage, or a very small room with litterbox, toys, and food, in order to >> understand that we USE THE BOX and not the corner for pooping. Her >> health is fine and there are no introduction problems with other cats >> (she's loving my playful neutered male, who is something like a giant >> motorized teddy bear to her).
>> Every time I experimentally expand her domain a wee tad -- opening the >> door to her happy kitty prison (the small room with the food, toys, >> bed, and litterbox) and letting her go down the hall into the office -- >> she poops in the corner of the office. It's like out of sight, out of >> mind with litter boxes. If there's a box within clear sight, she uses >> it, but if not, she uses the corner.
> Why not put the box in the corner and then gradually move it to where you > want it to be. Inconvenient for a while but better than having 20 boxes all > over the house? > --
> Niel H
This sounds like a good idea to me. Also, you might think about putting her *very gently* into the box after she's eaten or played. Sometimes kittens are like little kids on the playground. They wait until the last second when they have to go. Then they just go wherever. You might think about using something like Nature's Miracle on the spot to get the scent out. Once they've picked an inappropriate place, they'll keep going back there because of the smell. Good luck!
> So now I'm thinking I put about 20 boxes around the house to see > if she uses them, and if she does I start gradually removing > them. And I do mean 20 boxes. Let no man say I failed for lack > of thoroughness. My house isn't that big; I simply mean to see > to it that there's a box within her line of sight no matter > where she is.
20 is probably over-kill, but more boxes, particularly where she spends the most time out of her room is a good idea. With my last two, I had to put a litter box in the bathroom because someone liked to poop on the rug in there. A couple of weeks with a litter box in there solved the problem, and I removed it when it wasn't used in favor of the other boxes.
There's also specialized litter or additives that can be helpful. I haven't had to try them, but others have, and with great results.
i forgot to mention in my previous post... you can also put some sliced orange or lemon on the spots that you don't want her to use. in general, i heard that cats (don't know about other animals) don't like citrus type smell. i also tried this with my own cat (e.g., when i was cooking and didn't want him to jump onto the counter), and it worked pretty well. for the spots she's already used (like the corner of your office?), you can spray orange scented solution (or something like that...if you don't want to use real sliced orange/lemon) to keep her away from the spot.
also, keeping a little bit of her previous litter in the litter boxes that you're about to lay out is a good idea because they come back for the smell.
> > So now I'm thinking I put about 20 boxes around the house to see > > if she uses them, and if she does I start gradually removing > > them. And I do mean 20 boxes. Let no man say I failed for lack > > of thoroughness. My house isn't that big; I simply mean to see > > to it that there's a box within her line of sight no matter > > where she is.
> 20 is probably over-kill, but more boxes, particularly where she > spends the most time out of her room is a good idea. With my last > two, I had to put a litter box in the bathroom because someone > liked to poop on the rug in there. A couple of weeks with a litter > box in there solved the problem, and I removed it when it wasn't > used in favor of the other boxes.
> There's also specialized litter or additives that can be helpful. I > haven't had to try them, but others have, and with great results.
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