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03-01-2021, 07:15 PM | #6801 |
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Also a top-loader at the vet's suggestion. I'll try the ankles trick. Sassy, unlike most cats, absolutely HATES enclosed spaces, even cardboard boxes, so it's really been an uphill battle. I am confident she was abused at some point before I got her, so I am trying to make this whole experience minimally traumatic.
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03-01-2021, 07:42 PM | #6802 |
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I'd definitely try a reassuring tone and gently guiding into the carrier by her feet. Hard to explain but if you grab both back feet with one hand and both front with the other, while supporting her body I'd think you can get her in without her resisting too much.
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03-01-2021, 07:46 PM | #6803 |
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In situations like that an old co-worker would say ‘Like trying to stick a wet noodle up a mountain lions ass in a telephone booth.’ Eddie was a funny guy.
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03-01-2021, 09:19 PM | #6804 | |
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03-03-2021, 09:13 PM | #6805 |
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Fellow cat dads (and moms), I want to know how you all clean your cat's litterboxes because I think the way I'm cleaning mine is bothering Penelope.
We scoop it once a day and keep it filled with at least 2-4 inches of litter at any given time. Once a month I'll dump everything out, wipe the inside of the box with disinfectant/sanitizer, and then dump a bunch of fresh litter in. I've done this for the past 2 years without any issues until recently. On Monday night I did the complete dump-out/clean/fresh litter thing. She didn't use her box at all on Tuesday and all day today, but she kept sniffing around the area that the box is in. I kept watching from afar hoping to see her jump into the box (it's top-entry) but nothing until around 4:30 PM today. I turned to see her sitting facing a corner right next to the box and to my terror, saw that she was squatting. Surely enough she leaves me a huge pile of 2 days worth of hot crap that I immediately clean up. She's only done this once before and that also happened to be a day or two after I did the whole monthly litter box cleaning. I took her to the vet the last time and they ran some tests but said nothing was wrong with her physically, so I don't know if it's behavioral or related to the way I change the box. I use the same litter each time I change it out so at this point I'm perplexed and just trying to think of every possible thing that could cause this as I'm tired of cleaning cat waste off my floor (ok, it was only twice, but that's still 2x too many). Anyway here are some pictures of her being silly and sleeping in weird positions for your enjoyment. |
03-03-2021, 09:18 PM | #6806 |
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I'm on the same cleaning regimen as you, but Sassy had a brief period where she refused to use her litterbox and would ONLY **** outside. I got a bag of the Dr. Elsey's "Cat Attract" litter - she normally uses the regular Dr. Elsey's litter - and after a week or so she went back to the box. I slowly started mixing regular litter back in and she got back in the habit of things.
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03-04-2021, 12:19 AM | #6807 |
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Did you change the type of cleaner that you use to disinfect the box?
I’ve been fortunate that Felix has never once gone outside of the litter box. I scoop his box every morning and keep 2-4” at any time and full replacement every month as well. I used to use a stronger cleaner but now I just use soap and water to clean the box and hose it off on the patio. |
03-04-2021, 12:51 AM | #6808 |
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I use disinfecting wipes, either Clorox, Lysol, or Kirkland brand depending on whatever I have available at the time, same thing I've been using for years. I wonder if I should just do what you do though, maybe the scents/chemicals are scaring her away. She is getting a little older now (turning 9 soon).
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03-04-2021, 04:19 AM | #6809 | |
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Probably a long shot but it crossed my mind and wanted to share. How is she activity wise? Like in terms of jumping and stuff. Maybe the top entry litter is uncomfortable for her to enter now because she is getting older? I hope you are able to figure it out so you and your kitty can once again enjoy poops! |
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03-04-2021, 09:17 AM | #6810 | ||||
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My wife & I use unscented dish soap to clean the litter box (monthly) in the tub. I was trying to find a picture of the product we use (I believe it's Dawn) but couldn't find it. I believe I got it at Target (as that's where I usually shop). We use the same litter (Dr. Elsey's litter) as XanRules. The blue bag (forget the exact model lol) We only have 1 litter box for 2 cats. The boys are fine with it so we kept it that way. It's a big litter box though. We scoop it morning before work and evening (around 8pm) when we feed them and then clean it fully once a month. Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Our Boys sleeping together. |
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03-04-2021, 11:39 PM | #6811 |
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Thanks for the compliments and all the advice so far folks, really appreciate it. I do have an update to share as well.
So to recap the timeline, we changed the litter box on Monday. After that she didn't use the box at all, and then took a crap on the floor on Wednesday around 4:30 PM. We woke up this morning and checked the box and found no poop or urine in there. The absence of poop didn't worry us but the absence of urine did, as the last time she peed (at least to my knowledge at the time) was sometime before we changed the box on Monday. I called my regular vet mid afternoon to make an appointment to bring her in to get checked and gave them all the details of the events that had occurred. I asked them how long a cat can go without urinating. The receptionist put me on hold to check with their technician and when she got back to me, she told me that anything longer than 48 hours might indicate a blockage in the urinary tract and that I should consider taking her to the ER immediately. She had asked me if it's possible that Penelope urinated somewhere else in the home but I said that to my knowledge, she hadn't. I spent an hour or so in total panic mode, trying to decide which ER to go to and mentally preparing myself for the expenses. Luckily my girlfriend calmed me down and convinced me to do a walkthrough of our apartment to see if we could find any urine. Now one thing I noticed at around 3 PM yesterday was that Penelope was sitting right outside of her little box on the corner of her litter mat. She was sitting almost perfectly still but every now and then she would fidget and readjust her seating position. I thought nothing of it at the time but surely enough when I went to go lift up her mat today, we immediately smelled a strong odor cat urine in the same spot she was sitting at. I don't know if I've ever been that relieved to discover that my cat urinated outside of the box because this means that it's only been about a day since her last urination, which is pretty normal. I put the ER trip on hold for the time being but I did run to the pet store and picked up some products which I'm hoping will help her use her box again, including the following: -Dr. Elsey's cat attract litter per your recommendations. I actually used to use their regular cat litter (blue packaging) but I switched to a Purina Tidy Cats scented litter as we found the Dr. Elsey's to not do a good job of masking the smell or clumping. We switched to the Tidy Cats one over a year ago but I'm thinking maybe she doesn't like it now that she's older, especially since it's scented. -These litter box wipes. I had no idea these existed and apparently there are other brands too, but surely these have to be better for cats than your regular Clorox/Lysol wipes designed for human use. Did a complete empty/wipedown/refill of her litter box and the surrounding areas with the new wipes and litter. She hasn't gone yet but it's only been an hour since I did that, and by my count about 30 hours or so since her last urination and defecation. Fingers crossed that she'll like the new setup. I'd much rather have a fussy/picky cat than one with a serious medical issue. And if she pees or craps on the floor again...well at this point I'll deal with it and try other things because all I'm hoping is that it's not a medical issue. All things aside, behavior-wise she is acting just fine and not exhibiting any signs of pain or discomfort aside from the litter box issues. If she goes outside the box again my next step might be to get a new litter box or mat and see if that works. |
03-05-2021, 01:41 AM | #6812 |
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I’d avoid disinfecting or bleaching the litter box. Cats have an insane sense of smell and strong cleaners can irritate them and deter them from using the litter box.
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03-05-2021, 10:35 AM | #6813 |
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Yeah, we just use regular barely-scented dish soap and hot water on Aiko's box every two weeks when we replace the litter (which is sWheat Scoop). It's some flavor of Palmolive I can't find on their website for some reason. I don't think its anti-bacterial and I wish it was, but anti-bacterial always seems to be heavily scented which as said above the cat would probably hate.
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03-05-2021, 01:21 PM | #6814 |
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I don't think it's been mentioned, but white vinegar works well to neutralize the soaked in urine stench and isn't too harsh. Cats really don't want a totally scent-less litter box.
In related cat pee news, one of our male cats got blocked up and had to get unblocked and then stayed at the vet for 2 days while they monitored his pee progress. When I took him home, he was drugged up, smelled weird and was acting weird - of course this meant to the other cats that he was now an unknown enemy cat. It's been almost a week of hissing, stalking and spazzing from the other idiots. Guys - this cat has lived with you for SIX YEARS, or to put it another way for two of the cats, YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. You like him and you play with him. He is your cat friend. Get a brain morans. We need a total cat dynamics reset in the house. |
03-05-2021, 09:52 PM | #6815 |
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Final update! Hopefully.
Woke up today and she still hadn't gone in her litter box, and we also didn't see or smell any urine or feces around the apartment. Fortunately my regular vet called me and said that they had a cancellation and can see her today instead of waiting until my scheduled appointment on Sunday, so I brought her in. They looked her over and also did an ultrasound and didn't find anything wrong with her physically. Her bladder was fine and had some urine in it, but wasn't anywhere near full to the point where it might indicate a blockage or any other inability to urinate. They were able to procure a urine sample and said the concentration looked good. Solid waste inside her looked regular also. Funny thing is that they also gave her a nail trim while she was there (per my request since she gets fussy when I do it) and according to the doctor, she got mad and pissed herself in the process They said if I really wanted to, they could do some x-rays and blood work, but the doctor felt confident enough that it's a behavioral issue (especially given recent changes in her litter box) that she told me she doesn't feel its necessary at this time. They recommended that I continue to use Dr. Elsey's or another high-quality unscented kitty litter, as well as gentle cleansers when cleaning the box instead of Clorox or Lysol wipes designed for humans. They also recommended a second litter box (I'll have to figure out where to put it in our 1 bedroom apartment) and that I switch to one that's open or has a side-entry door instead of the top entry one I have now, as well as getting a blacklight to look for urine spots. I picked her up and aside from her belly being wet from pissing herself and then the people at the vet using some waterless shampoo to try to get the smell out of her, she's in mostly good spirits. Had a nice meal when she got home, licked her butthole for 30 minutes and is now being a sleepy lazy cat as she usually is. Thanks again for all the help and advice. This ordeal was annoying and stressful but I'm very relieved as again, I'd much rather deal with behavioral issues rather than medical issues. This whole thing only cost me $75 for the vet visit + whatever other cat supplies I bought, vs. probably hundreds or thousands if something really was wrong with her. |
03-27-2021, 11:59 AM | #6816 |
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I made a fountain for Kat. The first version was cool, but asking for a flood.
it's a $10 submersible pump, a piece of tubing and an adjustable garden bubbler. v1 |
03-27-2021, 09:47 PM | #6817 |
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Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
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Not much of a cat person anymore due to allergies, but somehow found this amusing -
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03-27-2021, 11:43 PM | #6818 | |
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04-14-2021, 11:42 AM | #6819 |
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Dammit has never been much of a playful cat. Sure she'll do the typical "OMG RUN NOW" thing...but was never all that interested in any sort of toy (string, balls, whatever).
Recently I learned there is one toy that she goes bonkers over...wine corks. She'll bat the **** out of 'em, knock them all around the apartment. And sometimes she'll pick 'em up in her mouth, carry them to a new area, and bat 'em around more (seeing her pick one up in her mouth is absolutely adorable too). I got a whole bunch of corks from a friend and put 'em into a lil basket...now she'll go up to the basket and try to get them out of it I've tried to get pictures/video of her playing but to no avail...as soon as she sees me watching her then it's game over. Only two problems now: 1. I gotta make sure I pick up all the corks before I go to bed...otherwise I'm woken up at 3 AM as she bats one of those things all around. 2. Since she bats them so aggressively they end up all over the place. She'll actually meow at me to grab one down for her now |
04-14-2021, 12:44 PM | #6820 |
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I will try that with Sassy, who is also not really interested in toys except for pieces of string, sometimes.
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04-14-2021, 01:04 PM | #6821 |
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We tried just about every imaginable cat toy prior...lasers, things on strings, those balls in a circle thing, fluffy catnip infused mice, bouncy feathers hanging from a door/scratching post...nope, no care.
But a cork? Toss one of those across the room and she'll immediately bolt for it. I find 'em all over the place now |
04-26-2021, 11:30 PM | #6822 |
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My mom almost killed her cat by forcing hydrogen peroxide down his throat in an effort to get him to throw up a piece of plastic he had eaten. Unbeknownst to her and I, hydrogen peroxide can strip away the protective lining of their stomach and lead to massive ulcers and eventual painful death.
He went to the vet and they said he'll most likely be fine with his medications he's now on. So don't ever give your cat this stuff. Don't ever use it on a cut either. Just keep it the hell away from cats. |
04-26-2021, 11:50 PM | #6823 |
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Pretty sure it says right on the bottle to contact a poison control center immediately if peroxide is ingested.
That applies to humans and other animals. And for God's sake, don't inject anything with bleach either. |
04-27-2021, 12:26 AM | #6824 | |
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In the end, we can just chalk it up to live and learn since Chubbums didn't meet his maker. |
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04-27-2021, 01:08 PM | #6825 |
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