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Yeah, the thing with covered litter boxes (or litter boxes that are otherwise less accessible than "big flat obvious pan of litter") is that some cats won't tolerate them or figure them out, which can lead to problems. If you can get them to work, more power to you, but you may want to have other solutions lined up for litter-trailing, like using different litter/using mats/having the litter box be on an easily-cleaned surface.
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Apr 25, 2017 02:59
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Yeah one of my cats used it just fine. The other just wouldnt take to it and always left his poop uncovered or made messes. This all resolved when I went to an open large pan style tray.
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Apr 25, 2017 03:17
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Thanks for the responses folks. We're still looking at options for the cat right now. We were kinda worried the cat would be a little to dim to figure out how to get to the top of the litter box and I brought up that it could help if I made a little ramp/scratching post for her to easily get up there. she's a bit of a ditz and I've watched her miss a jump numerous times onto a bed so that was an honest worry when my girlfriend first brought this litter box to my attention. I'll look into larger grain/fiber pellets and see what the girlfriend says. I know she likes the stuff she uses now because it does help cut down on the urine smell quite a bit, but I'm unsure if she's tried other stuff before.
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Apr 25, 2017 03:19
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dorium posted:Thanks for the responses folks. We're still looking at options for the cat right now. We were kinda worried the cat would be a little to dim to figure out how to get to the top of the litter box and I brought up that it could help if I made a little ramp/scratching post for her to easily get up there. she's a bit of a ditz and I've watched her miss a jump numerous times onto a bed so that was an honest worry when my girlfriend first brought this litter box to my attention. I'll look into larger grain/fiber pellets and see what the girlfriend says. I know she likes the stuff she uses now because it does help cut down on the urine smell quite a bit, but I'm unsure if she's tried other stuff before. i've heard arguments against top-boxes in that they can cause hip problems for cats or something, but i don't know the veracity of that claim. the biggest issue is usually whether the cat will use it or not
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Apr 25, 2017 05:31
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Antivehicular posted:Yeah, the thing with covered litter boxes (or litter boxes that are otherwise less accessible than "big flat obvious pan of litter") is that some cats won't tolerate them or figure them out, which can lead to problems. If you can get them to work, more power to you, but you may want to have other solutions lined up for litter-trailing, like using different litter/using mats/having the litter box be on an easily-cleaned surface. And it's not even universal-- my cats have always used a covered litterbox but when I tried one with a swingy door, they did not understand it.
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Apr 25, 2017 06:24
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speaking of litter boxes---just adopted our first cat yesterday and we have a big litterbox house, the kind that you can swivel over so it filters stuff into a scoop pan. Good news is the cat went in late at night as we heard him pawing at the litter. Bad news is we misjudged the level of litter like idiots, putting like an inch inside when it should have been more like, 4 to 5 inches. So the cat, taking an uncharacteristically explosive poo poo, had really nowhere to put it and thus it got over the box walls and created a nuclear death trap. Given that we have a small 1-bedroom apartment, litterbox management was my number one worry--I dont want our small space to stink constantly--but I'm assuming we hosed up with the amount of litter able to mask anything outright?
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Apr 25, 2017 14:49
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If you're looking to completely remove any smell at all you might want to look into crystal litter. It dehydrates things so the smell goes away really fast. Disadvantage is you have to replace it often and if/when it gets kicked out of the litterbox it's AWFUL to step on. Or I guess just clean the box every time the cat craps in it as soon as they're done. Basically I've never encountered a litter other than crystal litter that can totally unstink a place without being clean.
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Apr 25, 2017 16:21
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Organza Quiz posted:If you're looking to completely remove any smell at all you might want to look into crystal litter. It dehydrates things so the smell goes away really fast. Disadvantage is you have to replace it often and if/when it gets kicked out of the litterbox it's AWFUL to step on. thanks, that sounds like a good alternative to try, too. I don't care about changing it more often if it helps other aspects.
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Apr 25, 2017 17:41
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So I've got a few questions regarding traveling with my furbutts! I'm going to be moving from Chicago -> Boston in July, with my two cats. I've never traveled with cats like this before, and my girls have never been in a car for longer than an hour(and that was literally when I adopted them ~1 year ago). I'm definitely thinking kitty Valium is needed, since one or both of them peed in their carrier when I took them for a 10 minute ride to the vet's for a routine check-up. Do I just go into my vet's office like a week before and explain this to them? Do I need to run a gamut of questionnaires and forms to get my  ? I'm splitting the drive into two days as well, so I'm trying to figure out logistics. I'm guessing just set up a temporary litter box when we get to our halfway point?
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Apr 25, 2017 23:31
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I used to like crystal litter but it's pretty pricey, is loving awful to step on, and starts crumbling into urine soaked dust when saturated. It works well at soaking up stuff but yeah, if I hate stepping on it, what's it doing to their paws?
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Apr 26, 2017 00:48
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Long haired cat, poop stuck in fur. Best clippers to give him the "summer look" on his behind.
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Apr 26, 2017 00:53
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I wouldnt recommend it for doing large patches, but I used an old cordless beard trimmer to keep my long haired cat's butt tidy.
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Apr 26, 2017 00:57
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Synthbuttrange posted:I wouldnt recommend it for doing large patches, but I used an old cordless beard trimmer to keep my long haired cat's butt tidy. Really I'd just take it down a bit. It's only happened once and we got most of it with a warm cloth but if it becomes and ongoing problems I'd like to trim a bit.
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Apr 26, 2017 01:00
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Johnny Truant posted:So I've got a few questions regarding traveling with my furbutts! The vet will almost certainly need to see the cat before prescribing anything. It's an ethics thing. They don't want to miss any signals that the cat won't tolerate the dose. Every long drive I've done with cats has had litter, food, and water available, but out of all those trips, no cat has ever used them in transit (except one who hid in the litter box the whole trip.) They'll definitely need facilities when you stop for the night, though. Pack extra towels or pee-pads to line their carriers. They're more likely to pee in there than somewhere more appropriate if nature demands it. If you're alone, you shouldn't let them out of their crates while driving at all. It's kind of risky even if you do have a wrangler, and in that case, I'd make the cats wear a harness to make them more catchable. Cats like to wedge themselves in secure places, like the foot well behind the brake and gas pedals.
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Apr 26, 2017 01:07
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Synthbuttrange posted:I used to like crystal litter but it's pretty pricey, is loving awful to step on, and starts crumbling into urine soaked dust when saturated. It works well at soaking up stuff but yeah, if I hate stepping on it, what's it doing to their paws? Yeah, I'm not a fan of crystal litter either; your cat just ends up charging the crystals, imbuing them with terrible power until they gleam with a golden aura, twisting its purpose from a cleansing stone to an instrument of evil
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Apr 26, 2017 02:16
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duckfarts posted:Yeah, I'm not a fan of crystal litter either; your cat just ends up charging the crystals, imbuing them with terrible power until they gleam with a golden aura, twisting its purpose from a cleansing stone to an instrument of evil My vet says it can be really dangerous if they accidentally ingest any. I stick with pine Feline Fresh and contain the trail blazing by keeping the litter box in a large shallow plastic bin along with some of those litter mats that never work as well as you hope they will.
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Apr 26, 2017 03:12
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dorium posted:hi everyone in this thread. my girlfriend is moving in next month and bringing along her twelve pound ragdoll cat along. we were looking at some litter boxes and saw these modkat ones that looked pretty cool and promising in that they could cut down on kitty litter trails the cat would bring back on her paws. just wondering if anyone has any experience with either of these: I have this one and the cat still tracks litter everywhere. I live in a 1 bedroom and leave the box in the bathroom so I'm using World's Best so I can flush it.
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Apr 26, 2017 14:41
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Max and Sam have done 4 days in the car (Phoenix to Raleigh) three times now, and basically you just drug them in the morning, do not open the carrier at all for any reason in the car, and let them roam the hotel room at night. Bring a small pan litterbox, a garbage bag big enough to use as a liner so you can just toss the entire thing in the morning, and their bowls. They won't LIKE it but they will be fine and sleep most of the time. Sam liked looking out the window, so I gave him the window seat. They usually don't go in the carrier but bring a roll of paper towel and some pee-stain cleaner just in case they do anything dumb in the hotels, and make sure you stay in a pet-friendly one. Personally I keep my cats in harnesses whenever we're traveling in case I need a handle to grab one quickly.
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Apr 26, 2017 21:01
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Pixelante posted:The vet will almost certainly need to see the cat before prescribing anything. It's an ethics thing. They don't want to miss any signals that the cat won't tolerate the dose. mistaya posted:Max and Sam have done 4 days in the car (Phoenix to Raleigh) three times now, and basically you just drug them in the morning, do not open the carrier at all for any reason in the car, and let them roam the hotel room at night. Bring a small pan litterbox, a garbage bag big enough to use as a liner so you can just toss the entire thing in the morning, and their bowls. They won't LIKE it but they will be fine and sleep most of the time. Sam liked looking out the window, so I gave him the window seat. Awesome, thanks for the tips! I definitely was not going to let them out of the carrier at all. A homie and I rescued a kitten one day from the main street in our hometown, and when I thought it had calmed down in my lap after a couple minutes I slowly took my hand off its back. Big mistake! Little fucker(we named him Pizza) shot over to the steering wheel well and sure enough crawled so goddamn far up into that well we had to stop, put hazards on and have me, the lanky long-armed goofus I am, somehow reach up and yank that little fucker out. Garbage bag litterbox liner is a great idea as well, I would've never thought of that. I've gotta figure out where we're staying on our halfway trip, but I don't think it'll be a hotel. I'm thinking I should get each of my furbutts a cat-carrier instead of the single large (dog) carrier I own now, haha. One more question though, does timing for going to the vet matter that much for when I get the ? I'll probably just schedule them a regular checkup a little while before the actual move, but I don't want to do it too early/late, dig?
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Apr 26, 2017 21:11
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mistaya posted:Max and Sam have done 4 days in the car (Phoenix to Raleigh) three times now, and basically you just drug them in the morning, do not open the carrier at all for any reason in the car, and let them roam the hotel room at night. Bring a small pan litterbox, a garbage bag big enough to use as a liner so you can just toss the entire thing in the morning, and their bowls. They won't LIKE it but they will be fine and sleep most of the time. Sam liked looking out the window, so I gave him the window seat. Good thing you didn't let Max drive, or Sam would have started clawing at the dash and shrieking like a cheerleader.
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Apr 26, 2017 22:56
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Hyperlynx posted:Good thing you didn't let Max drive, or Sam would have started clawing at the dash and shrieking like a cheerleader. I'm really angry you got to this before me, just so you know.
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Apr 27, 2017 03:07
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According to your lovely OP I need to start brushing my cat's teeth. I recently put him full-time on wet canned food because he was getting too fat from dry food, even when I carefully rationed it. So I am going to start brushing his teeth because the OP said to. And also because he has gotten some stinky breath ever since I switched his diet. On the plus side, he's not fat anymore. Here are the things I am supposed to tell you: - Age Maybe 7 or 8, the shelter wasn't sure. - Sex Former M. - How long have you had your cat? Since 2012. - Is your cat spayed or neutered? Yeah. - What food do you use? See above. - When was your last vet visit? Two months ago, and the vet said my cat didn't need a cleaning yet (I asked specifically about this). But his breath stinks now! - Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both? Formerly both, but currently indoor only. - How many pets in your household? Just this cat. - How many litter boxes do you have? Just one. Also FYI he is very cute  So do you cat geniuses have any feedback to my teeth-brushing plan?
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Apr 28, 2017 04:55
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Does it stink of cat food or stink of something else? Is it transferring to his fur as he cleans it? Otherwise, just standard grooming precautions. Keep his claws trimmed, get the right tools, a baby toothbrush and pet toothpaste. Some pets accept brushing eventually, some will fight forever.
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Apr 28, 2017 05:13
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Okay, great. He's pretty easygoing with being held, having his nails trimmed, etc. so hopefully this won't be too much of a leap. And yeah, his breath is basically just intense cat food scent. It's not on his fur as far as I can tell.
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Apr 28, 2017 05:49
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Okay, doesnt sound like he's having dental problems then. Have you tried different cat food brands to see if they affect the smell? As for brushing, take it slowly. If you only get a little bit done before he runs off, that isnt a problem as long as you can keep getting further each time.
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Apr 28, 2017 11:18
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We've had a cat for a couple months now who we thought at first had a cat cold. She snores, and occasionally has little sneezing fits. Like maybe 1-2 times per day. Watery eyes occasionally. Doesn't seem to be getting any worse and as far as we can tell it's just kind of her deal. Is there some kind of chronic thing we should be worried about here? She's an indoor cat so it's not some kind of plant allergy. Want to avoid taking her to the vet for a variety of reasons (money, the fact that she flips the gently caress out).
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Apr 28, 2017 14:15
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Luigi's Discount Porn Bin posted:We've had a cat for a couple months now who we thought at first had a cat cold. She snores, and occasionally has little sneezing fits. Like maybe 1-2 times per day. Watery eyes occasionally. Doesn't seem to be getting any worse and as far as we can tell it's just kind of her deal. Is there some kind of chronic thing we should be worried about here? She's an indoor cat so it's not some kind of plant allergy. Want to avoid taking her to the vet for a variety of reasons (money, the fact that she flips the gently caress out). Could very well be a seasonal allergy. Even indoors, you're going to get pollen into the house. You can talk to your vet about it. An antihistamine like Benadryl could help, but get clear on the dosage. If she's still sneezy in another month or so, it may be an allergy to something else, and it's going to be a bear to track down.
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Apr 28, 2017 14:23
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Seasonal allergy still seems unlikely. There's not a lot of pollen floating around England in early March. I guess it could be something in the house. Forgot the info - Age: 7 or 8 Sex: female How long have you had your cat? like 2 or 2 1/2 months Is your cat spayed or neutered? yes What food do you use? whiskas dry food When was your last vet visit? 3 weeks ago Is your cat indoors, outdoors, both? indoors How many pets in your household? just her How many litter boxes do you have? one Here's the little monster. We don't know much about her history but she's got some loose skin so might have been fat once upon a time.  
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Apr 28, 2017 14:36
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Long story short: my parents agreed to foster my cat while I waited for my new apartment complex to change their "no pet" policy. The sheer terror shown by my cat upon meeting my parents' cat for the first time was instrumental in the property manager allowing me to bring my cat in 3 months early. After a week staying at my parents house the two cats ended up becoming buds but my poor cat freaked the hell out every time she saw my parents American Bulldog/Blue Heeler. First Contact: 
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Apr 28, 2017 17:46
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so after experimenting with new arm and hammer litter that clumps and works 100% better (we found out the lightweight poo poo we were using was legit rated one of the worst litters) things were better for a few days, but the cat has had a major diarrhea problem frequently and the litter doesn't do so well to mask that. that combined with the fact that we're using a big domed plastic box might be trapping the scent in the plastic and making things worse because the apartment just stinks constantly and I can't take it. the cat has a vet appointment on wednesday so hopefully we'll know if it's food or a parasite causing him to get the squirts, but either way I'm reconsidering having a boxed-in plastic litterbox because it just seems to absorb the stink and that is not going to work for a small apartment. Are there any stainless steel versions of this?
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Apr 30, 2017 16:15
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Hell, same. My cat's been taking well to the new food, thanks for the rec! Although his poop smells worse than ever. 
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Apr 30, 2017 16:21
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So I thought to myself, I deserve a nice long soak in the tub after the past few days I've had, with a bath bomb from Lush and a nice magazine. I guess the stress has been getting to Deimos, too, because she joined me. Not on purpose. I am not allowed to take a bath by myself anymore it seems so she and her sister were climbing all over the tub and circling round the rim. Finally Deimos fell in. She was not happy about it. I thought it was hilarious. Now though I'm concerned about her licking off the diluted bath bomb water. It was this one: http://www.lushusa.com/bath/bath-bombs/frozen/05991.html And I'm not sure how the ingredients fare to cats. She ran off in shame so I couldn't really towel her off properly and she obviously has licked herself dry. Well, is licking. She's dry but that ego. Help?
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May 4, 2017 06:33
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I don't know about the more chemical-sounding-chemicals but I know citrus oil isn't great, I guess just keep an eye on her and if she seems sick take her to the vet? Obvious advice I know.
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May 4, 2017 07:37
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Copy cats. This one wore bath-bomb style first. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgcrwi1hbSw
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May 4, 2017 08:24
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Anyone use automatic cat feeders? I've had my cats on a diet on a diet, and sometimes I'm gone long enough to not give them two small meals. I've used this in the past: https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-eatwe...AQ&gclsrc=aw.ds but it's broken now (battery won't hold in it's slot) and is basically a glorified food bowl now. I'd rather not just give them a bunch of food to munch on for when I leave for longer than a day.
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May 4, 2017 17:24
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Luigi's Discount Porn Bin posted:Here's the little monster. We don't know much about her history but she's got some loose skin so might have been fat once upon a time. If it's saggy belly skin, most cats have that. It's just how cats are built. It's called the "primordial pouch" and it helps protect their belly when they fight other cats, as well as helping them do their cat slinky impersonations. It's perfectly normal.
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May 4, 2017 19:15
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You know, I've been meaning to ask about the belly thing, because Jackie has a SERIOUSLY comical and enormous waggling belly pouch. When she runs it literally swings back and forth in this... obscenely conspicuous way. I thought it would go away as she lost weight, but I really think it has gotten bigger! Is this something that cats who were once very obese just have? Because Jackie's 13 pounds now (maybe even 12) but 6 years ago when I adopted her she weighed around 18 pounds or so. It's kinda tough for Jackie, because in addition to all this she has REALLY short legs, so the belly pouch dangles almost to the point of brushing the floor. I would love to figure what in hell is going on with Jackie's genetic background, actually - ever since adopting Sardine, who is shaped like a "normal" short-haired cat and has the correct proportions and everything, it's made me realize just how bizarre Jackie's build really is. She's not quite a short-hair and not quite a medium-haired cat either, for one thing. As I said before her legs are very much on the short and stubby side, especially her back legs, meaning she has no real jumping ability. She couldn't even come *close* to being able to jump on the kitchen counter, for instance, even after losing 6 pounds. She's ridiculously polydactyl as I've mentioned too often, with 8 toes on her front paws (including the declaw) and 10 toes on her back paws for a grand total of 26 digits and corresponding claws. She's a Classic/Blotched tabby, which is pretty unusual at least in the northeast. Around here (in, uh, Maine) you generally find the latter two attributes in Maine Coons, or cats who obviously have a lot of Maine Coon genetics, of which there are obviously a fair amount. But Jackie doesn't seem obviously like a Maine Coon. She doesn't have a big neck ruff or excessively long ear-hair, she's not even long-haired. So it's rather odd. I probably think about my cats too much. It's only since I got Sardine, though, because she's a constant reminder of what most every other cat I've known is shaped like.
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May 4, 2017 21:42
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kaworu posted:You know, I've been meaning to ask about the belly thing, because Jackie has a SERIOUSLY comical and enormous waggling belly pouch. When she runs it literally swings back and forth in this... obscenely conspicuous way. I thought it would go away as she lost weight, but I really think it has gotten bigger! In my experience most cats, even if they were never fat, develop a primordial pouch some time after getting fixed. Based on my cats it's been of varying significance, but it's always there and sways when they walk. My cat who just passed, Smokie, had a dramatic one that swung like an inch on either side of her.
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May 4, 2017 21:45
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Yeah, in my admittedly-anecdotal experience, primordial pouches can be associated with obesity, but they can also just be a weird cat genetic thing. Our last cat was a lean little guy who still had a visible (and sometimes asymmetrical?) pouch until he started losing weight with his final illness; our other cat, who is bigger but still pretty lean, has only a very small one. Cats are weird, man.
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May 4, 2017 22:54
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seiferguy posted:Anyone use automatic cat feeders? http://www.qpets.com/store/p2/Qpets_6_Meal_Timed_Automatic_Pet_Feeder_-_AF-108.html
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May 5, 2017 02:13
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