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Weird Pumpkin posted:Our scaredy boy uses the litter robot just fine, but he also learned to watch it rotating from our senior girl that he grew up with so maybe that helped? She had seen, repeatedly, the other, older male cat using it. She also would run to it when she heard it do its cycle so as to watch it. This behavior is very unlike how she is with the iRobot we have, where when she hears the startup chime she runs out of the room because she's scared of that. When the Litter Robot is not cycling, she's curious about it, sniffing it, maybe getting so close as to possibly, look in, but not so much as to go in or even trigger the sensors. We've also gone through various different (manual) litter boxes over the years, so it's not like this is the first time she's being asked to use a different litter box. I could try just leaving it off, but it just feels too late now since she knows it does move, or even if I train her with it off, the moment I turn it on again we're back to square one. Also I did originally have the idea of "manually running it when they aren't around" but given the aforementioned behavior of her running into the room when she hears it, that wasn't an option. Now that I've put the older littler box out, the older male is using that instead of the Litter Robot, so now I'm 0 for 2! The Merkinman fucked around with this message at 19:08 on Jan 29, 2024 |
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Jan 29, 2024 15:43
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The Merkinman posted:JuSt TrAiN yOuR cAtS bY rEwArDiNg GoOd BeHaViOr! I snapped my fingers by the opening and the cat climbed inside to poop.
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Jan 29, 2024 23:24
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Chronojam posted:I snapped my fingers by the opening and the cat climbed inside to poop. Are you a litter genie?
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Jan 29, 2024 23:34
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Okay it may be here in the thread somewhere but... I have a Litter Locker I. Old stuff, but it works. However, it's no longer made, and neither are the refills. The newer versions are all kinda rounded squares and the LLI refills were round. I knew it was coming and bought like 6 of them from Chewy about a year and a half ago. They're gone now. Is there an alternative? Otherwise I've now got this useless piece of plastic to add to the waste stream.
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Jan 30, 2024 00:04
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Rhymes With Clue posted:Okay it may be here in the thread somewhere but... I've seen some people just use regular garbage /plastic bags for a Litter Genie, would you be able to do the same with the Litter Locker?
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Jan 30, 2024 00:25
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The Merkinman posted:I've seen some people just use regular garbage /plastic bags for a Litter Genie, would you be able to do the same with the Litter Locker? I feel like as it twists it also pulls the bag material out of the holder. So I'm not sure if I could use a regular plastic bag. The LLI cartridges had like 20 feet of bag that you tied off as it filled, but you started it by just pulling out a couple of feet. Guess I need to study how the thing actually works.
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Jan 30, 2024 01:58
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Does anyone have any tips on making cats less terrified of going into carriers? We have 4 cats, two of them have absolutely no issues with carriers and are completely chill about it, the other two think that they are implements of Satan will run away like missiles when they realize you're trying to get them into one. FWIW we leave the carriers out with the door flaps open so the cats can come and go as they please in an effort to make them associate the carriers a bit less with horribleness but it doesn't seem to make them less terrified of the things when it's time to go to the vet. The two that are terrified of carriers are from the same litter and we adopted them together a few years ago as adults, so I'm wondering if their previous owners were trying to chase them into carriers on the reg or something. Nuclear Tourist fucked around with this message at 22:10 on Jan 30, 2024 |
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Jan 30, 2024 21:56
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In my experience once a cat hates a carrier it's game over, they'll never unlearn it. Your options are to find some other kind of carrier (something soft sided that maybe looks like a cozy place to nap instead of a hellbox) or develop a technique to tuck them into the carrier before they notice. I had really good luck with one cat where I'd cover her eyes while scooping her into the carrier. She'd be so occupied with the fact that she can't see that the carrier doesn't get noticed.
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Jan 30, 2024 22:08
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My carrier technique for unwilling cats - first, don't open or move the carrier in their presence. Have it staged already, maybe in another room. Distract the cat with a treat, and don't try to grab it or give anything away, just act normal. Then, without warning, scruff + burrito the cat completely in a towel so it can't move or see, and swiftly put the cat in the career, towel and all. Best done with another person holding the carrier ready. The bigger ther carrier the better, as well. And having a top opening as well as a front will make things easier.
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Jan 30, 2024 22:32
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Rotten Red Rod posted:My carrier technique for unwilling cats - first, don't open or move the carrier in their presence. Have it staged already, maybe in another room. Distract the cat with a treat, and don't try to grab it or give anything away, just act normal. Then, without warning, scruff + burrito the cat completely in a towel so it can't move or see, and swiftly put the cat in the career, towel and all. Best done with another person holding the carrier ready. Top opening carriers are so nice. They are convenient for everyone, and having an opening that large makes it easy to just scoop a cat out or drop one in. We keep our carriers out in the open with the front doors removed, and the cats are totally fine with it and hang out in there when they feel like it, and all is good [i]until/i] they hear/see us put the doors on, then they disappear because they know they're about to head to the vet.
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Jan 30, 2024 22:46
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Rotten Red Rod posted:My carrier technique for unwilling cats - first, don't open or move the carrier in their presence. Have it staged already, maybe in another room. Distract the cat with a treat, and don't try to grab it or give anything away, just act normal. Then, without warning, scruff + burrito the cat completely in a towel so it can't move or see, and swiftly put the cat in the career, towel and all. Best done with another person holding the carrier ready. You burrito one-handed while scruffing? What's the technique?
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Jan 31, 2024 01:01
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It's awkward but possible. You scruff, lift them onto the towel, wrap around them, and then only let go of the scruff right as you tighten the towel. If you have the towel covering their head and limbs they won't have a chance to react before you tighten. Much easier with 2 people, of course. You can also just skip the scruff and go right in with the towel, but they might see that coming.
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Jan 31, 2024 01:09
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A friend bought a litter robot for his two cats. I told him it was super important to not plug it in at first and let the cats get used to it. He was like "lol I don't care" and as a result one cat was scared to death by the rotation and never used it, and made a point of pissing wherever in the house was furthest away from it.
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Jan 31, 2024 05:26
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I think the cat carriers that are made out of cardboard that you can get Petco or Centinela and what not are great because all of our cats think we’re just putting them in a box and they are just excited to go into a box until the lid shuts and they go ah crap. and they’re actually really good sized, all of our cats fit comfortably in them.
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Jan 31, 2024 06:46
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Kramdar posted:I think the cat carriers that are made out of cardboard that you can get Petco or Centinela and what not are great because all of our cats think we’re just putting them in a box and they are just excited to go into a box until the lid shuts and they go ah crap. and they’re actually really good sized, all of our cats fit comfortably in them. That's not a bad idea, I'd normally never think to buy those and my cats love boxes and bags
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Jan 31, 2024 07:15
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I'd be careful with that, a very dedicated cat can force their way out of them. Not fun when it happens in the car.
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Jan 31, 2024 07:38
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 Ah also a good thing to keep in mind
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Jan 31, 2024 07:43
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Rotten Red Rod posted:I'd be careful with that, a very dedicated cat can force their way out of them. Not fun when it happens in the car. They're also not good for big cats, had the bottom drop out of one when lifting it after loading the ~20lbs fat cat I had as a kid into it (which was a struggle as he was a carrier hater) Afterwards we'd get him into a pillowcase first and stick that into a plastic carrier.
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Jan 31, 2024 15:28
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redreader posted:A friend bought a litter robot for his two cats. I told him it was super important to not plug it in at first and let the cats get used to it. He was like "lol I don't care" and as a result one cat was scared to death by the rotation and never used it, and made a point of pissing wherever in the house was furthest away from it. How long is it worth letting them try and acclimate? We've been sitting near it and giving her treats whenever she goes near it.
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Jan 31, 2024 17:21
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It's really a crapshoot honestly, it's impossible to say. There's some cats that just don't take to it no matter what you do. But on the whole, I've had good success with it - 2 of our 3 cats prefer to use it over a normal litterbox after some initial caution, and our adult foster (who is normally very skittish) had no issues using it right away. Even the 3 foster kittens we had until recently jumped right in and started using it enthusiastically, and they also were fascinated by watching it cycle - one of them kept trying to jump in while it was moving. The one holdout is our weird stubborn girl, Quinn. She used it fine at first, but after the first one started having overtorque fault issues and stopping halfway through cycling (got replaced under warranty for free), she decided it wasn't an option and won't go in it anymore. She's not even skiddish - she's the most confident cat I know. She's just VERY stubborn and very weird about bathroom issues. She prefers peeing on rugs and in the shower to the litterbox, and won't even use a backup litterbox anymore, preferring to poo poo and piss on the floor. The solution for her was to put down a puppy pad next to the litterbox, which she deemed acceptable and stuck to. She does her business on that, I shake it into the litterbox and put the pad in the laundry once or twice a day and put down a new one, and everyone's happy. I don't even need a backup litterbox anymore, although I always put one out when we're out of town long enough to need a cat sitter.
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Jan 31, 2024 17:36
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Rhymes With Clue posted:Okay it may be here in the thread somewhere but... I also have a Litter Locker 1. Fun fact is that Diaper Genie refills will fit and are usually cheaper than the Little Locker refills. I picked up a pack of DG refills last time I was out because they were about 75% of the cost and appeared to be the same dimensions. It fit perfectly, and the only difference that I've noticed is that there is a slight talcum powder fragrance.
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Feb 2, 2024 17:51
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KariOhki posted:Afterwards we'd get him into a pillowcase first and stick that into a plastic carrier. 
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Feb 2, 2024 23:06
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Honestly, that's a pretty good solution. Some cats are VICIOUS about not being in a carrier, so anything you can do to make it work (without hurting them) is fair game.
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Feb 2, 2024 23:11
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Forgive me for not knowing the whole history here, but Rotten Red Rod I would love to know that you spoke to a vet about your cat no longer using a litter box. Because I hear that and my “kitty arthritis or other medical issue” alarm bells start ringing. Some of the recent advice has me doing the same for real.
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Feb 3, 2024 00:30
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My cat has been going into the litter box and squatting like to poop but just sitting there for 10 minutes and nothing comes out a few times today. I called the vet and they said give her 1/8 of a teaspoon of Miralax. Poor kitty 🥺
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Feb 3, 2024 18:13
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My cat only poops once every 2-3 days and they're always very dry but yeah, I was told there's nothing identifiably wrong and to just give miralax, which he doesn't mind mixed in with food.
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Feb 3, 2024 18:44
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Just watch and make sure its poop that's the issue and not urine. If you see them struggling to pee - especially randomly outside the litterbox - it could be an emergency situation.
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Feb 3, 2024 18:59
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GlyphGryph posted:How the hell do you actually teach a cat to "stay"? get them to sit, say 'stay' while doing a repeatable hand signal, then click+treat them for doing nothing no, really. the first session or two you just have to reward nothing while they're sat still. then try taking one step back after the signal and command then rewarding. keep getting further away, then try turning away for a moment, etc etc. it's not actually too tough. one of mine loves training but after about a year decided he will no longer do any of his tricks (except sometimes come when called) unless i have treats in my pocket, which has reduced my ability to feel like a cool fantasy ranger. at least the ginger hasn't worked that one out yet
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Feb 3, 2024 20:32
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I taught Ferdie "paw" from a very young age, now he still needs to hear it a couple of times before he does it and there MUST be a treat after. If I hold a treat too long he hits my hand because he assumes I must want him to paw. I'm trying to teach him "spin" now and after some initial pushback (he started running away whenever I held a treat in my hand) he seems to understand what I want of him.
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Feb 4, 2024 03:01
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one thing to avoid by the way is doing the obvious 'stop' palm signal for stay if that looks very similar to what you do for high five/gimme your paw. will just confuse them their near vision generally isn't the best either so if you're stood close to them it needs to be a very clear signal/movement that isn't too similar to any other one
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Feb 4, 2024 11:10
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After two doses of Miralax didn’t do anything, took her to the vet. They took xrays and turns out it’s not poop but a bladder stone. They are doing antibiotics and are saying give her special food. I wish it was just poop that they could get out and be done with it 
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Feb 4, 2024 16:56
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drunken officeparty posted:After two doses of Miralax didn’t do anything, took her to the vet. They took xrays and turns out it’s not poop but a bladder stone. They are doing antibiotics and are saying give her special food. I wish it was just poop that they could get out and be done with it Oh jeez, turns out its exactly what I was worried about. The specialty food should work, though - and it's not necessarily permanent (although sometimes it is). One of my cats just had to eat it for a few weeks and then was fine when we switched back to normal food.
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Feb 4, 2024 17:18
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Make sure they get enough water and don’t get too much salt in their diet. Sincerely, A kidney stone sufferer.
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Feb 4, 2024 17:48
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Pollyanna posted:Make sure they get enough water and don’t get too much salt in their diet.  and yeah
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Feb 4, 2024 18:40
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 I replaced the bedding in my cat shelter with new straw, but I have no idea if anything’s used it yet. Should I add a camera or something? Would it fit inside the box, or nah?
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Feb 4, 2024 23:55
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How does the cat even tell how to get in? That entrance looks like it's always covered by the insulation.
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Feb 5, 2024 00:03
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Rotten Red Rod posted:How does the cat even tell how to get in? That entrance looks like it's always covered by the insulation. This is also my concern: it doesn't look like something a cat would know to seek shelter in. All the manufactured and DIY shelters I've seen make the opening very obvious so that a cat would at least consider popping their head in to see what's going on before committing to actually going inside. Pollyanna posted:
Yeah, get a camera. Don't put it inside, just have it aimed where the shelter is so you can observe how outdoor cats interact with your shelter so you can adjust as necessary. Get an idea as to which way the wind tends to blow so that the opening doesn't just get a bunch of wind blowing in to it, negating the purpose. Personally, I'd make that opening lower, larger, and unobstructed, and either line with tape or otherwise smooth out the edges of the opening so that it doesn't scratch anybody going in and out.
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Feb 5, 2024 00:18
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You also don't want them to asphyxiate in there, it's not super clear if any significant amount of air can pass in or out of that front opening. It doesn't have to be a big gap but I think some gap is ideal.
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Feb 5, 2024 00:24
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Any goon tips for kitty asthma? My cat is 8 years old and started having asthma attacks here and there a little over a year ago. The vet prescribed prednisolone to take as needed. I quit vaping in case that was the cause, but it didn't help. He is now having a short asthma attack almost every day! I have an appointment for him on Thursday, but I was just wondering if there's anything you guys have found helpful, since my options are pretty much... more steroids. I use Naturally Fresh cat litter which is made of crushed walnut shells. I figured that a more natural litter would be better for their airways, but maybe not? Do I need to be more vigilant about dust around the home?
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Feb 6, 2024 04:24
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Wile E. Toyota posted:Any goon tips for kitty asthma? My cat is 8 years old and started having asthma attacks here and there a little over a year ago. The vet prescribed prednisolone to take as needed. I quit vaping in case that was the cause, but it didn't help. He is now having a short asthma attack almost every day! I have an appointment for him on Thursday, but I was just wondering if there's anything you guys have found helpful, since my options are pretty much... more steroids. I'm a (human) respiratory therapist, do they not give... bronchodilators for cats? Steroids aren't where you want to start but if someone (or a cat?) is requiring frequent use of a rescue inhaler (ventolin, salbutamol, etc depending where you live) you would start steroids at that point. Steroids in the absence of a bronchodilator will not have any immediate effect. If it's anything like humans I would expect that your cat didn't just start to have asthma at age 8. How is his heart doing? Wheezing is often caused by things other than asthma, such as having too much fluid or pressure in the blood vessels in the lungs. This can happen from degrees of heart failure or from renal issues. I would just make sure they're actually investigating this and not just doing the human GP thing of "oh a wheeze? Must be asthma". If you recently moved or something and the cat is exposed to something different now than they were the first 8 years I would think more along the lines of asthma.
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Feb 6, 2024 04:32
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