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Squashy Nipples posted:I did not know this, thank you! Yeah just ask them. If you're under warranty they'll send you one. I did this recently for my LR4, and they also sent me the taller fence for free because it didn't actually exist yet when I bought my LR4. I've had very good interactions with them both online and in person (I spoke with several employees at CES last year and they answered all my questions).
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Dec 5, 2023 19:28
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Squashy Nipples posted:Taller fence? LR4 used to ship with this fence: https://www.litter-robot.com/litter-robot/accessories/litter-robot-4-mini-fence.html As of I think start of May? they started shipping with this fence, which was a redesign to address issues the previous fence had (the lip on the old fence faced inwards, which could cause urine to funnel into the internals is one of the main issues addressed): https://www.litter-robot.com/litter-robot/accessories/litter-robot-4-fence.html
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Dec 5, 2023 21:01
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Hyperlynx posted:I just got a Litter Robot 4. The idea was to make my place smell less like cat box, but the thing reeks. What are you using for litter, and what do you have the cycle time set to? While LR sells "OdorTrap" packs that you can put where the charcoal filter goes, as well as inside where the tray goes (in the little recess next to where the tray slides in, not in the tray), they are literally just rebranded Fresh Wave odor packs. Using those can help as well. Also I like to empty the tray every few days and not wait until it gets full; depending on how quickly it takes to get full, letting the waste just sit there in the tray can cause it to get moldy from the moisture. If you're going to empty the tray on a regular basis, you might as well invest in my previously suggested 500 count 10 gallon wastebasket liner from Costco because it is dirty cheap compared to the "official" tray liner bags.
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Dec 25, 2023 08:38
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Hyperlynx posted:
Just remember that it works in conjunction with your litter. The litter needs time to absorb moisture and clump; if you're manually cycling the LR4 too soon, or if your cycle time is set too quickly for the litter to do it's job, you're dropping wet clumps into the tray with nothing additional to absorb residual moisture. This is also why it can smell extra bad during a cycle and the tray is exposed, or why the pee and poo can get moldy; you're creating an overly moist environment in the tray. As for baking soda, it works the same as when you put it in your fridge or whatever; it's absorbing and neutralizing acidic odors. For the LR4, many people put down a layer whenever they put in a new bag in the tray, and in general, sprinkle some baking soda in the litter. Also if you use Home Assistant for home automation stuff, there is a LitterRobot integration that you can associate your LR account with, and the LR has multiple sensors and provides a lot of information that you can use for your home automation. I personally have it set so that when a cat is detected in my LR (which is in a closet), a light turns on, and an air purifier goes from auto to medium, and when the LR starts cycling, the air purifier kicks on to high for a set period of time. It's also generally suggested to have a webcam pointing inside the LR, and have the LR plugged in to a smart plug. The webcam is good for knowing if someone is inside if you want to remotely cycle it, and for generally keeping an eye on things; LR even sell a camera mount for that purpose, and there is a USB port just on the inside behind the cover specifically for giving power to a USB camera. The smart plug is to deal with what is the LR4's biggest weakness; it has kind of a crappy wifi board, and can sometimes lose wifi connection and not be able to reconnect. Many people have their smart plug set to hard power cycle the LR on a regular basis to take care of any electrical gremlins, and having a smart plug in general is good for if there is an issue with the LR (like it gets a fault and gets stuck mid cycle or something), and you need to remotely power cycle it (which will also force a litter cycle).
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Dec 25, 2023 22:55
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Countblanc posted:Sorry for somewhat monopolizing this thread the last week, but I thought I should provide some closure to the new cat saga. You are absolutely not monopolizing the thread. You have questions and concerns, and people are here to do their best to answer them. You clearly care enough to be investing so much emotionally and financially. Also, don't think of it as catastrophic if the worst case scenario happens and she loses vision in one eye; there are plenty of cats who have a single eye (either from birth, or as a result of something happening), and they live perfectly normal happy lives. Either way, you are doing your best to make sure she is taken care of and it's commendable.
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Dec 25, 2023 23:00
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Hyperlynx posted:Meanwhile, I've just stumbled on an article about making one's IoT devices secure and private, and severing their connection to the cloud (link). Sure enough, clever folks have already figured out how to do this for the LR4: https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/litterrobot/ The Home Assistant Litter-Robot integration does not run locally, it still requires the cloud. The only thing that happens locally in HA with the LR4 is auto-discovery that it exists if it's on the same network. Adding the integration into HA will bring up a dialog box asking you to enter your LR account info. The information that HA gets about your LR is the information that it's getting pushed from the cloud, which is the information that you LR4 is sending to the cloud. It's basically getting all the same information that the phone app gets. Severing the Litter Robot's cloud connection means that neither the phone app, nor the Home Assistant integration will be able to get new updates about any of the LR sensors. The Home Assistant Litter-Robot integration is what I'm using now for automations that use the LR4. Also hit up Litter Robot's support if you continue to have issues with your wifi. Sometimes the wifi card in the LR4 just sucks, but LR's support has been very good.
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Dec 29, 2023 00:42
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boneration posted:We said goodbye to Miss Malarkey today. Seven days of kitty ICU was enough to learn that they could not diagnose her, and a horrific regimen of medications just to keep her alive was not something I was willing to put her through. Thankfully the condition was not painful and we were able to discontinue treatment for a day so she could come home and have a couple nights and a day of love and snuggles. My heart is shattered and my other little girl is wondering where her sister is. I'm so sorry to hear that. I would be devastated if any of my cats now were to pass, the same way I was devastated when my cats when I was a child passed. You did everything you could for her, and sometimes the hardest decision is the one that is the most humane. At least she got to spend her final days surrounded by love without pain, and you got to properly say goodbye.
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Dec 29, 2023 00:47
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Oh man I think I will have to try this and it makes total sense. I've heard of clicker training before but never really looked in to it. We recently got some young kittens (emergency foster that turned into a failed foster because that's what happens when you're cute), and they are complete gremlins come feeding time. They'll cry and prairiedog and jump up and try to grab the food bowls out of my hand before I get the chance to put the bowls down. I would love to be able to ask them to sit and just chill out on command for when I give them their food. I know they're smart enough to figure stuff out; like when it's time to eat, I ask them if they're hungry and tell them to go in the hallway so I can close the hallway door to separate them from the other cats, and they'll head right on over into the hallway. I was able to teach my older cat to high five, turn around, and shake hands in a random order before sitting and waiting patiently for her food by just asking, showing, and rewarding her, but I also got her when she was older so she was more receptive to it.
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Jan 7, 2024 00:37
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You may want to consider getting a camera for outside looking at the area where you might consider putting a shelter to help you make a better decision as to where to put it. I never knew how many outdoor cats (and other animals) cut through my backyard until I set up a camera in the back (originally just to see if people were going in to my backyard). That eventually led me to set up an auto-refilling water fountain for them drink from (which saw a lot of use when it was incredibly hot), and the occasional outdoor cat shelter for when it gets colder. Nobody ever really overstayed their welcome, they just sort of knew that if they really needed water and couldn't find it they knew at least one consistent place that was safe (there are also roaming dogs, but none of them can get over the fence). It's also kind of fun seeing on the camera who drops by (like multiple birds just hanging out and splashing around, or the odd possum, or lizard bros chilling nearby). One of my cats was originally a kitten that got abandoned or something in the backyard who I never would have found if it wasn't for the camera (she had a sibling with her that unfortunately didn't make it, and no mom cat around ever came around looking for them). HamburgerTownUSA fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Jan 15, 2024 |
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Jan 15, 2024 22:37
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Rescue Toaster posted:Due to weather my order (had some both wet and dry food) from chewy has been sitting on a Fedex truck for like, a week straight presumably freezing to -10F every night. If the cans burst that's obvious, but if they're only slightly bulged or whatnot will that still be safe? Or should I try to get chewy to replace them either way? Supposedly arriving tomorrow but they've said that like 4 days in a row. Call/contact Chewy, let them know what's going on. Tell them that the order has been delayed multiple times, and that you can no longer trust the food to be safe should the order still arrive because of the weather conditions and what you presume would be unsafe/incorrect storage for the undelivered food items. Chewy should help you out with this. FedEx sucks, and I don't trust their tracking at all (and many of my packages come through the infamous Bloomington FedEx hub). If something keeps getting delayed, or the shipping status is otherwise continuously fucky, there's a good chance that they lost your package.
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Jan 16, 2024 04:10
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Pollyanna posted:Yes, my plan is a bonded pair next. Just anxiety and brain problem things I guess!!! My partner and I got a bonded pair of sisters around the end of November, and they have been absolutely wonderful. They were an emergency foster, but got acclimated to our house and two existing cats so quickly and easily that we failed the foster pretty quick and decided to keep them for ourselves. They just got their spay last week, and have been keeping each other company while they recover while separated from the other two cats. They're wearing recovery suits instead of collars, so they're still able to snuggle up, and in general, have been just chilling. Lieutenant Dan posted:Holy poo poo thanks for your advice, they got my girl into surgery ASAP because she swallowed something metal. They said it's luckily just chilling in her stomach and not her intestines so she should be out tonight or tomorrow! I'm worried as hell but they're working on her right now so I'm sitting tight I'm glad you were able to catch that before it became a serious problem! It's good that you were able to recognize the change in behavior.
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Jan 23, 2024 18:04
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mawarannahr posted:I'm moving to a smaller apartment with only one bathroom so I think we are going to have to put the litterbox in part of the living room Worth it. Also since it's front facing and enclosed, that makes it really easy to hide as part of the furniture.
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Jan 28, 2024 00:39
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I am now giving actual thought to the litter robot. Worth it?
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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: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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gloom posted:I need to move our two cats from WI to GA at the end of April and I’m extremely worried about it. They seem to do ok on car rides up to 2.5 hours to stay with my partner’s parents. As soon as they realize they aren’t going to the vet they settle down My partner and I adopted a cat from Connecticut, and she flew out there from California to fly her back. We were suggested to use a soft cat carrier, as it took up less space under the seat, and while we had the option of sedating our cat for the flight beforehand, we opted to not do so, and had gabapentin on hand as a mild sedative in case the cat needed it. Turns out, our cat dealt with the flight perfectly fine without needing any sedation despite the flight being long with a layover. It really depends on how well you feel your cat will do with flying and their anxiousness level. The cat we adopted was about 4 years old, so she was pretty chill about the whole situation, and she's generally pretty chill on car trips, and her nature was why we adopted her in the first place. If you opt to go the flight route, I can ask my partner for more details about it so you have a better idea of what to expect and things to consider doing beforehand. HamburgerTownUSA fucked around with this message at 14:35 on Feb 16, 2024 |
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Feb 16, 2024 14:32
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But this is like a 15 hour drive so it’s way harder to picture.
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Karia posted:I adopted a stray about two weeks ago, and overall it's going great, except that she's the hungriest cat I've ever met. I feed her dinner and within fifteen minutes she'll be back to begging for more. She's a very small cat, about a year old, just a hair over 6 lb and the vet said her condition score is just about ideal. No sign of worms, though she's gotten medication for it just in case, and she's going to the bathroom regularly. I've been giving her about 7 oz of wet food per day, which comes out to about 140 calories. I've got a follow-up appointment with the vet early next week and plan to ask again there, but figure I'd ask here: is there any reason I should be feeding her more? Or is this just her needing to realize that she's not burning as many calories and that she'll be fed on a regular schedule? Strays are like that. Our first cat is a stray we found in our backyard (thanks, backyard cams!), and a year and a half later she still gets anxious when it comes time for everybody to eat so we feed her first. Your new girl is probably just scared that this is a temporary thing and she'll be out on the street again, so she's trying to get in as much as she can before it's gone. Once she gets comfortable with the reality that she has a forever home now, she'll eventually settle into a routine. Just keep feeding her the amount you're supposed to be feeding her.
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Apr 11, 2024 02:28
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Hey so uh have any of you ever had a cat get laryngitis? Two days ago, my partner and I noticed one of our cat's meows had changed sound; when it comes time to eat, she usually gets all meowy, usually in response to one of the kittens also getting meowy and chatty. At first, we thought, I wonder if she changed her meow to be more like the kitten, but yesterday her meow was still weird sounding and kind of quiet, so we took her in to the bathroom and put her in the tub, which is something that for sure gets her to meow because she thinks she's getting washed again (because she often gets poop on herself because she's not a bright girl), and sure enough, hoarse meow in response. From what I've read, this is something that can just happen. None of her other behavior has changed; she's just as (anti)social and active as she usually is, she doesn't seem to be exhibiting any signs of stress or injury, she still makes dumb faces, and her eating habits haven't changed. She is about a year and a half old, and her and the rest of the cats are all indoor cats. As it stands, we are giving it a few more days to see if anything improves or not before we book a visit to the vet on Monday.
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Apr 18, 2024 03:05
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Karia posted:Anyone have toy suggestions that Anna can play with while I'm at work? I feel bad leaving her by herself, especially since my current place doesn't have a good view to watch for birds or whatever. I've given her a few catnip mice but she hasn't really reacted to them. If you don't already, and this isn't an issue, consider getting a camera for inside your place to observe what your cat does while you're gone. Our cats have plenty of toys, and we see them play with them all the time when we're around, but when nobody is home and I check in on them via cam to see what's going on, 95% of the time they are just sleeping in their favorite spots.
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Apr 19, 2024 03:11
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VelociBacon posted:I would treat this a little more seriously, are you able to get the cat in to be seen before Monday? Inflammation of the throat/airways can go bad very quickly in humans and I assume in cars as well. If this is truly inflammation of her larynx she might benefit from being in a humidified space like the bathroom with the shower on. Worth a shot! If she stops eating or drinking I would treat it as an emergency. We took your advice and scheduled a sooner appointment for her to be seen (which we just got back from about half an hour ago). The vet said she looks otherwise healthy, and they took some xrays to make sure there wasn't anything going on that wasn't immediately visible (there wasn't). So for now, they have prescribed some medicine for her to take for a week, and should she not show improvement after then, they would like her to come back to be examined under sedation so they can take a better look. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Apr 20, 2024 04:57
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VelociBacon posted:Hey, sorry if it was a nothing visit but it's so much better than the alternative. I hope the medicine (oral steroid?) works and your cat is healthy again very soon! Nah no worries. I'd rather eat the cost of a nothing visit than have it be something serious that could have been caught early.
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Apr 20, 2024 10:24
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