I have a cat with CH that cant use the litter box without getting it all over himself

i love flapjack

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 8, 2016
Messages
4
Purraise
1
It's a struggle man.  I love this cat to death and if cleaning him 7x per week is what I have to do, i'll do it.  However, if I can minimize it, that'd be great.

He struggles with squatting and shaking.  He has Cerebellum Hypoplasia and shakes when he focuses on something in his mind.  In the litter box, he cant get a good grip and sinks down as he poops or pees and usually get it all over his bottom, sometimes it is very bad.  He hates baths/cleaning and it's a tough time whenever I have to do it.  I have tried different kinds of litters, different litter heights.  I am currently trying these throwaway pads that you can use for pets.  

Does anyone have any suggestions?
 

LotsOfFur

What greater gift than the love of a cat.
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
1,621
Purraise
634
Location
Texas
How are the pads working out?

I don't have any personal experience wit CH kitties so I don't have other suggestions than those you've already tried unfortunately.

I'm sure someone will be along soon that has some personal experience with this but I wanted you to know that you were noticed.

You sound like a great cat guardian and this thread could help others who have CH kitties! Welcome to TCS :wavey:
What's your cats name? How old is he?
 

micknsnicks2mom

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 15, 2014
Messages
11,590
Purraise
5,295
Location
...with the cats...
hi and welcome to TCS!

i've been doing some searching here at TCS, trying to find other/older threads where members have had similar challenges with litter boxes/eliminating with their CH cats. my thought has been to hopefully come across some solutions others have found.

here's a thread that may be helpful for you -- http://www.thecatsite.com/t/307661/shakey-kitty     note in post #21, the links about CH and where you might be able to contact others with CH cats.

here's a link to the yahoo group, CHKittyClub -- https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/chkittyclub/info     you'd need to join, and it's a free group, no charge to join.

and, i'm going to 'page' one of our members -- @MomofMaxwell, may i ask for your input and knowledge about CH cats and the OP's cat struggling with/in the litter box?
 
Last edited:

dorimon

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 18, 2016
Messages
529
Purraise
98
Location
Maryland, United States
I don't have any experience with this, but perhaps you can try a litter box system that uses pellets?

A woman at my local shelter raves about the Tidy Cats Breeze system ().  You might want to check it out.  I haven't tried it myself though since one of our kitties is a big cat and the Breeze would be too small for her.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

i love flapjack

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 8, 2016
Messages
4
Purraise
1
 
hi and welcome to TCS!

i've been doing some searching here at TCS, trying to find other/older threads where members have had similar challenges with litter boxes/eliminating with their CH cats. my thought has been to hopefully come across some solutions others have found.

here's a thread that may be helpful for you -- http://www.thecatsite.com/t/307661/shakey-kitty     note in post #21, the links about CH and where you might be able to contact others with CH cats.

here's a link to the yahoo group, CHKittyClub -- https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/chkittyclub/info     you'd need to join, and it's a free group, no charge to join.

and, i'm going to 'page' one of our members -- @MomofMaxwell, may i ask for your input and knowledge about CH cats and the OP's cat struggling with/in the litter box?
Thank you.  I'll spend some time reading this tonight and i'll relay my thoughts.  Really appreciate it.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

i love flapjack

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 8, 2016
Messages
4
Purraise
1
 
I don't have any experience with this, but perhaps you can try a litter box system that uses pellets?

A woman at my local shelter raves about the Tidy Cats Breeze system ().  You might want to check it out.  I haven't tried it myself though since one of our kitties is a big cat and the Breeze would be too small for her.
Cool, yeah thanks for reminding me of these.  I definitely need to research this.  I'm more than open to give it a shot and spend the money on it to see.  I'll spend anything on this cat, i love him haha.  Money isnt the issue, it's my sanity and my house LOL
 

LotsOfFur

What greater gift than the love of a cat.
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
1,621
Purraise
634
Location
Texas
I found this on chcat.org

Every CH kitty seems to have a different idea of what the perfect litterbox is. Experiment with multiple types and sizes of litterboxes and litter until you find a combination that your cat seems to like. Many CH cats have to potty while laying down, so are more picky about where they will go. They also may avoid the litterbox if it is dirty or is difficult to get in and out of. Some ideas to try are:
Litterboxes with lower fronts
Litterboxes with high sides and back
Dog litterboxes
Boot trays
Under-the-bed storage containers (with the long side cut low and cut edges protected with duct tape)
Peepee pads
Towels
Grass (with supervision!) or fake grass indoor patches
Different types of litter - if your kitty potties laying down, you may want to try a non-clumping, paper pellet littler like Good Mews or Yesterday’s News.

I know you will find a fix for your kitty and there seems to be quite a community out there fo CH cats. The pads seem to be a favorite so you might have hit on something there :)
 

dorimon

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 18, 2016
Messages
529
Purraise
98
Location
Maryland, United States
 
Cool, yeah thanks for reminding me of these.  I definitely need to research this.  I'm more than open to give it a shot and spend the money on it to see.  I'll spend anything on this cat, i love him haha.  Money isnt the issue, it's my sanity and my house LOL
I hope you find something that works!  And Flapjack sure is a cutie 
  He's so lucky to have you!
 

LotsOfFur

What greater gift than the love of a cat.
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
1,621
Purraise
634
Location
Texas
Totally forgot to tell you how absolutely adorable Flapjack is! We have a thread for tuxedo kitty pictures where you can show him off. :D
 

dlong89

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Sep 16, 2016
Messages
3
Purraise
1
What ended up working for you? I recently took home a kitten with severe CH and I find myself having to bathe him daily as he just poops on the floor and rolls around in it. I don't want to keep putting litter boxes down because he doesn't use them and I put him in it he falls into it face first and gets a face full of litter. I want to train him on pee pads but don't know how and at this point he will just poop on it and fall on the poop. He is very little, only six weeks old, so I am hoping as he gets bigger and stronger he will not fall into it as much. I work at a shelter and took him home so he wouldn't be euthanized but I work in adoptions and will be trying to find him a home in the next few months and know it will be way harder if he has no sort of potty training. Any advice will help, totally new at this and completely overwhelmed!
 

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
One of our volunteers has an 8-month-old CH kitten. She uses deep (about 1 foot high) cement tubs with one end completely cut off. He can lean against a side for support and does well. She keeps the litter level low - 2 - 3 centimeters, which is about an inch. It was recommended to her to tape strips of old carpet to the bottom at the entrance and at the back that he could hold onto with his claws for traction, but he didn't use them.
 

jamaal

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 29, 2013
Messages
43
Purraise
20
Location
NJ
Well, I have tree CH cats, they are two years old now, I got them at 4 months. I have to tell you the kitten stage is the WORST!!  But I had three, all moderate and one severe. They are much better at doing everything now that they are bigger and stronger. But the severe one was the worst, he would pee and poop wherever, twice a day everyday, fall in it it was awful....tears most days!  BUT, what worked for me and now I do not have any accidents at all ever, is a schedule...think of ownership of these cats as ownership of a dog (sorta), you have to take your dog out to do it's business, every day, and you have to be committed to doing that...and this is easier, because you don't have to go outside...

 First off, having the cat neutered at about or before 6 months is important, I learned the hard way...Now, I just put my dude in the box every morning, usually before or after eating...and he just goes, I actually walk him to it and let him decide if he wants to go in, sometimes he flips his body backward, like no dude, not now...and I wait until after he eats. He usually goes right in though, if I'm in a rush I put him in and don't give him time to decide, and he will go. I do this twice a day, once in the morning once at night. No problems. With the poop I found out his schedule of pooping and I know when he will poop, usually every two days. I don't like to train them on wee wee pads because then they pee on anything you have on the floor, cat beds, long curtains, MY bed...its all happened. So i do litter box only. I have not had any accidents at all. I did train him, in the beginning to pee in his bed when he was peeing all over the place except the box, but turns out he needed to be neutered, but he would pee in his bed with a wee wee pad in it, so that worked out for that time, but since being neutered he pees in the box. If I'm out for a long time and I may not be home for him to pee, I have a wee wee pad in his bed and he will use that. But that has only happened once in a year. Once he was neutered he went right back to using the box. It's been a year now, no problems. 

 ANYWAY, train him to use the box when you are there, you'll figure out his schedule and hopefully that will work. It's not that time consuming, we all have things to do but finding the time to make him go before you leave in the morning and at night after he's fed or before will be best in the long run. Also, if you find him peeing or pooping somewhere put him in the box mid poop, I have, they catch on...and hold him up, that is what i have to do...and any one who adopts him will appreciate that much more than having to clean poop constantly. I have had a pet sitter a few times and I told her his schedule and she did what I told her,  he pooped and peed in the box with her helping him and no accidents, and she had never even seen a CH cat before. So once you get a schedule, it gets easy. He's small so it's going to suck for a little while longer! But they always get better at functioning as they get bigger and stronger.

 Oh, and don't let him fall in face first!!  If I let this guy go in like that he will face plant too! Just make him go in the box and hold his body up and let him lay himself down in the box, and watch him, that's what we do with this guy, and he starts digging and flopping around in there, and then goes, once I see the poop coming out, I lift him up for an easier less messy time. And once he starts air scratching, I know he's done and I take him out. 2 mins of my time verses who knows how long to clean it all up if I don't put him in....I started this a year ago, had I started this when they were kittens, my life would have been so much less stressful, messy and stinky!
 
Top