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- Jun 8, 2018
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My cat Smo was forced to live fully outdoors for almost 2 months, and was never provided with a litterbox by her caretaker (term used loosely...). Needless to say, her perfect litterbox manners aren't what they used to be. She had a poop accident once very soon after we brought her home (most likely fear-related after bolting into unfamiliar rooms), and a week later peed on the bed.
I think she probably did that because she didn't want to mix her poop and pee - since then she'll wait for me to scoop any pee clumps in the morning before doing a poo. I've also seen her digging around on my bed if I take too long. I'm guessing this is the result of living outdoors, since I've read that cats in the wild never poop and pee in the same spot.
Smo currently lives in my bedroom only, since the people I live with don't want a cat in the common spaces. Her litterbox and food/water bowls are both in my small bedroom, on opposite corners of the room. Smo does have access to a foyer area connected to the bedroom, but I've tried putting an extra litterbox in there and she has literally stepped one paw into it in four weeks. She refuses to claim that area as hers, it seems.
Today I tried doing a setup with two boxes to see how she likes it, but don't know if I'm doing it right - I've attached a photo of the 2 boxes, which are side by side on the same littermat. Normally she only uses the dark gray one on the left, which is turned the other way and tucked closer to the corner. I tried turning that box the way she's used to, but was afraid she'd be bothered by the curtain and the door, which is normally kept open. I didn't want it to get in the way when she jumps out since it's so much closer to the door now.
Thoughts on this current setup? I was thinking they should be farther apart but the only other place to put the extra box would be a few feet from her food, which I really want to avoid doing.
I think she probably did that because she didn't want to mix her poop and pee - since then she'll wait for me to scoop any pee clumps in the morning before doing a poo. I've also seen her digging around on my bed if I take too long. I'm guessing this is the result of living outdoors, since I've read that cats in the wild never poop and pee in the same spot.
Smo currently lives in my bedroom only, since the people I live with don't want a cat in the common spaces. Her litterbox and food/water bowls are both in my small bedroom, on opposite corners of the room. Smo does have access to a foyer area connected to the bedroom, but I've tried putting an extra litterbox in there and she has literally stepped one paw into it in four weeks. She refuses to claim that area as hers, it seems.
Today I tried doing a setup with two boxes to see how she likes it, but don't know if I'm doing it right - I've attached a photo of the 2 boxes, which are side by side on the same littermat. Normally she only uses the dark gray one on the left, which is turned the other way and tucked closer to the corner. I tried turning that box the way she's used to, but was afraid she'd be bothered by the curtain and the door, which is normally kept open. I didn't want it to get in the way when she jumps out since it's so much closer to the door now.
Thoughts on this current setup? I was thinking they should be farther apart but the only other place to put the extra box would be a few feet from her food, which I really want to avoid doing.
