At My Wits End... Litter Issues

[nullentropy]

Okay, I feel like I've been very patient but I can't take it anymore. I have two litter boxes, one covered and one uncovered and I've tried numerous different litters and for whatver reason my &^%$%^& cats will not cover their own poop. IT STINKS like cat poop in my apartment and I literally can't take it anymore. Despite trying many different diets, grain free etc etc they have stinky, runny poops that THEY DON'T COVER. It's like they try to cover it but they just scratch the side of the litter box. I can't take it. What can I do? I'm pretty much feeling like they either need to be outside or rehomed.

 

[fhicat]

Rehoming a cat because they don't cover their poop? 

How big are the boxes? Is it big enough for them? My first box was a little small for my cat. He fits in just fine, use the box just fine, but he scratches on the sides a lot, and doesn't cover his items completely. I switched to a bigger one and I've seen an improvement.

Runny poop doesn't sound good. Have you had them checked by a vet? Healthy poop should be firm but not super hard.

Is it feasible for you to consider feeding raw? One of the nice things about a raw diet is that poop doesn't stink. It doesn't mean you should put your nose to it, because it's still poop, but it doesn't stink the whole place. There are many, many other health benefits to feeding raw too if it's something you want to consider.

 

[nullentropy]

They've been checked by a vet and are healthy. I've tried raw but that gives them stinky poops too. I can't have my apartment smelling like cat **** all the time. It's not good. I think the litter boxes are large enough for them. I don't really know what else to do. I could try getting a giant litter box but I don't really know if that would help.

 

[barbh]

Sorry that you have been having issues. The first thing that comes to mind is that you say their poop is runny. Have you had the vet check to make sure that they don't have worms? Also have you changed their diet at all? Their stool should be formed, if it is runny my thought is that something is going on.

How often are you scooping the boxes? I am in an apartment myself with 4 cats and scoop the boxes at least daily if not twice. This will help on the litter box smell issues if you are not doing so already. Also how old are the cats?

 

[nullentropy]

Sorry that you have been having issues. The first thing that comes to mind is that you say their poop is runny. Have you had the vet check to make sure that they don't have worms? Also have you changed their diet at all? Their stool should be formed, if it is runny my thought is that something is going on.

How often are you scooping the boxes? I am in an apartment myself with 4 cats and scoop the boxes at least daily if not twice. This will help on the litter box smell issues if you are not doing so already. Also how old are the cats?

Yeah they've been checked no worms or anything. At first I thought they had a chicken allergy so now they're on all turkey foods but it's not helping. I think I'm just going to put them back on the I/D because that seemed to help. But even still their poops STINK! I scoop every day or every other day, but as soon as they go you can smell it.

 

[writingislove]

I agree that scooping is a BIG deal in a situation like this.  Scooping only takes a minute, so you might try scooping once in the morning and once in the evening and see if it helps.  You can't force a cat to cover its poop, but you can get rid of the poop before it has a chance to sit out in the open for two days and stink up the house. 

You might even consider a diaper genie, or something similar you can place next to the boxes where you can toss the poop when you scoop it and it's sealed to prevent odors...

No one wants to scoop cat poo, but if doing it a little more often is what saves you from rehoming your cats, I say it's worth a shot.

 

[nullentropy]

I have a litter genie that I use, and I try to scoop it as soon as I get home from work so it's not sitting for 2 days. It's not that it smells continously, it's that they poop, and don't cover it and it stinks and if I'm at work when it happens when I get home the place stinks. Of course I scoop. Once they poop and I cover it then it's not an issue, but I'm not home all day to do it.

 

[writingislove]

I understand, most people aren't at home all day to scoop.  That was why I suggested morning and evening. 

In all honesty, though, I don't think there's much else you can do beyond what's been suggested here.  You can only control so much of your cats' behavior, so if it's this big of a deal and you're not willing to consider the options, there's not much we can do to help you...

 

[barbh]

You mentioned that you thought they might have an issue with chicken, and turkey is not helping. It is a possibility to have a sensitivity to poultry. Have you discussed with your vet of the possibilty of food sensitivitys? Might be worth trying a protien like venison or rabbit.

Also what type of litter are you using?

 

[nullentropy]

You mentioned that you thought they might have an issue with chicken, and turkey is not helping. It is a possibility to have a sensitivity to poultry. Have you discussed with your vet of the possibilty of food sensitivitys? Might be worth trying a protien like venison or rabbit.

Also what type of litter are you using?

I was using Tidy Cats but I switches to fresh step because a friend of mine recommended it. It's really dusty but it does keep the smell down better. I think I'll talk to the vet again and see. It might be the dry food they're having a reaction to.