- Joined
- Mar 1, 2015
- Messages
- 21
- Purraise
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I used to be with my cat nearly 24/7, but about three and a half years ago I got a new job that has me away from home for 8 to 12 hours a day, five to six days a week. This is when the trouble started.
At first, I had trouble keeping up with cleaning the litter box. Before I got my job, I would scoop twice a day and totally dump and clean the litter box once a week ( I do not use clumping litter. ) A couple times, I missed box cleaning day, and it went two weeks before I cleaned it. The litter box is located in my bathroom, between the toilet and the bathtub. At the end of the two weeks, the litter smelled pretty bad, and my cat would pee on the bath mat instead of in the litter box, making cat litter cleaning an EMERGENCY and I would clean it right away, problem solved.
As time went on, her tolerance became worse and worse, until now, if I don't totally dump and clean the litter box every five days she decides it's too dirty and pees on the bath mat.
Additionally, if I work a twelve hour shift, whether I cleaned the litter box the day before or not, it makes her mad because I'm gone too long, and she pees on the bath mat.
If she wants to go outside and I won't let her, it makes her mad, and she pees on the bath mat.
If I have a day off, and go to the store, she thinks I should stay home because I don't have to work, and it makes her mad, and she pees on the bath mat.
One time I just went out to the garage for a minute and she peed on the bath mat.
It's not a UTI, or any health issue. Putting pepper or other offending smells on the bath mat does not stop her. She isn't left alone while I'm gone, we have another cat and my mom is with her all the time. She thinks I should let her do whatever she wants, clean the litter box as soon as she decides it needs it, and thinks I should be home all the time.
She even waits until I go to the bathroom so she can run in there with me and pee on the mat and be sure that I know she's upset.
Does anyone know how to stop this?
At first, I had trouble keeping up with cleaning the litter box. Before I got my job, I would scoop twice a day and totally dump and clean the litter box once a week ( I do not use clumping litter. ) A couple times, I missed box cleaning day, and it went two weeks before I cleaned it. The litter box is located in my bathroom, between the toilet and the bathtub. At the end of the two weeks, the litter smelled pretty bad, and my cat would pee on the bath mat instead of in the litter box, making cat litter cleaning an EMERGENCY and I would clean it right away, problem solved.
As time went on, her tolerance became worse and worse, until now, if I don't totally dump and clean the litter box every five days she decides it's too dirty and pees on the bath mat.
Additionally, if I work a twelve hour shift, whether I cleaned the litter box the day before or not, it makes her mad because I'm gone too long, and she pees on the bath mat.
If she wants to go outside and I won't let her, it makes her mad, and she pees on the bath mat.
If I have a day off, and go to the store, she thinks I should stay home because I don't have to work, and it makes her mad, and she pees on the bath mat.
One time I just went out to the garage for a minute and she peed on the bath mat.
It's not a UTI, or any health issue. Putting pepper or other offending smells on the bath mat does not stop her. She isn't left alone while I'm gone, we have another cat and my mom is with her all the time. She thinks I should let her do whatever she wants, clean the litter box as soon as she decides it needs it, and thinks I should be home all the time.
She even waits until I go to the bathroom so she can run in there with me and pee on the mat and be sure that I know she's upset.
Does anyone know how to stop this?