Litter Robot - change in litterbox behavior

rone

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Forgive me for the lenghy post but I wish to provide as much detail as possible. Our two cats have been using Litter Robot for 7 weeks now with no problem. Last week I found poo, twice, on the mat and step (waste drawer). It looked like one of them defecate as they enter Litter Robot. We finally caught Fred in the act- it's not like he can't hold or anything; he defecate right after he enters so some was on the mat, some on the step, & some in the litter. He also urinates right by the entrance. While his sister Ginger also does the same thing, we haven't caught her defecate like her brother.

Both of them used to enter litterbox, do some digging, turn around facing outside and do their business. Now they simply go in & do their business right by the entrance. We took them to the vet first week in June, besides mild gingivitis both are healthy. Their diet consist of 1/2 cup of Nutro dry in the morning, 3 oz canned (split between the two) in the evening. We started offering canned food last week.

Because both received a clean bill of health from vet we think it's a behavior problem, or maybe it's more calming facing inside
. Starting last week I mixed some baking soda in the litter. I suspect perhaps they do not like it in the litter so yesterday I cleaned the globe & drawer, refilled with fresh litter (we use World's Best). So far Fred hasn't use it to poop but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Does anyone have any input as to why they change the way they use litterbox? I will switch to a bigger litter box if necessary but I want to try change other things first. The litter is expensive and it's been more than 60 days so we can't get a refund.
 

mskitty666

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I've had Litter Robots for years. Since this is new for you I can only think that at first your cats may have been nervous or unsure and wanted to be able to see anything that might come up while they were in there. Now that they've gotten used to it, they may be more comfortable not turning around. This is a pain. I have one that usually goes on the step by accident and others sometimes do it as well. If you haven't been to Litterbox Central, check out the forums there. Many people have tried all sorts of thing to try correcting this situation. Maybe you can find some useful tips. Here is a link to the site http://www.litterbox-central.com/forum/
 

mskitty666

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Just wondering how it's going? Have you made any progress getting them to turn around? Are you still using the litter robot?
 
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rone

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mskitty666- Just read your response yesterday. I can't thank you enough for providing that link. I thought Fred was just weird but apparently some others have the same problem too. I did find a couple of suggestions on that forum and will put them to test this weekend.

Yes we are still using the litter robot as Fred is the only one that doesn't turn around. After scooping 3x a day while catsit for my friend's cats, I realized how spoiled I am by the convenience of litter robot.

I will keep you posted. Thanks again
.
 

mskitty666

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After scooping 3x a day while catsit for my friend's cats, I realized how spoiled I am by the convenience of litter robot.
That's for sure
I just justified upgrading to Litter Robot II when I already have two robots. This makes the fourth one I've bought now. Good luck with your kitties this weekend.
 
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