- Joined
- Apr 25, 2017
- Messages
- 384
- Purraise
- 299
Hello!
I posted here a while ago about my 9 year old spayed female cat who has really never had a typical relationship with her litter box, and I got some great feedback! Now we are getting ready to move into a bigger house, and will have the opportunity to close her off in one of the bathrooms so that she can reacquaint herself with her box. I wanted to post my plan to see if anyone has any other ideas!
Background: Tiny is totally healthy and mobile. She has been checked out by her vet numerous times, and acts and looks more like a kitten. She was one of a litter of four bottle babies that I fostered, and she has been with me since she was 1 or 2 days old. She has never enjoyed using a litter box--she's never spent any time in there scratching around/sniffing, and she has never covered her business. I'm guessing that's partially because she didn't have a cat mom.
She stopped using her box for #2 when she was around 4 and I switched her to raw food too quickly and she became constipated.
She has stopped using her box for urine on and off over the years after stressful life changes (new dogs, move, etc.) but she completely stopped using it a year ago when my husband and I went on a month long trip. It was a rough transition after we returned. She kept running away and getting emotionally stuck under our neighbor's shed, and when she was inside the house, she would urinate anywhere--on the couch, the bed, and, mostly oddly, on both my husband and I. She would even urinate on the counter by her food, which I know they are never ever supposed to do. Sometimes I think her brain is damaged in the litter box area.
I think Tiny urinating on me and couches and beds and counters was perhaps her effort to reclaim us and the house as her own, and spread her scent. I've since broken her of that habit, with the help of pheromones and making sure to spend time with her every night. If I get busy and we get out of the habit of hanging out regularly, she will urinate on me again.
Tiny now urinates on the floor in the middle of the house. This is actually great progress, because it's more or less in the same spot every day. We have two big dogs who like to walk up to her and check out what's happening when she's urinating, and she doesn't care. She seems happiest urinating in front of us all. SO WEIRD.
The house we are moving into has two floors: a basement and the rest of the living space. We have two bathrooms on the main level. Originally, I thought the basement would be a great space for us to block off as Tiny's dog free territory. But now, I'm realizing that she really enjoys being close to all of us, including the dogs. Still though, I think she needs an area on the main level with several litter box options that the dogs cannot access.
So, I was thinking about locking her in the 2nd bathroom when we first move in, and filling every space she could urinate on with various litter box options. I'll probably include a traditional box in there, although I really don't think she'll ever use that again. I'm holding out hope for various dog potty set ups (grass patch, maybe a mesh tray?, and a dog litter box with very low sides.) Before last year, she would go in an empty box or a box filled with dirt, so I'll put those in there too. We've tried cat attract with no luck. I've filled one of her old boxes with fun extra fine reptile sand, and she has not put her paws in there once. She seems to not want to be contained to a box--even though she can jump 8 feet, she has always seemed nervous about going to the bathroom in a box with sides and would hurry to leap out. (We tried cutting off one of the sides of one of her boxes, but she's still not into it.) Tiny also has 24/7 outside access, and used to go to the bathroom outside occasionally. She might still be doing that once and a while.
Just wondering if I'm missing something, or if anyone else has any ideas or experience with this!
Thank you!!!!
I posted here a while ago about my 9 year old spayed female cat who has really never had a typical relationship with her litter box, and I got some great feedback! Now we are getting ready to move into a bigger house, and will have the opportunity to close her off in one of the bathrooms so that she can reacquaint herself with her box. I wanted to post my plan to see if anyone has any other ideas!
Background: Tiny is totally healthy and mobile. She has been checked out by her vet numerous times, and acts and looks more like a kitten. She was one of a litter of four bottle babies that I fostered, and she has been with me since she was 1 or 2 days old. She has never enjoyed using a litter box--she's never spent any time in there scratching around/sniffing, and she has never covered her business. I'm guessing that's partially because she didn't have a cat mom.
She stopped using her box for #2 when she was around 4 and I switched her to raw food too quickly and she became constipated.
She has stopped using her box for urine on and off over the years after stressful life changes (new dogs, move, etc.) but she completely stopped using it a year ago when my husband and I went on a month long trip. It was a rough transition after we returned. She kept running away and getting emotionally stuck under our neighbor's shed, and when she was inside the house, she would urinate anywhere--on the couch, the bed, and, mostly oddly, on both my husband and I. She would even urinate on the counter by her food, which I know they are never ever supposed to do. Sometimes I think her brain is damaged in the litter box area.
I think Tiny urinating on me and couches and beds and counters was perhaps her effort to reclaim us and the house as her own, and spread her scent. I've since broken her of that habit, with the help of pheromones and making sure to spend time with her every night. If I get busy and we get out of the habit of hanging out regularly, she will urinate on me again.
Tiny now urinates on the floor in the middle of the house. This is actually great progress, because it's more or less in the same spot every day. We have two big dogs who like to walk up to her and check out what's happening when she's urinating, and she doesn't care. She seems happiest urinating in front of us all. SO WEIRD.
The house we are moving into has two floors: a basement and the rest of the living space. We have two bathrooms on the main level. Originally, I thought the basement would be a great space for us to block off as Tiny's dog free territory. But now, I'm realizing that she really enjoys being close to all of us, including the dogs. Still though, I think she needs an area on the main level with several litter box options that the dogs cannot access.
So, I was thinking about locking her in the 2nd bathroom when we first move in, and filling every space she could urinate on with various litter box options. I'll probably include a traditional box in there, although I really don't think she'll ever use that again. I'm holding out hope for various dog potty set ups (grass patch, maybe a mesh tray?, and a dog litter box with very low sides.) Before last year, she would go in an empty box or a box filled with dirt, so I'll put those in there too. We've tried cat attract with no luck. I've filled one of her old boxes with fun extra fine reptile sand, and she has not put her paws in there once. She seems to not want to be contained to a box--even though she can jump 8 feet, she has always seemed nervous about going to the bathroom in a box with sides and would hurry to leap out. (We tried cutting off one of the sides of one of her boxes, but she's still not into it.) Tiny also has 24/7 outside access, and used to go to the bathroom outside occasionally. She might still be doing that once and a while.
Just wondering if I'm missing something, or if anyone else has any ideas or experience with this!
Thank you!!!!
Yeah, these are good questions! She will happily urinate on cat beds, blankets, etc, so I'm not sure. Maybe I'll wait until she uses one of the box/potty options and then introduce a softer surface and see what happens. I was really shocked when she went on the counter right where she eats!! I thought that was the one area that was sacred! 
