Conference misery::feline_v1

    What a neat story!  And applause for you and your family and your
    infinite patience.
    
    I line the boxes with plastic bags and so far, knock wood, no misses. 
    If there are any future misses I will keep your observation in mind!
    
    Thanks for sharing this and welcome to Feline.
    

    I'll add that I've had the same situation with my cats not liking the
    plastic liners.  And Tai and Figaro will not put up with a box that is
    not clean.  If it does's meet their inspection they leave their "Gift"
    on the carpet we have the litter box on (we use that sand style litter
    and they were tracking it all over the house -- we cut a square of left
    over carpet and set the box on it and now when they step out, most of
    it comes off on the carpet).  We scoop 3 times a day and add more
    litter and completely dump it out at least twice a week.  When we do
    this, our cats are purrfectly happy.

    I tried the plastic liners for the cat of the house (Trixie), but
    she ended up clawing up the liners while doing her thing...
    After a while, the liner just got in the way of cleaning up
    everything...
    
    B.

    
    I give you all the credit in the world for having the patience
    to deal with your cats litterbox problems.  So happy you solved
    that one.  Gee...now that you figured that one out...help!!
    
    My new latest stray, Bogie, who lived outside for a long time...
    has been walking to the litterbox, digging a hole, putting all
    four paws in the litter, hanging is butt over the box and pooping 
    outside!   Bogie has really had a whole box to himself because
    he is currently being treated for roundworms....so I
    don't believe it is because we need more boxes or that they
    are dirty.   (we scoop immediately...it's my husband's part-time
    job...and we do not use liners)
    
    The other morning we watched him do this...and as he was ready
    to go...we gently moved his butt and held it while he went...so
    it would go in the box.  Now...I truly don't want to have to
    continue this forever!!
    
    It's almost like he was never "taught" the correct way to do this!!
    I'm starting to wonder that maybe the box is too small...and getting
    a bigger one might help....maybe a JUMBO box.
    
    Any suggestions????
    Sandy
                                  

    Sandy,
    
    Maybe if you don't scoop it out right away, but cover it for him and
    leave it there and see if next time he goes in he'll do it right!
    
    Of course if you are treating for roundworms this might not be the best
    idea.....
    

    Re: .0, Brenda

    Thanks for sharing this revelation with us. It could help a lot of 
    people!

    It's also very refreshing to hear about people who persist with 
    patience and go to such great lengths to solve their cat's problems. 

    I'm looking forward to hearing more about Hamlet and Ophelia (great 
    names!). Hope you'll introduce them soon.

    Re: .4, Sandy

    If Bogie's been a stray for a long time and using the great outdoors 
    as a litterbox (and perhaps his previous person never gave him a 
    litterbox), it could be a totally new concept for him that all he can 
    use now is this (relatively) small area. Sounds like he's trying, though. 
    Maybe Bogie doesn't have a good sense of where the edges of the litterbox
    are, or is not quite coordinated enough. (Not all people are totally 
    coordinated, either.) You could try putting the litterbox in a large 
    cardboard box (check your local computer lab) with high sides (with or 
    without cutting a door in the side). If you can find one that fits 
    around the litterbox snugly, it may help guide Bogie in his endeavors. 

    Or maybe he just doesn't want to get that nice, clean litter dirty. 
    Especially when he has his own personal human to "flush" after him. :-) 

    Good luck!

    Linda

    Would Bogie use a covered litterbox?  A covered box would "define" the
    available area a bit better.  :^)
    
    Jo

    Jo..I doubt very much Bogie would use the covered litterbox...
    because he fears enclosed areas.  We had to tranquilize
    him just to get him in the cat carrier for his trip to
    the vet.   He's still learning how to trust us...
    makes you wonder how humans treated him before.
    
    Roberta...I hate leaving the poop in there...knowing
    there might be worms!!!!  Since we had such a worm
    problem before...we have kept in the habit of scooping
    immediately.  but yet maybe if he does pick up on his
    own scent (in the box) it could possibly work!!
    
    I do think he is trying so hard to hit the box...but 
    just was never taught how to do his thing in a small area.
    It's funny seeing him sitting there with all feet in
    the box...and bum hanging off the edge!!   Then he even
    tries to cover it by taking litter out of the box....and
    then runs like the wind!!  Almost like he thinks he is
    going to get punished.  Poor baby!!
    
    I think I'll try a bigger Jumbo box first.......if he 
    misses that...we'll I'll try keeping his scent in the
    box for a bit!!
    
    Out of eight cats...this is the first time I EVER had
    a litterbox problem.   
    
    Sandy
    
    

you need a very big, and very DEEP box....and don't put in too much litter at
a time.  The idea is to force his butt inside the box because he cannot get
his fanny over the edge.  We had a cat like that in Tabs, and a deep box
was our only solution...In our case, it was simply a habit - and the deep box
solved it.

    
    Sandy,
    
    My Elsa has always done the same thing. The strange part is she only
    does it when she poops (luckily) and only about 50% of the time. I have
    never been able to solve this, so I keep a big matt under the litter
    box and lay a paper towel down outside the box. I use a covered litter
    box, so that isn't a solution either. She goes all the way in the box,
    but her rear is hangs out!!!! When she does this, she tries to
    bury it, and I can tell it bothers her that she can not cover it up.
    
    I like the idea of getting a deeper litter box, but I think the ones I
    have might be as deep as the covered litter boxes come in. I will have
    to shop around. 
    
    Stephanie  

    Sandy,
    
    Ever try those jumbo sized litter boxes?  I have 3 of them and two 10
    lb. cats can use them simultaneously!  Each box gets a 10 lb. bag of
    litter and the cats don't miss.  They do prefer to squat in the corners
    of the box versus the middle but the sides are tall so everything stays
    in the box where it's supposed to!
    
    I agree about not wanting to keep poops in there w/a roundworm problem. 
    I couldn't even do it without worms!!
    

    Hi Stephanie....
    
    What I plan on trying is something my sister started using because
    her cat made a mess when trying to cover the poop!  this cat would
    throw the litter on the other side of the room....very messy
    cat!!!
    
    But what she bought was a big plastic sweater container that you
    store sweaters in.   It is easy to wash, is deeper then your 
    average litter box, and is bigger.   She got it on sale for
    $5.00!!    Does anyone see any problem with using something
    like this?????
    
    If that don't work...I'll wait and try to find a big jumbo box
    at the R.I. cat show!!!
    
    Sandy
    
    ps..how's baby Kiner!!!!!
    

    Ya know...they have the very big jumbo boxes at the shelter...
    but there black...and it won't go with the furniture.  Only
    kidding...my house isn't that coordinated.
    
    Those are even bigger then the sweater containter I was
    talking about....hmmm maybe I'll try one of those!!
    
    Sandy

    You can get a box which isn't covered, but which has "sides".  The
    sides go up about as far again as the height of the pan, and sloop...
    sloap...incline inwards.  This makes a big difference in the amount of
    litter that gets scattered outside of the box.  This box is a two piece
    number, the pan and the "rim".
    

    I guess its a good thing that Bob will use a covered box.  Its the
    funniest site to see him using one of the "large" sized boxes.  (I also
    have three jumbo boxes) because his front end won't fit.  He squats
    with his front legs, shoulders and head outside the box and the
    rest of him inside.
      :^)
    

    
    .15  D.P. Gremlin squats the same way in a jumbo box; front legs,
    shoulders, and head outside and hind end inside.  That's only when he
    does #2. :-)
    

    Maybe I should borrow DP or Bob...so they can show Bogie
    the correct end to keep in the box!!!!!   Bogie is not that
    big...so is whole body should be able to fit in!!
    
    Sandy

    Sandy,
    
    Hamlet runs after he poops too.  It isn't because he's scared or
    anything.  It's kind of a celebration of his liberation of that load
    and, of course, stinking up the whole house...hmmmm, maybe he's trying
    to get away from it too.  Well, at any rate, Hammy doesn't move that
    fast at any other time!  
    
    Let's hope that is Bogie's reason for running!
    
    Brenda

    Well, my kitty, Callie goes like wildfire as soon as she's done w/
    her "business"!! She doesn't even bother to cover! I'd like to try &
    teach her to cover, but by the time I realize she's going, she's
    already GONE! I used to have another cat that did this, too. Strange.
    
    Bonnie

    RE 4908.4  if you all remember my note on Bogie digging his
    hole, putting his feet in the hole and pooping over the
    edge.     Well.....
    
    We went out and bought a jumbo box and replaced it with
    the smaller one that Bogie always used....well now he decided
    he likes to poop over the edge in the smaller one in the
    kitchen!!!     And I thought maybe he'd learn from my
    other cats litterbox behavior....well....Dewey must think this
    is fun because he has  learned how to poop over the edge!   Cats!!!!!
    
    I think I'll be replacing all my smaller boxes with Jumbo!!
    
    Sandy
                                       

    Gee, Sandy, I have the EXACT problem!!  Two of my three boxes are the
    Doskocil jumbos, and the third is just a large.  I will invariably find
    poop over the edge of the smaller box.  Maybe I need to get them one of
    those wading pools.......then all 7 could poop at once!
    
    Mary
    

    Ahhhhh...a wading pool...maybe that's the answer!!!!  
    
    If they all start pooping over the edge...Daddy's gonna go nuts!
    This is when I like our agreement...I do the feeding and he does
    the scooping!!!   
    
    Sandy
    
       

    Covered boxes solved this problem with my edge kitty.
    
    Jan

    Ha!  Bob thinks he has figured out a way to protect the floor in case
    the cats miss the litterbox. He says that when we have completed our plans
    for building the new cattery downstairs we are going to coat the floors
    with ....
    
    			polyurinate!
                         
    Linda :^)