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Old 11-18-2008, 03:14 PM
June June is offline
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Default Cat Litter and Cat Boxes

This I have to agree.Once I was in the midst trained them to pee/poo in the litter box with shredded paper inside instead of litter sand.for few days they deposit their waste on my comforter. But after about 4 days they were ok again.they started to pee/poo in that litter box as usual.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ashleywong View Post
hi viv
lynie is right. i'd also like to add that cats are truly meticulously clean creatures that prefer cleaniless (is sp correct?) and good hygience - contratry to misconceived notion that they are "dirty" creatures.

they will not use a litter box that is dirty and not cleaned. i have now 4 cats (adult) and they do produce quite a bit of poo between them. quite often i'd come home to full litter box and at last more than 1 cat "holding in" waiting to go - first order of the day will be to clean out their litter box and then to prepare their meal, morning and night.

sometimes even if the box is not full, but the poo left by the other cat is not properly covered up , my other cats will not used it and will asked us to clean up ASAP.

but lynie is correctly - most cat will instinctively use the litter box (as long as it is associated with something fearful or stressful by them) and if they don't use it, then you need to observe what is wrong with them.

most articles and books i read on cats suggest or recommend the rule of thumb 1 for every cat plus 1 extra, e.g like i have 4 cats i should have 4 litter boxes plus 1 extra box . the reason cited for this in a cat's life, food and elimination is quite important and cats are like "clockwork" creatures that require and love certainty and schedule. so having a place that is safe and reasonably "comfortable" (clean, big enough litter box, litter material that they like, etc, also safe) for them to eliminate is one of their top priority and if this routine is interrupted (like one cat is defending access to litter box as part of its territory and preventing other cats from accessing the litter box, causing stress) then that stressed cat may exhibit other behaviour - like not eating food, different behaviour wth family members, or maybe stress lowers its immune system and cause it susceptible to illness, etc, etc. i at first thought this was just "theory" but having osberved my cats, i'd say that i find it true to a large degree. however i'm afraid i don't put out that many litter boxes - there aren't just enough space to accomodate more than 2 in the bathroom and i guess we're too finicky to consider placing litter box in the living room or dining room or kitchen or bedroom. i have bought 4 boxes but only use 2 at the moment but i think maybe it's time to use 3 now. i see my cats getting edgier with each other , i should follow a leaf out of my "book".

anther trivia , i've noticed this - the "degree of stink" of the poo correspond to the type of food they eat. honest, it's true - for me at least.
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