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Cat Forum / General Topics / January 2008Cat Won't Urinate in Litter Box
We have an approximately 8-week old kitten which stubbornly refuses to urinate in the litter box. I find stains on papers & clothing lying around making it obvious that's where she "goes." She does take dumps in the litter box but WILL NOT urinate in there. How do I make her start doing that? Please don't tell me "2 litter boxes." I think it outrageous I'd have to do that if other cats are perfectly content to have one. It's messy enough having 1 to deal with, 2 would be too much. Tips? LRH Do you keep this litterbox spotlessly clean? Are you using a clumping litter, where you remove the clumps as they happen? You mention "other cats". How many other cats are there? Cats are fastidiously clean creatures by nature. If the box is a little "dirty", then this could be likened to you being asked to use a toilet, where the previous person did not flush. Where as some people wouldn't mind, there would be others that would seek out another spot to go, that was "clean". Chances are, this kitten is like one of those people. If you can not get another box, could you at least try a bigger one? Carol > We have an approximately 8-week old kitten which stubbornly refuses to > urinate in the litter box. I find stains on papers & clothing lying around [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > LRH I washed & changed all the litter just last week. There are no other cats in the house. When I said "other cats" I meant how I once owned a cat before who never had this behavior, and my aunt is a huge cat LOVER and yet has 3 cats using (I believe--though I could be wrong) 1 litter box and this doesn't happen. > Do you keep this litterbox spotlessly clean? Are you using a clumping > litter, where you remove the clumps as they happen? [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > > > LRH > I washed & changed all the litter just last week. There are no other cats in > the house. When I said "other cats" I meant how I once owned a cat before > who never had this behavior, and my aunt is a huge cat LOVER and yet has 3 > cats using (I believe--though I could be wrong) 1 litter box and this > doesn't happen. Just cleaning the box once a week doesn't cut it. Get the clumping litter and scoop it out regularly. Kitty should be old enough now that you shouldn't have to worry about her eating the litter. If the litter box is in a high traffic area of your living space you might want to consider moving it to a more private location. You may also want to consider a covered box if yours is open or an open box if covered. It only takes a couple of minutes a day to scoop a box. Small price to pay for a happy cat and no messes around the house. BTW has the kitten seen the vet yet? W > I washed & changed all the litter just last week. uh once a week ? ... you mean when the ammonia smell starts getting to you who has a 25,000th a sense of smell as the cat ? I use a clumping litter and scoop daily, change every couple weeks. I've never used the straight clay kind... you mean you actually washed the clay? (k that does sound pretty cost effective if it works; I spend mebbe $10 a month on clumping litter for 6 cats) > There are no other cats in the house. When I said "other cats" I > meant how I once owned a cat before who never had this behavior, and > my aunt is a huge cat LOVER and yet has 3 cats using (I > believe--though I could be wrong) 1 litter box and this doesn't > happen. I have 6 cats and (temporarily) 3 kittens... 1 litter box, no problems. I think there's alot of cases where snooty cat behaviour can be put down to them simply liking personal service. In your case, I think the fact that you clean the place up more often when she pees on the floor might have something to do with it. Rick Larry, switch to clumping litter. Then remove the clumps each day. Washing and changing the litter once a week, is probably the problem. This is an ultra fastidious cat, that hates using the litter box when there is "stuff" accumulating in it. This means that she will defecate there, but will choose another place to urinate in. I am betting that if you switch to the clumping litter, and remove the clumps each day, that this will end the problem. > I washed & changed all the litter just last week. There are no other cats in > the house. When I said "other cats" I meant how I once owned a cat before [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > > > > > LRH > Larry, switch to clumping litter. Then remove the clumps each day. > Washing and changing the litter once a week, is probably the problem. > This is an ultra fastidious cat, that hates using the litter box when > there is "stuff" accumulating in it. If non-clumping litter is being changed once a week then there's an accumulation of ammonia from urine, which cats and humans detest (it's poison), I don't believe "fastidiousness" has anything to do with it. > I am betting that if you switch to the clumping litter, and remove > the clumps each day, that this will end the problem. Seconded. May take a few days of picking her up and placing her in the box before she realizes it. pat Who just spent 3 days cleaning up after a bunch of kittens' first time on solid food, but now they use the litterbox like everybody else. I am not sure if the litter is the "clumping" kind. It is cheap store-brand (Safeway) and it does not say it is the clumping type. But the cat does "dump" in it with no problem, and feces are scooped out daily. Are you suggesting that--if it's not the "clumping" type--she could be going in there and I not be able to tell? That is my guess, as there is not often the smell of urine and I have only found 2 different cases of where you could see it in inappropriate places. We've had her for a month, so if she NEVER went in there you'd think you'd see (or smell) MUCH more often than that. LRH > We have an approximately 8-week old kitten which stubbornly refuses to > urinate in the litter box. I find stains on papers & clothing lying around [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > LRH This sounds crazy, but some cats don't like to poop and pee in the same box. Try a second box. I've got one right now who insisted on peeing in the floor. We added yet another box (sheesh, we have five litterboxes now). Problem solved, thank goodness. I was at my wits' end. Sherry Thanks for trying, but at this point I guess I'm being an a.s. If other cats can use the same box, so can she. If she doesn't, I may get rid of her. I guess I'm being a stick in the mud, but I'm the boss of this house; she assimilates to me, I don't assimilate to her. And no--I don't want a dog. They bark too much and smell awful. LRH > This sounds crazy, but some cats don't like to poop and pee in the same box. > Try a second box. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Sherry If it comes down to it, I guess I would eventually have a 2nd litter box, but I really am staying away from that if for no other reason that (1) it's more expensive obviously (though of course not exactly something that would break the bank) (2) more of a hassle than taking care of 1--takes up more room etc (3) if other cats can do it, so can she--this is the one I'm REALLY quite the much a "stick in the mud" about; yes I know there are differing personalities, but I suppose I'm still stuck on that one quite strongly. I don't want to turn my entire kitchen area into one huge litter box area with 3-5 boxes laying all over the place if 1 box is good enough--and again if it's good enough for other cats, it should be good enough for her. She otherwise is a pleasant enough cat and a real joy for us. The only other issue is that (1) she bites and attacks our hands & feet a LOT, but I tell my wife that's just because she's a kitten--and we discourage it using a water sprayer and (2) meowing insistently at our bedroom door in the morning wanting to be let in (we won't, until we're all the way up) and that one (the latter) occurs FAR less often than before so it basically is a non-issue. The thing is that with both of us, we expect our pets to adapt to us more than we adapt to them. Another example which doesn't apply with us, but did apply with me years ago when I lived out in the middle of nowhere--cats jumping on the hoods of cars getting paw-prints on them. I don't care how often someone says that's "just what they do," we had a cat and I would not tolerate it. My mother did; she just let it be. I didn't; I had a brand-new car and if I found our cat even within a mile of it, I'd blow the loud horn or scare him off with the water hose. In this case now, the cat is in an apartment not outside--and our car is old and ugly so I wouldn't care anyway. Yes I know--you pick your battles. Well mine rests still on the expense & aggravation of more than 1 litter box; at this point, I'm quite pigheaded on that I won't do it. Also--and yes, I'm kind of all over the map here--sometimes she jumps on us trying to climb up on our clothes to get attention. Fortunately she's smart enough to tell if I'm nude (early in the morning, wife still around etc) and she doesn't try it then. But sometimes she tries it when I have on thin pajamas, and it hurts like HELL. So I'm thinking we should TRIM her claws. I don't intend to declaw her, not even when she's old enough (which she surely isn't now I don't think). But TRIMMING with clippers, I think it may be time for that. But I'm told you need to be careful to not hurt when doing this. I've never done it, want to do it right so I don't her her. Tips? LRH > Thanks for trying, but at this point I guess I'm being an a.s. If other cats > can use the same box, so can she. If she doesn't, I may get rid of her. I [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > > > Sherry | If it comes down to it, I guess I would eventually have a 2nd litter box, | but I really am staying away from that if for no other reason that [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] | my wife that's just because she's a kitten--and we discourage it using a | water sprayer and It would be more rewarding to just let the hand be motionless and not draw back. This is how they learn. Water comes in when they are on the table stealing food and the like. | (2) meowing insistently at our bedroom door in the morning | wanting to be let in (we won't, until we're all the way up) and that one [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] | for that. But I'm told you need to be careful to not hurt when doing this. | I've never done it, want to do it right so I don't her her. They stop climbing legs around 5 mths old. So you can wait with the clipper. I have never ever clipped the nails of my six cats. I'm not at all against it, but it was never necessary. | Tips? If you do want to clip the nails let the vet show you how when you bring in the cat for her shots because you can do harm indeed: Cut into the live part or frighten the cat off for the rest of its claw clipping life. | LRH Carola Good idea--not clipping the nails until the person administering the shots shows me how. How obvious but it never occured to me. I'll do it that way. Or, if they do indeed stop climbing at a certain age not that far away, that works for me too. I actually don't necessarily mind her "climbing" if I'm wearing everyday clothing, but I do mind if it's PJs or nicer clothing--and since of course you can't expect a cat to tell the difference between "nice" and "everyday" etc that's where it becomes an issue. But again--if she is liable to simply stop at a certain age--that's good enough for me. > | If it comes down to it, I guess I would eventually have a 2nd litter box, > | but I really am staying away from that if for no other reason that [quoted text clipped - 74 lines] > > Carola >I actually don't necessarily mind her "climbing" if I'm wearing everyday >clothing, but I do mind if it's PJs or nicer clothing--and since of course >you can't expect a cat to tell the difference between "nice" and "everyday" >etc that's where it becomes an issue. Larry, the climbing and the biting: it sounds as though your cat is telling you that she needs to play with you. Cats at her age need to play with predatory games. Usually they do this with other cats. But as she is your only cat, you are her only playmate. Don't play with her using your hands, as that will induce her to think of your hands as toys and to bite them. Instead, use a wand toy. If you play with her for about ten minutes before feeding her at night, she might just sleep through and not wake you up in the morning. Cats like to eat after they play, and sleep after they eat. Come to think of it, humans do also. Dik Larry, just a thought, but the answer to her biting and rough-housing, would be to get her a same-age companion. That way they could expend their energy on one another, and not you and the wife. This is a sure-fire solution. Also, it is a pretty well known fact, that two cats are actually easier to care for than one. Here is a link that explains; http://www.kittycaretakers.com/Two.cfm Please keep us posted on this little one. What is her name? > Good idea--not clipping the nails until the person administering the shots > shows me how. How obvious but it never occured to me. I'll do it that way. [quoted text clipped - 100 lines] > > > > Carola >It would be more rewarding to just let the hand be motionless and not draw >back. ... or perhaps accompany it with a high pitch "oww". That's how cats signal that they are hurt. >Cut into the live part or frighten the cat off for the rest of its claw clipping life.< Very good advice. The worst tactic to clipping nails is to get into a struggle with the cat. It makes it harder to clip her nails next time. I have seen humans who do this with their cats time and again. Then they wonder why their cats dislike having their nails clipped. When it comes to cats, a little horse sense goes a long way. Dik Larry, I am sure that getting clumping litter will solve your problem. As for the biting and playing, do remember that the cat is of the tiger family, and it totally would not be normal if she didn't play like this. she is a tiny tiger. Get rid of the clay litter, and get clumping. > If it comes down to it, I guess I would eventually have a 2nd litter box, > but I really am staying away from that if for no other reason that [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] > > > > > > Sherry > If it comes down to it, I guess I would eventually have a 2nd litter box, > but I really am staying away from that if for no other reason that > > (1) it's more expensive obviously (though of course not exactly something > that would break the bank) A decent sized litter box is no more than 3 or 4 dollars. > (2) more of a hassle than taking care of 1--takes up more room etc But it's more of a hassle to clean up urine out of the box. > (3) if other cats can do it, so can she--this is the one I'm REALLY quite > the much a "stick in the mud" about; yes I know there are differing > personalities, but I suppose I'm still stuck on that one quite strongly. I > don't want to turn my entire kitchen area into one huge litter box area with > 3-5 boxes laying all over the place if 1 box is good enough--and again if > it's good enough for other cats, it should be good enough for her. IF one box is good enough. For some cats, it's not. I've heard an interesting analogy. Would you cross your bathroom floor to get to the toilet if the floor was covered in human urine and feces? Barefoot? And then unable to use soap and water, clean your feet with your mouth? It's disgusting to say it, but that's what cats have to do. I don't blame them for wanting separate boxes for feces and urine. > She otherwise is a pleasant enough cat and a real joy for us. The only other > issue is that (1) she bites and attacks our hands & feet a LOT, but I tell > my wife that's just because she's a kitten--and we discourage it using a > water sprayer and Please discourage it with a wand toy or tossing ball toys for her, and remember never to play with her with your hands. > The thing is that with both of us, we expect our pets to adapt to us more > than we adapt to them. ...so you got a kitten? People have dogs. Cats have staff. > Yes I know--you pick your battles. Well mine rests still on the expense & > aggravation of more than 1 litter box; at this point, I'm quite pigheaded on > that I won't do it. Do you have a hall closet? A spacy bathroom? Two large boxes fit perfectly in my hall closet. It's out of the way for the cats, close to the bathroom for easy disposal for me. I wouldn't want boxes in my kitchen, either. > So I'm thinking we should TRIM her claws. I > don't intend to declaw her, not even when she's old enough (which she surely [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Tips? Definitely ask your vet. And it's never to early to start working on contact with the kitten. Handling her paws (especially good if you plan to trim, and it's never too early to trim), peeling back her lips to look at her teeth, that sort of thing. For your first visit at the vet, you can certainly ask them what things you can do on a daily or weekly basis, what signs of illness to look for - whether it's being able to spot a tongue ulcer or check her eyelids for irritation or check her hydration. Get familiar with your kitten now so that when something goes wrong, you'll notice it fast. >Thanks for trying, but at this point I guess I'm being an a.s. If other cats >can use the same box, so can she. If she doesn't, I may get rid of her. I >guess I'm being a stick in the mud, but I'm the boss of this house; she >assimilates to me, I don't assimilate to her. You took on a four-week-old kitten (8 weeks & you said you've had it for a month)...you have to *expect* behavioral issues, because that's *way* too young to be taken from its mother.. If you don't have the patience or willingness to correct a behavioral issue, you probably should re-home the kitten. One issue that hasn't been brought up is, inappropriate elimination sometimes indicates a urinary tract problem. But I'm guessing you won't take it to vet, either. Sherry I really think you do need to rehome this kitten,and I hope you domt have any real babies because if a kitten is too much trouble how would you go with a baby? J.P > >Thanks for trying, but at this point I guess I'm being an a.s. If other cats > >can use the same box, so can she. If she doesn't, I may get rid of her. I [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Sherry Taking in kittens that are way too young is only for professionals! Yes please do give it away before you ruin the little thing completely! Or get yourself some help and a decent cat book! Carola | Thanks for trying, but at this point I guess I'm being an a.s. If other cats | can use the same box, so can she. If she doesn't, I may get rid of her. I [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] | > | > Sherry > Thanks for trying, but at this point I guess I'm being an a.s. If > other cats can use the same box, so can she. If she doesn't, I may > get rid of her. I guess I'm being a stick in the mud, but I'm the > boss of this house; she assimilates to me, I don't assimilate to her. Ah, no. Saying "I am the boss of this house" to a cat is exactly the same as saying it to your wife. Larry you say you just changed the litter and everything LAST WEEK? that is far too long between changes they need a clean tray all the time if you dont want to keep it clean maybe you should give the cat to some-one who will! Jean.P. > I am not sure if the litter is the "clumping" kind. It is cheap store-brand > (Safeway) and it does not say it is the clumping type. [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > > > LRH > I am not sure if the litter is the "clumping" kind. It is cheap store-brand > (Safeway) and it does not say it is the clumping type. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > LRH The clumping litter makes it much easier to keep the box clean. It also saves you from having to dump the whole box as frequently. When they urinate it forms a clump that can be scooped out of the box leaving the rest of the litter clean and smelling good. In the long run, clumping litter probably doesn't cost much more than the cheap stuff because of being able to throw out what is soiled but leave the rest. W > > We have an approximately 8-week old kitten which stubbornly refuses to > > urinate in the litter box. I find stains on papers & clothing lying around [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > > > LRH That shows how much I know, huh--I actually didn't know that if you didn't have the "clumping" kind you could possibly have to thrown the entire amount out every couple of days or so. That's VERY frequent--very very frequent! I'd MUCH rather throw out a couple of clumps twice a day or so rather than a whole batch. That's wasteful! I honestly thought once a week was plenty even for the regular kind. Again, shows how much I know. I'm thinking that may be the real thing right there. That is, she does use it properly until it gets too offensive for her, at which time she goes other places--at least with "#1" anyway (she always goes there for "#2"). So having the clumping type would make it easy to keep it non-offensive permanently, thus all but totally solving that problem altogether. That's a solution that's totally fine with me. It's sort of like how "regular" (non-alkaline) batteries--which you now all but can't find anymore--cost less than alkalines, but their useful life is so drastically smaller than alkalines they cost more in the long run. So why bother with those; just use the alkalines and get more for your money. Seems to be the case here, no problem. LRH > > I am not sure if the litter is the "clumping" kind. It is cheap > store-brand [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > > > > > LRH > That shows how much I know, huh--I actually didn't know that if you didn't > have the "clumping" kind you could possibly have to thrown the entire amount > out every couple of days or so. That's VERY frequent--very very frequent! > I'd MUCH rather throw out a couple of clumps twice a day or so rather than a > whole batch. That's wasteful! I honestly thought once a week was plenty even > for the regular kind. Again, shows how much I know. Because of their need to bury, cats will use a messy litter box some times but not always...so the advice you got about clumping litter is a good one. Change it out and then see what happens. If you find she is still peeing elsewhere, take her to the vet. It could be an indicator of another problem. Also...some of the others here may have been a bit harsh but they are right about the age. Kittens should stay with their mothers until they are 8 weeks or so. If you really did get her at 4 weeks than be prepared for a lot of problems. I am guessing you "GOT" her at 8 weeks and she is now 12. Lastly, if you want a pet that will assimilate to you....uhh...you kinda got the wrong one. Cats will do what they want. Lots of times they want to do just what you want but not always and sometimes we have to adjust. I had a cat that loved to clime and even if I didn't want her up on the pot shelves, that's where she would go. So I made my adjustments by not putting anything of value up there and laying down tin foil which she didn't like to walk on. Problem solved. Little adjustment on my end and I got to spend time with a great animal. Now my dog was cool. Always did what I asked, didn't smell and didn't bark without a reason (or a command). But that's another group. :-) AG Your dog never barked or smelled? That is for another group, but that is somewhat fascinating. Do certain breeds smell better or something, or have better barking tempermanents? I'm sure the not-barking was from your training, but as for smell--I can't imagine teaching a dog not to stink. It must've been the breed or something. Am I close? > > That shows how much I know, huh--I actually didn't know that if you didn't > > have the "clumping" kind you could possibly have to thrown the entire [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > AG > Your dog never barked or smelled? That is for another group, but that is > somewhat fascinating. Do certain breeds smell better or something, or have > better barking tempermanents? I'm sure the not-barking was from your > training, but as for smell--I can't imagine teaching a dog not to stink. It > must've been the breed or something. Am I close? I didn't teach her not to bark...she just didn't. Not unless she was trying to get our attention. Dogs that bark are responding to something and I find it's usually to the fact that they are outside while the rest of the pack (the family) is in the den (inside). Dogs are social animals and pack animals by nature so if you leave one outside alone while you go inside it is going to bark to remind you it's there. Mags came inside when we got home. She barked if someone came in her back yard but never at people in the front. Not kids on bikes, not us..no one. I think it was her personality but don't know if it is common with Golden Retrievers. They are pretty laid back..not hyper and not known to be barkers. As for stinking. It's called a bath. She wasn't super active due to some bad knees but every couple of weeks she got a bath, she got brushed almost every day especially in the shedding season and she saw a groomer a couple of times a year. You would stink too if you never bathed. :-) AG > Your dog never barked or smelled? That is for another group, but that is > somewhat fascinating. Do certain breeds smell better or something, or have > better barking tempermanents? I'm sure the not-barking was from your > training, but as for smell--I can't imagine teaching a dog not to stink. It > must've been the breed or something. Am I close? Something else. I am sure a lot of the smell has to do with diet. It's true in humans so could be true in animals. Mags ate only low fat high nutrition food and she ate carrots as a treat. LOVED them. She didn't usually get doggie treats because of her weight problems (meds) so she would go after a carrot like it was a steak. As a result she had some of the best smelling breath and I never saw a dog with better teeth right up til she passed at almost 15. Carrots.... who'da thunk. (btw...I didn't say she never barked, said she didn't bark without a reason which was rarely). AG Note all dogs bark - some howl, some yip... There are also breeds that don't bark - one if a Bisenji. As for smells - most hound breeds have a strong natural odor, but other breeds vary. Size is sometimes a factor. Many dogs have no discernable odor. >Your dog never barked or smelled? That is for another group, but that is >somewhat fascinating. Do certain breeds smell better or something, or have [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >> >> AG You got it Larry!! Clumping is FAR more economical, than clay, and cleaner too. Just scoop for "buried treasure" every day, and you are back to spotless litter. > That shows how much I know, huh--I actually didn't know that if you didn't > have the "clumping" kind you could possibly have to thrown the entire amount [quoted text clipped - 67 lines] > > > > > > > > LRH > That shows how much I know, huh--I actually didn't know that if you didn't > have the "clumping" kind you could possibly have to thrown the entire amount [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > LRH The dh used to buy the cheap stuff. We had one box for two cats and had to dump the whole caboodle twice a week. During the summer it was more often than that. The other litters available then weren't much better. Then they came out with the clumping stuff and it's the greatest think since sliced bread. Our cats don't mind the scented litter but some don't like it so you might want to try the unscented first. We now have 3 cats and 3 boxes. Do they use all three? noooooooo! They all decide to use the same box. I keep the others around in case my old girl (pushing 17) gets caught short so she always has one near by. If your little one is still going outside the box even with clean litter mention it to the vet. She should be going up for shots/worming/checking for ear mites etc soon anyway. W > The dh used to buy the cheap stuff. We had one box for two cats and had to > dump the whole caboodle twice a week. During the summer it was more often > than that. The other litters available then weren't much better. Then they > came out with the clumping stuff and it's the greatest think since sliced > bread. Our cats don't mind the scented litter but some don't like it so you > might want to try the unscented first. I don't know why you would use scented at all; it doesn't cover up the smell if the cat doesn't bury the feces, and there is no smell to cover up when it does. pat > > The dh used to buy the cheap stuff. We had one box for two cats and > had to [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > pat Not my choice (dh buys the stuff) but as long as the cats don't mind ... I think he got into overkill when I bitched about his buying the cheap clay stuff. W | We have an approximately 8-week old kitten which stubbornly refuses to | urinate in the litter box. I find stains on papers & clothing lying around [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] | | LRH Does the 8 week old kitten not have a mother that shows it where to go? If not then it should be with its mum until 12 weeks old. This is exactly why - to learn for life. OK there were some special circumstances. So you have to be mummy for her: show her how to scratch in a *clean* litter box and it should soon start scratching there too. Carola And of course I could check out the "cat urinating in unwanted spots" on 4-4. > We have an approximately 8-week old kitten which stubbornly refuses to > urinate in the litter box. I find stains on papers & clothing lying around [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > LRH I.m a vet assistance & it could be one of 3 things. Your kitty may have a stone, litter may hurt the kitty's paws or kitty was taken away too soon & mommy cat did not train it all the way. I'd take kitty in for a check-up with the vet. Hi Larry, I have 5 cats and (temporarily) a queen with 3 kittens... they all use the same litterbox with no problems; I certainly agree with you that multiple litterboxes is just unnecessarily pandering to the cat(s). Do you wash the clay and reuse it? I've never considered that, sounds complicated. I just strain/scoop the litter (clumping) daily, and change every couple weeks. My cost for clumping kitty litter for all the cats: 2x15kg boxes/month, is about $10. My best guess would be that your kitten hates the ammonia smell that builds up after a couple days (for good reason: it's not even remotely healthy); changing to clumping litter will fix that immediately, though she may need some help realizing that she can pee safely now. There's a slight possibility she doesn't know to urinate in the litterbox yet, since she was taken away from other cats so soon after she started eating/drinking. Once you get the litterbox situation squared away, just pick her up and place her there when she looks like she's going to pee, if she doesn't start naturally. As per the "digging in the little kitty-pitons and ascending Mt.Larry" thing, she'll stop that when she's a little bigger and jumping up is more of a habit/convenience. Attacking your hands/feet/anything that moves is a normal cat thing; she's playing, practising hunting, trying to liven the joint up a bit; eventually she won't do that as much and you'll miss it. Either play with her, or (as another poster mentioned) just "play dead". Meowing when hungry/lonely is pretty normal. Live with it or buy a hamster. I wouldn't use a spray-bottle on any behavioural patterns that she'll naturally grow out of (or the meowing thing), which is everything you've mentioned in your posts (except the car thing... I like the idea of a waterhose). Sound like you're getting along fine with the new addition to your household. pat > I have 5 cats and (temporarily) a queen with 3 kittens... they all use > the same litterbox with no problems; I certainly agree with you that > multiple litterboxes is just unnecessarily pandering to the cat(s). *blink* Do you sit next to the box to scoop it as each cat does its business? Or is just one huge litterbox? I have three cats of my own (usually two boxes), but one adult foster (so three boxes) and three semi-feral 6 month olds (two boxes of their own). And they manage to make enough mess that I add a scoop of litter every other day to each box. >>I have 5 cats and (temporarily) a queen with 3 kittens... they all use >>the same litterbox with no problems; I certainly agree with you that [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > semi-feral 6 month olds (two boxes of their own). And they manage to make > enough mess that I add a scoop of litter every other day to each box. Nope, I keep about 3" worth in a normal sized litterbox and have a shallow cardboard box underneath to catch overflow. Not to say I don't give it a quick strain if I notice things starting to pile up, but once a day is usually quite enough. pat Pat wrote: >Nope, I keep about 3" worth in a normal >sized litterbox and have a shallow >cardboard box underneath to catch >overflow. Not to say I don't give it a quick >strain if I notice things starting to pile up, >but once a day is usually quite enough. Cleaning a box that multiple cats are using a mere once a day is nowhere near enough! This is unbelievably nasty and disgusting and you have to be either a mentally ill cat hoarder or severely retarded to believe that one litterbox for what was it 6 cats and 3 kittens is acceptable. This just turns my stomach. Cats on average pee twice and poop once each day. That amounts to 18 clumps of urine and 9 piles of poop in one average size box each day. Forcing cats to use that is ABUSIVE and disgusting. You should not be allowed to have ANY cats since you consider this to be proper care, nor should you be giving advice re: litterboxes on a newsgroup since it is unequivocally clear that you are completely clueless when it comes to what is appropriate and responsible care for cats. I feel very sorry for your cats. Megan  Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray > Pat wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > to believe that one litterbox for what was it 6 cats and 3 kittens is > acceptable. This just turns my stomach. Should have mentioned they're indoor/outdoor cats (which I thought I did in a draft message iirc) > Cats on average pee twice and poop once each day. That amounts to 18 > clumps of urine and 9 piles of poop in one average size box each day. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > it comes to what is appropriate and responsible care for cats. I feel > very sorry for your cats. Odd, I feel sorry for your friends; a quick perusal of your posts, you seem to average 2 reasonable sounding posts to 1 where I'm guessing your meds haven't kicked in yet. I was going to ask what you thought, but I notice you claim to have 24 cats which puts you in the same category in my eyes as I probably am in non-cat-owner's eyes. pat smiling, nodding and backing away slowly | > I have 5 cats and (temporarily) a queen with 3 kittens... they all use | > the same litterbox with no problems; I certainly agree with you that [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] | semi-feral 6 month olds (two boxes of their own). And they manage to make | enough mess that I add a scoop of litter every other day to each box. I have two cats and two litterboxes. One cat goes outside only and the other one needs two boxes because she only goes once into the one box, sometimes twice during the night, so two boxes secure my sleep :-) Carola > I have two cats and two litterboxes. One cat goes outside only and the > other one needs two boxes because she only goes once into the one box, > sometimes twice during the night, so two boxes secure my sleep :-) I have three cats and three litterboxes. Two get used frequently and one rarely. SignatureCheryl Follow-up: I replaced the litter with 'scoopable' "clumping" litter. It is still store-brand, but claims to have "clumping" characteristics. I just did that today. Shortly later--once today--I found a good-sized clump where apparently she had done "#1." I found the usual #2s as well. But finding the "#1" was encouraging--apparently she DOES go in there if the conditions are acceptable, and the litter (though cheap store-brand) does "clump." LOOKS like the problem may have been solved. LRH >LOOKS like the problem may have been solved.< Great! Do deodorize thoroughly the other spots where she had urinated. Cats tend to return and urinate in spots where they can smell their own urine. Dik Note that cat poop should not be flushed. Why? Because cat poop contains a parasite known as Toxoplasmosis which is harmful to our friends the Sea Otters. Cat litter which has not been chemically treated is great for composting. It easily breaks down and can help your compost pile reach the ideal carbon to nitrogen ratio. BUT you should always take out solid waste before putting the cat litter into your compost pile. Best place for cat poop is the trash, destination land fill. >Follow-up: I replaced the litter with 'scoopable' "clumping" litter. It is >still store-brand, but claims to have "clumping" characteristics. I just did [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >LRH
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