Automatic Litterbox Central

Here's two books I've come across. Please add to the list.

Is Your Cat Crazy? -- very good, lots of suggestions

The Cat Who Cried for Help -- funny stories, not as many tips

-- edited to expand the topic to general training tips

Tips condensed from Is Your Cat Crazy?

These notes apply to peeps and poops that are elimination rather than territory marking -- there's another chapter in the book that deals with marking.

Disclaimer: I've only just read the book, and haven't tried the tips on my own problem cat yet. Writing this post is helping me formulate a plan.

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Unless certain criteria are met -- from the CAT'S point of view -- a cat will take its business elsewhere. The criteria are:
1. Cleanliness
2. Privacy
3. Escape potential

The trick is to figure out why your cat dislikes the current setup, and what it likes about where it does choose to go, then to make the litter box attractive to the cat, and the problem spot(s) unattractive. Successful retraining may happen overnight, or may take several weeks to accomplish, so be patient.

The problem spot may offer clues as to what is wrong with the litter box. Compare the two. What is the preferred surface like -- carpet, newspaper, soft clothing, hard flooring? How do they compare for privacy and escape potential? Get down on the floor and look at each area, trying to imagine that you are the cat. Can you see in all directions, or is there a blind corner where another cat in the house could be hiding and attacking you (sometimes a problem in multiple cat households)? Could you escape easily if you were startled? Is the area too open?

(From The Cat Who Cried for Help) If the cat doesn't bury its waste in the litter, it may indicate the cat doesn't like something about the box or litter and can't wait to get out of there as soon as possible. Air scratching, rug scratching, and wall scratching beside the box may all indicate the cat has the instinct to cover up the waste, but doesn't want to stay in the litterbox long enough to do it. Ditto if the cat goes just next to the litter box -- the litter type, its cleanliness, the cover, or the approach to the litterbox may be unacceptable. One example was where the owner had put a plastic stair runner under the box for easy cleanup, and the cat didn't like walking on it to get to the box.

To make the litterbox attractive:
* Don't place food and litterbox too close to each other. (The author doesn't give a minimum distance, although in different rooms is probably optimal.)

* The cat is the ultimate judge of what constitutes a "clean" litterbox, and its preferences will determine how often you have to scoop and completely change out the litter. Spraying Pam or other cooking sprays on the box before putting in the litter helps keep clumps from sticking to the bottom and breaking up when scooping.

* Too few boxes for the number cats can be an issue. You'll have to experiment to discover the right number.

* Some cats prefer open boxes, others prefer covered boxes. If the cat doesn't use the box at all, try the opposite type.

* Litter texture may be important to the cat. A litter study showed that a large majority of cats prefer the clumping type litter to the old clay litter.

* Sometimes the perfumes used to make litter smell good to people are disliked by the cat. Try unscented litter.

* The author reports one case where the cat owner used potpourri in the litter, and odor plug-ins throughout the house. With too much perfume everywhere, the cat literally couldn't identify his litterbox by smell and was peeing everywhere indiscriminately.

* (not from the book) Odor getting lodged in the plastic can be an issue. A friend's vet advised her to buy a new litter pan every 6 months. Sometimes using Clorox or Pine Sol will deter a cat that dislikes it. In other cases, a cat may be attracted to urinate by an amonium-based cleaner.

* (not from the book) If fear of the box itself is the issue, gradual desensitization is the key. There is a sticky post in the Litter Robot forum on getting a cat to use the Litter Robot that has many good suggestions.

* (not from this book) Cat Attract litter is about $18, but has a money-back guarantee that the cat will use it. It might be helpful when retraining a cat. If you're able to get the cat consistently using the box with Cat Attract, the expense can be reduced by gradually mixing it with a less expensive litter, over the course of several weeks, until the cat is using the new litter. (Disclaimer: to date, I've been too cheap to try it!)

* (not from the book) Some people have reported sucess with using Feliway, catnip, or treats to lure a cat into a box if it seems to be afraid of the box. I'd only resort to treats if you think fear of the box is the issue, since you don't want to set up competing motivations (cats generally don't want to eliminate where they eat, play, or sleep.)


To make the problem spot unattractive:
* Clean the area thoroughly to remove the odor so the cat isn't attracted back to the spot by smell. Use an enzyme cleaner specifically designed for pet urine. I've heard a blacklight can be used to find urine spots on carpet.

* On flooring, place plastic carpet runners over the area temporarily, until the habit of using the litterbox has been established for several weeks. If the cat pees on the plastic, try a chlorine- or citrus- based cleaner on the plastic to make it smell unattractive. (Be aware that some cats actually like the smell of chlorine, reacting to it like catnip.) Don't use ammonium based cleaners, as these may encourage peeing. If he still pees, turn the runner with the plastic grabber feet pointing upward. Each method is usually given a one to two-week trial before proceeding to the next.

* Placing food or toys or established sleeping items on the problem spot sets up a competing motivation -- this place is for eating/playing/sleeping instead of peeing. If you have a cat bed, cushion, or towel the cat regularly sleeps on, moving it to the problem spot may work.

* Another trick, also used for countertops, is to place an upside-down mousetrap in such a way that it will spring and startle the cat if he jumps on the surface, but so there isn't any danger of the cat getting caught in the trap. This could be used for things like blankets or piles of clothing.


* (not from the book) I've had success with a $40 device called CatScram, which sends out an ultrasonic sound when the cat walks past a motion sensor. (My mother's cat wasn't bothered by the sound, so your milage may vary.)

* (not from the book) My mother had success with placing laminating sheets sticky side up on the problem spot. (My cat just went next to the sheet.) Anything that is scary to your cat (a helium balloon monster in my mother's case) that can be placed on the problem spot can help.


Other tips:
* A visit to the vet is recommended to rule out urinary tract, thyroid problems, and other treatable conditions.

* NEVER punish a cat by rubbing its nose in the problem spot. Squirting with a water gun is not effective for toilet issues, either. Both these punishments will just serve to make the cat more anxious, potentially increasing the problem behavior.

* Physically placing a cat into a litterbox can backfire. Better to attract him in of his own accord.

* For some cats, reducing the general anxiety level is the key. Both books have many good suggestions, and there are also several helpful medications to treat anxiety, including pheromones, Prosac, Valium, Buspirone, Elavil, and others. Pet stores may also carry some herbal agents such as Kava Kava.

* When bringing home a new cat or kitten, find out as much as possible about what it was using before, and try to duplicate what was successful in the past.

* In a small number of cases, some cats may have been "trained" on hard surfaces such newspaper on the floor of a cage or bare cement. The author describes one such cat that preferred the bathtub! The cat was introduced to litter by starting with shredded newspaper and very gradually adding more and more litter over the course of several weeks. Carpet on the problem spot was used as a deterent, as this cat wouldn't go on anything soft.

* Most changes the authors recommend seem to be given a one to two week trial before making another change.

Wow, zetta. That was extremely helpful. Thanks for posting it!

Yes.. very good info... this should be a sticky... if it isn't allready... I got here thru a link...

Regarding cats who won't bury their crap and/or scratch the air, walls or sides of the box, I have read that cats learn how to bury their crap by being taught by their mothers. Cat that don't bury may have been weened to early or just didn't learn from mom for one reason or another. The scartching in the air, side of teh box, etc., shows that they know they should be doing something, but are not doing the right thing.

Some cats just don't bury. Others don't bury as part of a dominant cat thing.

One of my cats usually doesn't bury. I go him as a 5 year old adult. The first time he saw the box, he jumped right in, took a crap, scratched the sides of the box, then walked away. I thought he didn't like the liner, so I dispensed with that, but to no effect. He now buries it about 25% of the time. He always does the scratching ritual, which sometimes does actually include scratching litter over the #2.

I'm using Feline Pine pellets in 2 boxes for 2 cats. I want to use one of the automated systems (hence my presence here), but as I continue to research them I think they all may be too large for any of the spaces I have.

Thnak you for that post. I will also add to that that you should tell your vet everything.I had one that also sneezzes a lot and just mentioned it to as an afterthougt That did not make a difference in the perscriptiom but made a difference in the application since he also told me to put the medicine in the cats nose too. helped mopre than the original perscription, i think! In other words do not be afraid of telling the vet more than you tink needed.

When a cat refuses to use their litter box, it’s not because they are being stubborn, but litter box training will be needed. There’s an underlying cause and you’ve got to put on your detective hat to figure out what’s wrong. Generally, there’s either a specific problem with the litter box itself or a physical problem with the cat. Look for litter box problems first and then use my litter box training tips.
Choose a Spacious Box – If your cat is a kitten right now, remember that they are going to grow into an adult cat of a certain size. You want to make sure that he or she will have plenty of room to move around inside.

Easy Entry – For young cats, you want to select a box that does not have high walls on every side. Their little legs simply won’t be able to hop inside without your assistance. The same accommodations are needed if your furry friend has a disability. Look for a box with low walls that any cat can climb over. This makes litter box training a lot easier for all involved.

Introduce Your Cat to the Box – Your cat is still getting used to its new home, which means you’ll need to show them where to find their litter box. It’s important that they know how to find food and water, as well as, the litter box when you’re not around. One thing to remember is that, generally, there should be one litter box per cat in the house. If two cats are sharing the same litter box, then it’s a good idea to have a spare one in another location.