3/12/2014
Good morning! Mother nature is so confused :) 75 today, cold front coming in, 45 tomorrow...
Thank you so much for all the gifts for the blind cats from our wish lists!
http://blindcatrescue.com/wishlist.htm and
our Amazon wish list http://amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/14VUTQST8F5XH
Sadly Amazon NEVER gives us your contact information so we can not personally thank you. Please know how grateful we are to you for your kindness!!
The cats hope you will please vote for the cats to win in the following contests
1. http://www.shopforyourcause.com/voting-challenge
DAILY (category LARGE RESCUE Shelter, Blind Cat )
2. http://www.shelterchallenge.com/ DAILY
3. https://apps.facebook.com/my-contests/zoqds
Thank you for helping the cats!! Please like & share
Are you going to win the number 1 Fan shirt this week? Results will be
on Friday. Like & Comment on our Facebook page and of course share ;)
You will get your choice of one of a kind limited edition shirt.
Have you suddenly changed foods? Dry foods may
not provide enough water for your cat’s needs. Be sure you provide plenty of
clean fresh water everyday! Use stainless steel bowls!
There will NOT be boxes tonight
Thank you so much for all the gifts for the blind cats from our wish lists!
http://blindcatrescue.com/wishlist.htm and
our Amazon wish list http://amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/14VUTQST8F5XH
Sadly Amazon NEVER gives us your contact information so we can not personally thank you. Please know how grateful we are to you for your kindness!!
Thank you Clyde Moseley for the food!
Thank you Michael Krogan for the freshstep!
Thank you Ahva Davis for the food and fresh step!
Thank you unnamed for cat litter
Thank you Dr Ulrike Thies for the food!
Thank you unnamed for the toys!
Thank you Nicole Huffman for the lysol!
Thank you unnamed for the trash bags!
Thank you unnamed for locomotion toy!
Thank you unnamed for the cat food!
Thank you Kristina Crofut for the toys!
Thank you Cynthia Crisafulli for the scratch and rest!
Honey loves the scratch and rest :) |
Martha O'Brien for the cameras!
Thank you Sarah Lewandowski for the toys and scratch and rest!
Thank you Alison Chambers for the babbleball!
Thank you David Dunn for the paper towels!
LT smiles about your gifts :) |
Thank you Sarah Lewandowski for the toys!
Thank you Leslie Peckerman for the ear cleaner !
Thankyou Michael Leone for the floor cleaner!
Thank you Elisabetta Antichi for the food!
Thank you Valerie Jemison for the food, Gain, Softener and toy!
Thank you Judy Mari Peterson for the trashbags!
Thank you Sam DeRenzis for the carrier!
Thank you Anthony Thompson for the food!
Thank you Kim Clopton for the trash bags!
Thank you unnamed for the dish soap!
Thank you Laura Kavesh for the clock!
Thank you ms Hazel Jones for the food!
Thank you Mary Blake for the toys!
Thank you unnamed for the food!
The cats hope you will please vote for the cats to win in the following contests
1. http://www.shopforyourcause.com/voting-challenge
DAILY (category LARGE RESCUE Shelter, Blind Cat )
2. http://www.shelterchallenge.com/ DAILY
3. https://apps.facebook.com/my-contests/zoqds
Thank you for helping the cats!! Please like & share
Are you going to win the number 1 Fan shirt this week? Results will be
on Friday. Like & Comment on our Facebook page and of course share ;)
You will get your choice of one of a kind limited edition shirt.
Litter Box Lowdown
Cats
are very clean animals and it is reflected in their litter box habits. If your
cat doesn’t use the litter box, the causes could be anything from illness to an
unclean box. It’s reported about 10% of cats develop an elimination problem.
If your
cat starts to avoid the litter box for urination, observe if he/she shows any
signs of medical issues, such as bladder infections or stones (see Sunday,
March 2 blog on Lower Urinary Tract Problems in cats for the symptoms and what
to do). Even if you do not see any symptoms, your cat needs to be evaluated by
your vet to rule out any medical causes, such as diabetes. Physical exam,
urinalysis which may include urine culture, and labwork should be done.
Radiology studies may be done to eliminate presence of bladder stones or
blockages.
There
are very common reasons for litter box problems. The solutions depend upon the
reasons why the cat cannot use the box. Sometimes, you will have to try
different solutions to find the successful one!
Can the
cat get into the litter box and is it the right size?
Is the box large
enough for the cat to get in and scratch around, squat and urinate?
This is what BCR uses - WITHOUT the lids of course :) |
Are the sides too
high and the cat cannot get into the box? This may happen with older cats or
cats with arthritis and other mobility problems.
Are the sides too low
so the cat is actually in the box but the urine flow is outside the box?
Does the litter box
have a top or hood? This may impede the cat’s ability to scratch around and get
into proper position to urinate.
Most cats prefer two
inches of litter. Don’t use litter box liners which tear easily, have cover-up
scents and some cats are allergic to plastic.
Where
and how many litter boxes are available in your home?
Are the boxes easy to
get to in your home? Elderly cats may not be able to reach boxes in time,
especially if they have mobility problems.
Most recommend the
number of litter boxes should be the number of cats plus one.
Is there conflict
with another cat in the house? This is one reason why more litter boxes may be
needed so conflict and stress can be reduced. (Conflict may have behavioral
interaction components that should be addressed by your vet.)
What about location
of the box? Does your cat have privacy and multiple escape routes? Many cats
prefer litter boxes in a quieter room and to be able to have escape routes if
they feel cornered. Safe, quiet areas promote regular litter box usage. Make
sure children cannot access the box.
The litter box should
not be beside (or in view) of the food and water bowls. They should not be
where the cat sleeps most of the time.
Some cats will
tolerate the self-cleaning litter boxes. Occasionally, the box will start its
cleaning cycle if the cat steps out and steps back in. This may frighten your
cat.
Has your cat
developed a new preference for urinating on certain surfaces or textures, i.e.
carpet, potting soil or bedding? Potting soil would be seen as an acceptable
litter material!
** If your cat has started urinating outside the
box, be sure to clean the area well! There are many products on the market for
cleaning cat urine – some cover the smell only. To get rid of cat urine smell,
you need an enzymatic cleaner to break down the urine and it must saturate the
surface. If the cat urine is on the carpet, it has certainly soaked into the
carpet padding, and probably into the surface below the padding. The area must
be cleaned thoroughly to prevent the cat from being attracted to the same area.
You can use a black light to locate soilage areas. Do NOT use ammonia to clean
any urine stained areas! You may wish to place a litter box in this area to
encourage the retraining of litter box use instead of the carpet.
What
type of litter does your cat prefer? **
Cats want clean litter boxes! If the box is not clean or smell clean, it will
find somewhere else to use for elimination.
Does your cat prefer
regular clay, clumping-scoop clay or crystal litters? (There are other litters
such as pine or corn based litters. The cat may not like the feel or scent of
these.)
Regular clay litter
absorbs the urine and stool is scooped out. The urine remains in the litter and
box until the entire litter material is changed. If not litter is not changed
frequently, it will have a strong urine and/or ammonia smell which will repel
your cat.
(Frequently being defined as daily or every 2 days at most)
Clumping-scoop litter
allows stool and the urine clumps to be removed with every cleaning. Litter
boxes should be scooped at least once a day and more frequently as needed. Add
fresh litter to maintain.
BCR Uses Freshstep |
Crystal litter also
absorbs urine and states it can absorb more with better odor control than
regular clay litter. It is recommended the crystal litter be stirred daily as
crystals that have absorbed urine may become saturated. If they are saturated,
the urine will pool on the bottom of the litter box and the cat will not like
walking in a wet litter box. The crystal litter needs to be replaced regularly
too.
BCR Uses crystal litter in the quarantine room |
Is the litter very
dusty and makes your cat sneeze? Negative association with dusty litter can
lead to avoidance.
Does your litter have
a ‘scent’? Some cats do not like the scented litter. Unscented litters may be
preferred by your cat.
Some cats may be
allergic to the chemicals in scented litter. If your cat gets itchy feet every
time it uses the litter box, it will avoid it. If your cat does have itchy
feet, a vet visit in order. Any irritation of the paws and paw pads can be
serious and requires medical intervention. (See BCR blog, “Feline Allergies” on
Feb 27)
Have you changed
litters? Was your cat used to one type of litter and you suddenly changed the
entire box contents? Sudden changes in the type of litter, its feel on their
feet and any scent may prevent the cat from using the box with the ‘unfamiliar’
litter. If you change litters, gradually change by mixing products if you can.
i.e. If changing from scoop litter to crystals, add some crystal litter to the
scoop litter. The crystal litter will be removed when scooped too but add both
litters to replace, gradually increasing the crystals. Changes should be
gradual – don’t rush the cat into sudden changes. We don’t like changes to our
routines and they don’t either!
If you want to
determine the litter preference, place several boxes side by side, filled with
different litters. Observe which one is used most.
How much litter is in
the box? Too little or too much? The cat should be able to scratch around and
have enough litter to bury its elimination. Cats bury it in nature and will
want the same in their indoor litter box!
Is there a strong
urine odor? Ammonia? Cat’s sense of smell is a hundred times better than
human’s. If you can smell the box, they smell it a hundred times more! Does
that odor bring tears to your eyes?
Was your cat
declawed? Sometimes, the type of litter used when they were declawed caused
pain – negative association of pain may be related to a particular litter and
the cat will avoid that litter.
Cats will use clean
litter boxes! Be sure to clean the box itself by regular washing! (washing
weekly with baking soda or unscented soap is recommended)
Are
there other reasons related to stress?
Are there changes in
the house? New family members or pets?
Have you moved to a
new home? Moved the litter box in the same home?
Are there outside
stressors, such as stray cats hanging around? A stray cat may cause stress in your cat causing elimination outside the
litter box, but it is not necessarily spray marking.
Do NOT
punish, yell at or hit your cat for inappropriate urination. If you observe the
cat starting to sniff or squat at the area, if you can, pick them up and take
them to the litter box. It will help to have one close by. Once they use the
box, praise them!
Once
the cat has urinated and a couple minutes have passed, taking the cat to the
scene of the ‘crime’ and scolding them does not do any good. They will not
associate this with bad behavior.
There will NOT be boxes tonight
Ugh, there's nothing I hate more than the smell of cat pee!
ReplyDeleteI used to have such an issue with my cats back in the times of living alone with them. You wouldn't believe the mayhem they caused! Seriously!
One of my 2 cats (both neutered guys) had taken to painting the majority of my dividers, furniture, and whatever else he could reach. I was alarmed when I got an UV light...
He never did that in the majority of the 9 years I've had him and didn't when I got him a mate (they cherish one another and did so immediately) however when a weird dark cat fired appearing outside both of my cats went crazy and the more seasoned one (9) began his divider painting, just as the window ornaments out in the kitty room. I couldn't keep up with it anymore.
My cats are indoor cats so dislike the stray is really going to get in here yet the two of them detest him (and he is weird...my neighbor's cats loathe him as well). I've taken a look at cleaning with a pet pee compound and afterward spraying some "No More Spraying" however that hasn't worked. He's a tricky little bugger as well; he holds up until he believes I'm not looking and afterward does it. He's discovered that the moment I see him backing his butt looking for trouble he gets shouted at.
It wasn't until I found "NoMoreCatPee" that I had the option to at long last dispose of this tedious conduct.
Currently my home doesn't smell like a litter box any longer.
Here's a link if you're interested in checking out their site: NoMoreCatPee.com
Cheers!