kitten spilling litterbox

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tayra

kitten spilling litterbox

Post by tayra »

Hi all,

Needed some help with something. I have a 9 week old kitten, shes precious, very loving and playful. However, when she uses her litterbox, she does her business and then covers it up (using her paws) with the surrounding litter. The problem is that she puts so much effort into covering up her urine n stool that she ends up spilling a LOT of the litter outside the box, leaving a huge twice daily cleaning job for me! Am I not cleaning it out enough, Am I using too much litter, too less? Or do I need a deeper litter box? Mines about 2.5 inches deep. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
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Phoebe's human
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Re: kitten spilling litterbox

Post by Phoebe's human »

tayra, I don't know if you've had a cat or kitten before, but cleaning up occasional litter on the floor is part of the picture. If you're like me, you're thrilled to have a cat who doesn't need to be walked outdoors several times a day and who does her best to cover up her urine and feces.

Yes, the spilled litter is a nuisance. My litter box is 4 and a half inches from its floor to its top rim, and the litter is about 2 inches high. (I have an adult cat who weighs about 9 pounds.)

I'm sure your problem can be easily solved by experimenting with litter boxes of different sizes, maybe with different types of litter. Also, your kitten is quite young yet and has a lot to learn. By the time she is a year old, I have an idea she'll be much less exuberant about throwing the litter around.

You don't want to get a box that is too high for a small kitten because she won't be able to get in and out of it easily. As she grows, she might need to graduate to a bigger box.

Hope this helps!
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Tambrey
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Re: kitten spilling litterbox

Post by Tambrey »

Just be sure you are not using the clumping kind of litter...kittens less than six months of age should only be using unscented CLAY litter...
kittens are too low and close to the litter and can breathe in clumping particals or ingest them...causing major concerns with clogged lungs and intestines!

I keep a little mini hand broom and dustpan by the litter box for quick cleanups when ours does this...
susanb
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Re: kitten spilling litterbox

Post by susanb »

My 7 month old cat Simon does the same thing but it's not just a little litter. Sometimes it seems as if he scrathes all the litter out. :shock: I clean the box 2-3 times a day whenever he or Burbank (my other cat) poop so I know that's not the problem. If you find a remedy let me know! I've tried everything!

susan
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Ash
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Re: kitten spilling litterbox

Post by Ash »

Different kind of litter box: very high on three sides with an entrance in the front?
gsc4
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Post by gsc4 »

Rubbermaid makes a couple nice ones that have high sides and a U shaped entrance cut down lower so they can get in easier. The one I have has sides about 6" high which helped a lot. They also have one with 12-15" sides for the really enthusiastic bulldozers.

If you do not have a cordless rechargeable dustbuster vacum, get one and mount it within reaching distance of the litterbox. It is the best way for cleaning up litter on the floor. Dustbusters are mandatory equipment for cat owners!
charlotteluc
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Re: kitten spilling litterbox

Post by charlotteluc »

My kitty was having this problem... I ended up buying a larger litter box... larger as in taking up more surface area, so kitten will be less likely to spill over the side...
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