Unique Litter Box Query

[jendave]

We have 3 cats: a 16 year old female Calico (Boo), a 7 year old female Siamese (Francis), and a 6 year old male Tabby (Dexter). Here is the first problem- Francis will not share a litter box, but the only way to ENSURE that no other cat 'goes' in her box is to isolate her and her box in her own room, which is a pain and very confusing to her as well. Any suggestions on this one? The other problem is Boo, who is getting along in age and has trouble making it to the box, and therefore we spend alot of our time cleaning up after her, have even had to purchase a steam cleaner for the rugs that she favors messing on. Can a cat wear diapers? Or is there something else we can do for her? We are at our wits end-HELP!!!

[Traci]

First and most importantly is getting Boo to your vet for a complete exam and geriatric blood profiling (including urinalysis and thyroid function testing).....older kitties should have annual bloodwork, this is imperative to keep abreast of hidden common diseases in older kitties. I would also suggest having Francis seen as well, since you don't know if her diversion is behavioral related or related to an underlying health condition as well.

Once your vet determines the health status of both kitties, you can then focus on the environment and litterbox placement. For Boo, I would strongly suggest easy access to her litterbox: meaning not downstairs in a basement, or in an area far away from her favorite lounging areas. And why would you want to consider kitty diapers......these should only be considered in cases of bladder incontinence as a result of a health condition, and only then, on advice of your vet (this would also entail proper hygeine factors)

As for Francis, not knowing how long she has perferred her own litterbox, difficult to say. If this has only been recent, then you might take a closer look at the environment and try to determine if recent changes or stress factors have played a role. Rule of thumb for litterboxes in a multi-cat home is one box per cat, although you could probably get away with just two. Perhaps she is also not liking the particular type of litter you're using, or that she feels intimidated by the other two cats for some reason. Be sure ALL litterboxes are easily accessible and in a private area, not in a heavy traffic area.

Again, I think it's very important to get both cats checked by your vet....promptly, please.

[Susan and the girls]

Just to add a tiny bit to what Traci said....

I have three cats, and just recently added another litter box to my house. In the old house we lived in up until about two and a half weeks ago, a third box just wasn't possible - there just wasn't room. I just had two for three cats.

When I went to buy the third litter box (after we moved into a much bigger place), I found a HUGE litterbox - much bigger than the regular ones I had.

Now I have two boxes on the main floor at opposite ends of the house and one upstairs. The one they prefer? The huge one, of course! The other litter boxes generally need just a bit of scooping. The huge one is the one they use ALL the time.

For your older kitty, try getting the huge box. As long as Boo doesn't have difficulty getting in and out of the box, I'd think she would probably prefer the bigger box. There's more moving around room, and it would probably be more comfortable for her overall.

[Jen]

I had a cat missing the litter box and he was diagnosed with diabetes. I had him in diapers until he could start to control his bladder again.

On the litter box issue: There is probably no way to keep the others out of Francis' litter box, but provining MORE boxes would sure help. More choices means more likely to be clean when Francis goes to use it.

I know that not everyone has my same sentiments on this, but I have at least one litter box in EVERY room in my house! This ensures that there is always a place close by to go to the bathroom and if a door would ever get shut with a cat inside, they'd have a box available. I even have boxes in the hall. (it is a long hall and from a cat's mperspective,a good distance between rooms.) Better safe than sorry.

[Tina B and crew]

I'll concur with more boxes I'm almost as bad as Jen..a litter box in every bedroom (two of which are occupied by fosters at the moment) one in the hallway and four in the garage...I also have different litters in different boxes. In the house boxes get crystal litter and are covered. Garage boxes get Feline Pine and shredded newspaper. Some of the cats don't like the feline pine so in the garage two boxes get it and two boxes get shredded newspaper AND there is a spot on the floor layered with plastic, newspaper, puppy training pads and then newspaper. It's all Frodo will use. Take Traci's advice first and have them vet checked. Then it's a matter of trying different things to see what they will use.

[jendave]

Thanks to all the replies and help. All the kitties get annual check ups and blood work, Boo has diabetes that has been kept in check with a prescription diet. They are all healthy with no urinary problems. Their last check up was just a few months ago. Francis has been doing this for years. She prefers to go outside, but if she gets stuck in the house while we are away at work, she refuses to use the box. We live in a limited space, that really only allows for 2 boxes. On the advice of the vet, we recently purchased the large box for Boo and keep a regular size box closer to her favorite sleeping spot in the house.

I am running to the store this evening to get puppy pads, I am hoping this will work, it is the one thing we have not tried. Since she favors 'going' right in front of the box on a litter trapping rug, maybe putting these down instead will at least make it easier to clean up. We have tried every litter on the market, to no avail. I have been told this is a fairly common occurance in the siamese breeds.

Thanks again and I will let you know how it goes. As for Boo, we will just deal with her accidents, after all, she has provided us with 16 years of love and affection, and if all we have to do in her last years is clean a few accidents, so be it!