My cat used the litterbox!!

Started by Nothing, March 02, 2008, 03:19:17 AM

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Nothing

OK, I know this is like, WAY out there and off topic and everything, and I know I've been very bad and I haven't replied to any of my games today, but I'm just not feeling very creative, and I'm sorry....

Anyways,
I'm so excited and I just had to share this with someone and you guys get to be the lucky ones :)

My Cat Used The Litterbox!!

This stupid cat is over a year old now, and it has never once used a litterbox since it's entered this house. It goes on my clothes, behind the fireplace, IN the fireplace, in the bathroom, in the bedroom...just about anywhere it can get away with except for the litterbox...
I've tried everything I could think of to get this damned cat to use a litterbox...dirt, sand, really really expensive cat litter, cheap cat litter, gravel, potting soil....nothing. For some reason, she's absolutely terrified of the litterbox...I've never understood it.
So, I ran out of options...I put the cat in a closet...I gave her food and water and a litterbox, in a moderately tiny space. She's got enough room to move around in there and she's got a place to lay, so it's not complete torture, I just have to stop this cat from peeing on my stuff...and I can't get rid of her cause she's so tiny and snuggly and cute and she doesn't like anybody but me, she's terrified of people, but she absolutely adores me, and I'm all attached and it's terrible...

So, yesterday, she peed on my blanket which was on the couch and my boyfriend went kinda crazy, said we had to get rid of the cat, he's gonna choke it, blah blah blah...So, I put the cat in closet....it's been in there since last night cause he was still pretty pissed today...but again, with the food and water, she's alive, she's fine...
Anywhoo...
I let her out after he fell asleep so she could run around and see her kitty boyfriend (who is perfectly litterbox trained and has no problems at all)...she's been out for a couple hours, ate some, drank some...
She went into the closet (i left the door open, forgot about it) Went Into The Closet...on her own..
peed in the litterbox...

oh my god...
i'm just...amazed....thrilled...

Her name is Brian, by the way....we thought it was a boy until it went into heat...but then, we thought the other cat was a girl up until there were balls one day...

Sabby

Awww! ^_^ Hope everything is ok now.

Nothing

Oh, I'm so happy with that cat :)
I petted her and hugged her and snuggled her, put her back in the closet and the litterbox and told her what an amazing awesome cat she was, gave her some more food and a kitty treat, lol. She's happy, I'm happy, and the boyfriend'll be happy when I tell him about it in the morning :)

Trieste

So odd. I've had cats for years and never have I seen one that would just go anywhere like that. O_o

Actually, I have one now that was a stray when I got her. I had no money at the time I took her in to run and grab a litterbox right away (and stores were closed anyway) so I laid down a bunch of paper in one corner, showed it to her, and hoped for the best. And she ended up sitting at the back door and meowing like crazy later that night... since I had a fenced in back garden thingie, I let her out and followed her 'cause I was curious. She went in the garden, dug a hole, did her thing, then scratched over the hole... then went right back over to the back door and looked up at me like "Arencha gonna lemme in?" I laughed and laughed at her. She continued to do that until I got her a litterbox... never once used the paper. Now she uses it, though if I forget to clean it, I pay for it 'cause she does go on my clothes. But that's how most cats are.

So, like, the cat NOT using the box is foreign to me... poor kitty. Yay for you!

Spookie Monster

That's great news, Nothing!  I hope that she continues to use it.  Like Trieste, I've owned numerous cats, and it's been my experience that cats tend to gravitate toward the litter box if there's nothing else to dig in (e.g., a backyard, houseplants, a soufflĂ©).  They usually don't go all over the place unless they're stressed out (or, if they're boys, simply spraying).  I think that it was wise of you to isolate her with the litter box and to encourage her once she used it; hopefully she'll soon get into a habit.  (Not the kind that a nun wears -- the other kind.  Although if Brian does begin to wear a habit, please let us know.  That would be awesome.)

I do have a couple of questions.  You write,

Quote from: Nothing on March 02, 2008, 03:19:17 AMFor some reason, she's absolutely terrified of the litterbox...I've never understood it.

Is your litter box the kind that cats simply sit in or is it the kind that cats actually enter?  Certain cats are scared of litter boxes with covers.

Also, was Brian expected to use the same litter box as her boyfriend?  Occasionally problems crop up in those situations, too.

Finally -- although I doubt that this is an issue in your case -- please know that some cats simply don't like people watching them use the litter box.  A secluded place is probably best for it.

Whatever the details, I'm really glad that she used it and, as I said above, I hope that she continues to do so.  Good luck to you!

Spel
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Nothing

Trieste - We can't have outdoor cats, cause we live in a trailer park and we're only allowed to have 2 animals and I have 4, so I kinda have to keep them secret and inside...plus, we have a pit bull, which we aren't allowed to have either....we're very illegal here :)
But I've always preferred outdoor cats and I'd have them outside if I could, although I think Brian would be completely lost in the big evil world outside...Oh, and kudos to you for picking up a stray :)

Spel - lol, no, Brian does not wear a habit, although I will let you know if she starts.
As for the litterbox, we have two, very big ones, uncovered. One was up on a shelf before I put it in the closet and the other is tucked into a corner by my computer desk, so no one can really see them. the boyfriend cat uses both of them, so maybe she needed her own....course, I don't know why she couldn't just use it before, since the boyfriend cat goes in the closet and uses hers and she doesn't care...*shrug*
I'm just happy she's using the damned thing :)

Trieste

Thank you for the kudos, but I didn't pick up the stray... the stray picked me. Gizka (for that is the kitty's name) literally ran into our apartment and sat down on the living room floor when my roomie opened the door to change the porch lightbulb. She ran past the roomie at a million miles an hour, then stopped, looked around the living room, and sat down. If she could have talked, I'm sure you would have heard her say something to the effect of, "I like it here. I think I'll stick around a while."  I have a horrible, amazing soft spot for kitties, so I could not resist the tiny ball of fluff in my living room.

But the Gizka very much chose me, not the other way around. :P

rainshadow

Take it from the dude with 5 cats...

If she continues to have problems going to the litterbox, consider taking her to the vet. You might more than just a potty problem. It could be a bladder infection (not uncommon in cats at all) or something worse (feline leukemia is another common illness). Another thing I've learned over the past year or so: cats are lactose intolerant, so feeding a cat cheese/milk is a very bad idea. If you've been doing so, I suggest not. Also, if you feed her dry catfood, moisten it up with a bit of tap water. Again, it helps the digestive system.

I've got a cat with a potty problem too, except it turned out she had blood in her urine. She'd, thankfully, picked only a couple of places (wouldn't just go anywhere). We're still trying to figure out what the problem is. As a matter of fact, she gets another trip to the vet this week.

Best wishes with Brian!
"The ticket to the future is always open. What happens in the future is our own responsibility." - Rem, Trigun

"Nothing says 'I hate war' like a good explosion in a populated area." -rainshadow

Elvi

It's not always a case of 'not wanting to be watched', it's also possible that she feels 'vulnerable' when she's using it.
I had a cat with that problem, we got a covered tray and the problem was solved. I think that the fact she used it when it was in a 'safe' place, may show that this is also the case.

Female cat called Brian....well....that's not suprising is it Fred?....*grins* 
It's been fun, but Elvi has now left the building

Spookie Monster

How's Brian been doing, Nothing?  I hope that everything's been going well...

Quote from: rainshadow on March 02, 2008, 07:39:56 PMIf she continues to have problems going to the litterbox, consider taking her to the vet. You might more than just a potty problem. It could be a bladder infection (not uncommon in cats at all) or something worse (feline leukemia is another common illness).

That's absolutely right.  There's always a chance that it's a serious condition or that it could become a serious condition.  I mean, many conditions are relatively rare -- I believe that only about 1% to 3% of cats are infected with the feline leukemia virus at any given time, for example* -- but even the rarest conditions exist somewhere in someone.  Urinary tract infections, for instance, are pretty common.  If Brian starts going all over the place again, please do consider taking her to a vet.  I understand that visits to the vet can prove a bit expensive -- goodness, do I -- but I also understand that you care about Brian and a quick visit to the vet might actually prevent serious issues from cropping up in the future.  "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and all of that.

Oh, but if you do go to a vet, please make sure that he or she is a good one -- there are a lot of crummy vets out there.  I have a cat whose urinary tract infection wasn't properly diagnosed for a long time; I ended up having to switch clinics to get results.  The lining of his urethra had become so inflamed that he couldn't pee at all and so the new vets had to not only medicate him but shorten his urethra via penectomy.  Ouch.  Fortunately, he's been all right for years now and he doesn't seem to miss his doohickey... although sometimes when he prepares to clean down there he does look a little surprised...

By the way, rainshadow, I hope that your own kitty is O.K.  Best of luck at the vet.

Quote from: Elvi on March 02, 2008, 07:45:35 PMIt's not always a case of 'not wanting to be watched', it's also possible that she feels 'vulnerable' when she's using it. I had a cat with that problem, we got a covered tray and the problem was solved. I think that the fact she used it when it was in a 'safe' place, may show that this is also the case.

That's absolutely right, too.  Many apologies; I didn't mean to infer that Brian was simply fussy or whatnot.  Yeah -- a lot of cats prefer a secluded litter box because they feel vulnerable when they're using it.

Anyway, I hope that it turns out that you don't need any of this advice at all -- that Brian's all right and that she's using the litter box just as she should be.  Good luck to you and to her, and please let us know how it goes!

Spel


* I should note, though, that many, many cats possess antibodies that suggest that they've actually had feline leukemia at some point in the past and, fortunately, developed an immunity.
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Nothing

Trieste - Thats so cute :)  I had another cat Caine who lives at my parents house....he was about 6 weeks old and sitting in the middle of the road when I saw him. So I ran out there and stopped the car that was coming and snatched him up and took him home. 'course my mom said no....and now, 13 years later, he lives in the office of her kennel :)   Biiiig cat....nasty lookin' claws...and mean...but he always loved me, followed me around like a puppy dog...

Rainshadow - I really don't think she has any health problems...I've been around animals all my life and I'm a "certified pet care technician" whatever the hell that means...but I can usually identify when there's a problem with an animal....anyways...yeah, she seems perfectly fine, healthy and happy...plus, I definitly don't have the money to take her in to see a vet....maybe when the boyfriend starts getting overtime at work, but thats not until the summer unfortunately..

Elvi - Shut up :P
but yeah, that could be it....cause she's going in the closet consistently now....she still scratches at the fireplace but I yell at her and she goes in the closet...I still put her in there at night and when I'm not home, but she's gettin' used to it, I think....just have to leave the stupid closet door open all the time :)

Spel - She's good :) Happy and playful as ever...They do their nightly showing of Cats On Crack, where they race wildly up and down the hallway, over the couches, screeching through the dining room into the kitchen and then all the way back down the hallway, sounding a lot more like a herd of horses then two cats...
But yeah, like I said, I really don't see any signs of illness in her...just mental instability :)
'Course, if I did have the slightest impression that something was wrong, into the vet she'd go, boyfriend be damned.
Anywhoo, she's getting better....it's a process....and everyone says you can't train a cat ;)

Nothing

god....thats a lot of smileys....
at least I don't it in my roleplaying  ;D

rainshadow

Quote from: Nothing on March 04, 2008, 02:47:17 AM
Rainshadow - I really don't think she has any health problems...I've been around animals all my life and I'm a "certified pet care technician" whatever the hell that means...but I can usually identify when there's a problem with an animal....anyways...yeah, she seems perfectly fine, healthy and happy...plus, I definitly don't have the money to take her in to see a vet....maybe when the boyfriend starts getting overtime at work, but thats not until the summer unfortunately..

Well, at the very least keep it in the back of your thoughts, just in case. I tend to lean toward the worst-case scenarios, for whatever reason. It does sound like perhaps Elvi's diagnosis might be the more accurate one.



On a lighter note, consider my five cats... the four bastard kittens and their slut of a mother (and I mean that in the best possible way). When the kittens were old enough to finally use the litterbox, it wasn't all that unusual to have five cats doing their little kitty business all at once. I understand why it was all right for the kittens; they'd been together from day one. I always wondered why momma let them get in with her...

They're nearly 2 years old now, and it still isn't unusual to see two cats in the litterbox from time to time.
"The ticket to the future is always open. What happens in the future is our own responsibility." - Rem, Trigun

"Nothing says 'I hate war' like a good explosion in a populated area." -rainshadow

Spookie Monster

Quote from: Nothing on March 04, 2008, 02:47:17 AMSpel - She's good :) Happy and playful as ever...

Super news! :)

Spel
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