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I found a cat in my yard about 6 years ago. She was so weak she could barely walk a couple steps before sitting down or falling over. I went over and pick her up and she was skin and bones. She was starving to death, she might have lasted one more day. I started feeding her everyday even though she was a little skittish. Within a week she was running around full of energy and was putting on weight. Within a couple months she felt more comfortable with me and actually came in the house. I named her Kiwi, because she was so sweet. I set her up a litter box and she has never used it. When she has to go to the bathroom she will come up to me and meow and go towards the door, I let her out she goes to the bathroom and then comes right back. She's never used a litter box in her whole life and never had an potty accident in the house. Now we are best friends and she sleeps with me every night.
I’ve had a couple cats that would only use the bathroom outside and the actually learned to open the door to let themselves out , I just wish they would have learned to shut it behind them when they came back in, lol 😂, oh well, I lived in the country and it was no big deal if it was left open
My beloved black cat is 16.5 years old and has little time left. He has advanced liver cancer. He recently started pooping in the house. I purchased a litter tray which broke as soon as I picked it up after putting sand like litter in it. So I resorted to one of those plastic drawers. Much larger, low sides he can easily get into. He happily pees in the box but no to pooping in it. I did put one of his turds in, but nope. Today he went outside to poop but still pees in the litter box. It’s a difficult chore for me to clean up after him as I have had surgery on my arm and are effectively one handed. However, he is sick and after 16.5 years of loves and purrs it’s not going to be for much longer. I do not growl at him as he doesn’t deserve that and if he has the energy to go outside he will. If not, well! Price of having a beautiful cat that I love dearly.
This is a good video. I’m so glad you mentioned not using a scented litter. I can’t imagine a poor cat having to put up with the smell. Also, it’s great that you discourage using a covered box and not training a cat to use the toilet. Such great information. I always thought that doing that is something a lazy person does to their cat, so that they don’t have to deal with a litter box. The only thing that is odd is that after saying that a cat needs a large box,several of the photos/ video clips show a cat in a small box. Otherwise, great tips. I would also add: Keep your cat inside.
I live in New Zealand, no predators, no snakes etc. I haven't ever met a totally indoor cat here. Our concern is our cats being predators so many wear bells on their collars. It's Easter Sunday here and Jasper is still with us. Eating well and grand daughter bought him a memory foam pillow, which he loves.
My cat loves her covered litter box. She doesn't like anyone seeing her do her business. She would actually quit going and leave, then come back later. Each cat is different.
I thought exactly the same. My big lad loves hiding when he's doing his business. It's one of the few times I can't see him - he's usually glued to me. So much so that I don't go out as much because it upsets him.
All of our cats prefer a covered box. We did a test and had 2 covered and 2 open and the open ones were never used. So now we have 4 with lids for 3 cats. I'm just not 100% positive we have the depth of the liter correct.
Lol and here’s my kitten who doesn’t mind bit if we see her doing her business. Even on the day we got her at week 11, she quickly found the litter box we put up, got in started to do her business and had this satisfied look on her face we all have when we can finally release.
Right? Mine do too. I have two boxes for my cats. One is covered in the bathroom and the other was open. They didnt use it. So I moved it into the utility closet which is also enclosed and they got so excited about it. Now they use both boxes.
Enjoyed the video. There are several instances in which these don’t apply to every cat; one example is having a cat that urinates straight out behind versus down like most. Having a low wall litter box is a sure way to end up with urine on your walls or anything else that may be near her litter box. This is of no fault of the cat, or course, it’s simply something that some are born with. This applies to both males and females. I have a sweet cat that urinates straight behind herself so having a HIGH wall box is a must. If fact her box is a top entry with no holes on the sides! Just wanted to share. 😊🐾💗
My cat has the same issue and sounds like the same box. We adopted her at 5 years old and had to keep the cover off because she was too big to fit through the hole. However now that she has lost weight she fits much better.
Agree. One of my cats does business squatting like normal cats do, another one was doing that as well and then one day he decided that he needs to start spraying as high as possible. Both have been neutered at the age of 6 months. I think he saw other cats outside doing it and decided he needs to do the same. We had to go and buy high wall litter boxes. I put one under the sink cupboard and he still manages to elevate the butt. When i notice i come and put his butt down. The walls are high but he tries to elevate his butt higher
I've owned cats all my life, and I used to foster cats & kittens. I thought this most people knew this, but you're right. I used to babysit when i was younger, and the parents had the cats food & water about a foot away from the litter... gross. If one goes for a 💩 do you think the other cat will want to eat? I also work with animals, and some have said their cat has started to do their business elsewhere in the house. I found out that the litter box is in a busy area or noisy one. So yes, your cat may go elsewhere. And PLEASE keep their litter clean. Good video. ❤
Problem about the litter box with the low side for them to walk in. We adopted a 5 year old and got a litter box like that. Always found pee on the floor by the low side. Finally saw her go into the box. She did not squat to pee…just stood peeing over the edge onto the floor. Got a tall box and haven’t had a problem since.
me too many times saw my cat digging around and sh***ing outside of the box, in the floor. Now I bought a big box used for mix concrete at the building materials store, very cheap, and there are multiple sizes. Was like 10% of the price of a box made for cats.
They are helping protect each other. Cats understand that while pooping they are vulnerable. This is also why many cats insist on being allowed into the bathroom when their humans are using it. They want to protect us by standing guard so we don't literally get caught with our pants down.
That’s hilarious! My brother and I thought it was funny when they’d use it and pump their tail up and down. We definitely shouldn’t have laughed. They didn’t appreciate it!
i have many cats and the rules are clear and simple: always keep it clean, fill it with lots of litter 'cause they like it thick, buy the biggest toilet you can even if you have one cat, remove that stupid flappy thing immediately after buying (but, not the whole cover, just that flap), place it in your own bathroom. and, if you have multiple cats have multiple toilets. it's so funny because when i wake up in the morning i first go to the bathroom and my cats do the same 😅 they get up, go into their toilets and do their business as i am doing mine. cats are great companions.
@@DonHames56 i haven't seen stainless steel boxes but thanks 😊🙏🏻my pet family is ever growing, so i'll buy one when i see one :) i only buy high quality italian or belgian boxes, no odor problem with them, as well.
This is probably the best ones I’ve seen. I’ve been doing rescue and fostering for over four decades and some of these videos give out really bad advice. I wish this was the only one up on UA-cam when it comes to cats and their litter box. Thank you!
Speaking from personal experience, if you have a male cat, PAY ATTENTION to how often he pees. Male cats are susceptible to a condition called FLUTD. If untreated, this is 100% fatal to the poor cat. It is caused by stress and dietary issues, which will cause blockages in the urethra making it very difficult, and eventually impossible for the cat to pee. At some point, his bladder will burst open and he will die. This almost happened to my cat last year, and I keep a close eye on the litter box. A small tip, that if your cat is shy or doesn't like people being around when he does his business, is get a camera and set it up, and have it set to only record when it detects movement. That way you can pull up your phone and easily keep track of when's the last time your cat did his business. I do this with mine, and ever since I made changes to the home and his life to improve his health, he's not had much of any problems. Scared me a couple times by waiting some 20 hours to pee, but that was more separation anxiety which I can't control as I live alone and work. But he normally does his 2 pees and 1 poop per day, at similar times every day, and I keep checking to make sure it stays like this.
On one occasion, my older male cat cried when he was trying to urinate and nothing came out. I got him to the vet right away, and they were able to get a catheter into his bladder to check for problems; just the passage of the catheter was enough to disturb the crystals that were blocking his urethra, and he proceeded to widdle vigorously on his own after the cath line was out. Ever since, he's gotten about a 1.5 oz serving of wet food twice daily, and I mix in about a tablespoonful of extra water to make sure he's getting good hydration. Dry food is all well and good, but they're really not geared to feel thirst like we do because they're supposed to get most of their hydration from prey animals and the like.
@@redwitch12 Another thing you should do is get a water fountain. Cats prefer running water to standing water, and he will be more likely to drink from it. I did this with mine and he drinks from it regularly. Also, if your vet was anything like mine, they should have given him a prescription diet (Hills to Home). It's somewhat pricey but my cat is absolutely in love with the prescription food, way moreso than the slop they sell on store shelves. I feed my cat 1/4th of a can of wet food per day around 7PM and the rest, he eats dry food and he's been fine. Also, if you ever get worried about your cat's peeing, ask your vet for some UTI+ drops. It's a homeopathic medicine that you can add to water and then use a syringe to give it to your cat, it's easy to do and it helps with that. EDIT: Also, the first time (it happened twice within a couple weeks) I took him to the vet, they told me they got *300 mL* out of him and that's not counting the little bits that were leaking out while he was in the carrier while I waited for the vet to see him.
@@Dhalin I had a fountain for them, but they didn't seem to care much for it; they also kept dipping their paws in the water and licking them off, which put all kinds of crud into the fountain and either blocked it up or bred biofilm like crazy, so it was a serious pain to try to keep clean. They're fortunately quite happy with a bowl. I did have to put that same cat on a prescription dry diet later on, since chronic kidney disease reared its ugly head when he turned about 14; he's 17 now. I've also been giving him subcutaneous fluids once a day at the vet's direction, as well as keeping up with the wet food.
@@carlosasher-leon4879 Glad to hear it! Knowing that I saved at least one poor kitty's life made it more than worth it to post that. It's an expensive bill ($3000 in my case), but 100% worth it. The vet warned me that the problem can return, especially if the underlying issues weren't fixed (stress/diet), it's been a year, going on a year and a half and mine's been fine, so here's hoping yours continues to thrive as well!
The best litter box I've found is a black cement mixing tray. They can be found at any home center store. They cost far less than an actual litter box, are large enough for almost all domestic cats. It has gently curved ends so cleaning is a breeze and the top edges are rounded making it more comfortable for the cat to enter and exit. If you have the space, get one. You'll never use a regular litter box again!
@@luashelton9320 Thanks! They are extremely tough! They are roughly 19" wide by 25" long by 6.5" high so little kittens may need a small step to get in, and it will require at least three quarters of a large bucket/box of litter to fill the first time. That's if you use a standard high quality clumping litter. I use Tidy Cats lightweight litter that comes in a 19.5lb box and it's equal to 42lbs of regular clay litter. In other words, it holds a lot of litter! I wax mine with car wax before adding litter and it makes it so nothing sticks 🐆🐆
Absolutely! These mixing trays are rugged and easy to clean. At 24×32 inches, less than $ 30, they are an excellent substitute for the overpriced often cheaply made litter pans.We have several for our family of indoor only felines. About once a week they get a good scrubbing. Most importantly... the cats are very pleased with them.
I bought a Rubbermaid 35 gallon tote with lid, used a tile knife to cut a large front opening leaving the bottom access about 5” up from the bottom glue into place a 6” high stake in each corner and placed the lid on top of the stakes. The box will hold about 20 lbs of liter and just add more as necessary and have had not to replace the overall content for over 5 years. This idea has saved me the ridiculous cost of litter boxes and is by far more useful is much better unit.
We cut a hole in the landing wall, stairs to the basement. On the basement side, we built a box with a back wall that lifts up for littertray access. No size issue for the landing, and it also reduces the smell.
My cat has a 90 litre container and he jumps in and out of it with ease. He loves it as he is a long big cat. He has never had any problems jumping in or out of it. I clean his litter every time he goes and he will go tap tap to tell me as well even early hours of the morning I go clean it. He is an indoor cat. His litter is 5 inches high he loves that.
😅 my now 17 year old baby girl Ella will come get me, meow until I follow her to the bathroom and she will go look in her box and look back at me like YOU NEED TO CLEAN THAT OUT 😅 She doesn't like a dirty box so I clean it out after every use. She's my heart I've had since she was 2 months old
No scented litter at all! In the long run, it is detrimental to their lungs. If you feed your cat a good quality food, their poo doesn't stink. Or use baking soda in the litter, Costco has 13lbs for 6.99 or 7.99, not sure anymore.
@@LL-ht5yc because people like the scent so they buy it not knowing their cats hate it. It is like how cats are allowed to be declawed in the US: it is horrifically cruel to the cats, but some people don't care about their cats and/or don't educate themselves about them.
There is something we did when our Miss Teia of fond memory (06/1997 - 11/2018) was about 16 and it was difficult for her to get in a litter box. I made up a tray of heavy duty PVC sheeting and placed extra large dog pee pads in it. I put a bit of soiled litter in the middle to catch her nose. She took to using those almost right away, used them until her kidneys failed and we had to take her for the last vet visit.
Something I found out about scented litter is that it can cause respiratory infections. I had this happen. It’s contagious and all three of my cats got sick. I would definitely stay away from scented litter.
Yes the last one is vital for my F 5 Bengal. She is fantastic and super smart and one of the things she loves doing is spending time daily in her fresh litter box doing her business. She loves to dig as deep as she can and she will be in there for well over 5-10 minutes in her own assigned huge deluxe deep litter box just digging to get that perfect spot to go in. Then after she is finished her 1 and 2, she then takes another 5 to 10 minutes covering her business as deep as it can go and when that is all perfect to her approval, she will take another 5 minutes wiping her front paws on the sides walls of the interior of the litter box. I argue the suggestion in the video that cats do not like lid caps and flap doors on their litter box. That is just not true at all. My Bengal loves having those features on her personal feline bathroom. She even has her deluxe bathroom enclosed litter box inside a huge light weight portable animal pen. The animal pen is made of plant material like cotton nylon and velcro i think with zippers for the overhead and the door flap. It is perfect for travel and keeping insects out while outdoors. That is where her litter box remains so she can have extra privacy from our house pup. We keep her floor level door zipped shut so she easily jumps in from above to get to her litter box inside. Our mini doxie can't follow her in :) She loves that as the puppy just has to learn to have patience to wait till she is finished powdering her nose in the little girls room.
Thank you for making these helpful videos. We love our fuzzy babies and want them to feel secure, happy and Loved. They are our children. You are making a good difference! 💙 🐈, sincerely, Mary B
I passed on all of them. I'm 72 years old and have always had a cat (not the same one..lol) so I have learned a few things over the years!! The cats we have now are about ready to turn 6 years old and they have never deliberate gone anywhere other than their cat box. The last cat we had would go outside with us but would go back in to use the cat box!! We always had to keep the patio door open enough for her to go in and out!!!
Yeah, one of my cats does the same - he needs to go in to use litter box. Another one does it anywhere. I had to cover my strawberry pad with chicken wire on top that he does not come and dig. I planted some pies in a pot, so he decided he needs to climb on a pot and dig and do business. Dag out all my pies, so i had to place chicken wire above the pot as well.
I have had rescue cats all life & gave them a forever home until they pass. I really appreciated this video as I was making several mistakes as shown in the video. My sister is a cat lover and helped me make changes concerning litter boxes over the years! One thing I would mention is cats are very clean and my cat now is fastidious abouy his litter box clean even though it's a big enough box and has enough litter in it. I check regularly and clean it out which prevents any accidents in the house. I went thru several types of expensive litter boxes before getting what's best for my cat. Your video was very informative. Hope those getting a cat watch this to follow the advise earlier in you're cats life thus avoiding the mistakes and expenses I made before doing what's best for my cat. It's never to late to keep learning. 😅
My friend's cat had a kitten, she had no destination for her, and I told her I'd take her home. When I met Hester(already named), I loved her to pieces. She's still with me six years later. She's become my ESA because I had trauma and a stroke at 36. She is a great help to me;if she ever wanted to leave, I'd be really sad,and now worried because she's pretty old to be taking off all alone with no food plan, etc. This cat is so AWESOME.
My wife and I rescued a six week old kitten a year and eight months ago. Initially we purchased a scented litter with crystals in it but noticed our kitten was scratching herself. We did some research and found out the crystals were irritating her skin so we switched to a natural litter. We now use an unscented litter called World's Best cat litter. It is corn based and naturally absorbs odors. It costs a little more but it lasts longer and has no odor. If you cat is scratching itself please give it a try it works.
I personally think it is disgusting to let your cat walk on his own urine. Use a cluster litter which u remove after each use. Let your cat enjoy CLEAN LITTER BOX. 7 do not need a scented litter - it clusters u remove it - there is no odor.
Wow, I never even thought of the litter but ran ragged with every wild other idea. I can't wait to make that change.. just got a feeling that IS my answer!!!
I am single. I have 2 boxes in my bathroom. It's private for them since, I'm the only one here. The funny thing though is the cats will often come in the bathroom to use the boxes when I'm there and seem totally unbothered by my presence. 😊
I enjoyed the video, mostly. I absolutely can't relate to the fact that open litter boxes are to prefer. I had open ones first. But it ended up with both cats finding other places, with more "privacy". The boxes were placed in an area where barely someone went, but very easily accessible, and if going at same time, they couldn't see each other. They both went into hiding places for doing their business. After trying different litters and different places for the box I went to buy a closed one with a sving door Infront (the biggest one available) from the same day on, both started solely using the closed one. And so far, a year later, they are still happy to use the same one, so until now I haven't even bought a second one.
I line my cats' litter trays with puppy training pads. The litter they like most sets like concrete on a plastic litter tray, but clumps and can be removed easily. I buy cheap pads, but they still do the job. Plastic liners are useless. The one thing I will look into is a tray with a high back wall as one of my boys likes to pee standing up and is forever hitting the wall, it's not intentional, so a high backed litter tray might help.
I watched this with a big smile on my face because apparantly I do all these things! I have 7 litter boxes in a quiet room for my 4 cats and the litter boxes are all different so they have the option of choosing which one they prefer. I clean their litter boxes every single day.
I have 5 Cats, my babies and I agree with all the mistakes. If you want to have a cat, you have to understand this rules, it is very important. I clean my 3 very big litter box from 5 to 7 times a day but it is always clean and full. They are very comfortabel in it, I can realy see it. They can go outside but they all come to do their business in their litter box because it is their safe place.
3 boxes cleaned 5 to 7 times _per day_ ? That'd clean out for 15-21 potties every day. Are you sure they need that many cleanings? (I have 3 cats and 2 large litter boxes, and clean both once a day, it's never overfull with waste)
You might need to take your kittens to the vet because it sounds like they have worms if you’re having to clean three large litter boxes that often. I have two kittens and they were blowing up my three litter boxes also. The older kitten has already been to the vet and got his shots and wormer. The new kitten was growing excessively sideways (fat like a bowling ball) and had diarrhea very bad and was having accidents all over the house. It took her two vet visits to overcome the diarrhea because somehow she got reinfected with worms after the first visit but the wormer given first was just a single dose. The second time I got an actual prescription that took two weeks twice a day and she stopped having diarrhea within two days. The amount of 💩 I was taking out every day was about a one pound coffee can size but after getting the diarrhea under control that was cut in half and so was so much kitty litter because she was dehydrated from the diarrhea that she was drinking much more water then my adult cat.
We have 5 cats. Having a very large box with 3 high sides is very helpful, ( solved the problem of one cat pooping outside the box in 1 day !), using Dr Elsey’s touch of outdoors litter ( great odor control w/o heavy scent, strong clumping, no dust or tracking) and having lots of boxes have all been essential. We also have wood pellet boxes, but the favorite box of all the cats is the litter robot filled with Dr Elsey’s Touch of Outdoors litter.
As someone who has an extremely tiny bathroom (the only room it works in, I have carpet everywhere) I have to have an enclosed litter box. I used an opened one and everyday I was sweeping up a huge amount of litter, like a good cup or so, everyday! I couldn't walk in without walking all over the litter, it was gross and unhygienic. She doesn't understand she doesn't have to take the other half of the litter to cover her business, it's ridiculous how much she flings it. I use pretty litter and she loves it, when she has fresh litter she literally plays in it, til she uses it then she stops. She has no issues using the litter box.
My poor Nile suffered from inflammatory bowel disease and no matter how much scooping, scrubbing surrounding surfaces, changing litter, and giving him medication, the minute I entered the home, I smelled foul feces odor. He was also comically flatulent in his sleep and when he walked-but wow! What a stench. I had to resort to covered boxes to contain his aiming diarrhea accidents but nothing helped the odor…though it decreased when he went into remission RIP. There are some uses for those covered boxes…but after his death I removed them for my remaining cat. Good video.
Another thing that is not mentioned in this video is not changing the litter out and washing the box often enough! The litter should be completely replaced at LEAST twice a month. I change out my client's kitty's box once each week, taking that time to thoroughly wash the box out with plain water and a scrub brush. If you do this often enough, the box will not need soap to be cleaned. Plain water, a stiff bristled brush and then dry with paper towels (unscented) and re-fill with fresh litter. Clumping litter is OK, but CAN stick to kitty's paws, and be ingested when she grooms herself.
I have a big under the bed storage box that my two cats use, no it's not under the bed. It's the purrfect solution. They can step in easily and it's up against a wall where they can see the room but the room can't see them. I clean it every day and never use scented litter because they lick their paws and can make them sick.
Here in the UK my cat Peggy/The Fluffinator/Green Eyed Demon etc,etc uses her box at the drop of a hat but she gets litter everywhere after and I usually find it when I’m walking about in bare feet. She does not like the covered boxes and likes the paper based litter but it still hurts when you stand on it.
And don't use Arm and Hammer litter...either Glide OR clump and Seal. We bought some for our cat, and everytime he used it, he ran around the corner and got sick. We switched back to his old litter, and it stopped.I don't know what was in the litter that made him sick, but something was.
Realistically, most of us will put the litter box in the laundry room. It is out of the way, quiet most of the time, and has a washable floor surface. My cat has never seemed to be disturbed by the washer or dryer - or at least I've never seen it to be a problem. She has never gone outside of her litter box even one time, so clearly we have it in a good place
Thanks for posting this. I was thinking about putting the litter box in the laundry room but the videos I saw said not to. Maybe I'll reconsider now that I've read your post.
Yeah. My cat’s room is the laundry room. Bed, food and water in there. I also found paper crumbles so no sandy floors or wood splinters. I do use a bag, a large 30-39 gallon landscaping bag. It’s hard to rip. He gets a few tiny holes, but it’s no big deal.
My 14 year old cat had an injury to herr paw, try as i might i could not get it to heal even tho she was in all winter. I kept thinking why wont this thing heal up. One day it came to me, the litter, I was using a very rocky ionexpensive cat litter so naturallty every time she went in it reopened the wound. I bought some very fine, soft litter and guess what happened? Healing up very nicely now and no more bleeding. Duh, it took me months to figure this obvious thing out.
A friend of ours switched to a finer, almost sand like litter because it advertised there was less tracking around the litter box. True, but she began to find fine grains of sand in upholstery and fabric crevices and folds, despite not living near or having visited the beach. She said she still preferred the improved appearance of her floors, as long as she didn't think about where the sand was coming from.
I have a small younger cat and a large senior cat. I use a large litter box but I have it inside of a large tote that I’ve cut one long side out of. They like a lot of litter, but without being in that tote the litter would be everywhere! And it’s weird, but my senior cat potties, covers it all, then finishes by scratching the sides of the tote like somehow that’s helping to cover his business also - it’s part of his ritual 😊
My son in law got lavender scented liter because that was all they had that day. I used it in two of the seven boxes. Use of these two boxes increased! Yeah. I was surprised, too.
Those plastic children's bathtubs are useful, and much cheaper than litter boxes made for the pet supplies market. They come in various sizes too, so they can be used for different sized cats.
I really appreciate these advices, as over the years it has become familiar to me as well. Hopefully more people will learn, it's for the good of the cats.
My cats prefer the covered boxes 🤷🏼♀️ I know that's not typical but that's what they've known since they got litter trained as a baby. The person I got them from had them, so without the cover they have issues
One of my cats started peeing in the toilet on his own - I never taught him. He still uses the litterbox, although he sometimes perches on the side when he pees.
Enjoyed your video mostly bc you are diplomatic articulate and swift. It’s a wise choice to talk about this bc many people don’t know plenty about ourselves and our pets. Thank you for your time and energy to school is. I know I’m making at least 4 of these mistakes. Not enough litter, allowing someone else in the house to choose the type of litter, scents; I asked my husband to not buy that type buy some family members will not conform. Adapted enter for older cats to assist with their aging needs. Great idea
Thank you so much for sharing. I just got my very first cat, and I'm glad to be doing things right. This feels like a confirmation that I'm on the right track. I'm really happy with how it's going so far.
Wow! Finally someone who knows what they are talking about. We would have much healthier & happy cats if cat owners would follow these simple guidelines. Thank you so much
I have always adopted or found my pets and if videos like this had to be shown before at adoption at shelters it might save some from being abandoned again.
I have three cats. We use 2 large tall litter boxes that are covered but we removed the door. We have one on main floor and the other on the stair landing. The litter boxes are cleaned 2 times a day. Never have any problems
Thank you for speaking out against toilet use. It's a diagnostic nightmare, and urinary concerns can go from bad to deadly quickly if not caught in time.
I took responsibility for a cat who stopped by to say hello one day. I found her owner but after an accident that dislocated one of her knuckles, the owner disowned the poor cat. She so doesn’t have to worry about anything now, I have adopted her, had her chipped and I have insurance to cover any medical issues. She has a litter box and she watches me as I clear it. I always tell her what a good girl she is and while it is unpleasant, I can monitor her urine and stools so that can inform the vet if they happen to ask. I think most people don’t realise the responsibility they have to adopt for any pet. It’s certainly true for her original owner. As soon as a vet bill presented itself, that owner cut all ties.
*Am I the only one who enjoys cleaning out my 3 litter boxes? It's like an Easter Egg* *hunt to me and very relaxing...I just sit on the floor and watch TV while doing it! I* *also use a huge metal spoon with holes in it instead of a scooper.*
I have a cat born blind, and a cat that some idiot de-clawed. De-clawed cats can't use pelleted type litter. We used unscented clay type litter. Four jumbo size litter boxes, two of which are 40 gallon high-sided livestock water tubs of a particular brand called Tough Stuff, sold by Tractor Supply. This one has a wide, flat rim that cats can hop up on easily. A non-brittle , black plastic tub that is often bought for aquatic/fish pools and plants. Cats adore their big litter boxes! And their porcelain I-Pettie Tritone drinking fountains that sound like trickling creeks
They make litter boxes for people not cats. Just like fishing lures. The best box is one of those low, flat storage boxes that slide inder the bed. They come in several lengths and can be perfectly sized for your cat. Just ditch the lid. Yes, cats will kickout some litter. That's the cost of living with a cat. You can get any number of rubber or vinyl matts with edges that curve up a bit to help keep it in a spot that's easy to sweep - daily.
I had a cat who taught himself to pee in the toilet. I kept telling my son to flush until I caught the cat using the toilet. I guess he caught people using it so thought he should, too.😊
I love your explanations to people, hopefully it can get people to change a few things. I always tell people not to put covers, especially with doors over your cat box and compare it to us(humans) using an outhouse in the woods---It's just gross and smells. Anyways that is for our benefit not theirs. If you can't rearrange your life to what your cat needs then you shouldn't have one. I know many cats have been abandoned because they start peeing in the house because of the litter box situation. It could be other things of course-but many people don't understand cats don't want their box hidden/covered and you need to clean that box everyday. Clean boxes mean no poop or pee transferred litter to your home-it happens somewhat anyways but you get the drift. Great video.
I have an amazing American bobtail. He loves to have a nice big round bowl type. He will not use anything else 😂.His name is Miscov and he opens any window and door. He prefer walking quite a distance with me. I cannot thank the Lord enough for all your help and advice. Thank you. Lots of hugs to our fellow furry lovers xxx
Anybody who's ever had a cat will definitely not like this video. I'd rather not spend 8 hours a day sweeping up and stepping on cat sand, ty very much. For older cats, you can have a staircase go up to the outside of the litterbox, then fill up with plenty of sand so it's high enough for it to get out. Also put a staircase to all important furniture, like couch or bed will help your senior cat a lot.
Cats tend to feel safe when hidden, so I'd have thought at least some would like an enclosed litter box. A flap might make it hard for them to feel safe leaving though, and it might concentrate the smell for them and discourage them from using it if it hasn't been cleaned since they last used it though.
My cats, at one point I had 3 adult cats, preferred a covered litter box with no flap over a open litter box. I finally got rid if the open litterbox as it was very very rarely used by them.
Paying attention to your cats' feces and even their urine amount is important for monitoring changes in your cats' health. Vets often ask about quantities and changes to help diagnose illnesses or catch them at early onset. It is more difficult with multiple cats, but my two littermates have distinctive stools, even on identical diets. Years ago, I realized one of our cats chewed apart a ribbon and some of the ribbon was missing. I collected and dissected his stools and a few of questionable origin.. Every bit of ribbon passed safely. (It became a family story, because my mother told of a time when an applique dissapeared from my baby clothing, and it sounded to her as though I might be saying "ate the duck". She examined diapers and soon found the missing applique.)
I found unscented, paper crumble, cat litter, so no sandy floors or wood splinters. I do use a bag, a large 30-39 gallon landscaping bag. It’s hard to rip. He gets a few tiny holes, but it’s no big deal.
For the past 30 days I have experimented with having only one box between 2 cats. My male often pees horizontally, hitting the wall, so I have to have one high side. The female scoots her butt to the far end of the box, and while she is in the box, the poop ends up outside the box, and she covers it with the rug that catches paw litter. The 2 boxes were seperated by litter products, creating a "blind" between the two boxes. Nothing worked until I removed the wider, lower walled box, and started using just one box. By pushing the one box up against the wall (high side to wall) that only left one end for the female to poop over, and so far she has not. (I also physically move her when I see her butt hanging over the side). The box is next to the patio door where they come and go, and is also within eye sight of my desk. I clean their boxes every morning and every night, still do BUT only have one box is fine. I am using half the litter. It is also easier for me to washout the box with soap and water once a week. Having two boxes made than entire area a "toilet zone" and by reducing the size of the zone, I have a lot less to clean up every day now.
My dad cut an opening in a long, tall storage bin. My older cat can step in comfortably. It gives my cat plenty of room to turn around. Also, sometime my cat is a "high" pee-er so the tall side helps with that.
I had a small to medium size tuxedo black and white cat. No1. The litter box we got her was actually an oven grill cleaning bath, it was the only litter box she could use and never miss her aim! Yeh it was big, but it worked SOOO well!! No2. No lid for it so she had view all around her. No3. Because it was so big and what it was actually meant for, the rim was low all around. No4. & No5. We put it in the bathroom so she had privacy and fully away from her food, and ours lol. No6. We used fine grain litter, like sand but sturdy. No7. Definitely non smell litter. No8. Small home, so only room for one tray, but it was big enough for her. No9. There was always plenty of litter, enough for her to bury her business, but not too deep where her feet would sink into the litter. No10. We tried a bag, didn't work out, we used a metal grill to siv the litter twice a week. No11. Ohh the box we used changed as she got older, until we found the oven grill cleaning bath and used it as her box instead. No12. Don't be daft, it's a cat!
Hell yeah, same here champ, my cat is super comfy and she was a rescue kitten from the street. I learned quickly to make her feel right at home. She took to the litter box instantly and I adjusted to her size as she grew up. Took her to the vet and she received a clean bill of health! Keep up the good work. 🌺🌞
3 times a day? My cats go like a hundred times a day keeping in mind they go out ( in our fenced garden and supervised that they do not get out) and one of them does business outside as well. My husband and i are full time employed cleaning their 2 boxes non stop. One of the cats decided he wants to pee standing and elevating butt as high as possible. Both neutered at 6 months
This is a great video and I agree with all of it. I'd add that if you're bringing a new kitten home (ie, under 1yo) and you need to keep it separated from other cats, you may find having food and water with them is the best option. It's not ideal to keep litter, food water in the same space but it's doable for a short period of time. The younger the kitten, the less they will be perturbed in that scenario. But I stress, a few days or a couple of weeks during introduction is kindest to your new baby. I also use a nappy pale for waste. Even though I use a natural (wood shavings) product that is biodegradable and flushable, I still prefer to use the pale in close and easy access from the litter trays. Works well for me anyway.
@@TheCuriousCatt I feel a *little* more comfortable now after watching countless videos to do right by my adopted kitties (4 now). I questioned everything and mostly myself at the time lol.
Great video! My cat is a big boy and no conventional litter box was big enough. So I bought a storage box and cut one of the sides and he was much more comfortable. It fits my other two kittens well enough but i might consider a second box.
I never realized there was such thing as putting to much I do have enough boxes that at least I got right lol learn something new every day thank you .
My rec is stainless steel litter boxes, as large as the space will allow and place it in a plastic storage bin (with high sides) and cut an entry way. No litter on the floor and all the room they need to turn around. I had two boxes and the kitten came, so I put an small stainless steel one in the tub which I move for showers, and since I feed the little one in the bathroom so he'll leave the adults alone, it works out, and he doesn't mind being in the bathroom with his toys and water. He even occasionally sleeps in there yay
My vet told me not a ton of litter not a little either. Males mainly get UTI My cat had his own little shrine 😊 I had two bathrooms when i had him he had plenty of privacy best litter and box His food was in the kitchen.
Our cat likes her privacy. We turned over a big Rubbermaid, cut a big door in one side and use the lid as a tray. When we clean it, she'll sit and watch and as soon as it's done she'll go in and leave one tiny present. It's hard to find unscented, non clumping litter, that's what she likes best. The alternative litters are very expensive. I wish we could use a litter that doesn't require being dug out of the ground but it's the most affordable.
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Thank you so much for watching the video! 💜
Interesting video .😊
Everything you said is true.😊❤👍
I found a cat in my yard about 6 years ago. She was so weak she could barely walk a couple steps before sitting down or falling over. I went over and pick her up and she was skin and bones. She was starving to death, she might have lasted one more day. I started feeding her everyday even though she was a little skittish. Within a week she was running around full of energy and was putting on weight. Within a couple months she felt more comfortable with me and actually came in the house. I named her Kiwi, because she was so sweet. I set her up a litter box and she has never used it. When she has to go to the bathroom she will come up to me and meow and go towards the door, I let her out she goes to the bathroom and then comes right back. She's never used a litter box in her whole life and never had an potty accident in the house. Now we are best friends and she sleeps with me every night.
Awesome
So she shits in your yard?
We have two cats. My daughter named the one with the red collar Strawberry. I named the one with the green collar Kiwi. :)
Great cats.
Love this ❤
I’ve had a couple cats that would only use the bathroom outside and the actually learned to open the door to let themselves out , I just wish they would have learned to shut it behind them when they came back in, lol 😂, oh well, I lived in the country and it was no big deal if it was left open
My beloved black cat is 16.5 years old and has little time left. He has advanced liver cancer. He recently started pooping in the house. I purchased a litter tray which broke as soon as I picked it up after putting sand like litter in it. So I resorted to one of those plastic drawers. Much larger, low sides he can easily get into. He happily pees in the box but no to pooping in it. I did put one of his turds in, but nope. Today he went outside to poop but still pees in the litter box. It’s a difficult chore for me to clean up after him as I have had surgery on my arm and are effectively one handed. However, he is sick and after 16.5 years of loves and purrs it’s not going to be for much longer. I do not growl at him as he doesn’t deserve that and if he has the energy to go outside he will. If not, well! Price of having a beautiful cat that I love dearly.
It's amazing your love for him! 💜🐈⬛
I will think of you both
This is a good video. I’m so glad you mentioned not using a scented litter. I can’t imagine a poor cat having to put up with the smell.
Also, it’s great that you discourage using a covered box and not training a cat to use the toilet. Such great information. I always thought that doing that is something a lazy person does to their cat, so that they don’t have to deal with a litter box.
The only thing that is odd is that after saying that a cat needs a large box,several of the photos/ video clips show a cat in a small box. Otherwise, great tips. I would also add: Keep your cat inside.
I live in New Zealand, no predators, no snakes etc. I haven't ever met a totally indoor cat here. Our concern is our cats being predators so many wear bells on their collars.
It's Easter Sunday here and Jasper is still with us. Eating well and grand daughter bought him a memory foam pillow, which he loves.
I know hat some cats that have two litter boxes will pee in one and poop in the other..
My cat loves her covered litter box. She doesn't like anyone seeing her do her business. She would actually quit going and leave, then come back later. Each cat is different.
I thought exactly the same. My big lad loves hiding when he's doing his business. It's one of the few times I can't see him - he's usually glued to me. So much so that I don't go out as much because it upsets him.
All of our cats prefer a covered box. We did a test and had 2 covered and 2 open and the open ones were never used. So now we have 4 with lids for 3 cats.
I'm just not 100% positive we have the depth of the liter correct.
Our litter box is also covered. The doorway is open. He likes to scratch on the tall sides of the box. ❤❤❤
Lol and here’s my kitten who doesn’t mind bit if we see her doing her business. Even on the day we got her at week 11, she quickly found the litter box we put up, got in started to do her business and had this satisfied look on her face we all have when we can finally release.
Right? Mine do too. I have two boxes for my cats. One is covered in the bathroom and the other was open. They didnt use it. So I moved it into the utility closet which is also enclosed and they got so excited about it. Now they use both boxes.
Enjoyed the video. There are several instances in which these don’t apply to every cat; one example is having a cat that urinates straight out behind versus down like most. Having a low wall litter box is a sure way to end up with urine on your walls or anything else that may be near her litter box. This is of no fault of the cat, or course, it’s simply something that some are born with. This applies to both males and females. I have a sweet cat that urinates straight behind herself so having a HIGH wall box is a must. If fact her box is a top entry with no holes on the sides! Just wanted to share. 😊🐾💗
My cat has the same issue and sounds like the same box. We adopted her at 5 years old and had to keep the cover off because she was too big to fit through the hole. However now that she has lost weight she fits much better.
my boy pees up the vwall with a hi ass
went with high walls with taped in place pee pads
he doesnt tell me how to pee
i won't tell him how to pee...
Our girl is the same....clued in when we noticed the dry wall was “not dry”.
''pee pads taped to the wall are cheaper than dry wall@@judithanntoole8900
Agree. One of my cats does business squatting like normal cats do, another one was doing that as well and then one day he decided that he needs to start spraying as high as possible. Both have been neutered at the age of 6 months. I think he saw other cats outside doing it and decided he needs to do the same. We had to go and buy high wall litter boxes. I put one under the sink cupboard and he still manages to elevate the butt. When i notice i come and put his butt down. The walls are high but he tries to elevate his butt higher
I use 2 large plastic storage bins from Wal-Mart. I have cut an opening on one end for Kitty access. They work out great for my 2 monster cats.
Good idea
That’s what I’ve been doing 4 many years too
🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤
Me too! I cut an opening in the front. She loves it!!!!❤
I use the concrete medium mixing tubs from Home Depot. Cheap, large, lower sides. My large cats do great with them.
I've owned cats all my life, and I used to foster cats & kittens. I thought this most people knew this, but you're right. I used to babysit when i was younger, and the parents had the cats food & water about a foot away from the litter... gross. If one goes for a 💩 do you think the other cat will want to eat?
I also work with animals, and some have said their cat has started to do their business elsewhere in the house. I found out that the litter box is in a busy area or noisy one. So yes, your cat may go elsewhere. And PLEASE keep their litter clean. Good video. ❤
Problem about the litter box with the low side for them to walk in. We adopted a 5 year old and got a litter box like that. Always found pee on the floor by the low side. Finally saw her go into the box. She did not squat to pee…just stood peeing over the edge onto the floor. Got a tall box and haven’t had a problem since.
me too many times saw my cat digging around and sh***ing outside of the box, in the floor. Now I bought a big box used for mix concrete at the building materials store, very cheap, and there are multiple sizes. Was like 10% of the price of a box made for cats.
I bought some spray guards but I have not used them yet
@@analiviaminsk1171I do the same.
My sister has 2 cats and she brought a huge litter box that can fit around 5 cats at once and they go poop in it together like a ritual 😂
They are helping protect each other. Cats understand that while pooping they are vulnerable. This is also why many cats insist on being allowed into the bathroom when their humans are using it. They want to protect us by standing guard so we don't literally get caught with our pants down.
That’s hilarious!
My brother and I thought it was funny when they’d use it and pump their tail up and down.
We definitely shouldn’t have laughed. They didn’t appreciate it!
Are they all female and had the movie intro began? That could explain it! 😹
i have many cats and the rules are clear and simple:
always keep it clean, fill it with lots of litter 'cause they like it thick, buy the biggest toilet you can even if you have one cat, remove that stupid flappy thing immediately after buying (but, not the whole cover, just that flap), place it in your own bathroom. and, if you have multiple cats have multiple toilets.
it's so funny because when i wake up in the morning i first go to the bathroom and my cats do the same 😅 they get up, go into their toilets and do their business as i am doing mine. cats are great companions.
Mine is the same, potties when I do. I love it!
@@dar4835 😄 they are the best.
Purchase a stainless steel litter box. It won't hold odors like plastic litter boxes, plus they are much easier to clean !!
@@DonHames56 i haven't seen stainless steel boxes but thanks 😊🙏🏻my pet family is ever growing, so i'll buy one when i see one :) i only buy high quality italian or belgian boxes, no odor problem with them, as well.
@@tomnjer I would like more info on the ones you have, please!
Being a cat owner for 20yrs I do all 12 suggested
I have a girl cat and she is picky n so pretty i ❤ her
I feel very good knowing that you take care of her very well! 😸💜
This is probably the best ones I’ve seen. I’ve been doing rescue and fostering for over four decades and some of these videos give out really bad advice.
I wish this was the only one up on UA-cam when it comes to cats and their litter box.
Thank you!
I'm really glad you enjoyed the video! 😸💜
Speaking from personal experience, if you have a male cat, PAY ATTENTION to how often he pees. Male cats are susceptible to a condition called FLUTD. If untreated, this is 100% fatal to the poor cat. It is caused by stress and dietary issues, which will cause blockages in the urethra making it very difficult, and eventually impossible for the cat to pee. At some point, his bladder will burst open and he will die. This almost happened to my cat last year, and I keep a close eye on the litter box. A small tip, that if your cat is shy or doesn't like people being around when he does his business, is get a camera and set it up, and have it set to only record when it detects movement. That way you can pull up your phone and easily keep track of when's the last time your cat did his business. I do this with mine, and ever since I made changes to the home and his life to improve his health, he's not had much of any problems. Scared me a couple times by waiting some 20 hours to pee, but that was more separation anxiety which I can't control as I live alone and work. But he normally does his 2 pees and 1 poop per day, at similar times every day, and I keep checking to make sure it stays like this.
On one occasion, my older male cat cried when he was trying to urinate and nothing came out. I got him to the vet right away, and they were able to get a catheter into his bladder to check for problems; just the passage of the catheter was enough to disturb the crystals that were blocking his urethra, and he proceeded to widdle vigorously on his own after the cath line was out. Ever since, he's gotten about a 1.5 oz serving of wet food twice daily, and I mix in about a tablespoonful of extra water to make sure he's getting good hydration. Dry food is all well and good, but they're really not geared to feel thirst like we do because they're supposed to get most of their hydration from prey animals and the like.
@@redwitch12 Another thing you should do is get a water fountain. Cats prefer running water to standing water, and he will be more likely to drink from it. I did this with mine and he drinks from it regularly.
Also, if your vet was anything like mine, they should have given him a prescription diet (Hills to Home). It's somewhat pricey but my cat is absolutely in love with the prescription food, way moreso than the slop they sell on store shelves.
I feed my cat 1/4th of a can of wet food per day around 7PM and the rest, he eats dry food and he's been fine. Also, if you ever get worried about your cat's peeing, ask your vet for some UTI+ drops. It's a homeopathic medicine that you can add to water and then use a syringe to give it to your cat, it's easy to do and it helps with that.
EDIT: Also, the first time (it happened twice within a couple weeks) I took him to the vet, they told me they got *300 mL* out of him and that's not counting the little bits that were leaking out while he was in the carrier while I waited for the vet to see him.
@@Dhalin I had a fountain for them, but they didn't seem to care much for it; they also kept dipping their paws in the water and licking them off, which put all kinds of crud into the fountain and either blocked it up or bred biofilm like crazy, so it was a serious pain to try to keep clean. They're fortunately quite happy with a bowl.
I did have to put that same cat on a prescription dry diet later on, since chronic kidney disease reared its ugly head when he turned about 14; he's 17 now. I've also been giving him subcutaneous fluids once a day at the vet's direction, as well as keeping up with the wet food.
Very very good important advice...
You don't even realize you saved my cats life...
I came back to thank you..
@@carlosasher-leon4879 Glad to hear it! Knowing that I saved at least one poor kitty's life made it more than worth it to post that. It's an expensive bill ($3000 in my case), but 100% worth it. The vet warned me that the problem can return, especially if the underlying issues weren't fixed (stress/diet), it's been a year, going on a year and a half and mine's been fine, so here's hoping yours continues to thrive as well!
The best litter box I've found is a black cement mixing tray. They can be found at any home center store. They cost far less than an actual litter box, are large enough for almost all domestic cats. It has gently curved ends so cleaning is a breeze and the top edges are rounded making it more comfortable for the cat to enter and exit. If you have the space, get one. You'll never use a regular litter box again!
Great tip! Hope everyone reads your comment to know what/where to find this cement mixing tray
@@luashelton9320 Thanks! They are extremely tough! They are roughly 19" wide by 25" long by 6.5" high so little kittens may need a small step to get in, and it will require at least three quarters of a large bucket/box of litter to fill the first time. That's if you use a standard high quality clumping litter. I use Tidy Cats lightweight litter that comes in a 19.5lb box and it's equal to 42lbs of regular clay litter. In other words, it holds a lot of litter!
I wax mine with car wax before adding litter and it makes it so nothing sticks 🐆🐆
Yes! My cat loves these and they aren’t so expensive.
I use those too!
Absolutely!
These mixing trays are rugged and easy to clean. At 24×32 inches, less than $ 30, they are an excellent substitute for the overpriced often cheaply made litter pans.We have several for our family of indoor only felines. About once a week they get a good scrubbing. Most importantly... the cats are very pleased with them.
I bought a Rubbermaid 35 gallon tote with lid, used a tile knife to cut a large front opening leaving the bottom access about 5” up from the bottom glue into place a 6” high stake in each corner and placed the lid on top of the stakes. The box will hold about 20 lbs of liter and just add more as necessary and have had not to replace the overall content for over 5 years. This idea has saved me the ridiculous cost of litter boxes and is by far more useful is much better unit.
We cut a hole in the landing wall, stairs to the basement.
On the basement side, we built a box with a back wall that lifts up for littertray access.
No size issue for the landing, and it also reduces the smell.
There is no smell if you sift daily.
My cat has a 90 litre container and he jumps in and out of it with ease. He loves it as he is a long big cat. He has never had any problems jumping in or out of it. I clean his litter every time he goes and he will go tap tap to tell me as well even early hours of the morning I go clean it. He is an indoor cat. His litter is 5 inches high he loves that.
😅 my now 17 year old baby girl Ella will come get me, meow until I follow her to the bathroom and she will go look in her box and look back at me like YOU NEED TO CLEAN THAT OUT 😅 She doesn't like a dirty box so I clean it out after every use. She's my heart I've had since she was 2 months old
Particularly avoid citrus scented litter. Most cats hate citrus scents. Citrus is mildly toxic to cats, so they tend to hate it.
No scented litter at all! In the long run, it is detrimental to their lungs. If you feed your cat a good quality food, their poo doesn't stink. Or use baking soda in the litter, Costco has 13lbs for 6.99 or 7.99, not sure anymore.
Every time I eat a clementine, my Cat slaps the peels away from me haha. But yep, they absolutely hate citrus!
Then why make it?
@@LL-ht5yc because people like the scent so they buy it not knowing their cats hate it. It is like how cats are allowed to be declawed in the US: it is horrifically cruel to the cats, but some people don't care about their cats and/or don't educate themselves about them.
There is something we did when our Miss Teia of fond memory (06/1997 - 11/2018) was about 16 and it was difficult for her to get in a litter box. I made up a tray of heavy duty PVC sheeting and placed extra large dog pee pads in it. I put a bit of soiled litter in the middle to catch her nose. She took to using those almost right away, used them until her kidneys failed and we had to take her for the last vet visit.
💔😰😰😰
🥲🥲🥲
As a cat’s owner, I completely agree with what is recommended, I thank you for that
I put some dirt in a salad bowl. She uses it just fine
Something I found out about scented litter is that it can cause respiratory infections. I had this happen. It’s contagious and all three of my cats got sick. I would definitely stay away from scented litter.
Yes the last one is vital for my F 5 Bengal. She is fantastic and super smart and one of the things she loves doing is spending time daily in her fresh litter box doing her business. She loves to dig as deep as she can and she will be in there for well over 5-10 minutes in her own assigned huge deluxe deep litter box just digging to get that perfect spot to go in. Then after she is finished her 1 and 2, she then takes another 5 to 10 minutes covering her business as deep as it can go and when that is all perfect to her approval, she will take another 5 minutes wiping her front paws on the sides walls of the interior of the litter box. I argue the suggestion in the video that cats do not like lid caps and flap doors on their litter box. That is just not true at all. My Bengal loves having those features on her personal feline bathroom. She even has her deluxe bathroom enclosed litter box inside a huge light weight portable animal pen. The animal pen is made of plant material like cotton nylon and velcro i think with zippers for the overhead and the door flap. It is perfect for travel and keeping insects out while outdoors. That is where her litter box remains so she can have extra privacy from our house pup. We keep her floor level door zipped shut so she easily jumps in from above to get to her litter box inside. Our mini doxie can't follow her in :) She loves that as the puppy just has to learn to have patience to wait till she is finished powdering her nose in the little girls room.
Thank you for making these helpful videos. We love our fuzzy babies and want them to feel secure, happy and Loved. They are our children. You are making a good difference! 💙 🐈, sincerely, Mary B
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 😸💜
I passed on all of them. I'm 72 years old and have always had a cat (not the same one..lol) so I have learned a few things over the years!! The cats we have now are about ready to turn 6 years old and they have never deliberate gone anywhere other than their cat box. The last cat we had would go outside with us but would go back in to use the cat box!! We always had to keep the patio door open enough for her to go in and out!!!
Yeah, one of my cats does the same - he needs to go in to use litter box. Another one does it anywhere. I had to cover my strawberry pad with chicken wire on top that he does not come and dig. I planted some pies in a pot, so he decided he needs to climb on a pot and dig and do business. Dag out all my pies, so i had to place chicken wire above the pot as well.
😅 my cat likes to eat my plants so i have to make sure i don't have any plants that are toxic to cats. @bambinaforever1402
Please Tamil Tough@@clandestinechaos9009
I have had rescue cats all life & gave them a forever home until they pass. I really appreciated this video as I was making several mistakes as shown in the video. My sister is a cat lover and helped me make changes concerning litter boxes over the years! One thing I would mention is cats are very clean and my cat now is fastidious abouy his litter box clean even though it's a big enough box and has enough litter in it. I check regularly and clean it out which prevents any accidents in the house. I went thru several types of expensive litter boxes before getting what's best for my cat. Your video was very informative. Hope those getting a cat watch this to follow the advise earlier in you're cats life thus avoiding the mistakes and expenses I made before doing what's best for my cat. It's never to late to keep learning. 😅
Yes, never is late! 😸
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 💜
The saying "Don't poop where you eat." is universal...
My friend's cat had a kitten, she had no destination for her, and I told her I'd take her home. When I met Hester(already named), I loved her to pieces. She's still with me six years later. She's become my ESA because I had trauma and a stroke at 36. She is a great help to me;if she ever wanted to leave, I'd be really sad,and now worried because she's pretty old to be taking off all alone with no food plan, etc. This cat is so AWESOME.
My wife and I rescued a six week old kitten a year and eight months ago. Initially we purchased a scented litter with crystals in it but noticed our kitten was scratching herself. We did some research and found out the crystals were irritating her skin so we switched to a natural litter. We now use an unscented litter called World's Best cat litter. It is corn based and naturally absorbs odors. It costs a little more but it lasts longer and has no odor. If you cat is scratching itself please give it a try it works.
I personally think it is disgusting to let your cat walk on his own urine. Use a cluster litter which u remove after each use. Let your cat enjoy CLEAN LITTER BOX. 7 do not need a scented litter - it clusters u remove it - there is no odor.
Wow, I never even thought of the litter but ran ragged with every wild other idea. I can't wait to make that change.. just got a feeling that IS my answer!!!
I am single. I have 2 boxes in my bathroom. It's private for them since, I'm the only one here. The funny thing though is the cats will often come in the bathroom to use the boxes when I'm there and seem totally unbothered by my presence. 😊
I enjoyed the video, mostly. I absolutely can't relate to the fact that open litter boxes are to prefer. I had open ones first. But it ended up with both cats finding other places, with more "privacy". The boxes were placed in an area where barely someone went, but very easily accessible, and if going at same time, they couldn't see each other. They both went into hiding places for doing their business. After trying different litters and different places for the box I went to buy a closed one with a sving door Infront (the biggest one available) from the same day on, both started solely using the closed one. And so far, a year later, they are still happy to use the same one, so until now I haven't even bought a second one.
same with my parents, they have both options below the stairs, the 4 cats mostly use the covered one
I line my cats' litter trays with puppy training pads. The litter they like most sets like concrete on a plastic litter tray, but clumps and can be removed easily. I buy cheap pads, but they still do the job. Plastic liners are useless. The one thing I will look into is a tray with a high back wall as one of my boys likes to pee standing up and is forever hitting the wall, it's not intentional, so a high backed litter tray might help.
Why do need to put anything at all as a liner?
I watched this with a big smile on my face because apparantly I do all these things! I have 7 litter boxes in a quiet room for my 4 cats and the litter boxes are all different so they have the option of choosing which one they prefer. I clean their litter boxes every single day.
Congratulations! 😸 💜
I have 5 Cats, my babies and I agree with all the mistakes. If you want to have a cat, you have to understand this rules, it is very important. I clean my 3 very big litter box from 5 to 7 times a day but it is always clean and full. They are very comfortabel in it, I can realy see it. They can go outside but they all come to do their business in their litter box because it is their safe place.
3 boxes cleaned 5 to 7 times _per day_ ? That'd clean out for 15-21 potties every day. Are you sure they need that many cleanings? (I have 3 cats and 2 large litter boxes, and clean both once a day, it's never overfull with waste)
@@Name-ps9fx my cats won’t use the litter box if it is used already. Each one go 3 to 4 times to the litter box, it is insane. They are so spoiled!
You might need to take your kittens to the vet because it sounds like they have worms if you’re having to clean three large litter boxes that often.
I have two kittens and they were blowing up my three litter boxes also. The older kitten has already been to the vet and got his shots and wormer. The new kitten was growing excessively sideways (fat like a bowling ball) and had diarrhea very bad and was having accidents all over the house.
It took her two vet visits to overcome the diarrhea because somehow she got reinfected with worms after the first visit but the wormer given first was just a single dose. The second time I got an actual prescription that took two weeks twice a day and she stopped having diarrhea within two days.
The amount of 💩 I was taking out every day was about a one pound coffee can size but after getting the diarrhea under control that was cut in half and so was so much kitty litter because she was dehydrated from the diarrhea that she was drinking much more water then my adult cat.
@@JohnFourtyTwo my cats are all adults. They are just spoiled!
Have you tried just have 10 litter boxes. You seem like a case for some kind of specialty box. Are they all in one room?
We have 5 cats. Having a very large box with 3 high sides is very helpful, ( solved the problem of one cat pooping outside the box in 1 day !), using Dr Elsey’s touch of outdoors litter ( great odor control w/o heavy scent, strong clumping, no dust or tracking) and having lots of boxes have all been essential. We also have wood pellet boxes, but the favorite box of all the cats is the litter robot filled with Dr Elsey’s Touch of Outdoors litter.
As someone who has an extremely tiny bathroom (the only room it works in, I have carpet everywhere) I have to have an enclosed litter box. I used an opened one and everyday I was sweeping up a huge amount of litter, like a good cup or so, everyday! I couldn't walk in without walking all over the litter, it was gross and unhygienic. She doesn't understand she doesn't have to take the other half of the litter to cover her business, it's ridiculous how much she flings it. I use pretty litter and she loves it, when she has fresh litter she literally plays in it, til she uses it then she stops. She has no issues using the litter box.
My poor Nile suffered from inflammatory bowel disease and no matter how much scooping, scrubbing surrounding surfaces, changing litter, and giving him medication, the minute I entered the home, I smelled foul feces odor. He was also comically flatulent in his sleep and when he walked-but wow! What a stench.
I had to resort to covered boxes to contain his aiming diarrhea accidents but nothing helped the odor…though it decreased when he went into remission RIP.
There are some uses for those covered boxes…but after his death I removed them for my remaining cat.
Good video.
R.I.P. Nile 🖤
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 💜
Another thing that is not mentioned in this video is not changing the litter out and washing the box often enough! The litter should be completely replaced at LEAST twice a month. I change out my client's kitty's box once each week, taking that time to thoroughly wash the box out with plain water and a scrub brush. If you do this often enough, the box will not need soap to be cleaned. Plain water, a stiff bristled brush and then dry with paper towels (unscented) and re-fill with fresh litter.
Clumping litter is OK, but CAN stick to kitty's paws, and be ingested when she grooms herself.
I have a big under the bed storage box that my two cats use, no it's not under the bed. It's the purrfect solution. They can step in easily and it's up against a wall where they can see the room but the room can't see them. I clean it every day and never use scented litter because they lick their paws and can make them sick.
Always keep the litter box clean. I also spray the sides through out the day with an antibacterial spray.
I hope the antibacterial isn’t scented.
@@AnnSchuster-u9m Or toxic
Here in the UK my cat Peggy/The Fluffinator/Green Eyed Demon etc,etc uses her box at the drop of a hat but she gets litter everywhere after and I usually find it when I’m walking about in bare feet. She does not like the covered boxes and likes the paper based litter but it still hurts when you stand on it.
And don't use Arm and Hammer litter...either Glide OR clump and Seal. We bought some for our cat, and everytime he used it, he ran around the corner and got sick. We switched back to his old litter, and it stopped.I don't know what was in the litter that made him sick, but something was.
I like to watch these videos, because I like to read all the comments which I learn more from. Or as much from.
Realistically, most of us will put the litter box in the laundry room. It is out of the way, quiet most of the time, and has a washable floor surface. My cat has never seemed to be disturbed by the washer or dryer - or at least I've never seen it to be a problem. She has never gone outside of her litter box even one time, so clearly we have it in a good place
Thanks for posting this. I was thinking about putting the litter box in the laundry room but the videos I saw said not to. Maybe I'll reconsider now that I've read your post.
Yeah. My cat’s room is the laundry room. Bed, food and water in there. I also found paper crumbles so no sandy floors or wood splinters. I do use a bag, a large 30-39 gallon landscaping bag. It’s hard to rip. He gets a few tiny holes, but it’s no big deal.
Mine are in an unused bedroom
My cat loved a lid and door, she played with the door, play and go. She “boxed” with the door, so cute!
My 14 year old cat had an injury to herr paw, try as i might i could not get it to heal even tho she was in all winter. I kept thinking why wont this thing heal up. One day it came to me, the litter, I was using a very rocky ionexpensive cat litter so naturallty every time she went in it reopened the wound. I bought some very fine, soft litter and guess what happened? Healing up very nicely now and no more bleeding.
Duh, it took me months to figure this obvious thing out.
Don't feel bad about the litter. I like the brand and type I use, but still find an occasional mini-boulder or sliver, which bothers me even more.
A friend of ours switched to a finer, almost sand like litter because it advertised there was less tracking around the litter box. True, but she began to find fine grains of sand in upholstery and fabric crevices and folds, despite not living near or having visited the beach. She said she still preferred the improved appearance of her floors, as long as she didn't think about where the sand was coming from.
I have a small younger cat and a large senior cat. I use a large litter box but I have it inside of a large tote that I’ve cut one long side out of. They like a lot of litter, but without being in that tote the litter would be everywhere! And it’s weird, but my senior cat potties, covers it all, then finishes by scratching the sides of the tote like somehow that’s helping to cover his business also - it’s part of his ritual 😊
My son in law got lavender scented liter because that was all they had that day. I used it in two of the seven boxes. Use of these two boxes increased! Yeah. I was surprised, too.
All my cats hated a door on their litter boxes but they didn’t mind a roof. Whatever floats their boats.
Arm and hammer, Slide is the best litter. I've tried a lot & this is the best by far. Very good advice
Agree
Good advice! Having just gone through a hurricane and no water to flush the toilet for a week the extra litter box came in handy.
Those plastic children's bathtubs are useful, and much cheaper than litter boxes made for the pet supplies market. They come in various sizes too, so they can be used for different sized cats.
I really appreciate these advices, as over the years it has become familiar to me as well. Hopefully more people will learn, it's for the good of the cats.
This is EXCELLENT information! Much gratitude!!!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 😸💜
My cats prefer the covered boxes 🤷🏼♀️ I know that's not typical but that's what they've known since they got litter trained as a baby. The person I got them from had them, so without the cover they have issues
One of my cats started peeing in the toilet on his own - I never taught him. He still uses the litterbox, although he sometimes perches on the side when he pees.
What?!!! Lucky!
Amazing! 😸
You have hit the jackpot! What a smart cat.
My godmother somehow trained her cats to use the toilet. Wee in the sink😮 and poo in the toilet. Good job she only had one at a time.😂
Enjoyed your video mostly bc you are diplomatic articulate and swift. It’s a wise choice to talk about this bc many people don’t know plenty about ourselves and our pets. Thank you for your time and energy to school is. I know I’m making at least 4 of these mistakes. Not enough litter, allowing someone else in the house to choose the type of litter, scents; I asked my husband to not buy that type buy some family members will not conform. Adapted enter for older cats to assist with their aging needs. Great idea
Thank you so much for sharing. I just got my very first cat, and I'm glad to be doing things right. This feels like a confirmation that I'm on the right track. I'm really happy with how it's going so far.
Wow! Finally someone who knows what they are talking about. We would have much healthier & happy cats if cat owners would follow these simple guidelines. Thank you so much
I Thank you for your words!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 😸💜
I have always adopted or found my pets and if videos like this had to be shown before at adoption at shelters it might save some from being abandoned again.
L ao. Whatever
I have three cats. We use 2 large tall litter boxes that are covered but we removed the door. We have one on main floor and the other on the stair landing. The litter boxes are cleaned 2 times a day. Never have any problems
Thank you for speaking out against toilet use. It's a diagnostic nightmare, and urinary concerns can go from bad to deadly quickly if not caught in time.
I took responsibility for a cat who stopped by to say hello one day. I found her owner but after an accident that dislocated one of her knuckles, the owner disowned the poor cat.
She so doesn’t have to worry about anything now, I have adopted her, had her chipped and I have insurance to cover any medical issues.
She has a litter box and she watches me as I clear it. I always tell her what a good girl she is and while it is unpleasant, I can monitor her urine and stools so that can inform the vet if they happen to ask.
I think most people don’t realise the responsibility they have to adopt for any pet. It’s certainly true for her original owner. As soon as a vet bill presented itself, that owner cut all ties.
*Am I the only one who enjoys cleaning out my 3 litter boxes? It's like an Easter Egg*
*hunt to me and very relaxing...I just sit on the floor and watch TV while doing it! I*
*also use a huge metal spoon with holes in it instead of a scooper.*
What da???? How dirty is your litter box u need that much time to do that? Totally not normal
😂👍
😹
@@ladykate9011 🤣😂
@@TheCuriousCatt 🤣😂
I have a cat born blind, and a cat that some idiot de-clawed. De-clawed cats can't use pelleted type litter. We used unscented clay type litter. Four jumbo size litter boxes, two of which are 40 gallon high-sided livestock water tubs of a particular brand called Tough Stuff, sold by Tractor Supply. This one has a wide, flat rim that cats can hop up on easily. A non-brittle , black plastic tub that is often bought for aquatic/fish pools and plants. Cats adore their big litter boxes! And their porcelain I-Pettie Tritone drinking fountains that sound like trickling creeks
Even larger little box wasn't enough for my cat... had to get the under bed large storage box for little box
Some cats like/need more space indeed. 💜
try a box for mixing concrete I bought one at building material store, big and cheap
OMGOODNESS!!! I’m a ignorant cat parent 😢. Thank you for this video; you have enlightened me. 🌷🙂
We are always open to learning. 💜
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 😸💜
Thank you for this information, now I know I am a great human to my cat. All the good things i have done and the bad things i have not.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 😸💜
*Very useful information for cat owners. You are doing good things.*
They make litter boxes for people not cats. Just like fishing lures. The best box is one of those low, flat storage boxes that slide inder the bed. They come in several lengths and can be perfectly sized for your cat. Just ditch the lid. Yes, cats will kickout some litter. That's the cost of living with a cat. You can get any number of rubber or vinyl matts with edges that curve up a bit to help keep it in a spot that's easy to sweep - daily.
Until u get a cat who urinates with butt up
I had a cat who taught himself to pee in the toilet. I kept telling my son to flush until I caught the cat using the toilet. I guess he caught people using it so thought he should, too.😊
My aunts cat did the same thing, she kept blaming the kids for not flushing
I love your explanations to people, hopefully it can get people to change a few things. I always tell people not to put covers, especially with doors over your cat box and compare it to us(humans) using an outhouse in the woods---It's just gross and smells. Anyways that is for our benefit not theirs. If you can't rearrange your life to what your cat needs then you shouldn't have one. I know many cats have been abandoned because they start peeing in the house because of the litter box situation. It could be other things of course-but many people don't understand cats don't want their box hidden/covered and you need to clean that box everyday. Clean boxes mean no poop or pee transferred litter to your home-it happens somewhat anyways but you get the drift. Great video.
My cats have loved the top opening litter boxes. They get excited to jump and hide and jump out again.
My cat loves to look out when pooping. She has a hole at top for light, and she is very clean. She does scratch for it to be cleaned straight away.
I have an amazing American bobtail. He loves to have a nice big round bowl type. He will not use anything else 😂.His name is Miscov and he opens any window and door. He prefer walking quite a distance with me. I cannot thank the Lord enough for all your help and advice. Thank you. Lots of hugs to our fellow furry lovers xxx
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 😸💜
Hugs!
I agree with all of your assessments....
My cats have always liked 4/5 inches... and cleaning it daily...
They also Prefer lightly scented...
💜 😸
Anybody who's ever had a cat will definitely not like this video. I'd rather not spend 8 hours a day sweeping up and stepping on cat sand, ty very much.
For older cats, you can have a staircase go up to the outside of the litterbox, then fill up with plenty of sand so it's high enough for it to get out. Also put a staircase to all important furniture, like couch or bed will help your senior cat a lot.
Cats tend to feel safe when hidden, so I'd have thought at least some would like an enclosed litter box. A flap might make it hard for them to feel safe leaving though, and it might concentrate the smell for them and discourage them from using it if it hasn't been cleaned since they last used it though.
My cats, at one point I had 3 adult cats, preferred a covered litter box with no flap over a open litter box. I finally got rid if the open litterbox as it was very very rarely used by them.
Paying attention to your cats' feces and even their urine amount is important for monitoring changes in your cats' health. Vets often ask about quantities and changes to help diagnose illnesses or catch them at early onset. It is more difficult with multiple cats, but my two littermates have distinctive stools, even on identical diets. Years ago, I realized one of our cats chewed apart a ribbon and some of the ribbon was missing. I collected and dissected his stools and a few of questionable origin.. Every bit of ribbon passed safely. (It became a family story, because my mother told of a time when an applique dissapeared from my baby clothing, and it sounded to her as though I might be saying "ate the duck". She examined diapers and soon found the missing applique.)
I found unscented, paper crumble, cat litter, so no sandy floors or wood splinters. I do use a bag, a large 30-39 gallon landscaping bag. It’s hard to rip. He gets a few tiny holes, but it’s no big deal.
For the past 30 days I have experimented with having only one box between 2 cats. My male often pees horizontally, hitting the wall, so I have to have one high side. The female scoots her butt to the far end of the box, and while she is in the box, the poop ends up outside the box, and she covers it with the rug that catches paw litter. The 2 boxes were seperated by litter products, creating a "blind" between the two boxes. Nothing worked until I removed the wider, lower walled box, and started using just one box.
By pushing the one box up against the wall (high side to wall) that only left one end for the female to poop over, and so far she has not. (I also physically move her when I see her butt hanging over the side). The box is next to the patio door where they come and go, and is also within eye sight of my desk. I clean their boxes every morning and every night, still do BUT
only have one box is fine. I am using half the litter. It is also easier for me to washout the box with soap and water once a week. Having two boxes made than entire area a "toilet zone" and by reducing the size of the zone, I have a lot less to clean up every day now.
Very helpful. Thank you. I figured out a few of these problems later. Wish I had seen this earlier. 🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈👍💕
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 😸💜
I’m a newbie CatMom and your video helps a lot. Thank you for posting this. ❤
I find that even “unscented” liter has scent! Instead, I look for ones that are “fragrance free”! I figure, if it bothers me, it will bother my cat!
#2 I often throw away the door when I buy this type of litter box otherwise my cat won't go in
My dad cut an opening in a long, tall storage bin. My older cat can step in comfortably. It gives my cat plenty of room to turn around. Also, sometime my cat is a "high" pee-er so the tall side helps with that.
I bought a box for mixing concrete at the building materials store, there is many sizes and they are cheaper than boxes for cats
I had a small to medium size tuxedo black and white cat.
No1. The litter box we got her was actually an oven grill cleaning bath, it was the only litter box she could use and never miss her aim! Yeh it was big, but it worked SOOO well!!
No2. No lid for it so she had view all around her.
No3. Because it was so big and what it was actually meant for, the rim was low all around.
No4. & No5. We put it in the bathroom so she had privacy and fully away from her food, and ours lol.
No6. We used fine grain litter, like sand but sturdy.
No7. Definitely non smell litter.
No8. Small home, so only room for one tray, but it was big enough for her.
No9. There was always plenty of litter, enough for her to bury her business, but not too deep where her feet would sink into the litter.
No10. We tried a bag, didn't work out, we used a metal grill to siv the litter twice a week.
No11. Ohh the box we used changed as she got older, until we found the oven grill cleaning bath and used it as her box instead.
No12. Don't be daft, it's a cat!
the plastic must be thick and quality. also boil water and clean the litter box.good channel
Excellent video. Very complete.
I don't do any of these wrong things with my kitty. I get an A+
Congrats! 😸 💜
Well goody goody for you.
Hell yeah, same here champ, my cat is super comfy and she was a rescue kitten from the street. I learned quickly to make her feel right at home. She took to the litter box instantly and I adjusted to her size as she grew up. Took her to the vet and she received a clean bill of health! Keep up the good work. 🌺🌞
I use the mini swimming pool for my cats
3 times a day? My cats go like a hundred times a day keeping in mind they go out ( in our fenced garden and supervised that they do not get out) and one of them does business outside as well. My husband and i are full time employed cleaning their 2 boxes non stop. One of the cats decided he wants to pee standing and elevating butt as high as possible. Both neutered at 6 months
This is a great video and I agree with all of it. I'd add that if you're bringing a new kitten home (ie, under 1yo) and you need to keep it separated from other cats, you may find having food and water with them is the best option. It's not ideal to keep litter, food water in the same space but it's doable for a short period of time. The younger the kitten, the less they will be perturbed in that scenario. But I stress, a few days or a couple of weeks during introduction is kindest to your new baby. I also use a nappy pale for waste. Even though I use a natural (wood shavings) product that is biodegradable and flushable, I still prefer to use the pale in close and easy access from the litter trays. Works well for me anyway.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 😸💜
@@TheCuriousCatt I feel a *little* more comfortable now after watching countless videos to do right by my adopted kitties (4 now). I questioned everything and mostly myself at the time lol.
Manufacturers should know these things and make better litter boxes to sell
gee...just remember to change the magazines once in a while, they get boring, also no books they are too hard to hold...haha
Great video!
My cat is a big boy and no conventional litter box was big enough. So I bought a storage box and cut one of the sides and he was much more comfortable. It fits my other two kittens well enough but i might consider a second box.
I never realized there was such thing as putting to much I do have enough boxes that at least I got right lol learn something new every day thank you .
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 😸💜
I use cement mixing😢 tubs and 40 lbs + - litter (3 1/2in) a tub per cat as instructed
My rec is stainless steel litter boxes, as large as the space will allow and place it in a plastic storage bin (with high sides) and cut an entry way. No litter on the floor and all the room they need to turn around. I had two boxes and the kitten came, so I put an small stainless steel one in the tub which I move for showers, and since I feed the little one in the bathroom so he'll leave the adults alone, it works out, and he doesn't mind being in the bathroom with his toys and water. He even occasionally sleeps in there yay
My vet told me not a ton of litter not a little either.
Males mainly get UTI
My cat had his own little shrine
😊
I had two bathrooms when i had him he had plenty of privacy best litter and box
His food was in the kitchen.
Our cat likes her privacy. We turned over a big Rubbermaid, cut a big door in one side and use the lid as a tray. When we clean it, she'll sit and watch and as soon as it's done she'll go in and leave one tiny present. It's hard to find unscented, non clumping litter, that's what she likes best. The alternative litters are very expensive. I wish we could use a litter that doesn't require being dug out of the ground but it's the most affordable.