Keeping the Weiner out of the (Cat) Litter

[rbxsteinberg]

One of my doxies loves to eat the kittie litter. I use Arm & Hammer scoopable litter, and I'm sure it's treated with chemicals she shouldn't be injesting. In addition, cat poo may transmit disease or parasites. Finally, that's the mouth she licks my face with! I tried the litter box that has a small hole in the top, and is designed to keep out most dogs, but it didn't keep out little Rue. Can other doxie/kittie owners share their methods of litter choice/litter box placement?

[Lisa]

:welcome2: to the DLC! Although I don't have cats, I know many of our members do and will give you great tips.

I think someone keeps it in the bathtub...or maybe her cat likes to be in the bathtub :scratch:

You can barrier off a specific doxie free section / room. I have a pet gate (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DJDIA/sr=8-5/qid=1151349483/ref=pd_bbs_5/102-8194406-4913753?ie=UTF8), my guys can't jump it so it confines them nicely. But any baby gate will do.

[Otto'sMom]

I use baby gates to keep the hounds out of the litter, but there's one box I haven't purchased a gate for, and I still get poopy kisses :yuck:
My boxes are set up in closets or rooms the dogs aren't allowed into. I've got 10 cats (insane, yes, thanks for noticing) and 5 boxes.
In my old house, one of my dogs would run to greet the litterbox before me:sosad: Now that they're out of sight, I've moved up in the order of importance.

[Otto'sMom]

I think someone keeps it in the bathtub...or maybe her cat likes to be in the bathtub

Before I got a box with no cover, Otis, my "big boned" kitty was so fat he couldn't go poop anywhere EXCEPT the bathtub. I wouldn't recommend putting scoopable litter in a box in the tub. I'd think the tracking would clog the drain.

[Jen]

Excellent advice given and none to offer as no kitties live with Tasha.

But I wanted to say :welcome11 to the DLC!!

[Frzframe]

I too use a babygate to block off my upstairs bathroom where the kitty eats and uses the litter box. This way she also has a small hallway and the bathroom as a safe place to get away from the dogs when she wants to.

[Otto'sMom]

And may I add that I've found Tidy Cats Multiple Cats scoopable litter for Small Spaces kicks hinder! Best I've found so far, pleasent scent and hard clumping. If it works well with 10 cats, I can't imagine how great it must be with just one or 2 felines.

[Michelle]

Our litter box is kept downstairs in the basement laundry room and their is a gate that keeps the girls out of that area. When we are down there and they are allowed in the laundry room, the litter box is still up on a set of huge shelves that only the cat can get too, sometimes Heidi and Princess will try very hard to get up on that first shelf, that is also were Smokey's cat food is kept, we keep it away from the girls too, as Cat food is bad for the dogs..

[rbxsteinberg]

Thanks for the fantastic welcome, and the advice! I did try using the children's gate to keep the dogs out of the cats' room, but I gave it up for two reasons: 1. my cats ended up spending all of their time in a small corner of the house, and put on 2 pounds in 6 months! I want to encourage them to use the entire house, which only works if the gate isn't up. I think it's psychological..., and 2. the little weiners sit outside the gate and whine to be let in 24/7! The cats' room is also my work room, so that's where I spend a lot of time. I've seen "camouflaged" litter boxes on e-bay that are made to look like real furniture, made out of nice wood, with a high hinge-top, and a ramp inside that leads to the litter box. Unfortunately, they cost the same as real furniture, which is a lot. Sigh. Otherwise, I'm also thinking about buying a coffee table to keep the litter box on. I'm just nervous about bringing the smelliness up closer to my level. My 1947 house has almost no closets (I guess wardrobes were a lot smaller back then), so the closet option isn't feasible.

I cannot imagine having 10 cats! As it is, there are times where my 2 cats sit behind my head on the couch, and the two dogs are on my lap, and I have to "pinwheel pet" everyone one by one to keep them all happy!

Incidentally, Cesar Milan's Dog Whisperer show has done wonders for helping me calm down the dogs around the cats. They coexist now, even if the cats aren't happy about it, and the dogs are a little TOO happy about it. :rolleyes:

[Otto'sMom]

I have those cat box benches, got them for xmas, and they still don't keep the doxies out of them. I couldn't see Dolly, my 30+doxie mix and she had stuffed herself into the box and was happily munching away. I clean the boxes daily ( I have to, or it gets too clumpy) and I'm telling ya, use the Tidy Cat Small spaces clumping litter. It only stinks when the fat cat (Otis) won't cover his poo.

My cats are content to keep to themselves, I seek them out for affection and they tolerate my pettings. I have one that won't even let me pet her. She hides when I look too long in her direction.

[Patt]

I have a few cats too. :lol: The boxes are in a room and the door has a little swinging gate about 20" tall. The cats can jump it but the dog can't. You can also use a covered box turned towards the wall. Be sure there is enough space for the cat(s) to squeeze through easily. I found a link that has 8 suggestions, perhaps one will help you. Good luck!

http://www.dogplay.com/Behavior/kittybox.html

I am a Cesar fan too! :cheer2:

[areese]

Our cat's litterbox and food are in the garage and he has a cat door to go out there. At our other house they (we had more cats then) had one into the basement. Owen can fit through the cat door unfortunately but he has learned not to do it (mostly) cuz he'll be in big trouble. Owen, unlike Laika, cares if he gets in trouble...

[Tex]

OMG it's Rebecca and Ruby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cheer2: Where's Adam and Hero? :scratch: Hey guys, Georgann here........so glad you found this site! It's awsome!!!!!! Sorry to hear the Rue keeps gettin' into the cat litter.....not being a cat owner, no great advice here......good luck though. How's the kitchen renovation going?

[Peteys Mom]

I keep the litter pans in the basement along with the cats' food dish/trough. We leave the door to the basement open at all times (cracked so the cats can come and go as they please) and Petey has never attempted to go down those stairs; I think they skeer him. He chases the cats happily until they run downstairs, and then he screeches to a halt at the basement door and looks like "yeah...run and hide from ME you big wussies :banana: "

Only time I have probs with Petey and the cats is when one of the cats throws up; at the first hint of *ACK ACK ACK*, Petey comes barreling full-speed in anticipation. If I don't grab him before the "ACK" hits the floor, it's his :yuck: If I scoop him up before he gets to it, he does that whole flailing, twisty, thrashing doxie mini-spasm thing "Oh but PWEEEESE Mom, you know how I lubs kitty urp!!!!" :duh:

[areese]

Only time I have probs with Petey and the cats is when one of the cats throws up; at the first hint of *ACK ACK ACK*, Petey comes barreling full-speed in anticipation. If I don't grab him before the "ACK" hits the floor, it's his :yuck: If I scoop him up before he gets to it, he does that whole flailing, twisty, thrashing doxie mini-spasm thing "Oh but PWEEEESE Mom, you know how I lubs kitty urp!!!!" :duh:[/QUOTE]
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Aren't our lovely babies just DISGUSTING sometimes???
Once my old dog was having one of those pukey days. She threw up and my PIG ate it. Whcih was bad enough but then he followed her around all day long looking into her mouth and poking her with his snout looking for MORE.
EW! He thought she was a great food dispenser.

[Otto'sMom]

When the dogs eat the cat puke, I'm kinda thankful for the help with the clean up.

[Peteys Mom]

[Aren't our lovely babies just DISGUSTING sometimes???
Once my old dog was having one of those pukey days. She threw up and my PIG ate it. Whcih was bad enough but then he followed her around all day long looking into her mouth and poking her with his snout looking for MORE.
EW! He thought she was a great food dispenser.[/QUOTE]

:lol: :lol: OMG that is so disgustingly funny :rotfl: