why do housecats need to "spring forth" from the litterbox?
 

i am building a pro/con list for housecat ownership.

add to the "con" list. i have to sweep cat litter from the house daily. i hate it. i watched the cat last night. she took a leak (or a dump) and then rocketed out like a top fuel funny drag-car..dragging out an easy teaspoon of litter.

between the spontaneous vomiting and the cat litter, i am thinking i now own my last two cats.

(i have a separate dog pro/con list :))

not to say i havent ever sprung forth from the bathroom, but it isnt all the time :)

My wife's cats do the same damn thing. No idea why.

To get away from the scent...it's a survival genetic thing.

Tip...buy a long handled dustpan/broom combo...eliminates a lot of bending over while sweeping.

... plus i think they feel lighter-

Our cat comes out of the box like Leroy Jenkins. we put a carpet at the opening to catch most of the litter.

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double post deleted.

It stays confined to the laundry room, mostly on the rug and ramp in front of the box....but then, I do find granules occasionally elsewhere! Yea, that kinda does bug me, must be sticking to their feet. Gotta teach them to wipe their feet when they leave the box.

Con - the house always smells like cat sheet/liter box, at least mine did with the first wifes cats, she seemed immune to it but it drove me crazy, the day she left, with her effin cats was one of the happiest of my life.
I'm a dog guy and am biased but for the life of me I can't think of 1 pro for cats. Someone will say for mice but I don't have them and if I did I'd get traps before a cat.
Finn

I find the stuff that tracks the least puts the most dust in the air.

I have yet to find a happy medium.

I'm recently down to 3 cats from 4.

No more than 2 cats per litter box.

Must be cleaned at least once a day.

Limit the amount of wet food, that's what makes their crap really stink.

I've always had dogs and cats at the same time.

Dogs always leave an oily feel and odor on my hands which makes me nuts.

I can leave town for a long weekend and the cats can stay home with no problem. Can't do that with a dog.

Also, avoid fish in the soft food, really does make a difference..

Anyone read the article on the possible link between cat feces and brain parasites in the recent Atlantic Monthly? Makes me want to toss our two beasts out for good. (Article says house cats do not have said parasites--after several on-edge pages.)

We stopped with the fish products all together.

Diet is a big deal in my house.

One had diabetes (RIP), another hyper thyroid, the youngest is just fat and the fourth was overweight when we got her but now she's perfect.

They are all on a high quality Senior dry diet and each gets a tablespoon of wet in the morning.

They'll get the occasional treat of the packing juice from a can of tuna when I make tuna salad but that's about it.

Boxes are cleaned daily, litter replaced as needed and boxes washed monthly.

No odor issues in my house.

Vash, do you put at least 4 inches of litter in your boxes? If you have too little litter it will start to clump and stick to them. I find the more fresh litter that is in the box the less they track.

I

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1329857590.jpg

Interesting! :eek: :eek:

We were a two cat family, and then another little one was foun by the side of the road...4 months later we are a three cat family who also have two dogs. I sweep litter every single day, an rarely does very much time pass between nasty clean-ups of throw up, pee, or some other bodily fluid.

My only saving grace has been to lock all animals out of the bedrooms, and our new house has hard surface floors everywhere.

I would never have cats again, but I do find enjoyment in them once in a while. Buy a lazer pointer and just laugh while not thinking of the mess they make in your home, haha.

Absolutely!

We had three cats - alas, all RIP. Now we have a dog. I'll take cats any day, but the dog is a rescue and is a fabulous critter; I just don't like being tethered to someone so dependent and who controls our life schedule.

Anyway.... For those of you who have litter box problems I highly recommend a litter called "Worlds Best Cat Litter". It really is. Organic, clumpable, flushable, and no dust. Don't know how it suppresses odors, but it does. One of the rare occasions where the product is worthy of the promotion. Highly recommended (and, no, I don't work for or invest in them).

On the 'Con' list, don't forget destruction of furniture (they have an instinct of knowing to destroy the nicest stuff first), that lovely "BLOOK BLOOK BLOOK" sound (and subsequent prizes) and keeping them indoors. If they are outdoor cats their lifespan diminishes greatly.

Stomachmonkey's comments are very valid. This isn't a scientifically proven thing, but just my impression. I've seen cats take dumps outdoors. They just turn around, sniff, cover it up, and walk away. I think cats jump out of the box for a couple of reasons: first, the box has sides sticking up which the cat has to go over anyway, second, I actually don't think they are that comfortable in cat litter. It's granular & not like dirt, and it gets between their toes. It could be part of jumping out is to try to get the litter out from between their toes. This is just a guess as I said.

My cat doesn't do the "spring forth" thing. He just walks in and out of his litter box casually.

Now, while he's in their, he essentially moves all of the litter from one side to the other to bury his crap, and through this process manages to get litter everywhere.

But no, my cat doesn't "spring forth".

My cats (2) are indoors only. They don't destroy any furniture other than a rough hewn floor mat that is their preferred scratching place. They do have one potted plant that they love to eat though. They only get Nutro Max indoor dry food - no wet, no treats.

They are awesome animals. Both are pound rescues. I've had Milo since '00 and Twiggy since '06. Twiggy is the most affectionate animal (dog or cat) that has ever owned me. I gladly scoop and sweep litter to have them in my life.

the group of cats i ran with in high school, we used to shat in litter boxes at parties all the time.. good times

Litter box??? You don't need no "stinken" litter box. We have two cats. They have a cat door. They know how to escort themselves to the great outdoors and do their business. They can spring forth from wherever they have made their deposit to their hearts desire. :) Litter boxes are gross! The only way I would have one in my house is if I lived in an area where my cats were not safe. (busy road, traffic....etc.)
When we bought our house (back in 1988) it smelled like an outhouse. The previous owners had 7 industrial sized cats. They had 4 cat condo sized litter boxes in the house. Plus, they let the cats have free reign of the underside of the house. It took about 2-3 years for the smell to go away. I still hate going under the house for maintenance because of the petrified cat turds still there.

Go over to Home Depot and hire some illegals to go under there and clean the old cat turds out.

Spying the litter box, they always ask: "Oh, you have a cat?"

I respond: "Nope...that's for guests."

I'll just do it myself one of these days. I don't like hiring people for jobs that I am not willing to do myself. Time to get a full on bunny suit, respirator, rake, bucket, and just go for it.

Pro- the cat will eat the chickens.

Con-the cat will dump/ shed/ scratch the furniture in the house.
easy fix: cats can survive outside by themselves.

My GF wanted a cat, so I got her a box of cat food, and told her she can feed the neighborhood strays.

I knew this thread sounded familiar.... LOL

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/502898-has-anyone-invented-cat-litter-box-keeps-litter-box.html

If Ive learned anything from watching Hoarders, it's that cats can **** on any surface at any angle.

We had an outdoor cat make it 18yrs......

Granted she was black, tough as nails, and could get in the garage if she needed to, but still it is possible...

Only way I have a cat is if it can go outside. This way they stay sane and do their business outside. They also will keep your rodent population down. With your chicken coop that will be very useful. Find a cat that is from a rural setting and has outdoor in its blood.

Sure, my outdoor cat only got to be 13 years old instead of maybe 15 (he died / was put down due to old age) but I am pretty sure he appreciated every moment of it. Certainly beats the trip to the kill shelter (where his mom and siblings went ... :( )

G

(from a standup comedian's act):

"Sure, you can housetrain a cat. But every 107th time, they'll drop one behind the couch."

Mine poop outside.

"If they are outdoor cats their lifespan diminishes greatly."

We have two twelve year old ones that seem fairly healthy.
Not everyone has enough outdoor space for that though.
Jim

Momz had a cat that got peeved when my youngest brother left for College. Lilbastard started crapping in the guest batroom sink, her master bedroom bed and piddling on any linen left on the floor.

I hate cats worse than batschitcrazy redheads. But they do taste like chicken.....

I just have to post this.

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There is some non safe for work language here so be warned.

my last cat started pissing in the house when it did not like the chick i was dating. she did not like cats and i guess he picked up on it. i thought it was just that it was getting old (12 years) and cantankerous. tried a bunch of stuff and it diminished a bit. when the chick n i ran our course and she was no longer around he stopped. found out later that not many of my friends of family cared much for her either. that cat was on to something;)