Cat experts & littermaid users

[dorisdvu]

How do you stop a cat from urinating on the carpet? My cat (nearly 2yrs) just started doing this.

Any littermaid users out there? Please list your pros & cons.

 

[Pat_Elliott]

I never used litermaid. But with three cats, I've successfully trained them to not go on the rug by the following method: Rub their nose in the "mistake." Mind you we're not talking about crushing their head into the carpet, but simply making sure they catch the scent. Say "no," then take them and place them in the box and pet them for positive reinforcement. It's a basic Pavlovian trick that's served me well in the past.

 

[Rajah]

I don't like to use the "rub their nose in it" method myself.

First off, I'd take her in to the vet to see if she has an infection. Peeing outside of the box is frequently a sign of a UTI and shouldn't be ignored.

If a vet visit finds no UTI, then look at external factors. Has something changed at home? Even minor things? Peeing outside of the box can also be a sign of stress or an upset kitty. I know our Skye tends to chew on things and make messes around his box instead of in it when he's upset.

Third, how many boxes do you have and how often do you clean it/them? It could be that she's becoming picky about her litterbox. We used to have 3 boxes and even at that Skye would frequently go outside of the box. When we replaced them with two littermaid megas, we almost never have a problem any more.

If you've established that she doesn't have a UTI and nothing has changed so she doesn't seem stressed, it could be worth trying the littermaid. The pros are that it does leave a clean box almost all the time and it's easier to clean out. I think it may also use less litter in the long run. But the cons are if you have a cat who likes to DIG, she may not like the littermaids be cause they only have a little litter in them. And it's harder to monitor the health of your kitty with the littermaid.

We went with the littermaid megas because the regular size wasn't large enough for our big cats, let alone 2 full-grown and 2 kittens who will become as large as our adults. DH did some research and found the littermaid mega to be the best option for us, and it had an excellent safety record.

 

[DisneyBug1995]

We have a littermaid. Love it! The first one we got had something wrong with it. The rake would catch when it was scooping up the poop and end up tossing the poop across the room. We quickly exchanged it for another one and have had no problems. We have 4 cats and dump the container once a day. You can never smell the litter box when you walk into the house. As a matter of fact, you can't even smell the litter box when you walk in the same room as the litter box.

Only one of our cats have had a problem with the littermaid. He was the type of cat that had to mark the litter as soon as the litter box was cleaned. He would pee in the littermaid and then 10 mins. later the rake would come through and clean it out. He then would go back into the litterbox and pee again. After a couple of days of going pee every 10 mins. he gave up on keeping the litter box marked and just uses it when he has to go.

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Originally posted by Rajah
I don't like to use the "rub their nose in it" method myself.

We've had this debate before and I must stand by the method. Like throwing pasta against the wall, it works! But I always feel the need to put in a harsh disclaimer that says "I'm not talking about jamming the cat's head into the floor." Pat is NOT a child-abuser!

 

[Rajah]

Originally posted by Pat_Elliott
We've had this debate before and I must stand by the method. Like throwing pasta against the wall, it works! But I always feel the need to put in a harsh disclaimer that says "I'm not talking about jamming the cat's head into the floor." Pat is NOT a child-abuser!

LOL! I know, Pat. It's a method we can agree to disagree on. I know you love your kitty (ies? I think you only have the one now, rignt?), and you (hopefully) know I love mine. Different methods work for different people.

 

[minniecarousel]

On the subject of the Litter-Maid - what type of litter do you all use? We've been having an odor problem with the "Litter-Maid Cat Litter". I've used other finer-grain litters, but the clumps of urine tend to get stuck in the rake. Anyone have any success with a particular brand of litter? (we have only one large cat - who keeps peeing in the same corner!)

 

[Eeyore1954]

Thank goodness for Littermaid! We "upgraded" our standard one to the "deluxe" (larger) model which is somewhat quieter when it scoops. Our cats love it. Now if I could find some litter that truly didn't track (like most claim, but don't).

 

[katerkat]

My Littermaid was a Godsend! We never had a problem with the boys peeing on the carpet, though. We have a regular size, though I'm hoping to upgrade when this one dies. Like DisneyBug, we had a bit of trouble in the beginning, when they would pee just to watch it work. But they eventually got used to it. We use Tidy Cat litter - it still clogs sometimes, but it's decent. We have a mat in front of the box to cut down on the litter tracking. With two cats, we empty every other day, but we can leave it longer. It's nice because we can easily take a 3-day trip without worrying about the boys' box!

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Originally posted by Rajah
LOL! I know, Pat. It's a method we can agree to disagree on. I know you love your kitty (ies? I think you only have the one now, rignt?), and you (hopefully) know I love mine. Different methods work for different people.

I should point out that early in our relationship, Spike found me laying the in the floor watching TV, using his kitty-bed for a head-rest. You'll be glad to know he grabbed my face in his little paw, rubbed it in the kitty-bed, and dragged me over to the couch. "Good human."

 

[Rajah]

Originally posted by Pat_Elliott
I should point out that early in our relationship, Spike found me laying the in the floor watching TV, using his kitty-bed for a head-rest. You'll be glad to know he grabbed my face in his little paw, rubbed it in the kitty-bed, and dragged me over to the couch. "Good human."

 

[Pooh93]

I am going through this with my 7 year old neutered male cat. I took him to the vet last night and $60 later, was told that he does not have any sign of UTI or any other type of infection. (I really was praying that he did, so it could be fixed) My vet said that I need to do the "tough love" treatment and confine him to an area with litter box, so that he understands he is to use it. So, I went to Petsmart and another $65 later, I purchased a large pet crate and soft bed that I can fit the litterbox, bed and food in. He is staying in there while I am at work and at night while we are sleeping. Right now, he can not be trusted. It was to the point he would pee on the carpet right in front of me! I do NOT want to get rid of the cat as he is a good soul, but he needs to relearn the rules of the house.

My vet also said perhaps something is upsetting him. i.e. stray cats outside My cat has been trying to get outside lately when we open the door, so maybe this is part of it. My vet also said you can put the cats on medication to bring their "circuits" back on the right track, but he advises against that as only a last resort and I don't want that either.

I'll let you know how the "tough love" goes and in the meantime, I told dh that I am renting a carpet cleaner over Thanksgiving and next Friday we are cleaning the carpets! I am so dense that I thought the kids were spilling things and that's where the stains were coming from! Stupid me!!!

Anyways, I hope this helps.