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Litter box problems can seem worse in the winter
By Pet Connection Staff
January 13, 2010
Winter weather can change cats’ litter box habits. From Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:
While diseases such as diabetes (which increases urine production) often factor into litter box problems, when the weather is cold, it’s a cat’s arthritis that may be worsened. Veterinarians know that arthritis is underdiagnosed in cats, largely because owners write off the symptoms as “just old age.” And on the human side, we suspect that when the weather turns colder and houses close up for warmth, every little thing starts to annoy us — like the smell of the litter box, or (worse) the smell of a cat who’s not using the litter box at all.
No matter what, though: Don’t blame the cat for the problem. Put your detective hat on and get to problem-solving, with the help of your veterinarian. And don’t delay: The failure to use a litter box is the top behavior complaint of cat lovers, sending countless cats to shelters every year.
Find out how to avoid litter box problems here!
From Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Shannon Becker: exercise is for the dogs:
Dogs are the key to exercise motivation. A survey from the United Kingdom found that 3,000 dog owners spent an average of eight hours and 11 minutes weekly exercising their pets. The survey also looked at 2,000 pet-less people and found their average weekly exercise at only one hour and 20 minutes. Even more, 86 percent of pet owners said they enjoyed walking their dogs. Dog owners were also less likely to come up with excuses not to exercise than those who don’t own dogs. Only 16 percent of people said they enjoyed working out in the gym.
Want more? Read the entire Pet Connection for this week, or download the PDF file here to see it just as we submit it to our client newspapers!
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I thought I’d mention a tip that might be helpful to some. Our beloved cat Buddy came to us as a stray, and we don’t know anything about his history. We suspect, however, that he was an outdoor cat not accustomed to using a litter box. He will use a regular litter box only with great relunctance, and very awkwardly. We tried providing a huge box and keeping it scrupulously clean, but the use was hit or miss and he absolutely refused to urinate in it, especially after another male (neutered) kitten came to live with us. While he would defecate in the box (or near it), he wouldn’t urinate in it. He would always try to pee in a place that had a certain logic—he would look for “something” to pee on, like a towel or papers, and for the most part he would do this close to the box or in the bathroom (makes sense, sort of). He wasn’t just randomly peeing everywhere. We decided he was refusing to pee in the box that the other cats were using, and we thought if we provided a second box they would just start using that one too, which would make it just as unpalatable to Buddy. Finally we brought in a very shallow litter pan and lined it with newspaper and junk mail. We showed him the pan and explained it was for his exclusive use. We assumed (correctly) that the other cats would not use it, since they are accustomed to using a traditional litter box with litter in it, and are very faithful about doing so. It worked! Buddy started using his special pan imediately, and we aren’t sure if it is our imagination, but he seems mighty relieved. Cleanup is easy. We simply gather up the papers and toss them, replacing with fresh every time we notice any dampness. While it might be preferable to us if he used the same box as everybody else, we are very glad this simple solution has made him (and us) so much more comfortable. One other factor might be that it is easier to step in and out of because of the low sides. We haven’t noticed any problems with odor, as long as we keep up with changing the papers regularly. Just something to keep in mind.
Comment by mountain kimmie — January 13, 2010 @ 4:25 pm