Cat Litter

Is your cat litter causing your cat to go to the bathroom everywhere but the litter box?

Try sticking your face into an enclosed litter box, stir the litter around, and take a breath. Now multiply that by 14. That's how many times greater a cat's sense of smell is compared to a humans. Makes you wonder why they would want to use a box at all. This may be the reason they are not using the litter box in your home.

One commercial shows cats embarrassed to invite their friends over because of stinky litter box odor. Another has people naming their favorite things then promoting those scents in cat litter. Sorry people, I love the smell of maple syrup but I don't want the litter box to smell like breakfast. This really got me thinking about what we are exposing our furry feline friends to.

How do you think these companies get their products smelling "fresh"? They add chemicals. Chemicals that can irritate the linings of our airways. What is it doing to our cats? They walk through, scratch, and get the chemically treated litter on their paws. Then they ingest these chemicals every time they clean themselves. That can't be good.

Personally I like the scoopable litter vs the clay because with three cats I would constantly be changing the box. However; when my husband was having breathing problems we traced it to the scented litter. I went on the hunt for an alternative. I needed something with no perfumed scent, was easy to keep up with, and the cats would use.

Unscented was very hard to find locally, even Walmart did not carry it. They did carry Feline Pine however so I tried that. Not a huge hit, but they will pee in that litter box. It does smell nice if you like the scent of pine and it is environmentally friendly. Arm & Hammer makes an unscented scoopable which they will use. The only drawback is having to stock up when we get to a Petco or Target.

There are many kinds of litter on the market now. Recycled newspaper, corn, and wheat,just to name a few. You can find reviews at Consumersearch.com

Keep in mind your cat must like the cat litter or they may start having behavior issues with the potty. Finding a happy medium is the key. Keeping your cat safe and healthy and keeping your home odor free and clean.

If you have not changed litter but find your cat urinating outside the box, in strange places such as the bathtub or sink, or crying or straining when urinating it is time for a visit to the vet. Your cat may have an infection, crystals, or stones. Your vet will run tests and diagnose any medical problems. Always check with your veterinarian if you have any concerns or questions.

Crate Training Follow Up

Once again it has been months since my last post. Wish I could say it's because we were busy crate training and time just got away from me, but that would be a lie. At least part of it would be. Time did get away from me.

So the crate training; Casey has no problem going into the crate. She is not afraid of it, but will not go in and stay there on her own. Is that her fault? Nope. I take complete blame. I didn't keep up with it. She associates it with treats or meals, but is also smart enough to know that if mumma didn't put it in there then it isn't in there.

I have not given up on getting her used to being in a crate if we take her places. I would rather have her secure inside, happily gnawing on her Kong, when we go on the highway. Too many crazy drivers out there.

So for now it sits here. The door is open if I am here but closed when not. Moose, the cat, loves to go in and snooze. Not good if Casey sees him as a squatter on her territory and corners him inside. That could mean BIG vet bills for both.