# Maid, please make up litterbox. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 9, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724 "2005-03-09T22:07:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/1 "2005-03-09T22:07:39Z")
When my cat wants the litter box tended to, he tosses a little dried poo chunk out onto the litter catching rug in front of the box. He started doing this after I put a cover on the box. I guess he thinks I can’t see when it needs changed anymore. (Note: it’s one of those self-scoopers, and I check it at least every other day, but he’s picky.) How does your cat let you know it’s time to freshen up the box? ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/2 "2005-03-09T22:19:07Z")
He scoops out a little pile of litter onto the floor and pees on it. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/3 "2005-03-09T22:22:44Z")
My cats don’t, but they’re opportunists. I scoop every day, pretty much as I walk in the door from work and get knocked over by the Almighty Crap-Stink-Fu wielded by my two little darlings. These furry little blighters supervise the cleanup, and then hop right in to fill it up again the minute I set the cover back on the box. They know when they’ve got a good thing goin’… ---
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/4 "2005-03-09T22:31:51Z")
> [@hillbilly queen](#): > > He scoops out a little pile of litter onto the floor and pees on it. This is truly evil. ---
**Author:** ![Cranky\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cranky\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cranky_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/5 "2005-03-09T22:46:06Z")
I scoop every day also, since I have not yet been able to convince my two fuzzies that they should do this chore. They also won’t get jobs, even though I’ve mentioned it several times. ---
**Author:** ![19ForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/439d5e/32.png) [@19ForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/19ForMe)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/6 "2005-03-09T23:08:28Z")
> [@](#): > > When my cat wants the litter box tended to, he tosses a little dried poo chunk out onto the litter catching rug in front of the box. Our cat takes a crap directly on the little litter catching rug. The stink really gets your attention. ---
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/7 "2005-03-10T03:45:55Z")
> [@19ForMe](#): > > Our cat takes a crap directly on the little litter catching rug. The stink really gets your attention. That’s why I think the little dried poo chunk is so cute. He makes sure it’s dried out. It’s like he’s putting out the little sign on the hotel room doorknob: “Clean now, please.” It’s also like a warning. If I don’t take heed, he does what your cat does. Like, “I tried to be polite! But you people are too dense to get it!” I have to get out more. I’ve been starting and participating in entirely too many cat threads lately. You know you’ve gone around the bend when even their toilet habits seem cute. ---
**Author:** ![Foible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Foible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foible)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/8 "2005-03-10T04:02:52Z")
When I lived alone I had two cats. Their litter box was in my bathroom across the room from the toilet. When there got to be too many poops for them to cover up they would drag my magazines from beside the toilet into the litter box and use them to cover the mess. They were telling me in no uncertain terms it was time to change the litter. ---
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/9 "2005-03-10T04:22:36Z")
> [@Foible](#): > > When I lived alone I had two cats. Their litter box was in my bathroom across the room from the toilet. When there got to be too many poops for them to cover up they would drag my magazines from beside the toilet into the litter box and use them to cover the mess. They were telling me in no uncertain terms it was time to change the litter. The other day, while my mom was visiting, my cat Rex had a massive Klingon turd. When he gets that, he wipes his butt on the litter catching rug. So there was a big turd on the rug, and this upset him. He kept trying to scratch litter over it, but there was no litter on the rug. So he ran into the other room, got a toy that has a long, wide cloth tail, and used that to cover up the turd. My mom laughed so hard she almost wet her pants. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/10 "2005-03-10T04:37:37Z")
My cat sends his little message by pooping in the bathtub, which at least has the advantage of being reasonably easy to clean up. I dunno whether he does this because it’s considerate, because he likes it, or because he knows that if he ever pooped anywhere else, I’d be sporting a nice new pair of black and white fur earmuffs. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/11 "2005-03-10T05:32:18Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > My cat sends his little message by pooping in the bathtub, which at least has the advantage of being reasonably easy to clean up. > > I dunno whether he does this because it’s considerate, because he likes it, or because he knows that if he ever pooped anywhere else, I’d be sporting a nice new pair of black and white fur earmuffs. Mine too! I always figure the tub to be the warning shot, with an implied “I know where your pillow is, too, lady.” ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/12 "2005-03-10T12:21:09Z")
When I got my boy kitten neutered, I was advised by the vet to change the litter to shredded newspaper so the litter dust wouldn’t infect the incision. Inky showed his disapproval by coming upstairs and peeing in the middle of my bed. I decided to take my chances with infection. Oddly enough, it didn’t bother his sister at all. He repeated his performance on a couple of subsequent occasions when he thought the litter box had become intolerable. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/13 "2005-03-10T15:43:00Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > Mine too! I always figure the tub to be the warning shot, with an implied “I know where your pillow is, too, lady.” Me, too! Molly has done this. She’s used the tub, or the tile floor in our front entry-way. Which is strange, because when she barfs, she usually uses the dining room rug. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/14 "2005-03-10T15:56:06Z")
This thread should convince anyone that animals belong outside, where they can shit and piss anywhere they please and a human won’t have to clean up after them. ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/15 "2005-03-10T15:58:27Z")
> [@zagloba](#): > > When I got my boy kitten neutered, I was advised by the vet to change the litter to shredded newspaper so the litter dust wouldn’t infect the incision. Inky showed his disapproval by coming upstairs and peeing in the middle of my bed. I decided to take my chances with infection. Oddly enough, it didn’t bother his sister at all. > > He repeated his performance on a couple of subsequent occasions when he thought the litter box had become intolerable. I have two cats. One of them, when unhappy, pees on my bed. Dirty litterbox, not enough food, I need more water…if shes not happy I’m sleeping on the couch for a night. It’s nice to see that I’m not the only one with this issue. ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/16 "2005-03-10T17:23:27Z")
Thanks to this thread, as soon as I got home from work yesterday, I cleaned out my cat’s litter box … 😃 I have noticed a couple of dried poops on the carpet but figured he just had stubborn Klingons (or that the dog had dragged them out of the litterbox for some reason). But now I know better … and I have apologized to my dog for ever doubting her. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/17 "2005-03-10T18:25:46Z")
> [@Q.N. Jones](#): > > I have to get out more. I’ve been starting and participating in entirely too many cat threads lately. You know you’ve gone around the bend when even their toilet habits seem cute. You think you’re bad? I don’t even own a cat at the moment but read most threads about them and laughed at quite a few posts in this one. ---
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/18 "2005-03-10T18:39:43Z")
> [@Stainz](#): > > I have noticed a couple of dried poops on the carpet but figured he just had stubborn Klingons (or that the dog had dragged them out of the litterbox for some reason). Well, this is the most likely explanation. I only realized it was a sign when I noticed that every single time it happened, the “poo collection box” was getting really close to full, or the litter level was getting dangerously low. > [@plnnr](#): > > This thread should convince anyone that animals belong outside, where they can shit and piss anywhere they please and a human won’t have to clean up after them. What do you propose we do with people who piss and shit all over other peoples’ threads? ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/19 "2005-03-10T21:09:05Z")
> [@Q.N. Jones](#): > > What do you propose we do with people who piss and shit all over other peoples’ threads? I would suggest rubbing their nose in it… ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724/20 "2005-03-10T22:05:54Z")
When my previous cat was young, she got locked in the bedroom for many hours on a particularly windy day when the door blew shut. When I got home, I apologized to her profusely and, not seeing any accidents, ignored a slight …niffiness… in the air. Until that evening when I leapt into bed and realized that she had diligently covered her mess with the bed sheets. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maid-please-make-up-litterbox/293724.md?page=2)