# No more cat poop in the extra room (a tip for cat owners) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 17, 2002, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623 "2002-10-17T05:09:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623/21 "2002-10-18T18:46:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OpalCat \* > \*\* > We have the coolest litterboxes ever, now. > Automatic litter box: [http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod\_Display.cfm?siteid=1&pCatId=788](http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=1&pCatId=788) \*\* I have one of those - love it. What we did is make a litterbox box, and place three of the litterboxes inside. We have a cat room, it does take up room. It’s about 3’ x 5’, the materials cost $21. Prefinished shelf boards for the sides, panels (masonite?) on the bottom, glue and screw together. Here’s a picture of the litterbox set up, then we have one litterbox in the basement. [Litterbox box, keep litter off the floor.](http://home.attbi.com/~pattis_garden2/blog_litterbox.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623/22 "2002-10-18T21:06:19Z")
I have tried the crystals. No go. One princess didn’t like it (did it the ‘correct’ way, by phasing out the clay slowly). She took to peeing right alongside the boxes when we got to all crystals. Tried the scoopable stuff in one box, clay in the other. Scooped once–they tried and disliked. Now I buy the tidy cat blend (crystals/clay) which works well. Tried giving them privacy by purchasing domed boxes (like the first two in **Boscibo** ’s pics). They hated them. One cat would sit in there and scratch the floor, sides, ceiling for 20 minutes. If I took the lid off THEN she would jump out. OK, maybe it’s that my cats are not especially brilliant 😉 I like the catnip idea. We don’t have the poop/pee all over problem-they pee right by the boxes- but it’s a pain to clean up. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623/23 "2002-10-18T22:11:18Z")
My cats like to scratch the sides of the box, too. They’re kinda stupid that way. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623/24 "2002-10-18T22:43:50Z")
First of all, **Boscibo** there are no “accidents” when it comes to cats peeing and pooing. They know _exactly_ what they’re doing. 😃 As for the cat resenting having his stench washed out of a blanket, I can kinda relate - I made the mistake of tossing a dirty dishrag on the floor on the way to the laundry (I cleaned up some rotted vegetable water from the fridge with it), and my cats have formally adopted it as their absolutely favouritest thing. They rub all over it and sleep on it all the time - I don’t have the heart to wash the thing now. At least it doesn’t smell enough for humans to smell. Man, but cats are weird. Buy a toy for $10 - nope, not interested. Throw a dirty rag on the floor - oh, baby! As for cats scratching the sides of the box, I have one cat that scratches the wall beside the box for hours after going. I’ve heard that a cat raised with a large litter box will do this; maybe she’s just weird like all other cats. ps - I’m not actually a terrible housekeeper. Some lettuce got forgotten in the back of the fridge, and next thing I know, it’s dripping down the sides. Yech. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623/25 "2002-10-19T07:20:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Boscibo \* > \*\*I have had cats nearly my whole life and have never had a problem unless there was an underlying cause - like moving, or introducing a new cat. \*\* That is the problem at my house. We just moved. Before the move all my cats were perfect, lazy little puffballs. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623/26 "2002-10-19T20:26:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Miskatonic \* > \*\*My three-legged arthritc kitty has been poo’ing in the corner lately. \*\* Maybe it just needed to use the corner as a brace, to make up for the lost leg and all… ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623/27 "2002-10-20T17:12:25Z")
Boscibo, what are you using to line the bottom of the litter box box? Looks like butcher paper, but that’s not very absorbent so it must be something else. OpalCat, cool! I went over and bought one, you should get a commission. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623/28 "2002-10-20T18:43:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AuntiePam \* > \*\*Boscibo, what are you using to line the bottom of the litter box box? Looks like butcher paper, but that’s not very absorbent so it must be something else. > > \*\* It’s not lining, it’s the masonite panelling (?? I think, people use it in their bathrooms for walls) and it’s slick. The box is to keep the litter off the carpet, the cats do their duty in the box. One of my cats likes to scratch the floor after she jumps out, this saves the floor. It cleans up easily - I just sweep up or vacuum the litter from the floor. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623/29 "2002-10-20T18:55:56Z")
That has to be kinda funny, watching the cats try and scratch on that slick surface. Probably ticks them off a little bit, doesn’t it? While we’re on the subject of cats, what’s to be done with cats that insist on chewing up the indoor house plants? Is something missing from their diet? Mick doesn’t chew on all of them – he doesn’t like Swedish Ivy or dieffenbachia (sp?) or violets, but he loves the spider plant and a few others. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623/30 "2002-10-20T19:13:55Z")
Cats love Spider plants! I hang the plants that they like to chew on, I have found they don’t like to chew on tough-leaved plants as much - those can stay down. Dieffenbachia is poisonous, don’t let the cats chew on them! ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623/31 "2002-10-20T23:46:17Z")
I wonder if he knows what’s bad for him – the dieffenbachia has been accessible but he’s never bothered with it. Maybe I should bring a big pot of catnip inside. I might try that, put it in a box like your litter box box, let him manage his nip on his own. ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623/32 "2002-10-20T23:51:35Z")
My cats are amazing. I try not to let the two boxes go for more than a couple days, but they’ll literally put up with them for weeks. It’s disturbing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-more-cat-poop-in-the-extra-room-a-tip-for-cat-owners/132623.md?page=1)