I have a few questions I need help with.
1. Over the past 10 days Blue has occasionally been making bowel movements in the bathtub next to the litter box upstairs, or on the floor next to the litter box downstairs. I have always used World's best cat litter, and I am obsessive about keeping the boxes picked up. The only thing different is I've introduced an adult dry cat food, Wellness Complete Health which is making his stools harder. (Neither of them cares for it ). He always urinates in the box. If I hear him jump in the bathtub and start to swipe his paws like he's cleaning, I pick him up, put him in the box and he will go. I need help figuring out why he's doing this. He seems very healthy.
2. I might be getting a kitten Monday. I free feed the cats. They are still using kitten Purina Pro Plan, now mixed with the Wellness. I will want to feed the new kitten like this as well. Is it okay to keep Gussie and BLue on kitten food for another year? If not, how can I free feed?
3. With 3 cats, is it still okay to have only 2 boxes, 1 up and down? I really don't have a spot for a third box.
Thanks for any help.
This is litterbox avoidance and is usually based on discomfort. This is often from an infection, but in your case it sounds like constipation. Use some butter or feed some pretoleum jelly to try and loosen the stool. Do not use a commercial human product without making sure it is safe for cats. Not all are. A vet visit for such behavior is never a waste.
Young adults that are healthy and not fat should be fine on a kitten blend and that is a good choice to have a kitten on a kitten blend, which is very desirable.
The rule of thumb for three cats is four litterboxes. I would not cut back on that with a litterbox issue already present. (Some cats will not share and some cats want a box for each function.) It is important to have a litterbox always near a newcomer kitten.
Wooo-hooo!!! New kitten - come on, tell us more about it. As for the pooing outside the box, I have no idea why he would start unless his stools are firmer because of the Wellness and it hurts a little to go and he's beginning to associate the box with a painful bowel movement. Hope someone else has some insight for you.
I believe I've heard that it's fine to keep cats on kitten food longer. Better to have adults on kitten food than a kitten on adult food.
Ok, now about that kitten.......
(02-11-2010 08:56 PM)gussie Wrote: [ -> ]I have a few questions I need help with.
1. Over the past 10 days Blue has occasionally been making bowel movements in the bathtub next to the litter box upstairs, or on the floor next to the litter box downstairs. I have always used World's best cat litter, and I am obsessive about keeping the boxes picked up. The only thing different is I've introduced an adult dry cat food, Wellness Complete Health which is making his stools harder. (Neither of them cares for it ). He always urinates in the box. If I hear him jump in the bathtub and start to swipe his paws like he's cleaning, I pick him up, put him in the box and he will go. I need help figuring out why he's doing this. He seems very healthy.
2. I might be getting a kitten Monday. I free feed the cats. They are still using kitten Purina Pro Plan, now mixed with the Wellness. I will want to feed the new kitten like this as well. Is it okay to keep Gussie and BLue on kitten food for another year? If not, how can I free feed?
3. With 3 cats, is it still okay to have only 2 boxes, 1 up and down? I really don't have a spot for a third box.
Thanks for any help.
I'm going to give you my thoughts in order to your questions.
1. When I switched Sasha over to Innova EVO her stools got extremely hard and she started going outside the box. I switched her back to her old food and I didn't have any other problems. She doesn't eat the same food the boys do. I think Wellness has a high protein content and I know Innova EVO does so maybe that has something to do with it.
2. I think it is ok to keep your adult cats on kitten food the only thing that might happen is too much weight gain.
3. It's one box per cat plus one. Can you put another box right next to one of the other ones. They don't have to be in separate areas. I am a big one on the litter box rule. If you have ever had a cat go outside of a box you would understand why. It can be close to impossible to break the habit and get rid of the smell. It's really not worth it.
I hope this helps.
I want to hear about this new kitten too... pleeeeeeease!!
Sorry - im not very knowledgeable with the whole litter/food side of things. I have 2 boxes for my two cats, both kept in the same room. My cats handle this fine except i just have to keep up with the cleaning.
Do you think you could get another box for while the kitten is still young and then take it away afterwards if you cant seem to find a good place to keep it? (although removing a box after they get used to it might put a spanner in the works)
sorry im not good at these things.
A new kitten how exciting!!
Excellent advice. Thank you. I have already spilled out the adult food, and given Blue some butter to eat. Thank you so much. I didn't realize (I don't know why) I could keep 2 litter pans in the same room. I'll let you all know what happens Monday. We have a choice of two kittens, both male.
I don't have much more advice than what's already been given! But how exciting about the new kitten! Are they ragdolls??
(02-12-2010 12:07 AM)Lindz2785 Wrote: [ -> ]I don't have much more advice than what's already been given! But how exciting about the new kitten! Are they ragdolls??
Yes, they were born October 28th so they are ready to come home.
(02-12-2010 12:11 AM)gussie Wrote: [ -> ] (02-12-2010 12:07 AM)Lindz2785 Wrote: [ -> ]I don't have much more advice than what's already been given! But how exciting about the new kitten! Are they ragdolls??
Yes, they were born October 28th so they are ready to come home.
How exciting for you and your family! Since you already have a lynx and a bicolor, what pattern/color will be next??