Conference misery::feline_v1

Most cats show that they're mad at their "humans" in various ways.  Mine usually
manage to knock everything off of my bureau (our female, Mutu), and Munch (our
very large, male) pulls his fur out!  Outside out installing one of the cat
doors, I'm not sure there's anything you can do, unless you catch the cat
in the act so you can discipline him/her.

As far as covering up their jobs, some cats do, some don't.  Mutu will; Munch
won't, and Mutu will cover his for him.  Talk about a lazy, first-pecking order
pussy - Munchkin really has it made, and knows it!  I'm not sure if you can
teach a cat to cover up.  All litterbox behavior is learned by watching Mom,
so if the cat's mother didn't cover up, the kittens never learned.

Not sure if any of this is of help.  All we "humans" can do is try...sigh.

Regards,
J.

    What is weird is that he was covering up his stuff and then all
    of a sudden within the last month or so has stopped. That is what
    is so strange.
    
    nw
    
    

    Don't have advice for the "non-coverer";  as was said, some do,
    some don't.  As for pooping beside the box, here's what I did (that
    worked) with Billie.
    
    First of all I clean her catbox thoroughly twice per week;  washing
    it with Lysol, and rinsing thouroughly.  When she starting going
    beside the box, I put aluminum foil down where she did it.  I read
    somewhere (CatFancy, maybe) that cats *hate* foil, and will do anything
    to avoid stepping on it.  At the time, her litterbox was up against
    a wall and I put the foil down beside it.  The very next time, she
    stepped OVER the foil, and went in the box--never to go beside it
    again!
    
    Can't explain it, but it worked for mine.
    
    Good luck!
    
    Jane
    

    Have you changed your brand of litter?  I always used the same litter
    for Mona until about a month ago.  Since I put in the new litter,
    she doesn't cover up, so I went back to the old litter, and sure
    enough, she now covers up again.  The litter she did'nt like had
    a minty order to it.
    
    B

    I always thought cats covered up their feces because of instinct
    (burying their scent?).  My cats always fling litter in all directions
    until some of it manages to hit their target, and they keep going back
    and checking it using their little sniffers to determine when it is
    covered sufficiently.  So perhaps .4 has a point, heavily scented
    litter may confuse their sense of smell.  It may be great for us, but
    they probably hate it... (what's that funny smell in my litter box?
    -humans...always pulling something new on me).  The litter I use has a
    mild deodorizer, and I clean the box regularly to help keep odor down
    too. 
    
    Well, it's a thought anyway.
    
    Amy.

        Please remember Lysol can be toxic to cats!!!!! I don't know
    if your cat comes in direct contact with the box or if you have
    a liner, but don't use it where they might come in contact with
    it.
        While anger might definately be the cause, especially if you
    have changed your coming and going habits lately, the litter problem
    could also be it.
         Mine suddenly stopped using the box and I determined that the
    additive "I" thought smelled so nice, did not smell nice to them,
    that was "Litter Fresh". Maybe it does confuse them, or they just
    don't like the smell.  But that was definately a problem with the
    5 lovecats I have now.
                                           Denise
    

    One of the best litters that we have found is called Yesterday's
    News. It is made out of recycled newspaper compressed into tiny
    pellets. It has almost no oder and as the cats use it it absorbs
    the moisture and also the smell. Unfortunately it has become
    increasingly hard to find.
    
    						Geoff