Conference misery::feline_v1

    
    You may not have a problem at all.  When he finds the litterbox, he
    is likely to know what it is for.  If he doesn't, here are some
    potential fixes for problems:  (1)  not enough litterboxes for the
    number of cats (add more litterboxes) (2) if he is still weak, he
    may not want o walk to wherever the litterrboxes are so instead go
    wherever he is (temp. extra litterboxes around the house), (3) he
    may object to perfumed litter if that's what you use (change to a
    non-perfumed kind).
    
    If his current sickness is a urinary tract infection, he may still
    he uncomfortable while he is recovering;  going outside the box
    is a classic symptom of that.
    
    p.s.  My Little Bit used the litter box first thing when he became an 
    indoor cat and has never gone elsewhere.  I know he never saw a litter
    box before in his life, because some ^&%%$^$#%%$ dumped him in our
    neighboorhood when he was a kitten.
    

    p.p.s.  if he does go outside the box, use Nature's Miracle or some
    similar enzyme product to remove the smell, or he'll be attracted to
    that area again.
    

    
    I took in a feral, and managed to get this critter to use a litter
    box in a few days. I just used a box with litter in it, and he didn't
    use it at first, but would drop a load in exactly the same spot each
    time, so after cleaning up that one, put the litter box in that exact
    spot. Voila, kitty uses box ever since. Kitty has been in an unused
    bedroom since we adopted him, so couldn't roam around and drop loads
    anywhere in the house, just in this room (without carpet, except a
    2 x 3' piece on floor).
    
    This is my experience, your mileage may vary...
    
    FWIW,
    
    Fred

    I brought inside two barn kittens.  One took to the box in minutes,
    the other chose a spot and ignored the litterbox.  I moved the
    litterbox to the "chosen" spot, and he started to use the box
    from then on.  Maybe the smell of the other kitten (his brother)
    helped in him catching on to using the box.  Try baiting the box
    with another cat's poop.  This might help.  
    
    Lynne

    His short stay at the vets may be all that is needed.  He is probably
    caged with a box right now.  That's all it took for my feral cat
    to figure it out. 
    
    				Mary 

    The best idea is to confine the cat to an area that has no other
    spots for digging other than the  litter box.  Cat beds, and carpet
    are diggable.  I find the best idea is to confine the cat to a bedroom
    without carpet or soft furnishings and with a litter box, or put
    them in a tokyo cage.  It is instinctual for cats to want to bury
    their business.  Especially a former outdoor cat.  So, he should
    take to the box.  
    
    If that doesn't work, you will have to get more extreme.  You may
    want to cage him for a week or so.  Caging a cat works in much the
    same way as crating a dog.  They are put in a space that allows
    only so much room for sleeping, eating, etc, and a specific place
    for doing their business.  The theory is that he won't was to do
    his business where he will later have to eat and sleep.    The most
    important thing to do when caging him is to give him lots of love
    and atttention (it shouldn't be a prison type situation), and praise
    the heck out of him for using the box when he does.
    
    Good luck,
    
    Jo

    
    	Please contact me at NRADM::CONGER about adopting this
    	kitty....
    
    	Thanks,
    	Sherry
    

    Black Thunder gave me a *royal problem* when we first brought her home. 
    She definitely would *not* use the cat boxes (3 of them).  I even tried
    putting the cat box where she was going.  It seems she thought of the
    cat box as a *punishment* for messing on the floor.  I had to
    *re-arrange* my thinking.  I got a new cat box and put it in the area
    where she was going.  I would get down on the floor and *play* in the
    sand (clean of course).  I would take a string and run it through the
    sand.  Once Thunder was in the box itself, I would praise her and show
    her how to *play* in the sand.  Eventually she got the idea.  I also
    used the aluminum foil treatment.  That worked too.  It took a lot of
    patience, but she was/is definitely worth it.  She still makes a
    mistake once in a while and she does get scolded, but 95% of the time,
    she is a *good girl*.
    
    Hopefully you won't have the same problem.  I thought all cats knew
    what a cat box was for.  Now I know better.
    
    Sandi, Thunder's mom
    
    

    well here is what happened...
    
    He must have "learned" while he was at the vets for those 4 days.
    He didn't go at all last evening or night, but this morning when
    I opened the door to his room I instantly knew he had used the box.
    Hope he continues, otherwise I will use the suggestions offered
    here- for which I want to thank eveyone.
    
    But he still has that smell of an unneutered male, but that will
    start to be resolved next Tuesday when he makes his visit for 
    neutering.  
    
    I loaded up his box with baking soda, but have a feeling I will
    need to pick up some Nature's Miracle today. This morning I had
    to open a window and put the fan in it to air the room out. What
    a smell! The loss of heat was worth getting rid of the smell.  
    
    He is such a sweetheart tho, he's so cuddly and always purring when
    petted. I cannot let him out with my other cats because he may still 
    be contagious (he is on Clavamox for a week) and could give my cats 
    whatever infection he has. Also I have a FeLV+ cat who would be very 
    suceptible to infections, but also don't want him near my Felv cat for 
    his own protection (since he hasn't received his FeLV shots). So he 
    stays in a bedroom with a couple windows and a bed with fluffy covers.
    
    He wasn't so great last night tho- he wanted out to roam. I thought
    he was going to tear down the venitian blinds (he did take down
    the curtains and bend a curtain rod). 
    
    I really like this little guy and would love to keep him. I used to 
    act as a "foster mom" for the humane society cats (the ones that
    needed medical care)- but I stopped after a while because I would 
    either end up adopting them myself or getting all emotional when I 
    finally brought them to the shelter.  
                                
    Anyway,.... I thought I would just update my base note. And thanks
    again to everyone.
    
    Pat
                                         

    It may take a while after neutering for the male smell to go out
    of his urine.  It won't happen over night. Just wanted you to be
    prepared for that.  I use covered litter boxes since whole males
    tend to stand up when they go, and they can spray on anything within
    reach, even though they are standing in the box.  Then, I scrub
    the plastic cover of the box out with Nolvasan (a disinfectant)
    a couple times a week.  We also have a ceiling fan in the room,
    and I leave the window open about an inch.
    
    I also have to raise the mini blinds about a foot since Kalliste
    will go through them to get to the window, and that bends them out
    in all different directions.  
    
    I am still waiting for my Ozium dispenser to arrive.  I ordered
    it last week from Haddleigh House, and UPS left a note yesterday
    saying to leave them a check and they will deliver it today.  Hope
    Ken remembered to leave the check this morning.
    
    Jo

    All five of our feral adoptees use the box religiously.
    
    If his stool is extreemly smelly he probably has worms.  Make arrange-
    ments to worm him for Roundworms and whatever else may be found in
    his stool.
      Nancy DC

    I just had to share this with you all.. as most of you know , thanks to
    Cin Gerry, Happy has her baby.. tee-hee..and for most of you that do
    not know.. Pookie has "taken over the baby".. sigh.. she is very
    maternal towards Precious.. and she is very patient with her...
    and every one  has there own "powder-room".. well the other nite
    HRH was in her Powderroom.. and Precious was wandering thru.. I looked
    over .. cuz I heard kitty noises.. (read Happy LAUGHING).. AND LOA ND
    BEHOLD
    .... thats right Precious was in  	Pookies Powderoom" with her.. and
    Happy was looking in watchinhg , Pookie decide how she was going to
    handle this.. Precious came out.. Pookie wnet sailing past her,, Happy
     in hot pursuit of Happy.. talking a bluestreak.. Precious right behind
    them.. saying.. well whats the big deal.. I had to go potty, yours was
    closwer,,
    I am just a BABY you know.. geesh..wow Happy.. so that is what Pookie
    looks like when she get "uptight".. sigh.. Hey Cin.. like we said
    she is definitley Happys baby.. .. last nite she was sitting on the
    hhood of the litter box(Happy's).. Happy came out.. she jumped her..
    and the chase was on.. they ran into Pookie who shut down the fun
    and games.. and nudged Precious over towards her and BOPPED Happy
    a good one.. sigh.. tee-hee. more later.
    Kate, Pookie, Happy, Precious..

    I *think* I might have asked this before, but I neglected to save
    the notes replying if I did, so here goes again---
    
    My female cat has a problem of going outside the litter box.  She
    also uses the litter box, but seems to decide that other spots on
    the carpet are good for peeing.
    
    Are the suggestions for litter box training good for RE-litter box
    training?  I am moving into a very clean old house and do not (and
    cannot) have my cats peeing on the rug.  I know urinary tract infection
    is one reason why cats might break training, stress is another (there
    are five cats in the house now, three are mine, the house is my
    Moms), but she has a couple of litterboxes which she keeps clean.
    
    Is two litter boxes not enough for three cats?  What else should
    I look for/try to do other than to get her checked for possible
    infection?
    
    Thanks in advance.
    
    ---kim

    I would try having a separate box for her.  Maybe she doesn't like
    sharing.  Also, if she starts having a problem when she arrives,
    confine her to a small room with her box, her food and water and
    her bed.  This will reinforce that it is the box she should use,
    not the carpet.
    
    Jo

    Hey Jo, I"d be in real trouble if any of my kids didn't like sharing
    !!!  It's amazing how different whole cats are than alters.
    
    E.

    I would be too!  But, I currently have 14 litter boxes, 9 Birman
    adults, 7 Birman kittens, and 3 household pets.  I don't have room
    for anymore litter boxes.
    
    Last night, Ken was scooping litter boxes and lifted the lid of
    a covered one to find Mirabel inside.  This freaked her out, and
    she dashed out of the box.  Ken felt bad, so he went after her,
    explaining to me what had happened.  Mirabel ran from Ken and hopped
    into my lap.  I told Ken it was quite obvious to me that she was
    embarrassed.  He had disturbed her "toilet".  Hope this doesn't
    mean that she will be too nervous to use covered boxes again.
    :^)
    
    Jo