Conference misery::feline_v1

    You might find that now he's got used to a new place he will keep going
    back to it because of the smell. However well you clean the carpet
    there will probably still be some traces he will recognise & go back
    to.
    I had this problem with Domino when he was a kitten. He took a liking
    to a particular corner of the dining room & nothing I could do would
    get him away from it. Then I thought OK what if I put the litter box on
    the place in question? So I did that for a while & then I started
    moving it a little bit each day until I got it back to where I wanted
    it to be. That worked fine & now hes much older & goes outdoors anyway.
    I also had another, older cat using the litter  box first, but that
    didn't seem to be the problem.
    
    It may be that Kashmere didn't like the new cat litter & now he's got
    used to somewhere else so you can gradually encourage him back using
    your second litter box.
    
    Otherwise you could try - covering that part of the carpet with plastic
    at night or shutting him out of that particular room. Trouble with that
    is he may just find another equally unsuitable place.
    
    Hope you find the answer. In my experience cats are very clean animals
    & don't like to make a mess they can't cover up unless there is a
    really good reason.
    
    Best wishes
    
    Rosemary, Pip & Domino

    Or maybe he liked the new litter?????
    
    Try two litterboxes, one with each type.  Or try two just in
    case he's suddenly decided he doesn't want to share!

    There are a lot of notes int his conference dealign with this problem.
    Those notes are keyworded LITTERBOX_PROBLEMS.
    
    Good luck,
    Deb

    Give your kitten his meals on the exact spot on the dining room carpet.
    Then I guarantee he wont mess there again (you wouldn't do it on your
    dining room table, would you!)
    
    Try earth from the garden instead of litter for a while, I find that
    gets cats used to using a box. 
    
    Dave

    An update on Kashmere.  Today he used his litter box (the second one I
    put back into use) for a solid waste.  However, I don't see any signs
    of urination, though.  
    
    I thank each of you for your suggestions/ideas.  I think that the main
    problem was he did not like the "new" litter which has now been
    replaced with the Agway brand.  And, to make things worse, I didn't
    like that other litter and put baking soda in the litter box which
    I think Kashmere did not like.
    
    Anyway, I have been taking Kashmere into the downstairs bathroom each
    night and showing him the box, gently putting him in the box while I
    pet him and call him a "good boy" and each morning I do the same
    routine in the upstairs bathroom where his litter box is.
    
    I hope that in a few days or so everything will be back to normal.
    
    Regards.
    
    Jo Ann
    

count yourself LUCKY....one time when Marge (roommate) decided to buy
TIDY CAT MC instead of TIDY CAT, HER siamese (OUR siamese most other
times) dropped a "gift" of solid waste ON my waterbed in the middle
of the night - while I was in it....then, the next night she did the
same to Marge's bed.  It is really NOT FUN to wake up, know the sh*t
is somewhere in the room, move and FIND it....with your knee.

Needless to say, Tabby was off to the vets for a thorough blood work-up...
I was up all night cleaning bedding, night clothes, and me...when Marge
spent the next night the same way, and we found out Tabs was healthy, we
changed the litter.  This is not a lesson one is prone to forget.
We drive as far as we HAVE to in order to get TIDY CAT....no more 
experiments in this household.

    I was having this problem as well with Misha.  He wound up having
    a slight bladder infection, which antibiotics seems to be clearing
    up nicely.  Once he was on the medication for a few days, he stopped.
    
    Moving the food dish over the spot didn't help with him - he just
    went in the dish! ;-)
    
    I highly recommend "Nature's Miracle".  It worked quite well taking
    stains and smells out of almost anything.
    
    Mary-Michael

    We went through this for a while and I still don't have it solved.
    Dundee is still not using the box like he's supposed to and I 
    think I'm going to start caging him again.
    
    we've reached an "agreement".  His two favorite spots are in front
    of the litterbox in the diningroom - I now have plastic mats down
    to protect the wood floor so I just pick them up and rinse them
    off - and the bathroom rug, which I throw in the washingmachine.
    I've tried using borax and bleach in the wash (Don't worry, I won't
    get asphixiated) and vinegar on different occasions and either
    I'm not getting the smell out, or the smell has nothing to do with
    his choice of location.  There IS a box in the bathroom and he's 
    very happy to use that for stool.  
    
    He's such a little stinker sometimes!  but I DO love those folds.
      Nancy DC

    re: .8 - Oh don't get me wrong....
    
    Not using the litter box is NOT a trait of Scottish folds ;-)
    just this particular brat

    Some eccentricities just bear living with ;-).  Like storing your
    laundry baskets and empty boxes covered and overturned because
    Misha believes X size + X depth in N locations = litterbox!!
    
    And keeping bags of bows and wrapping paper stored on your
    washer pipes in the basement because Belle like to jump up on
    the ceiling and sleep on the fiberglass insulation!
    
    My mother thinks I'm insane.  
    
    Mary-Michael

    Nancy,
    
    If the bathroom rug has a rubber back, it might just be the rug. 
    Noname, who is extremely fastidious about her litterbox habits, just
    can't pass up "using" a rubber back carpet.
    
    When she comes upstairs, and I forget to pick up the bathroom rug, it's
    a race between her and me to see who gets there first!  ;-)
    
    Thank goodness I usually win!
    
    cin
    

    Thanks for all your support and suggestions.  Last night Kashmere
    reverted back to using the dining room carpet for his solid waste but
    he used the litter box for urination.  I believe he doesn't like the
    litter.  He seems to prefer this litter over the horrible stuff we had
    the last time, but he doesn't cover his business, in fact, he won't
    even stand in the box.  Instead, he kind of straddles the box with
    three of his four feet on the lid of the box.  Then when he is done
    doing his business, he scratches at the WALL (really, Kashmere!).
    
    Anyhow, when we got Kashmere the previous owner used Johnny Cat (which
    I don't like because it makes such as mess and my other cat, Oscar, is
    a total slob -- his nickname around the house is Oscar Madison or O.M.
    for short!!).  
    
    I think what we are going to do, though, is put Johnny Cat or Tidy Cat
    MC in Kashmere's box and continue to use the Agway stuff in Oscar's
    box.  I am hoping that this will not only keep at least one bathroom
    semi-clean, but also will discourage Oscar from using BOTH boxes.
    
    Thanks again!
    
    Jo Ann
    

    re: .11  It is a rubber backed rug.  Interesting.  Actually, now that
    the kittens have been allowed free run of the upstairs some of them
    have taken to sleeping on that rug (Its been washed, of course) and
    Dundee hasn't used it since that happened.
      He likes the kittens.

I'm entering this in for a fellow co-worker, since he doesn't
"frequent" this notesfile!

He's had his cat, Moonpie, for 14 years.  About 3-4 months ago, Moonpie
started acting lethargic, and using the floor for pooping, but still 
urinating in the litterbox.  He took her to the vets and discovered
that she was diabetic.  Well, they finally have her with the correct
dosages of insulin.  However, even though she is eating, playing, and
"almost" acting like her old self, she's now not only pooping on the
floor, but urinating as well.  He hasn't changed he brand of litter,
nor food, (since she was doing this before being diagnosed, that
didn't seem to be the problem) or living area.  No new pets have been
added, nothing new in the house.  I covered with him everything that
could cause the cat to be upset.  He still thinks there is something
wrong with her.  He's giving it another week, and then deciding whether
or not to have her put down.  

Well, I'm writing this note, cause I'm trying to prevent her from
being put down.  From what I'm hearing from him (the co-worker), Moonpie
seems fine, except she's not using her litterbox anymore.  Does
anyone have any ideas as to why she still may not be using the litter-
box? The only thing I can think of is that there is something else
wrong with her -- possibly old age. She is also an indoor/outdoor
cat.

Thanks for any help you can give Moonpie.

Cheryl, Charlie, Shanti & Gracie

    I suggest he takes her back to the vet for another check. Also make
    sure the floor where she has "performed" is cleaned well with an enzyme
    cleaner to get rid of the smell.
    
    Keep us informed of her progress, good luck!
    
    Lisa.
    

He said that he's been cleaning the area with lysol. I told him to try
bleach (it's a concrete floor).  He says he's going to give it another
week.

Will keep you informed. Thanks for the suggestions!
Cheryl (Charlie, Shanti & Gracie)

    Couple of things,
    
    Make sure that he knows not to pour liquid bleach on a pubble of cat
    urine.  Can cause some nasty fumes and be harmful to his health as well
    as the cat's.
    
    The cat is probably still not feeling like her old self, and maybe she
    knows that she is sick, and that is why she is doing this.  It is hard
    to say.
    
    The other thing is that it may have become such a habit during her
    illness that she now keeps doing it.
    
    I would run her into the vet though, since she told him about the
    diabetes by pooping on the floor originally.  Maybe she is trying to
    tell him that something else is wrong now.  Or, maybe the litter box is
    too far away for her now that she is getting older and feeling sickly
    and she is trying to tell him that she just can't make it that far
    anymore.  I think that adjustments have to be made when our cats start
    hitting old age.
    
    Jo

    Have him try Nature's Miracle or Outright .....they are enzyme
    neutralizing products which will neutralize the smell and the cat
    won't be interested in using the spot anymore.
    

once the spot has been cleaned with a cleaner designed to eradicate pet
smells, MOVE THE CAT BOX TO THE AREA SHE IS USING AS A CAT BOX.  This will
deal with her "habit" of using that spot.  With the box right there, she
will probably use the box...once she is back into the habit of using the box,
move it back to the desired location, a few feet a day, until it is in the
desired locale.

I strongly agree that another visit to the vet is also a good idea...if no
health problems exists, the habit can be corrected once the smell is gone
and the cat box is made more convenient.

He said Moonpie is pooping within 3-6" of the current litterbox!
Basically, she's going around in,  not in it! I told him possibly
to try a different litter -- just plain litter, nothing fancy.

Hopefully, maybe, when he cleans the area better, she "might" use
the litterbox.

C'mon Moonpie! Fight this battle!

Cheryl, Charlie, Shanti & Gracie

    Not Lysol, which is not only poisonous to cats, but less
    effective than something like Nature's Miracle in removing the
    smell.
    
    He hasn't changed the litter type, has he?
    
    Can the cat get over the edge of the box?  Has the diabetes
    affected it's muscle control?
    
    He really needs to work with the vet on identifying this problem.
    

    Lysol is not going to be effected becuase, while it is poisonous to cats
    but does kill germs, it is just covering up the odor. You need to
    neutralize it. While an enzymatic cleaner is best, they will take a few
    days to fully work. What I find best is to clean up the mess with white
    vinigar which will neutraize the urine oder so that the cat won't be
    drawn to it (also, cats aren't fond of vinegar oder), and then later
    treat it with an enzyme. A diluted solution of bleach (1:32) will be
    effecive in killing germs, but again, not fully eliminating the oder.
    
    Deb

    Its possible that the urination out of the box is due to a health
    problem unrelated to the diabetes - like a urinary track infection.
    I agree that another trip to the vet's is in order.
    
    I had some trouble with Dundee peeing right in front of the box
    on the wood floor.  I put down a rubber mat and got better about
    changing the box more frequently.  Now if I do miss and he goes
    in front of the box its on the rubber mat which is very easy to
    clean.  It also prevents damage to the wood floor.
      Nancy

    I agree with Deb.  Vinegar works great.  It is an old standby I learned
    from my mom when growing up.  The cats hate the smell, and it
    neutralizes the odor.  A good product I use afterwards is No Stain
    Carpet Stain Remover.  I wish I could remember the manufacturer's name
    :^) !!  It is clear in color and lifts the stains right out of the
    carpet, while neutralizing odors simultaneously.  I have seen it
    stocked in pet supply stores; however, I order it in qty. at a discount
    price from Cherrybrook Wholesale in NJ.  This stuff kind of smells like
    vinegar too.
    

    i bought a cheap bathroom carpet from Sears, cut it in half, and
    put half under the litter box.  Now if they miss or go outside the
    box or scatter litter, the carpet traps it and its rubber
    backing protects the floor.  I cut a large carpet in half
    because that's the only way I could get a chunk several feet on a 
    side.  Gives me a spare when the other half is going thru the 
    washing machine (shake out the loose litter first in the backyard.)