Conference misery::feline

	Put the litterbox where he poops......he obviously like the location.


	How close is the litterbox to the food? 

	Cats will not use a litterbox that is close to the food, they like to
	keep eating and pooping well apart.


	Also, clean the area the kitten messed with an enzyme cleaner - even 
	if you can't smell it, they can, and will be attracted back to the 
	same place for a repeat performance.


	Heather

    If he is only 6 weeks...it still might take some time to get him  
    fully litterbox trained.  With kittens sometimes they get so excited
    playing they could care less where the litterbox is.
    
    Once he gets a bit older and if you continue to have this problem
    I would first have the vet check him out and if he does not have any
    medical problems there are many suggestions in this file to help 
    change the behaviour.
    
    Good luck.....
    
    Sandy (who remembers being walked on by kittens with poopy feet)
    

    >>Sandy (who remembers being walked on by kittens with poopy feet)
    
    Me too! At 2am one morning. I had the washing machine going by half
    past - filled with quilt-cover, pillow-case and nightdress. Wouldn't have
    believed that such a tiny, sweet little thing could make so much mess!
                   

    Hi,
    
     I agree about moving the box to the spot where he likes to go.
    I also agree he's still pretty little, and may not have gotten the hang
    of using the box yet. 
    
     I'd also put some of the 'stuff' you have to clean up, in the box, to get
    the smell in there. That may attract him to do it in a spot where he
    can dig and make a mess in other ways! ;-)
    
     OK, mods, where are you? I KNOW this note should be elsewhere! ;-) 
                                                                    
    Love,
    
     Yonee

    Honestly Yonne, it's not!  I've checked.  All of the other "litter box
    problems" notes deal with older cats that have been stressed or disease
    (bladder infections, FUS, worms, etc.).  There's no note about training
    a kitten to use the litter box.
    
    Holly
    

Hi,

I can't believe that I got so many answers in such a short period of time. 
Thank You.  I have a couple of questions.  What is the name of the enzyme
cleaner called and where can I get some?  I think that might be the problem
because I am noticing that he keeps going back to the same spot.  I have brought
Harley to the vet and the vet told me other than the respiratory infection
(which he's now done taking his medicine for) he's healthy.  Fortunately, I
haven;'t had any "accidents" where I have stepped on this or had him step on me.
I have talked to my Mom about this and she also suggested putting some of the
"Stuff" in the litter box.  Can't hurt, right?

I'm sorry that I'm bouncing around, but I'm just trying to address everyone's
questions/suggestions.  I do appreciate the help!

Dawn

P.S.  Harley's kitty box and food aren't near each other at all.  He is part
Siamese...would that have anything to do with his disposition?  I'm a first time
cat owner and trying my best to make sure that I'm doing the right thing.

Thanks again!

    
    My three little kittens are part Siamese and when I took them home at
    age 8 weeks I showed them their box (a small, shallow pan) once and they
    started using it imediately.  They graduated themselves to using the "big
    box" (a full sized, covered litter box) within a week.  There's been
    only one "accident" - I found a small pile of poop a foot away from the
    box, which may have been either an "I can't wait and The Big Cat's in
    there" or a "I'm mad at you because you scolded me so I'll show you".
    
    So, I don't think there's anything special about partly Siamese kittens.
    
    Definitely, "priming" the litter box will help Harley get the idea.
    
    Welcome to the ranks of the cat-owned.
    
    len (and Uncle Merlin and Rocky, Blueberry and Robin).
    

    Holly, Holly, Holly,
    
     Got a new name and forgot everything you knew, huh? KIDDING!!!
    Actually the note I was talking about is number 27 "ELIMINATIVE
    BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS IN CATS"
    
     That sounds like a good one, huh? ;-)
    
    Yonee

Hi,

I think that you may have given me the answer that I need.  I think that I have
a shallow pan that I can use until I get him used to the box.  I also called the
vet and I'm awating his call.  He was supposed to call me back at one with some
more suggestions.  Last night I changed his litter from "Fresh Step" to a litter
that has no "perfume" smell.  I can't remember the name. When I put him in the
box he jumped right back out.  I didn't know if being part Siamese would make
them any different.  Aren't Siamese cats fussy? 

Yonee, I did look at note #27 that you mentioned Eliminating Behavior Problems
in Cats, but I didn't see what I was looking for so i decided to enter my own
note.  Is there a reply in particular that I might have missed that you could
point me to?


Thanks

Dawn

    Dawn,
    
     No, there was no particular note I was referring to. I was sort of
    picking on the moderators, because my notes are always being moved, and
    I was sort of waiting for this string to be moved before I replied, but
    it was never moved, so I replied anyway! ;-) 
    
     The moderators of this file are real good about keeping common strings
    together, but in this case, the note that I thought might be the proper
    one, didn't reference Litter in the title, and so this note gets to
    stay I guess! 8-)
    
     My cats don't like the perfumed kind of litter. I'm glad they don't
    PREFER it, cause my allergy nose really hates it! ;-) Good luck, and
    let us know if the vet comes up with anything we haven't thought of.
    They usually have some obscure, but wonderful solution in their bag of
    tricks!
    
    Yonee

    Yonee,
    
    I swear one day we're going to make you a moderator whether you like
    it or not.  :^)
    
    I'm late getting in here but if Holly hasn't already done it, I'll
    keyword this topic LITTERBOX_TRAINING.  That way we'll cover all 
    bases.      
    
    Jan

    One other suggestion:
    
    Don't stick his nose in it and then put him in the litterbox.  He will
    associate your frustration with the litterbox and it will make him
    afraid of using the box.
    
    Paula

    Hi Jan!
    
     Just trying to be my usual helpful self! Of course I know it's going
    to get me more than I bargained for some day! 8-} ;-)
    
     Now to the note at hand! 8-) I agree witht he noter who said don't rub
    his nose in it and then put him in the box. He will associate the box
    with being punished, and never want to use it! YIKES!!! Also, putting
    the box over the spot he likes to go, along with 'dirtying' the box a
    bit, and showing him how much fun it is to dig dig dig, might help. 8-)
    
    Love,
    
     Yonee

Hi,

Harley is still not using the litterbox and I'm still trying new ways to go
about this.  I spoke to my vet and he suggested that I place Harley in a carrier
with a small litterbox for 24-48 hrs.  He said that he has had to do this to
some very difficult to train cats.  He also suggested making a litterbox out of
newspaper (I have to go down to the vets to learn how to do this).  I haven't
tried eiter one of them becuase I think it sounds pretty drastic, but I'm
tempted to.  I also talked to one of my neighbors who recently got a kitten
(that's boxtrained) and he told me that his mother put the food in the litterbox
so he would get the idea of going there and it worked!  So I think that I;'m
going to try that.  Harley is now confined to my bathroom with his litterbox and
his food. Other than this problem, I love my little furball and he loves his
"momma"!  He sleeps with myself and my SO every night and LOVES to cuddle with
us.  We got Harley a "Turbo Scratcher" yesterday and he loves it (and I do too!)
It so much fun to watch him play.

Well, I will keep you posted as to the success/failure of my continuing kittybox
training and hopefully soon report some progress.


Dawn

    My Black Thunder had major problems when I got her at 3 months of age. 
    She wouldn't go near the litter-box.  I finally figured out the reason
    - she was afraid of it and thought I was punishing her.  I then took a
    brand new box and put fresh litter in and put it in the most obvious
    spot that she was using.  I then got down and played with her in the
    *sand*..  I would take a string and draw it through the *sand* until
    she got in the box.  Then I played *digging games* with her.  It took a
    while but she finally learned the she didn't have to fear the box.  I
    then gradually started moving the box towards the area I actually
    wanted it in.  This took a total of 3 months and she was 6 months old
    before she was totally trained but it worked.  I also put saran wrap
    down where she went originally.  For some reason cats don't like it.  
    Patience is definitly a virtue when dealing with this kind of problem.
    I also used the special products to kill the smell in the carpet.  That
    works too....
    
    Hang in there,
    
    Mom to a multitude of cats (some pure/some stray = all wonderful)
    

    I just happen to get my Cat Fancy Magazine last night and there
    are quite a few articles on Litterbox problems.   I haven't read
    it yet...but if I hear of any new ideas I'll be sure to post them.
    
    Sandy

    My cat Tiffany pees on the rug if I don't fill the pans with CONTROL 
    kitty litter.
    
    It seems every time I either used a coupon to buy a different kind,
    or found one cheaper ... she rebelled and wouldn't use the pans.  I 
    finally realized that SHE preferred CONTROL and now that's all I buy.  
    I also read that cats like their privacy when they go to the bathroom.
    We have two boxes (honest to God, all three pee in one and poop in the
    other) but one I hide behind a partition so I don't invade their
    privacy.
    
    A side note - but funny!  About 3 years ago a new product was
    introduced that "clumped" waste in litter boxes.  It was VERY expensive
    (about $10 a gallon) but the pet store guaranteed me it was great
    stuff. leaving no odor, easy to clean, blah blah blah blah!
    
    Went home and poured the stuff in a new litter pan.  Curious aniamls
    that they are - Tiffany (the dominate one) went in first.  She could
    not stand the feeling of sand between her clawless toes and couldn't get 
    out of there fast enough.  Otis went in next, sniffed then before we
    knew it he was ROLLING in it - and using his paws like shovels at the
    beach.  Sand (litter) was all over the place - he was having a ball.
    
    Needless to say I lost $10 (wasn't enough left to scoop up back in the
    container for a refund) and decided it wasn't for us.
    
    Marilyn
    

    Hi Everyone!
    
    Harley finally wennt in his litterbox!  I was amazed when I woke up this 
    morning and found the he didnt leave "momma" a present on my carpet and
    actually went in his litterbox.  He also used it last night as well.
    I tried moving his box again and it seemed to work (the thing that gets
    me is I moved it to where it currently is before and he could have
    cared less).  My Fiance' thinks that I have lost it!  I gave Harley a
    big hug and lots of kisses and told him how proud I was of him.  I also
    bought him some new toys (he LOVES the bizzy balls with the bells in
    them) and gave him a couple last night to reward him.  Today I think will 
    be the real test.  He's not confined anywhere and I have left his 
    litterbox in his room.  Time will tell.
    
    
    Kittens/Cats are definately a mystery, aren't they?
    
    
    I'll keep you posted!  Thank You for all your help.
    
    
    Dawn
    
    

    Ok, now I'm totally confused! I just wanted to give a little "YEEHAW!"
    about Harley using his box, but didn't want to use the new note that
    was written, cause I knew it would be moved, then I almost couldn't
    find this note again, cause the base note is gone, along with the
    title! Geesh! I'm confused enough most of the time without changing
    stuff on me! ;-)
    
    Anyway, Hopefully, now that he realized how much FUN using the box can
    be, he'll continue to use it! 8-)
    
    Yonee (who has no idea where this note belongs anymore! ;-) )

Hi Yonee,

This morning when I was writing my note I acidentally created a new note.   I
did try to move the new note to where the other one was, but wasn't to
successful.  I will go into again and try to delete the other one.  I'm sorry
for the confusion.  I guess I should stay out of the notes file until I have had
at lest 3-5 cups of coffee.

Take Care

Dawn

    Hi Dawn,
    
     I usually joke with the moderators about how I'm sure they will move
    the note, but this one was too much to resist! ;-) I sort of figured
    that you were trying to move stuff around. That's why I just answered
    in this note anyway. 
    
     Never try to manuever around notes first thing in the morning! 8-} You
    absolutely need the caffiene fix BEFORE you try that stuff! ;-)
    
     Let us know how the kitten did today, when you get home and check the
    results! ;-) (See, that's how I keep stuff from getting moved! ;-) )
    
    Yonee

    Hi Again Yonee,
    
    I can't wait to get home and check on the little fella.  I never
    thought that I could become so attached to my little guy so quickly.
    I was teasing my Fiance' (Bob) last night telling him that when
    Harley's meowing, that he's saying "Mom!"  I don't let him fool me, I
    know that he's attached too.  He just doesn't show it as much as I do.
    I will keep you posted tomorrow.
    
    Take care
    
    Dawn
    

    Hi Everyone,
    
    Harley is finally using his litterbox!  It's been 2 days and I haven't
    had to clean up any little "presents".  That makes me very happy.  I do
    have one question though.  Once he starts using his box frequently, can
    I move it to a different location?  Where it is now is right in the
    middle of the floor, and I would like to put it against the wall to get
    it out of the way.  Any comments/suggestions?
    
    Thanks
    
    Dawn
    

    Hi,
    
     Those weren't 'presents' that was 'stuff'!!!! ;-) Sorry! Couldn't
    resist!
    
     Anyway, I would try moving the box a little at a time, until you have
    it where you want it, so it won't be a drastic move for the little guy.
    I think I've heard that suggested elsewhere in here, although I
    couldn't pinpoint it if I had a gun to my head! 8-) 
    
     Cats don't like change, so if you move the box gradually, it may not
    be as noticeable to the kitten. Worth a try maybe?
    
    Love,
    
     Yonee
          

    
    Since all is fine with him using the box, I say leave
    it where it is!
    
    

    Lynne,
    
     Why doesn't it surprise me that you would say to leave the box in the
    middle of the floor? I'd probably do the same thing myself, but since
    the question came up about not wanting it in the middle of the floor, I
    figured I'd give it a try! 8-) ;-)
    
     Oh well, we FELINERs do think differently, don't we? I love it too!!!
    
    Yonee  (who isn't sure she put enough in this note to keep it from
    being moved! 8-} ) 

Hi,

Things are going well with Harley.  He is having a few "accidents" from time to
time, but for the most part he is still using his litter box.  I am findinng I
have to change it often because if it's the slighest bit dirty, he won't use it
and goes on the floor.  Does anyone else have this problem?  If so, what have
you done to solve it?

Dawn

P.S.  I know that this probably doesn't belong here, but how old does a cat have
to be before you can have him newtered and de-clawed?  

    Dawn,
    
    Neutering should take place between 6 and 9 months, the earlier, the
    better.  Best to have both the neutering and declawing scheduled for the
    same time, so the cat doesn't have to undergo anesthesia (very
    stressful) twice.
    
    Yes, my cats are extremely picky about their litterboxes.  I have 3
    cats and 3 litterboxes!!  The boxes are scooped out twice a day
    minimally, and that includes both solids and liquids.  Try mixing in
    some baking soda after scooping to help make the litter smell fresh
    again.  I change the boxes once per week.
    
    Accidents from the top half are a different story though!  Talk about
    your bullemic cats from hell... I could take out stock in Resolve
    carpet cleaner!  I have begun picking grass from outside and bringing
    it in for them a few times a week, and it has helped a great deal.
    
    -Roberta
    

    My mother's cat, Becky, is VERY fussy! As soon as she has finished her
    "business", she goes in search of my mother and vigorously complains
    until the litter tray is cleared. If she can't find her, she refuses to
    use the tray until it IS clean, preferring to use the floor just short
    of the newspaper on which the tray is positioned, just to make her
    point.
    
    She is one spoilt cat!!

    
    Reading a few notes in another topic that mentioned kittybutts hanging
    over the edge of the litterbox reminded me of this little story from
    when Fargas was a baby, about 7 months old (1990).
    
    He & I lived in an open-plan townhouse in Chicago; I could see the
    litterbox (in the kitchen) from the couch.  One afternoon I was minding
    my own business on the couch when I heard this ...noise... coming from
    the kitchen; kind of like someone had just turned on a faucet. 
    
    I looked up; yep, Fargas had his little kittybutt hanging over the side
    of the litterbox, but worse than that, he was having diarrhea.  Having
    it all over the kitchen floor in a rapidly spreading puddle.
    
    Mind you, I was a novice cat owner.  Foolish me jumped up and shrieked
    "NO!", thinking that would help.  Well, it did, a bit - Fargas stopped
    having diarrhea and leapt out of the box to run away.  Only problem
    was, he landed in the puddle and slipped, all four legs splaying out to
    the sides.  Now he was covered with poops:  all over his feet, inside
    all his legs, his chest, and his stomach.  This didn't stop him.  He
    tried to scramble to his feet, sending splashes far and wide.  Splashes
    on the louvred doors.  Splashes on the wall.  Splashes on me.
    
    He made it out of the kitchen and through the living room (footprints all 
    over the carpet), heading for his favourite hiding spot under my bed.  I 
    caught him before he made the bedroom and scooped him up - poops all
    over my hands.  He wasn't happy with the situation and struggled to get
    away, so I held him closer - poops all over my white t-shirt and face.
    
    What to do?  What to do?  I certainly couldn't let him clean that off
    of himself, could I?
    
    So I scruffed him and held him over the bathtub, hosing him off with
    the hand-held shower sprayer.  He didn't like it.  
    
    I know better than to interfere with litterbox duties now.  If someone
    makes a mistake, I clean it up.  Quietly.  VERY quietly.

  Thanks for the Fargas story -- I laughed out loud (something we all could 
probably use today.)  What a picture!!!!!

			SQ

	Deb, that was too funny!

    I need help.
    
    We have a kitten in the house for the first time in 18 years (that's
    how long Boots lived) and Bits will not pee in his box, he will
    do his other business in there without any bother but when he has to
    pee he heads right for the chesterfield and starts to scratch, getting
    ready to go, several times, that I know of, we have been able to head him 
    off and get him to his box, and he goes there, but I know there must have 
    been times when we were not around he went on the chesterfield.
    
    Why is he doing this?
    
    We have tried using a spray that the Vet said would repel cats but this
    does not seem to work, and even after several weeks of catching him and
    putting him in his box at the right time does not seem to be working.
    
    Boots did have a bit of a problem with her water as she got older and
    may have dribbled a bit, the chesterfield was one of her favorite
    places to nap, could this be the reason Bits is doing this? is he
    trying stake out a place for himself and are we going to have to buy a
    new chesterfield to stop this habit or does somebody have an answer?
    
    joan

    What the heck is a chesterfield :-)
    
    Yes, if it smells of urine (which the cat may be able to smell
    even if you can't) it will re-attract a new cat.  I would not replace
    it with a very similar looking item until this problem is cleared
    up;  however, if you can part with it, I would get rid of it, failing
    that I'd have it deodorized and keep it shut away from the cat for
    awhile.  I'd also get a second litter box, as some cats require two,
    one for urine and one for stools.  Urinating in the wrong place can
    also be a sign of a urinary tract infection, so a trip to the vet is in
    order unless you vet previously ruled this problem out.
    

    Hi Karen,
    
    Sorry "Chesterfield" is an old Canadian name for a sofa (And I am an
    old Canadian) so it would mean rather a large layout of funds to
    replace.
    
    There is no way we can shut it away from him, so the only thing I can
    think of is haul it off to the dump and hope we do not have too many
    visitors until we can afford to replace it.
    
    Thank's for your suggestions tho.
    
    
    joan

    Treat the fabric of the sofa with an enzyme cleaner, available
    at pet stores (can't remember the name of the kind I got... Resolve,
    maybe?).  It neutralizes the urine smell so the spot doesn't keep
    attracting the cat and prompting the behavior.  I don't know how hard
    the psychological habit would be to break, though.  Remove the sofa for
    X weeks after treating?  Confine cat to other room(s) for X weeks and
    in the meantime, move the sofa to another position in the room?
    
    Leslie 

We just had our urine-soaked dining rool subfloor replaced this week (the
perpetrator passed to the Great Beyond of his own accord). Once he got started
peeing there the only way we were able to stop him was to cage or constantly
supervise hime.

						Trace

    Does anyone know how to remove the dark staining cat urine
    leaves on a hardwood floor?  I seem to recall that there
    isn't a way?
    

    
    I think there are bleaches for woods, but that might require you to do the
    whole floor.
    
    I can imagine these conversations taking place in front of someone who
    didn't love cats; you know, "Well, why don't you just get rid of the
    $%^&*s?"
    
    len (surrounded by "evidence" of his love for his cats).
     

  Have you talked with someone at a hardware store (a REAL hardware store with
employees who are knowledgeable and helpful -- not one of those gigantiplex 
builder's emporiums)?  If you can find someone who's older than dirt, you'll
probably get the best advice.

			SQ (who also lives with much evidence of love for cats)

    re: litter box issue
    
    1. make the box more attractive
    
    Try different types of litter. What litter was the kitty using before?
    Our 2 don't react well to litter type changes. Maybe it doesn't like to
    dig in the type you are currently using. 2 boxes is also a good idea.
    Is the position of the litter box convenient? Maybe the little one
    can't make it to the box for a pee? Certainly checking to make sure
    there are no medical reasons, is a good idea. Try putting it in the box
    after it eats.
    
    2. make the couch less attractive
    You do need to get rid of all the smell. We've found that we need to
    really soak an area with the kill-odor stuff, several times, before it
    really seems to work. We may not smell anything, but the kitties still
    do. If there is still smell, they will use the area. If you don't want
    to get rid of the couch, (after the smell is gone) and you can't lock
    the kitty away from it.... 
    	1. move it's food to where it is peeing, they usually won't mess
           where they eat
    	2. try blocking access to the couch using cardboard boxes or some
           such stuff so it is harder for kitty to access it
    	3. If the kitty is peeing on the cushions, put objectionable stuff
    	   on the couch: blown up balloons, aluminum foil, even something
           like a waterproof tarp or plastic garbage bags (then at least it
           you still get pee, it's not going to get to the couch) to foil
    	   the actions.
    	4. squirt kitty with water when it starts the "i'm getting ready to
    	   pee" motion and move it back to the litter box 
    
    Good luck! And yes, isn't it amazing what we do ... I've rehung dining
    room curtains when the end of the curtain on the floor apparently was a
    box alternative. I used to cover the stove with aluminum foil whenever
    we left the house, to prevent/catch kitty pee from a former "psycho
    kitty". An occassional pee spot pushed us to change from carpets to
    hardwood floors. And just recently I was in town on a 1 day layover
    between trips. The bag for the second trip was the first bag still
    partially packed. I left it on the floor while I went to work for 1/2
    day. Came back to find the bag and contents wet from (what I call) an
    attitudenal pee. My first reaction (after YUCK!) was... "well, I
    shouldn't have left it on the floor". Never once in any of these
    incidents have we thought "get rid of the cat", it's always been what
    do WE need to change!  
    
    You gotta love 'em!
    
    janetb.
    owned by Merlin and Rascal

    
    Ah yes, the attitudenal pee 8^).  I got one of those last week - I was
    keeping all three cats inside until Thursday because Othello tends to 
    disappear when vet appointments roll around and Fargas had to have some 
    stitches out.  I kept Pamina in with them so she wouldn't be alone
    outside.
    
    I dropped my clothes in a pile on the bathroom floor Wednesday night
    and when I got up Thursday morning they had been thoroughly peed upon 8^p.
    
    Things are fine now 8^).
    
    

    Well, our training is coming along very well.
    
    Bits now has two boxes, one at each end of the dining room, he only
    uses each one once, then demands to have them cleaned out before he will
    go again.
    
    
    He also decided I WILL play a game of fetch every morning, before I leave
    for work (this is something he dreamed up).
    
    He meets me at the front door every night, follows me to the bedroom,
    yowls outside until I come out, rushes to the backdoor and waits for me
    to put his harness on so he can go out.
    
    He also has Syd doing things for him during the day, which are becoming
    the norm.
    
    
    Yes our training is coming along very well, tyvm :')

    I have a 4-5 month old female kitten (unspayed) who likes to pee on the
    couch right where my wife sits!  Is this an example (my wife thinks) of
    some type of 'female bonding', or, is it a 'comment' directed toward my
    wife about some complaint the cat has?  Can anybody comment on why she
    might be picking this place to pee?  There is a clean litter box
    available in a nearby room. Any ideas on how to get the kitten to STOP
    this behavior?
    
    Tx. Jeff

    I need some help on training an older cat.  We adopted an outside cat,
    actually she adopted us.  The vet estimates that she is between 2-4 
    years old.  She is healthy except that she has round worms.  She won't
    use the litter box.  She seems afraid of it.  she is confined to the
    basement, cement floor, until she can use the box and join the other
    cats.  It appears that she has never been trained at all.  
    
    Any suggestions?  HELP!!!  Will the round worms cause this?  I've
    changed to a lower box, the sides are only a couple inches tall.  I did
    read the note about playing around the box so she isn't afraid.  I'm
    going to try that. 
    
    Any other ideas?
    
    Thanks,
    Lisa Cozzens

    Lisa....
    
    Roundworms can cause diahrea and that might me part of the problem.
    
    One time I took in an old feral cat who had no idea what a litterbox
    was for...so what I had to do is fill it with dirt (oppose to litter)
    until he got use to going in the box.  I slowly started adding more
    litter to the dirt....so he continued to use the box.
    
    Sandy

    Try plain cheap supermarket litter, non-perfumed.  Some cats won't
    use perfumed or fancy litter.  Also try scratching in the box,
    sometimes the sound gives the cat the idea.  Also, the box
    should be some distance from the food and water dishes, I'd say a
    minimum of eight feet.  (That was my mistake when I adopted my first
    cat -- he went all over the place until a light dawned and I moved the
    box away, then, bingo, he used it right away.)
    

    p.s.  Does one of the other cats pounce on her when she tries to use
    the communal litter box?  Perhaps an additional box in a "distant" room
    would help.
    

    Right now she is in the basement by herself.  My other cats needed
    their shots before we introduced them all together.  She hasn't been
    bothered by anyone except my husband, my daughter, and me. 
    
    Lisa

    We have introduced all the cats together and they seem to be doing 
    well with each other with the exception of one cat.  He's a bully
    anyways, even with one of our other cats who has been in the house 
    for six years now. 
    
    Rusty still won't use the litter box.  I do have her paper trained. 
    She will urinate in one spot and poop in another spot, always on the
    paper.  Has anyone tried putting paper in a box instead of litter? 
    I've used litter in a box, no go, I've used outside dirt in a box,
    still no go.  She won't go near it.  The problem I can foresee is that
    my domineering cat has started to pee in the spot she uses, probably
    trying to cover her oder with his own. 
    
    It seems apparent that she has been beaten for pooping/urinating on the
    floor before.  We try to pat her and talk to her when she uses the
    papers, but she cringes, almost like she thinks we are going to hit
    her. 
    
    Thanks,
    Lisa                                   

    I think paper in the box is a good idea;  I think that's
    used in vet hospitals after declawing operations, for example.
    I stay away from my kitties when they use the litter boxes, except
    for quiet effusive(sp?) praise as circumstances warrant :-)  They seem
    to be skittish under those circumstances, presumably because
    in the wild they'd be vulnerable.
    

    My guess is for whatever reason she is afraid of the box.  Could
    your bully kitty have bothered her when she first attempted to
    use the box???   Or for some reason (maybe medical) it hurts to
    pee or poop and she relates the pain the the litterbox.
    
    If you do try the newspaper in the box...is it possible to put
    the box where she was peeing or pooping??   
    
    Sandy
    
    

Some vets use shredded newspaper for all cats all the time, not just for
declaws. You could try that. Another option is dried, shredded corn cobs. Might
try a feed and grain store. Comes in like 50 pound bags. Or your vet/pet store
may carry a commerical product called Yesterday's News. It's recycled newspapers
formed into pellets about the size of rabbit food. Very absorbent. One last,
possibly messier, option is a pan with nothing in it. When our cats wake up from
surgery they get brand new (don't smell like a litter pan) fiberboard litter
trays with no litter of any sort. They will quite happily (for the most part ;-)
use the empty tray.


						Trace

    An update on Rusty.  It has been almost 2 months since we brought her
    in.  She is now litterbox trained, it took a lot of time and we have
    found that if her box is not clean, I mean spotless, she will poop and
    pee on the papers beside the box.  She will not use the box that the
    other cats use, she likes her little corner of the basement. 
    
    One minor complication, she went in to heat one week before Christmas. 
    That was wonderful.  I've never had a cat in heat before.  What noise
    they make. 
    
    Lisa