We still haven't received the Kitty Prozac from the vet but it should be here today. Yesterday we made a visit to PetSmart in Peoria. We're trying to discover the reason that sometimes she uses the cat box and sometimes she goes right next to it. Litter problems? Size of the box? Depth of the box? Depth of the litter? Stress? We purchased two large disposable cat boxes with high sides and an XL plastic cat box. Lots of room in that puppy.
We put the large waterproofed pad in the living room where she likes to potty and arranged the three boxes (one box has been here for several weeks - sometimes she uses it, sometimes she goes right next to it) From left to right:
Box number 1: disposable with high sides and a corn litter in it. This litter has a high fragrance and it's the litter my husband likes the best - no dust, clumps really well and the only odor is the litter, but my husband isn't the one I'm trying to retrain.. It's a little more expensive and our last cat used it with no problems.
Box Number 2: disposable box with a sand litter in it. Very fine, very dusty, very cheap, it's the one my husband likes the least.
Box Number 3: extra large plastic box with her usual Arm and Hammer no fragrance clumping litter in it and fairly low sides.
In order to tell which box she's been in, we smoothed the litter in all three boxes. I hadn't finished smoothing Box Number 3 before she was peeing in it. A good sign to be sure.
This morning (Tuesday morning), I checked the boxes. All three had paw prints in them so she had at least been in them. Box Number 1 was empty, just paw prints. Box Number 2 had a small amount of poop in it (when she poops on the waterproof pad she poops big). Box Number 3 had several clumps of pee in it. We're going to keep all three boxes in place, checking, cleaning and smoothing them three times a day for a couple of weeks. Having three cat boxes in our living room isn't a solution I like but if we can't alter her bathroom habits, the alternative isn't looking good. Carl is very tender-hearted and would hate to see her go back to the shelter but he also doesn't want our entire house smelling like a cat box. I'm a little more understanding - I know where she's been emotionally and I'm willing to clean up messes until we solve this problem.
Our course of action:
1. Leave these boxes in place for several weeks and monitor closely.
2. If that doesn't work, we'll start the meds and continue #1 for several weeks.
3. If that doesn't work, we'll continue the meds and lock her in my craft room with her food and cat box. I spend a lot of time in there and she has a shelf next to the window.
4. If that doesn't work, we're at a loss.
She's just discovered a new place to sleep - my big yellow corduroy chair in the family room. Ironic since she used this chair as her first inappropriate potty place and I had to have the cushion cleaned three times. We removed the cushion and put down a waterproof pad under the cushion, over the arms and up the back. If she uses it again, it will just be the cushion we need to have cleaned, not the chair itself. I think that she won't use it again because she's sleeping there. I will give that a few more weeks and remove the water proof pad. We've already removed the pad on my husband's chair but one remains on the couch. My fingers are crossed that we can solve this problem. I can't imagine not being able to give her belly rubs.
