To the rescue: cats and dogs : Litterbox Woes – Part I

To the rescue: cats and dogs

Carol Hawn-Miller and Cindy Liggett are local animal advocates who work to save the lives of homeless cats and dogs. In 2001 they founded Kitty and K-9 Connection, a non-profit rescue/foster/adoption program. In this blog, they will discuss the issues around the numerous homeless cats and dogs in Anchorage, and the process of placement, including animal and human behaviors that lead to success or failure. They are pictured here with Gladys on Carol's knee, Cherri in the middle, and Ambrosia the cat on Cindy's lap.

Contributors

Cindy Liggett

Because she's a "cat person," Cindy concentrates on cat rescues, fosters and adoptions. She faces daily attitudes towards cats as "throw-away pets" and deals with issues regarding "unwanted" cats due to over-population. She has advocated on their behalf for over 20 years and enjoys sharing her knowledge and insights so cats can enjoy their nine lives in the manner they truly deserveas an important member of the family.

Carol Hawn-Miller

Carol loves being the "dog mom" to all kinds and varieties -- small to large; mutts or purebreds. At home she deals with an ever transitional pack as she rescues, fosters and adopts dogs that would not otherwise have a "new leash on life." She has been doing pet rescue for more than 14 years. While loaded with a lap full of dogs, covered in dog hair or accepting K-9 kisses, Carol advocates for permanent, lifetime homes and responsible ownership so rescue will no longer be a necessity.

Multimedia

VIDEO

Spay & Neuter message

Kitty and K-9 Connection is a pet rescue and adoption program. This is their reminder to pet owners to take care of an important matter with their pet to lessen unwanted animals. Video by Brian G. Smith.

VIDEO

First Aid for pets

Robin Newby of the American Red Cross of Alaska teaches pet first aid. In this video of a recent class, she describes the focus and some of the techniques. Find schedules of ongoing classes at "The Red Cross"

Resources

ALASKA LOCAL

USEFUL WEBSITES

Litterbox Woes – Part I

Posted by Cindy

Posted: November 3, 2008 - 2:30 pm

Comments (0) |

Are you having trouble with kitty not using the litterbox? Find out some of the reasons why before you get to the point of dumping kitty at the pound.

The first question normally asked is ‘have your taken your cat to the vet for a check up?” Cats are prone to urinary tract infections just like people are and unfortunately their way of telling you something is wrong is sometimes by not using their litterbox. If the vet has ruled out that possibility, then you move on to other reasons.

One of the most common reasons cats quit using a litterbox is because it is dirty. If you are not scooping at least once daily, then you are not scooping enough. I ask people what they normally do when they go to a public restroom and find the toilet not flushed. Every response I get is “I go to a different stall”. Okay then, why would we expect our furry friends to use a dirty litterbox? In the outdoors, cats don’t use the bathroom in the same place, yet we expect them to use their litterbox every time.

Have you ever noticed your cat(s) watching as you clean out the litterbox and when you are done it’s a race to see who uses it first?

Did you know the rule of thumb is one litterbox per cat plus one? That means if you have two cats, you should have three litterboxes. Of course if I followed that rule, my house would be wall to wall litterboxes, that is why I clean mine out 4-5 times a day.

Did you know that some cats like to pee in one litterbox and poop in the other? I see it all the time at my house.

Stay tuned for more litterbox solutions, and remember….keep those litterboxes clean…daily.

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