Advice / Help with cat problem
The Blind Eternities forum
Posted on Sept. 19, 2022, 8:56 a.m. by TypicalTimmy
Hello :3
TLDR - I have a 4 or 5 year old kitty named Sweetpea. She is OCD and insanely intelligent.
She will separate her poo and pee into different sides of her box, she recognizes her own name, she knows the names of her stuffed animals (If you ask her to get Butters, she will), knows how to open doors, etc.
I got her a new litter box a month ago, but she refused to use it. She picked a spot on the rug, so I moved it there. I've gotten her fresh litter, including the $30 Scent Attract litter.
I've done positive reinforcement such as brushing her next to it, giving her treats and cat nip, playing with her, setting her inside it and petting her, showing her that her own poo and pee is in it after I place them.
But she refused to use it. It's even larger than her old one so space isn't an issue.
Same cat litter. She actually rejects litters that isn't her preferred type.
I've owned several cats over my 33 years, but I've never had one as stubborn as her.
Any advice on how I can get her to use her box?
Give her time she'll come around. Also reddit r/cats is helpful for cat advice
September 19, 2022 9:40 a.m.
So I've got a cat who's actually pretty similar. Penguin will only pee in the front of the box, is very particular about things, and is overall far too intelligent for his own good.
What my wife and I have done has been a couple of things. While I don't like punishment, we have utilized the strategy suggested by Delphen7 for when messes occur outside of the box. Additionally, we have a large mat for in front of the box to help contain litter spills, as well as to act as a kind of mess deflection so that if they do poop etc. they're at least less likely to do it on something that we can't clean. The cats themselves have seemed to like it to wipe their paws off when they exit the box anyway.
Lastly I have a question, is the box enclosed or open top, and have you experimented with taking the top off if the box will allow it? Since the box is effectively a new environment, making slight changes to the environment might affect your cats preferences.
Good luck out there!
September 19, 2022 10:53 a.m.
You probably will also want to get an enzyme spray that cleans and breaks down the chemicals which give cat waste smells. Cats are creatures of habit and will continue to use the same location for their business if it still smells like their spot. Simply cleaning the area will not always be sufficient - an enzyme spray (found at most pet stores), will work on the microscopic level to remove the scent markers from their spot.
September 19, 2022 1:03 p.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #6
Closed top, but for the purposes of helping her feel comfortable I took the lid off.
She has used it a few times, but mostly goes next to it and I have to pick her poo up and place it in there. As for her pee, I've soaked it into napkins and placed those in the box so her smell goes in with it.
Caerwyn, I do have a spray from Pet Smart but perhaps it's the wrong one because she continues to go on the corner of the rug, regardless of the sprays. So I moved the box there, since that's her "spot". But she just goes next to it, not in it.
I've gotten her curious. She will smell the box and come when called to it. She just doesn't use it.
September 19, 2022 1:06 p.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #7
I came home from work just now and she ran up to greet me. I sat next to her box and, of course, fresh droppings.
Called her over and she followed because she's my good girl ^_^
I gave her brushes as I showed her the poo. She looked at it, at her cat box (attention locked on it for 2 or 3 seconds) and then at me and started purring.
I'm beginning to suspect she knows exactly what she's doing and finds it funny. The little shit.
I'll tell you. This damn cat figured out she can sit on me to wake me up. She will sit down on whatever part of my chest or shoulder she can when I am asleep, and she situates herself to put her tail in my face. And if I don't wake up, I swear to God she scoots back. I'll play with her and will cover my face up with my blanket to keep her from hitting me with her tail, and she will just scoot back until she sits on my head.
The little monster.
But I get her back. I'll scoop her up as my ball of fluff n stuff and tip her upsidedown, or sometimes I'll play Snake and use my hand and arm like a snake and attack her. She then wrestles the "snake" to the ground and bites gently and puts her legs on my arm like she's about to start kicking (as cats do when they fight), but never does. We both know it's just a game.
Oh! But Butters is her stuffed giraffe toy. We named it butters because it's orange is more of a butterscotch. So his name is Butterscotch, or Butters for short. If you ask her "WHERE'S BUTTERS??" she gets excited and goes looking. She will even bring him to you T_T
And when I said she knows how to open doors, she understands what a door knob is. She will stretch up to it and pull on it. She can't open the door, but she recognizes what does actually open it. What she can do, however, is lay down and slide her paw beneath the door and shake it until it opens. 100 year old home with original doors, so they don't latch firmly. She can also push a door open, too.
She's likely a pure bred Tuxedo cat, which were bred specifically for their intelligence. Apparently the average Tuxedo cat is 200% more intelligent than the average among all other compiled domestic cat breeds. Well, I believe Sweetpea is on the higher end of her own spectrum. Given she knows simple objects and names, she has the intelligence of maybe a 2 or 3 year old Human child.
As a cat.
Anyway, I now suspect she's doing this on purpose, as a game.
September 19, 2022 5:57 p.m. Edited.
TheOfficialCreator says... #8
Heres what my best friend said; they foster cats.
"Interesting, not using the litter box in my experience has been because of Territory issues, like they don't like that box or where the box is, or sometimes if the cat has a uti (urinary tract infection) then they'll pee on other things to get your attention, other then that I'm not sure"
September 19, 2022 7:42 p.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #9
When I got her the new box, to help acclimate her, I kept the old box near by.
I watched her, I swear to God I watched her do this.
She went potty and tried to bury it. She didn't like how it buried in the new box.
She picked it up, went into her old one, and buried it in there.
I recorded her doing it on my phone.
She's far too intelligent for a cat.
September 19, 2022 7:55 p.m.
TheOfficialCreator says... #10
Cats are some of the most bizarre animals alive I swear XD
September 19, 2022 9:16 p.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #11
My old cat, Dusty, loved blueberries and would eat blueberry muffins.
Fluffy would chew caps off of markers to get high. She got stoned all the time.
Sweetpea organizes her poop.
This is why I am a cat daddy. Dogs are great and wonderful, don't get me wrong. But cats have true personality.
September 19, 2022 9:37 p.m. Edited.
We have four cats.
When we get a new box, we pour in some litter from one of the other boxes. This lets the cats know it is theirs, and safe to use. I'd suggest scooping some of her feces and urine into the new box, in the same way she prefers to use her old box.
September 19, 2022 9:47 p.m.
This might be a stupid suggestion but it sounds like she was using her old box fairly well - perhaps just go back to using that old box?
September 20, 2022 2:34 a.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #14
Her old box is in the landfill.
It's been about five weeks. I didn't post this a day or two after her problems began.
In a week or two I'm dropping her off at the shelter. I'm done. Literally 100% of all advice I've received online and in person has failed, as have 100% of all products recommended to me.
September 26, 2022 9:02 p.m.
Did you try putting her in a cage with the litter box?
September 27, 2022 6:05 a.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #16
No, that one I haven't heard of trying.
A friend of mine asked me if she attempts to bury her droppings on the carpet and I said no, she does not. So my friend suggested she may be in heat. She said it is highly abnormal for a cat to not attempt to bury her droppings, as it helps mask their scent. The only reason a cat, especially a female, would purposefully not bury them is if she is attempting to have a male cat smell her out for courtship.
So, where I live, getting an adult female cat fixed is about $500. Guess I'll schedule an appointment and see?
September 27, 2022 7:32 a.m.
Getting her spayed is a good idea regardless. I would check with your local humane societies to see if any are holding spay and neuter appointments; the only catch here is that there are often limited availabilities. Shelters can either do the procedure on a sliding scale depending on your financial situation, offer large blanket discounts, or simply do the procedure for free (or for a handful of high-need shelter items like blankets, animal beds, or food).
September 27, 2022 9:16 a.m.
TheOfficialCreator says... #18
Yeah, what EnbyGolem said. That cost seems very high to be honest, so checking with your local humane societies would be a good idea. They can usually offer reduced prices.
September 27, 2022 9:33 a.m.
I work with a cat rescue and 500 beans is an absolutely absurd price for a spay. At most it should be $200
Delphen7 says... #2
Not sure if it's the style of treatment you want, but I remember my father would grab our cat, stick his nose pretty hard in the mess, then drop him in the litterbox. He stopped after like 3 times
September 19, 2022 9:11 a.m.