I may be nuts, but

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Pam and Stasha (GA)

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I am considering replacing the litter boxes with one of those hard plastic child's swimming pools. My Abby has always had a problem keeping it (urine) in the box. She starts out squatting and then gradually stands up and it goes over the side. I've tried large boxes, putting the boxes in water heater pans, using pads all over the floor (which has helped a little). The outcome still ends up the same. Seems crazy, but I don't know what else to do-it's driving me crazy! Any other suggestions? Thanks!
Pam and Stasha
 
But what's to prevent Abby from going at the very edge of the swimming pool anyway? :razz:

Meowzi never goes in the middle of the box. She always goes against one of the sides. Inevitably, with her bad arthritis, i.e. can't squat very low, this will mean sometimes going over the side of the box, esp when I fill the box too full with litter. This morning I was crawling around sniffing the carpet again, b/c something smelled really bad. Then I lifted the litter box, and there it was! Luckily, we have defensive measures: a storage-bin lid under the litterbox, and then a poochpad under that. It's not fail-safe, and cleaning the lid is still a pain, but so far it's worked, i.e. the carpets have stayed safe *ANTIJINX* (and I just got done cleaning the lid again - about 15 mins ago!)

Hi, Pam :) Hope Stasha's doing well!
 
Hi Pam.

I used to use the baby swimming pools when I had places large enough for them. But then DH moved in and space got tight.

I took a suggestion from Dr. Lisa's litter page and now use the concrete mixing trays. They are larger than even large litter boxes, aren't too much taller than litter boxes, and they are incredibly cheap (like $4 to $5 each). And being rectangular, they use space much more effectively than the round swimming pools. You can get them at Home Depot or Lowes, either in the same area you get concrete mix or in the lumber area.

V
 
I use plexi glass, cut to fit for height and width and they are behind the litter boxes to protect the walls. I also use human super size incontinent pads under the boxes....Purrsmore is known to start out sitting and end up standing.
 
Stasha is doing well. She just had a dental and is still a little "off" from that. But at 18, she's doing pretty good.

You're all doing pretty much what I do and have tried. I'm glad to know (or not because I don't wish it on anyone) Abby isn't the only one. Fortunately, I do have a large space so I can try the pool.....
Pam and Stasha
 
I use a very large tall sterlite, or similar, storage box. wheezer does the exact same thing and with this one, he is right near the top at times. have not found anything higher. they all tend to go to the sides to P.this was the only thing that works for us. tried covered ones and it just gets between lid and lower portion and runs down outside of box or collects in the lip portion where the top and bottom meet
hope this helps.


 
What about the covered ones?

Odie does the same thing and we now use a covered litterbox ... and as someone mentioned, pee does get in the seam between the cover and bottom parts, but for the most part it works for us. I just have to wash it out.
 
We use big plastic totes too =) I just cut a door in the front big enough for the fattest cat to get through and leave the rim intact all the way around so we can still put the lid on. It works perfectly, nice high sides for leaners and if you cut the doorway carefully enough you don't get too much litter outside the box, plus it's big enough for even the biggest one to get in and turn around. He couldn't do that with real litter boxes. I tried doors on either end, sort of entrance and exit but the beans weren't very happy with it because scooping was a PITA so we pitched that one and went back to a single door on the front.
 
I had the same problem with one of mine (arthritis and stroke). We also have plexiglass to protect the walls and pads underneath to catch whatever hits the wall. I really like the mega litterbox from Petco:

http://www.petco.com/product/108493/PET ... r-Box.aspx

It's a little lower on one side so I put a boot tray there that holds anything that goes over the edge. Still have to clean that but it does keep the pee from spreading under the box.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. Last night I watched her step into the litter box and not even bother to squat-everything went on the floor. Never had problems when I could let my cats outside-not these cats, of course. Back in the old days...
 
Near the end, Shadow wouldn't even #1 in the litter box. She'd #2 in there, but that was it. We just kept a layer of puppy training pads on the floor where she kept going on the carpet and that's what worked for us (expensive, though!). Before she got that bad, when she would still go in the box, she'd get in, butt hanging over the side, and #1 on the floor. So that's when we started putting the puppy training pads on the floor under her box to soak up the inevitable mess.

Hope you find something that works! I know it was very frustrating for us and the carpet in our hallway was just completely ruined before we found a solution that "worked" most of the time.

Vicci
 
if your nuts, I'll be there when you show up since I have two of them for my eight cats.

I have a stander too. My cats generally gravitate to the sides and my stander will pee on the sides of the pools, and yes, occasionally 'colors outside the lines'.

I love the pools - although my hubby who has scooping duty might tell you differently, but then again he hasn't suggested going back to 10 boxes..

Connie
 
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