Should I take this cutie home? Cat Litter box issue question too...

Sooo, as many of you guys know I lost both my cats in 2020, months apart, and now the house feels so empty without a ball of purring fur around. I am VERY hesitant to get another cat because one of my last cats had litter box issues, and it was not fun to try and clean up the mess.

How many of you have cats that regularly go in the litter box with zero issues, or the opposite?

I found a REALLY adorable calico up for adoption and she seems very mellow, but as stated above I am worried about bringing another cat into the house. She would be a solo cat so I know the risk of spraying etc is much lower. What are your thoughts? I have included a picture, which isn't that great because it was through Plexiglas, but just so you to can see the adorableness. I will meet her in person this week coming. They are estimating she is about 4 years old, she was found outside trying to survive off some lady's bird feeder.

-T

 

Litter box issues or not, if she's calling to you, you will put up with any issues she has and love her regardless.

I say go for it. You know you want her. Giver her the best life possible and she'll be awesome.

Our first dog went blind early, second one was born with hip displactia (spelling) and got cancer later on and she couldn't control her bladder from day 1 (likely due to hips) and we loved her and dealt with any issues for 13y and wouldn't have had it any other way.

Every dog or cat will have something kooky about them....we just learn to love them for it, regardless.

 

I would go for it. Only litter box issues mine has is if box is too dirty. I caught her going on bath mat once or twice. Not a biggie to just throw it in wash.

 

If you are even considering, she must already have your heart...

I definitely understand the frustration of litter pan issues, but the love in return is so worth it. One of our current cats is my first cat with litter pan issues out of the many I've owned over the years (even my cat with no eyes is great with the litter box!!). Most are great; keeping multiple pans and cleaning them multiple times a day if you can do it definitely helps.

She looks like a love bug; bring her home and give her her best life!!

 

Before Em-cat hurt himself, he was using a Litter-Robot with no issues whatsoever. There was one time when he was standing in it wrong and peeing through the opening of it. He got out, sniffed the floor and was like "What the fuck?!", then tried cleaning it up.

Litter-Robots are expensive but I think they are worth every cent if you hate smelling and scooping litter.

 

My two cats eat a lot

 

The best cats are the ones with short stubby ears and short tails = zero siamese. Then again I'm a dog person.

 

My kids pee in much weirder places than my cat ever does

 

I pee outside whenever possible but I live in area with houses on 1+ acre lots. I drove my brother nuts when I lived with him during my divorce. I told I do not understand because animals do it and I am saving water. My 18 lb cat drops some big turds

 

Go for it.

 

Take her home T!

I've only had one cat out of many that had litter box issues, and that was due to a UTI. She was put on special food and hasn't had an issue since. If she's a stray you have no way of knowing what you're getting yourself into, but what are the chances of having another problematic kitty back to back?

 

If you are giving her a good home she will appreciate you and thank you more than you will ever understand. She will be no problem at all i am sure, all because of your love and kindness towards her. She will sense that about you and love you for it forever. I have had many cats and i still have 2. All of my cats have been adopted and I have never gone wrong and they have never miss treated me or the home they live in and appreciate and love. Coo do's to you for adopting her if you do, and please do.

 

Dooooooo it!

 

We've had a LOT of cats over the years and the only issues we've had were related to one of two things:
The box(es) weren't clean (enough)
OR
We didn't have enough of them (sometimes two cats don't want to "share")

Our cats are indoor/outdoor, and by and large they prefer to use the outside for taking care of business. We don't have a cat door that leads to the outside (don't want them bringing stuff into the house), so keep a box (or two) in the garage near the door outside and I stop and clean it out every morning on my way out for work. I bought one of the metal scoops years ago after wearing out too many plastic ones. Currently, our youngest cat (Jack Jack - he's 9mo) is the only one that uses it the most, and part of that is because he doesn't have quite as much freedom to come and go as the big cats (Oscar - 6yrs and Tamale - 4yrs).

As far as bringing the new one home - you've had some time to grieve and heal from losing the other two...sounds like you're ready to make a spot in your heart for a new one. Give her some love and take her for who she is.

 

Hey T!
She is sweet without a doubt. However, I understand the litterbox issues they can have. In fact, my least favorite veterinary case of all time, hands down, are cats that have issues hitting the litterbox. It happens, diagnosis is either a bladder infection or it's behavioral, and correcting the behavioral cases can be frustrating. My personal criteria for owning a cat is simple: it MUST be an indoor/outdoor cat. If I don't have to keep a litterbox inside, then I don't. They have there place, just not in my house. I install pet doors and allow the cat to go in and out as needed. Most cats prefer to urinate outside if given the choice. I also start cats on a urinary support diet once they are 1-2 years old. Purina One makes one, as well as Royal Canin. And, regular maintenance diets are constantly improving with regards to urinary health.
Sure, alot of what I just stated is my opinion, but research also shows that indoor/outdoor cats are healthier long term. I understand COMPLETELY that some owners can only keep a cat strictly indoors. Cats roam, they fight, and they kill wildlife. They're CATS. The only 2 differences between a domestic feline and a wild feline is size and their tolerance for us. That's it. All other behavior is the same. And I've worked with African Lions, Mountain Lions, Siberian Tigers, and Bobcats. I would rather take the chance and have a mentally content cat that is healthy and can roam free rather than deal with an indoor litterbox.
Okay, I'll hop off my soapbox. I think she is adorable and I would adopt her. I have no doubt that you will give her a GREAT home.

 

We have to have separate litter boxes for our cats or else they wouldn’t use them. Other than that no issues.

 

You only live once. Get the sweet kitty and don’t look back.

 

Thank you for the info Kerch, I appreciate it. I couldn't have my last two outdoors because I lived in a condo with them for 9 years and you were not allowed to have out door cats, and by the time I moved to my single family house they were already 9 years old and too afraid to go outside.

I can certainly agree that a cat that is outdoor/indoor is probably a much happier cat, as I saw mine bored out of their minds some days. Toys are not the same as outside by any means....

 

So thank you all for the information and so forth....

I am older now and thankfully, much less impulsive than I once was. I really loved this cat, even though I had never met her, I think it was purely the adorable face, but anyway.... I gave it SIGNIFICANT thought and felt it would be best, at least at this time in my life, not to take on another kitty cat, no matter how cute they are. I just don't want to deal with the work involved with litter box cleaning, constant sweeping/floor cleaning, possible litter box issues (I was indeed traumatized by my last cat who pooped regulary out of the litter box and peed too on occasion). For any of you that currently own cats, or who have in the past, you know how incredibly potently smelly their urine is, and natures miracle can only perform so much miracle. Not to mention all the fur everywhere, the hairball and eating to fast vomit (which always occurred as soon as I laid down at night and got comfortable), in addition my house is all hardwood floors with a throw rug here and there, and they always picked the rugs to puke on. I also have a new leather couch coming, and my last cat LOVED my two chase lounges I bought to put in my sun room, he loved to lay on them and wanted so badly to dig his claw into them, so I had to cover them up for the last four years. It has been nice finally being able to sit on the actual chair and not some icky cover. Need I say more!?

I was blessed to have my last two babies, Keaton and Fluffy, who I adopted when they were only 8 weeks old, and I miss them dearly, but it's THEM that I miss and maybe not so much having a cat to look after. I miss their cuddles and their goofy moments, and just having something that is full of unconditional love to come to and hug, and most of all their individual personalities. I am unsure about my future, I may move within the next few years and go back to school for my masters, and I don't want to put a cat through a move and never being home to care for her, she deserves more than that, and taking her back to the rescue group just because my life becomes busier would not be an option... Once I get attached it's game over!

I don't want anyone to think I am materialistic as they read this, as it isn't just about my house getting ruined, it's more about being able to make the ten plus year commitment that a 4 year old cat needs and deserves.

Finally, I am thinking of these two, who are finally able to have some freedom to free fly around my house! (when the cats were alive I would have to put them in the basement for an hour at a time so the birds could get out of their cages without being eaten, and that isn't a good life for any cat, nor is a bird being stuck in its cage most of the day).

Clyde my Parrotlet (My 4 inches of intelligent chatter box and with the personality of a raptor!). and Franklin (my. VERY rambunctious love bird).




-T

 

Cute birdos!

I get that you had a bad experience with litterboxes, but thats not a dealbreaker considering not every cat makes a mess (never had a cat make one on my watch). The birdos getting stressed from the sight of a predator... well now thats a entirely different game.

 

Yeah, it's alot of work dealing with indoor only cats. Great post btw. I think it's the right decision not to take on another. I think anyone considering adopting a cat should read your post. Thoughtful and very well stated. Oh, and Clyde and Franklin would probably appreciate not dealing with another cat. I dig small parrolets amd lovebirds. Tons of personality. Nothin but trouble!

 

Thank you for the nice compliments Krrch. If more people thought about the responsibility they were taking on before adopting any animal, there would definitely be less in the shelters. Cats I have noticed seemed to get turned in around 2 years old when they aren't that cute playful kitten anymore and they start become more of an adult cat that sleeps more etc.

Oh my, you said it! The lovebird, is well, a lovebird. I love him of course, but he is messy, and very much into causing trouble, but he is also very young still. My parrotlet, who I have had since he was weaned 8 years ago, is so intelligent I compare him to a primate, and no I am not joking (But, you probably already know this because you are a vet)! He talks and he knows what he is saying, and he is not just mocking words. When I walk up to his cage I get "I wanna come out". He asks, in English, for food and water, and he says "Don't bite" right after he tries to bite me and he then starts laughing, yes he laughs to. He is the biggest jerk I have ever met at times, and the only human he will tolerate is me, but most of the time he is very friendly and walks up to me and says "tickle tickle" while tilting his head in my direction. His ability to pick up words and phrases continues to amaze me, even at his age it hasn't stopped. A few years ago he started saying "oh shit" every time he would drop a piece of food, or toy, and I soon realized where he got that from. Parrotlets are undervalued as pets, as people think they are similar to a parakeet in intelligence etc, but they are far from it. The perfect sized parrot!

Thank you again for the kind words Kirch, we are very lucky to have you on this forum willing to answer our pet questions!!

-T

 

I vote yes. I love cats, and wish I had one but I am allergic. If you are considering it, you already know.

I am a huge proponent of rescuing animals and the unconditional love pets give us are one of the things (i think) we truly don't deserve.


Did i miss it? What was the litter box issue? I cleaned mine every single morning when i had cats, and never had issues other than sweeping up around them. I found that clean litter really minimized any trouble they had.

 

I have an 8 year old cat that I adopted when he was 4 months from a rough home. His name is Sir Pawl(like Paul McCartney) and he only goes outside his box if I’m lazy for too long and don’t clean the box well enough.

 

Most pets don't like being alone while their human is away, it is best to have at least two pets that can interact with each other when alone. I have 3 rescue cats that are indoor only, they share two littler boxes and they are never a problem. I clean them at least once a day.

 

I have 4 cats, the youngest one had issues stepping into poop when he was months old. I shaved his butt and he is good now. Nobody ever goes outside of the litter box which Ive got 4 of, and all off them are huge. One of my cats does not lean down when peeing, so I had to buy a deep litter box.. he sometimes manages to aim right into the gap between the top and the bottom of the box.. I taped it. Love him to pieces but hate him at the same time. Oh well

 

Thanks again everyone, please see post #21, where I write about why I will not be adopting this cat, even though she is super adorable and probably very sweet.

Thank you to all who are giving what would be otherwise homeless cats, a warm home and lots of love!

-T