Author Topic: Elevated litter box?  (Read 3337 times)

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Offline Catgirl64

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Elevated litter box?
« on: January 22, 2018, 07:08:56 AM »
Does anyone else have a cat who might be happier with an elevated litter box?

I'm considering putting a small litter box on top of my dogs' kennel for Mouse.  I think she feels more secure when she can do her business in a higher spot, where she can look down on the other activities in the room.  I can honestly see this cat living up in the trees, because the less time she spends with her feet on the floor, the happier she is.

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Elevated litter box?
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2018, 01:21:57 PM »
All the litter boxes here are elevated.  This is for my own comfort.  They've never had a problem with it, and last year I added a step stool for Mazy cat.  Jennie and Queen Eva leap over the stool going up and coming down,   Mazy cat uses it.

Using the box when the dog is in the crate might be a problem for Mouse though.

Offline Catgirl64

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Re: Elevated litter box?
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2018, 02:22:26 PM »
All the litter boxes here are elevated.  This is for my own comfort.  They've never had a problem with it, and last year I added a step stool for Mazy cat.  Jennie and Queen Eva leap over the stool going up and coming down,   Mazy cat uses it.

Using the box when the dog is in the crate might be a problem for Mouse though.

It's one of those big wire kennels with a pad on top to make another resting place for the cats.  The dogs are only in there when we have a repairman in or something like that, so it would very rarely be an issue.

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Elevated litter box?
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2018, 04:07:53 PM »
Worth a try then.  But..then they lose their resting place!  Silly7

Offline Catgirl64

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Re: Elevated litter box?
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2018, 04:52:15 PM »
Worth a try then.  But..then they lose their resting place!  Silly7

They would lose one, yes, but the main reason I put the pad there in the first place was to prevent injury from someone getting a leg caught in the bars of the top of the kennel.  Years ago, I had a similar kennel.  I never dreamed that any cat would try to walk on it, but one day one did, and lost her footing.  Her leg slipped between the bars, she panicked, and when she tried to jump down, she broke bones.  So yes, a resting spot, but only as a secondary consideration.  I didn't really want to talk about it, as my stupidity still pains me - the leg never healed properly, in spite of the vet's best efforts, and the whole thing could have been avoided so easily. 

They do like that spot, but they have plenty of others, and I think it's more important for Mouse to have a litter box that she feels safe using.   
« Last Edit: January 22, 2018, 05:07:48 PM by Catgirl64 »

Offline Lola

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Re: Elevated litter box?
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2018, 03:05:47 AM »
They would lose one, yes, but the main reason I put the pad there in the first place was to prevent injury from someone getting a leg caught in the bars of the top of the kennel.  Years ago, I had a similar kennel.  I never dreamed that any cat would try to walk on it, but one day one did, and lost her footing.  Her leg slipped between the bars, she panicked, and when she tried to jump down, she broke bones.  So yes, a resting spot, but only as a secondary consideration.  I didn't really want to talk about it, as my stupidity still pains me - the leg never healed properly, in spite of the vet's best efforts, and the whole thing could have been avoided so easily. 

They do like that spot, but they have plenty of others, and I think it's more important for Mouse to have a litter box that she feels safe using.   


 I would NEVER guess one could or would break bones walking on a wire kennel! I think that was just a freak accident.  You are being waaaaaay to hard on yourself!
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Offline Catgirl64

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Re: Elevated litter box?
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2018, 03:14:05 AM »

 I would NEVER guess one could or would break bones walking on a wire kennel! I think that was just a freak accident.  You are being waaaaaay to hard on yourself!

I never would have, either, but having seen it happen, it now seems very obvious to me how it could.  Maybe not with a calm cat who would just lift the leg back out, but Aggie was a bit high-strung and she freaked.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2018, 03:16:06 AM by Catgirl64 »

Offline Lola

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Re: Elevated litter box?
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2018, 03:32:41 AM »
I never would have, either, but having seen it happen, it now seems very obvious to me how it could.  Maybe not with a calm cat who would just lift the leg back out, but Aggie was a bit high-strung and she freaked.

There are probably quite a few things, in the average home, that ONLY become dangerous if/when a cat panics! 
For example...I put a collar on Lola once.   She sat, while I admired her new look.  She SEEMED perfectly fine with it.  All of a sudden... she took off running at full speed.  She ran into a wall!  She was running from the collar... that is the only way I can think to explain it.  She was NOT stopping. Fortunately, I was able to grab at it... and it was one of those break away collars. 
NO cat is calm... if in a panic.  Not in my experience anyway.  The above, is just an example that came to my mind right away. 
« Last Edit: January 25, 2018, 03:34:43 AM by Lola »
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Offline Lola

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Re: Elevated litter box?
« Reply #8 on: January 25, 2018, 03:35:54 AM »
Also, you have 6 cats.  I have 6 cats.  With 6 cats... we probably experience a lot more of allllll kinds of things, then the average 2 cat (for example) per household person. 
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Offline Catgirl64

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Re: Elevated litter box?
« Reply #9 on: January 25, 2018, 04:10:01 AM »
Also, you have 6 cats.  I have 6 cats.  With 6 cats... we probably experience a lot more of allllll kinds of things, then the average 2 cat (for example) per household person.

This was years ago, and at the time, I had 9!  That was the only time one of my cats has been injured in an accident.  Since then, it's just been occasional property damage.   ::)  I guess that's not a bad track record, now that I think about it. 

Offline Lola

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Re: Elevated litter box?
« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2018, 01:25:26 PM »
guess that's not a bad track record, now that I think about it. 

EXACLTY!  We can't predict and prevent everything.  There ARE people that don't give a poo... you aren't one of them.  However, you are on the team..."Blame myself...Beat up myself"  Welcome!  :) 



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Offline Catgirl64

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Re: Elevated litter box?
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2018, 01:58:21 PM »
EXACLTY!  We can't predict and prevent everything.  There ARE people that don't give a poo... you aren't one of them.  However, you are on the team..."Blame myself...Beat up myself"  Welcome!  :)

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