The Vine: April 16, 2010
Hi Sars,
So, I have a question for you and your readers. Here’s the background:
Last year, during a period of unemployment, I moved back home with my parents.Luckily, I’m employed again and have saved up enough money to move out on my own again — into a tiny NYC apartment with a roommate.
Here’s the problem: while living with my parents, I acquired an adorable little kitten, Bess.She herself is not the problem as she’s a total sweetheart.The problem is moving her from a large suburban house to a small apartment.
My roommate is totally fine with Bess; however, I’d still like to minimize her impact in such a tiny space.I was hoping that you or your readers who have lived in close quarters with a cat could recommend some (cheap) tips and tricks to keeping smells and mess to a minimum. Especially since the bathroom and kitchen are too tiny to keep the food and litterbox so these things might be tucked away in my bedroom.
Thanks very much,
Kitty In The City
Dear Kitty,
I don’t have much advice as far as the transition; neither of my cats required weaning from a bigger space (the one time we moved to a smaller apartment, they got a deck to sun on in exchange).
You might consider taking the doors off the bathroom-sink cabinet and parking the litter under there. It’s how I’ve done it everywhere I’ve lived. You give up some bathroom storage, but a small shelving unit right outside the bathroom usually takes care of it.
Readers?
Sars,
I hope you don’t mind the plea for help, but I have to give this a try. I can’t stand the thought of animals suffering needlessly because of stupid things that people have done or neglected to do.
My friend, who is a great and caring owner of a blind rescue husky named Zeus, is in a panic because her dog is in a great deal of pain due to the neglect he suffered earlier in his life. She tells the story best, so these are the words from her blog:
I met him once when I was adopting my first puppy, but I didn’t know he had to be mine until I read his story. He was rescued when he was three years old, from his owners who had him chained up outside for his entire life. His fur was burned to wire and was severely underweight when he was found wandering the streets, but to add onto that, the sun damage from the lack of protection and complete neglect had left him with cataracts, causing him to be completely blind.
I adopted him two years ago when I was only 21 and everyone I knew thought that I was absolutely crazy to take on a dog with such issues. Zeus was not only completely neglected by his previous owners, but was consistently picked on by the dogs he lived with while in foster care.
This wasn’t an easy fix, and it’s taken a lot of work to get him to trust again, but being the kind of person who always needs to help, I never gave up. It’s been two years and he’s been an absolute angel, but now he’s facing further pain.
I recently found out that his cataracts, that if he was cared for he never would have had to begin with, have given him glaucoma and retinal atrophy. His eyes are swelling, causing him to have a constant migraine. Imagine being in his shoes, it’s a horrible feeling. Now, because of this, Zeus needs to have his eyes removed and unfortunately it’s quite an expensive surgery.
This is Zeus today. His eyes have gotten so swollen from the glaucoma, that it causes him pain to even open them. We’ve been trying homeopathic remedies to try to keep him comfortable until I have raised the money for the surgery.
With the help of family and friends, I’ve managed to raise about $400 but I still have a long way to go, so if you can donate even a dollar, it really does go a long way. Thanks to everyone who has been so amazing through all of this.
Sars, there is still about $1,700 left to raise and I have passed his story through just about every social media network I know over the course of the last month and so has she. It’s only today (4/15/10) that she mentioned his pain was getting worse (to the point mentioned above, that picture makes me so sad).
I fear that my friend’s getting discouraged with how long this has been going on and how long she’s had to watch Zeus deteriorate. I would love to surprise her with a jump in donations. She’s started a blog just for the cause, here, and there’s a donation button there that allows payment through PayPal. Anything anyone can do, even just spreading the story would be appreciated.
Thankful For The Good Pet Owners Out There
Dear Thankful,
It’s been a while since the Underground Nation Cat Railroad swung into action; let’s hope we can help a dog out this time. Times are tough, friends, so if you can’t spare a couple bucks, that’s okay — put the word out on Twitter if you can.
Thankful, please keep us posted!
Tags: Ask The Readers cats shut up crappy pet owners
I’m all heart-clutchy, and very happy to be able to donate.
I have a question for those of you who suggested the Clevercat top-entry litterbox. Is it difficult to acclimate adult cats to this box? I have two kitties and have always had a problem with their tracking litter around the apartment, even though I have one of those Astroturf-like litter-catching mats. It is not the most awful situation in the world, but there is room for improvement. I am intrigued by the top-entry litterbox, but I wonder if cats used to a standard litterbox would have trouble learning to use it. I am also having difficulty imagining one of my cats, who weighs in at over 16 lbs., being able to haul his fat self out the top of the thing. Does anybody out there have any experience switching adult cats to one of these boxes?
Tiny apartment dweller here – 170 square feet. I keep the Feline Pine Self-Cleaning Litter Box (http://www.felinepinelitterbox.com) under the open area below the bathroom sink and use the Trader Joe’s version of Feline Pine. The box is actually a two-box system: The top box is basically a sieve that sits in the bottom box, which catches the disintegrated litter once it disintegrates. There is some tracking, but this system made an enormous difference in not having to sweep the floor every 10 minutes.
I can’t donate today, but will be passing the word on for Zeus, who has THE most nommable paws.
Just now getting to reading TN today and immediately popped over to kick in my $2 to Zeus, and when I saw her headline “a dream becomes reality” I started bawling like a baby. To know that there are still people who will help a stranger….renews my hope and faith in mankind.
Now to go kick in a few bucks so Zeus has a toy to chew on post-surgery. :)
@diane hahah!! justin surette? yes still there and still SO DAMNED CUTE!
i’m still thanking everyone who continues to donate, as i continue to get emails. i fell asleep from crying all morning and i woke up to another couple hundred. i’m overwhelmed. you’re amazing.
The whole Zeus story immediately brought tears to my eyes – I just donated a bit, even though you all have already pushed the total over the edge by now. So great to see the “Nation” come out to show their support.
@kitty – teach the cat to use the toilet! My former housemates did it, it works.
Litter Kwitter
You…you…you guys. I am so not crying.
Yeah. Me either.
Go, Zeus. I hope his surgery and recovery go smoothly, vivian.
Not sure where the original post went, apologies if duplicated — another Twitter woofie in need today: http://ow.ly/1yPEM.
PS, y’all rock!
Looks like sweet Zeus is fully funded and more! I chipped in just in case the surgery bills climb higher–my sweet rescue girl almost died due to an immune problem the second year I had her and the thousands in vet bills were overwhelming. Luckily, the problem was solved, she has bounced back (and then some) and I donated in her honor today.
Rock on, Zeus!!
On the kitty Q front, unscented litter actually works really well because it’s not masked with something odious. Agree with folks who said change it every day. As for keeping food and litterbox in the same vicinity, pick opposite corners of the room, if possible, to keep from comingling and keep Bess well — litter in the kibble isn’t a good thing. For a water dish, you can try one of the running fountains that also doubles as a nice aesthetic (if you’re into that). Be careful about any cleansers and what-not in trying to keep things clean — chemicals are more harmful at ground level for Bess than they are for you. Vinegar and water work wonders. Plain charcoal briquets placed in a dish somewhere that Bess can’t investigate will help absorb odors without adding a scent. Congrats on the move, and good luck! And last but not least, discuss it all with Bess – new house, new rules, change of place, no parents, etc. They *do* listen. =)
First of all: WOOOOOO for Zeus and the Nation!! Woooo!
Second, @Emily: Your comment was waaaaaaay upthread, thanks to all the Zeus-related awesomeness (wooooo!) but could you please dish on the raw food diet for cats? I’d really like to get my Shop Kitty on some better food, especially something that we prepare for her, but the sites I read are a little overwhelming. One had me scared that I’d destroy her health by accidently getting some measurement a teeny bit off.
You have healthy happy kitties… can I sweet-talk you into sharing your secret, or a link you trust??
@Kitty in the City: First of all, I’d like to heartily thank you for doing whatever you had to do keep your kitty and NOT copping out to “But it’s so HARD to find a place that takes pets!”
As for litter, food, and felines in tiny places, Shop Kitty commands a 1700 square foot warehouse, so I’m not much help there. I will note that a large cardboard box, customized with a sharp knife, makes a dandy “covered litter box” and probably cost me all of $.59. Score one from a dumpster or friend, and yours will be free! (Standard litter tray not included.) Mine is 22″ x 14″ x 14″, which is simply a size I had handy.
Noting that cats LOVE cardboard for some crazy reason, a tower of taped-together boxes will probably be her favorite place in the tiny apartment. (And: cheap or free! and recycled/reused!) I’ve been dying to make one for SK but she already has hundreds of boxes to nap on and 12′ high shelving to climb, so – kind of pointless.
Finally: Wooooo!
Kitty, if there’s no place out-of-the-way to put the box, putting it in a cabinet like this might work: http://tinyurl.com/chx33h
Vivian, my heart goes out to you and Zeus. I’m so glad your friend alerted the awesome people here. Love love love.
Has anyone read the Walter story? So sad! That’s one of the worst cases of mange I’ve ever seen, and I watch Animal Cops. I donated to him and Zeus both.
I live with two cats who are allowed outside, but otherwise spend all their time in my small (10 x 10) bedroom, because I live with my parents and my mom is allergic. I got 4 pieces of 2 foot by 2 foot plywood and built a box that’s open on the bottom and front, and I put it in the corner of the room with the litter box underneath it (so I don’t have to look at it) and put a blanket and cushy pillows on top for the cats to sit on. I use Arm and Hammer Super Scoop, which is awesome for the odor and I scoop it at least once, usually twice a day. I have this thing called a litter locker that I got at PetCo. It’s like a very small diaper genie. You put the scoops in it and then turn this dial that locks the bag inside and the smell is almost unnoticeable.Other than that, I just vacuum a lot.
I chipped in some money for Zeus, in honor of my late pets. My dog Jack (1997-2005) was a shelter dog from Georgia and it sounded like the first few months of his life were pretty rough (we adopted him when he was about 6 months old): he was hand-shy, he cowered when my dad yelled during the Eagles’ game, and he did not want to be anywhere near tall men with dark hair and beards. And this was a 120-pound Doberman-Rottweiler we’re talking about. But Jack was one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever met. I think his very first owners had tried to train him to be an aggressive, attack dog and when that didn’t work, they just turned him loose on the streets of Savannah. Good luck, Vivian– I hope Zeus has a quick and full recovery. He looks like such a sweetie in your blog pictures!
Holy Doggies, TNers! 165%! I hadn’t read the comments ’til today and thought I missed the window as I scrolled down, but now that I know any extra monies will go to Zeus’s aftercare or other needy Huskies I’ll definitely set up that Paypal account. I really have to, I’m from Seattle (U of W), after all. Go Huskies, Go Zeus!
Forgot to mention: Add my rec for the Arm-and-Hammer litter sprinkle stuff. I used to have a litterbox in the guest restroom of a busy house and there were no complaints about odors.
Also, if Bess seems stir-crazy, you might want to consider acclimating her to a harness and leash. There was some discussion on the pros and cons of that in the comments here, but if there’s a dog-free courtyard/park/yard you can visit regularly, it might help her feel less pent-up in the small space. Shop Kitty is definitely less meow-y and pesty after a trip outdoors.
Yes, I saw Walter too and he’s a sweet, sad case! I couldn’t resist donating to him as well as Zeus.
Donation made to Zeus.
Found this re. the litterbox conundrum:
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/
There are quite a few suggestions — a lot of them look pretty cool, too — but they’re DIY projects.
Fashionably late, as always…So, the total is already at 167%, but I had to donate in honor of my late cat, Chichi, who was left out in the hot August sun as a kitten (she was a mostly-black tortie, so she she drew sun like a magnet) and could have ended up with similar issues if she hadn’t been rescued sooner. I saw that Zeus’ surgery is scheduled for 4/21, so right on, TN! Hopefully all will go smoothly, and the extra $$$ can spring for a cool pair of shades for ya, big guy:)
City Kitty, We live in a pretty small house and although the litter box is in the bathroom it is pretty tight quarters. I tried the pine litter and the scent set off my asthma pretty bad, and my asthma is pretty mild so if you go that route you need to know some guests might have problems with it. We have a covered box and tried a tracking mat, but the cat would jump over it on her way out of the box, sending more litter out of it. We do use the crystal litter and only scoop on occassion (too embarassed to say how little we scoop) and with only one cat we usually get about three weeks out of a canister and odors are rarely a problem.
@Kitty: Try World’s Best Cat Litter. It really is awesome stuff. It smells a tiny bit “farmville” for about 15 minutes out of the bag, but then it’s like heaven.
Clean the litter box at least once, if not twice a day. World’s Best is made from corn, so it is 100% flushable.
@JR I have three fairly dumb cats who are all over 5 years old. I switched them to clever cat litter boxes with no problems at all. I did keep one regular box out for a while just in case but they liked the clever cat’s more, so I just got rid of it. They really do work great for both tracking problems, and to stop the litter from getting kicked out… it also really helped our problem of one REALLY stupid cat who would balance herself so her head was over the litter box, and her butt was not… so she was always doing her business right next to where she needed to, then she would dig litter out of the box to cover up the mess… btw, cleaning clumping litter that has sat out all night absorbing whatever it was covering = HARD WORK. Now we use the pine stuff, mainly because we can dump it in the woods when we are cleaning the boxes and not feel bad about our environmental impact.
I’ll add another rec for the pine litter. I switched several years ago when I couldn’t handle the grit from the clumping litter they were tracking everywhere – been very happy with it.
One note about making a radical switch in your type of litterbox: be cautious. Some cats are very particular about their litter boxes, some aren’t. Two of my guys will crap in anything containing a whisper of litter, but my little evil calico has very specific things she will and won’t accept. Pine litter? Yes. Crystals? No. Covered box? No. And I bet you can guess what happened when I foolishly tried to transition them to the City Kitty toilet training system. She was not into it, and decided that the wool rug in our dining room worked just fine. Ugh.
hey everyone! keep checking helpzeus.blogspot.com for the latest updates on zeus! he’s currently at the vets and tomorrow is his surgery!
@vivian… was yesterday Zeus’ surgery? How did it go??? I hope the he’s doing well! Let us know!
@everyone
Zeus is back home with his mom now. You can keep track of his progress (and see some cute pictures) over at http://www.helpzeus.blogspot.com/
Wow – TN just rocks. I’ve been behind on my reading and just found this vine. 177% of the cost raised. Wow. Y’all are awesome.