B Point Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 So..yes, I know kitty poop is like crack to dogs and my pup is definitely a full on crack head!! How the heck can I get him to stop getting into the cat box. A friend told me to try wasabi on the poop....nope he loves it. I even tried a few drops of my homemade hot fiery Habanero sauce...didn't even phase him. May as well have been ketchup...haha... We absolutely try to get the clumps of poop and urine out ASAP but I still catch him with his "hand in the cookie jar" when we don't get to it soon enough. It really grosses my wife out and I'm not such a fan of kisses after a raid either. And although our cat is indoor only I'm sure it's poop isn't the healthiest thing. Any tips would be much appreciated.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d112358 Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Top-entry litterbox (or it's cheap cousin, a rubbermaid/sterilite bin with a hole cut in the lid)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OurBoys Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Is the litter box located in an area with a door? (Ex: bathroom, utility room/mud room/ whatever they are calling it nowadays.) If so, a cat flap works great. Just make sure you keep the door closed. Of course, if you rent you would need to get your landlords permission. A baby gate might work but I can see a determined Border Collie easily jumping over a baby gate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 As they said, keep the cat box where the dog can't access it. Of course, you may have to "think outside the box" to figure out how to do that in your home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Another vote for management. You need to come up with a way to prevent your agile, clever, determined boy from getting to the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waffles Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Top-entry litterbox (or it's cheap cousin, a rubbermaid/sterilite bin with a hole cut in the lid)?This is what I have. I think they are 18 gallon totes. I cut a hole in the top and problem solved. I also have mine pushed up into the corner of a wall with a table on the other side and the holes closest to the wall. This way he can't possibly reach his head in. You'll pretty much never get him to stop completely unless you physically block access. Using a gate with the cat door or installing a cat door in a door works too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 When I've had cats, I put the litter box in either the basement or the bathroom. I left the door ajar only wide enough for the cats to go through but not the dog, with a block at the bottom and a Bungee cord fastened by the hooks on the stair rail to the basement or another spot in the bathroom and then looped around the doorknob on the outside. Worked well for me, and if you don't have a basement it could also be used on any hinged door (closet, maybe?) without having to make structural changes. Some pet sitting clients use a pet gate secured about 8 in. off the floor so the cats can easily crawl under, but the dogs can't. Of course, the dog would have to be large enough not to also be able to slip under the gate, and to respect the gate and not jump over it. I've also seen gates online that have small doorways in them for cats to pass though while keeping dogs on the other side. Ditto above the dog's size and respect for a gate. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 They make a baby gate with a little cat sized hole in the bottom. You could block off access with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Point Posted March 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Thank you for the ideas. The bathroom with the door "just" ajar is a nice idea. Also, our upstairs bathroom door has an air vent at the bottom of it that I could refashion as a kitty door......and since the cat lives upstairs most of the time avoiding the dog...it would be nice for the cat.. I will have to migrate the box to upstairs over the next few weeks but that seems like the best possible solution.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Just a note: most of my border collies can fit through the cat door in the bottom of those gates. The best gate I had was a walk through that we added to: wood added to bottom so that there was essentially a 4" x 4" hole for the cats to slip through. At the time I didn't have any dogs who would jump a gate. If you use the door ajar method, your dog may still be able to squeeze through. I've used the door ajar combined with a baby gate with success. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geonni banner Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 You can put a long hook & eye on the door, which is easy to undo for people going in and out. A good hardware store will have many lengths, one to admit your cat but exclude your dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Agree with all the above. We have a puppy/baby gate across our bathroom door that the dogs don't test. But we've also used a string latch that is just long enough to let the kitty in, but the dog can't push it open.Management is the ONLY way I've found! Good luck with the kitty roca. ~ Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 We put the kitty box in the laundry room and the laundry room is past the kitchen which is off limits to the dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Point Posted March 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Good ideas. I like the "kitty roca" reference Gloria...haha.. I think I'll also work on "the off limits room" side of things. I'd rather try to train it out of him than be building barriers to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted March 25, 2014 Report Share Posted March 25, 2014 B Point, I am willing bet ($5, if you want to take it on ) that you won't be able to train it out of him. I've had several dogs who ALL LOVED Kitty Roca. They thought it was the best thing ever. And would gobble it down as fast as they could whenever they could get to it. No other 'treat' was as powerful a lure. For most predator animals, it takes several attempts to actually get their food, so our little darlings are hard-wired to keep trying. Between the lure of the luscious stuff, and the strong urge to try again and again and again, you're fighting a losing battle. If you've ever seen a dog raise its snout out of litter box, nose covered with litter and munching happily away, even wagging its tail as you tried to scold it while gagging, you'll have a picture in your mind of what awaits you. Then they offer 'kisses' to their human. Double yuck. Ruth and Agent Gibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d112358 Posted March 25, 2014 Report Share Posted March 25, 2014 It's like counter surfing or getting into the trash - most of the time our training only means 'don't do it when I'm looking' so you have to put things away when the dog's unsupervised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrid Posted March 25, 2014 Report Share Posted March 25, 2014 We have what would be barn cats if we had horses where I live. They are outside cats that go where ever they want on the acreage I live on. They poop where ever they want also. If I put a child's sand box in my yard, do you think they might use that instead of the rest of the yard? I would fence off the sandbox so the cats could get through, but the dogs would not be able to. A few years ago we had problems with rats in the outbuildings but since my landlord got the cats the rat problem is pretty much non existent. I don't know why, but the breath of a dog that eaten horse poop is not nearly as offensive as the breath of a dog that has eaten cat poop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geonni banner Posted March 25, 2014 Report Share Posted March 25, 2014 I don't know why, but the breath of a dog that eaten horse poop is not nearly as offensive as the breath of a dog that has eaten cat poop. You remember the scene in "National Velvet" when Elizabeth Taylor walks into the rose garden in the infield of the Grand National? She holds up her head, closes her eyes, takes a long, deep breath through her nose, and breathes out the word, "HORSES..." I'll bet a nickel that no one ever walked into a room with a litter box, holds up their head, closed their eyes, took a long, deep breath through their nose, and breathed out the word, "CATS..." (except maybe a dog.) Check out Velvet Brown at 3:00 here: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 Another vote for rigging the door so a cat can go through but not a dog. Although I love the idea of the top-entry cat box, some cats don't like it. And if you have a dog like my terrier, it won't keep them out of the litter. To him, that would just be a fun challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Point Posted March 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 B Point, I am willing bet ($5, if you want to take it on ) that you won't be able to train it out of him. I've had several dogs who ALL LOVED Kitty Roca. They thought it was the best thing ever. And would gobble it down as fast as they could whenever they could get to it. No other 'treat' was as powerful a lure. For most predator animals, it takes several attempts to actually get their food, so our little darlings are hard-wired to keep trying. Between the lure of the luscious stuff, and the strong urge to try again and again and again, you're fighting a losing battle. If you've ever seen a dog raise its snout out of litter box, nose covered with litter and munching happily away, even wagging its tail as you tried to scold it while gagging, you'll have a picture in your mind of what awaits you. Then they offer 'kisses' to their human. Double yuck. Ruth and Agent Gibbs Haha....That's not a bet I should take. Admittedly, it is funny to watch him come trotting proudly into the room with kitty litter all over his nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrid Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Will eating cat poop hurt your dog ? I sure it can't be the best thing that a dog could eat, but is it bad for them ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildFlower Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Cat poop I don't think will really hurt a dog but eating enough of the litter attached to it can, I believe. Plus, its just nasty. I have the litterbox in the basement - it's usually gated off but none of my dogs go downstairs unless invited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geonni banner Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Here are some litter box "hiders." While I would never spend the money to buy one of these, you can get an Idea of how to make one yourself from looking at the pictures. Cabinets that would work can often be found for next to nothing on Craig's List, and with a little tinkering they can be made to not only keep out the dog, but they can incorporate litter storage compartments, etc, http://www.lovethatcat.com/cat-furniture-chest.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 There can definitely be toxins in kitty litter and if enough is consumed it can cause a blockage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Point Posted April 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Here are some litter box "hiders." While I would never spend the money to buy one of these, you can get an Idea of how to make one yourself from looking at the pictures. Cabinets that would work can often be found for next to nothing on Craig's List, and with a little tinkering they can be made to not only keep out the dog, but they can incorporate litter storage compartments, etc, http://www.lovethatcat.com/cat-furniture-chest.html Thanks for the link. I'm building something along these lines this coming weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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