D'Elle Posted November 2, 2015 Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 Sure, that's true, but isn't there a danger that a dog seeing a cat hop over a gate might be tempted to follow? Hasn't happened yet. Four years so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted November 2, 2015 Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 That works as long as the cats aren't too fat. Some of the cats I take care of are pretty rotund. It's easier for them to slide under. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted November 2, 2015 Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 No doubt that is true. No one in my household gets fat. But if one of the cats gets too old to jump over, then I will install a gate with one of those little cat doors in it. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted November 2, 2015 Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 One of my pet sitting clients just fastened the gate a few inches above the floor. High enough that the cats could get under it but low enough that there wasn't room for the dogs to fit. That might not work for very small dogs, but then neither would the little door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrecar Posted November 2, 2015 Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 I thought about that with my Chihuahua, GentleLake, but fortunately he isn't as interested in the cat box as Hannah, who thinks "leave it", within the context of the cat box means, "do not touch it until I'm on the other side of the house". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoonMoon Posted November 3, 2015 Report Share Posted November 3, 2015 My dog will bring balls and frisbees to my cats in hopes of playing fetch. Even if they could, they aren't interested. He also REALLY likes to lay near them. I don't know if he is just obsessed with staring at them or if he genuinely wants to snuggle but they don't like that either. I also had to install a cat door into the basement to keep the cat box safe. The cats were really scared of the dog at first even though they were two times his size. I think it would have been easier to introduce them if the cats were younger. They are set in their ways. I doubt I'll ever see the cats snuggling up to Toby but in just a few months they have improved so much. They won't get out of the bed if he lays near them (just give him major stink eye) and they don't run away if he is in the room. He does like to run up on them but we don't let him. I'm hoping with consistent redirecting he will eventually get past it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxMom Posted November 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 Livi has a good track record with cats but she's a little too excitable for our cats' liking so far. This is only her third full day, so I didn't expect any different regardless of her behavior -- it would take them time to adjust to a new couch, let alone a dog. Today one of the cats, William, wandered down and ended up within a few feet of Livi while she was getting a drink. She ignored him, he seemed ok about it... and then the baby monitor fell out of my pocket and startled both of them. Go figure. But overall, signs point toward progress. Both cats will come down if she's crated, and sometimes if she's not. They're acting normal aside from mostly avoiding her. I think in time we'll reach a pleasant equilibrium. However, today I learned that the gap between the baby gate bars and the stair rail that's wide enough for the cats to slip through is also wide enough for a determined Livi to squeeze through. I had to run up for something very quick today and since she had just pottied outside I told my 7-year-old to keep an eye on her for 30 seconds. Instead, she followed me up the stairs through the gate, looking very pleased with herself. Whoops. We'll assume the baby gate is not an effective barrier for another few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 I use those $10 gates at Walmart that have webbing instead of slats. I put them a few inches off the ground so the cats can just go under. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxMom Posted November 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 Yeah, this is one that opens and closes, since it's across the stairs and the kids need to be able to get up and down. I can step over, but they can't and I don't want them climbing it. She won't fit through the bars for much longer, so I'll just manage things until then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cass C Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 They also sell swinging dog gates with smaller slats if you still have trouble with it after a month or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geonni banner Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 I thought about that with my Chihuahua, GentleLake, but fortunately he isn't as interested in the cat box as Hannah, who thinks "leave it", within the context of the cat box means, "do not touch it until I'm on the other side of the house". :lol: I have had the luxury of living with a dog, Sugarfoot, for the last 7 years, that has no interest in "kitty roca." Unfortunately Maid has the same attitude as Hannah. I keep the litter box in the bathroom, and just installed a cat flap on the bathroom door. Now I just have to remember to always shut the ding-blasted door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrecar Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 That's a better idea; I may go that route, since I've been known to trip over a dog gate and fracture my arm. At this point I have the cat box in a huge wire dog crate with the door open and chairs blocking the bigger dog's access; rather unsightly, though in a spare room. I keep the litter box in the bathroom, and just installed a cat flap on the bathroom door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 When I had cats I also put the litter box in the bathroom, but with original 1930s solid wood doors in a style I can't replace I was unwilling to cut a hole in the door for a cat door. So I ran a loop of rope from the inside doorknob to an unobtrusively placed nail on the side of the woodwork outside the door, long enough to allow a small opening that the cat could get through, but too narrow for the (adult) dogs. It worked for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 I kind of did that when I had cats. I put one of those safety chain latches on the door to their bedroom. The chain allowed the door to open a few inches so the cats could get through but the dogs couldn't. That worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geonni banner Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Furniture hacks for litter boxes. Some would be useless for deterring dogs, but others are awesome. My favorite is the old trunk. http://www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/27-useful-diy-solutions-for-hiding-the-litter-box#.mrBMy322D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Furniture hacks for litter boxes. Some would be useless for deterring dogs, but others are awesome. My favorite is the old trunk. http://www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/27-useful-diy-solutions-for-hiding-the-litter-box#.mrBMy322D A lot of great ideas. My top three are the painted litter box/cat perches made for the shelter, the steamer trunk and the one made out of old porch boards. Hmmm - I have been wanting to do something with pallet boards....... ETA: Many of those designs are for young and agile cats. Since I have had to worry about old cats in the past, I am sensitive to ease of access for older cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Friends have theirs in their aquarium cabinet. The back's open and sits far enough from the wall for the filter . . . and for the cat to go into from behind. But it's not big enough fro their Shiba Inu to get into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted November 6, 2015 Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 Perhaps keep in mind also that there are litter boxes that have the access in a hole in the lid of the box, on top, rather than the side or end. If your cat will use one of these, and most will (mine do) then that opens up other possibilities for the cat furniture/box concept and also makes it harder for most dogs to get in to the litter. I love those boxes, because they seriously cut down on the amount of litter that gets spread around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Perhaps keep in mind also that there are litter boxes that have the access in a hole in the lid of the box, on top, rather than the side or end. If you have an older cat(s) that may be a bit arthritic, this type of set-up can be challenging. Just saying -- as I have been through a couple of senior cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 If you have an older cat(s) that may be a bit arthritic, this type of set-up can be challenging. Just saying -- as I have been through a couple of senior cats. True. And some cats just don't like those boxes. It's a very individual thing. My neighbor has trained her cats to use the toilet. Now that seems like the very best possible solution all around. (But, again, it stops being possible once a cat is elderly.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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