🚀 go-pugleaf

> 1) Litter box.  Both these guys are excellently trained to the box, but I
> can change the litter in the afternoon and by the next morning the whole
> apartment smells.  Any suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated --
> if you have cats you probably know that no deodorizors will help (although
> good incense seems to do better than anything).  Would it help if I had

Try coating the bottom of the pan with baking soda. Thoroughly
wash the plastic (? I presume) litter box as plastic can
retain odors. Then begin using a litter box liner. Are you
putting enough litter in the box? You might want to change
from an actual litterbox to a dishpan, they are deeper, which
means they hold more litter and things can be buried deeper.
Check with a vet about deodorizers, they can supply you with
ones that work far better than those you can buy at the pet
store.

> one/both of them fixed?  I've run through every brand of litter known to
> man/beast -- nothing works; my best experience so far is with Kitty Litter
> brand.  They are both still on Purina Kitten Chow, which I'm sure is ultra-
> loaded with protein -- a bad thing for me since protein breaks down into
> ammonia in the body.  Would a dietary change help?

I agree, Kitty Litter is one of the better odor reducing brands.
Try a diet change, it could help. Fixing the female will make
no difference in her litter odor (that's perceptable to you,
anyway). Fixing the male will eventually make a big difference
in the odor of the male's urine.

> 
> 2) Spraying.  I guess this is what he is doing -- the male started a month
> won't be the end.  I really hate to have him fixed for no reason, as he is
> already playful but basically docile (he doesn't really use his claws and
> teeth even when really excited while playing/fighting), and I don't want to
> turn him into a fat, boring old man before he is one year old.

Talk to the vet about this.

> 
> 3) Scratching post.  I bought one of these oddities (carpet-covered variety,
> then pounce on each other.  They never once scratched it.  Now that they are
> too big to perch on it, it sits in the middle of the living room floor while
> they gleefully attack my $300 ottoman.  For some reason they haven't yet
> for the appearance of my apartment at the same time.  Any scratching-post
> suggestions?  The male discovered my speaker covers last night, and for that
Try one of the larger scratching poles (floor to ceiling
variety, with shelves). Whenever you catch them scratching
something they shouldn't, firmly say the cat's name and "NO". A
lot of people have success using a spray bottle or water
pistol, depends on the cat. Take them to the scratching pole,
pet them, say "good kitty" and move their paws on the pole in
a scratching motion, you might even try to push their claws
out while you do this, so they get a better idea of what you
want.

> 
> 4) The house won't solve this one, but my job requires me to go the New Jersey
> had any experience with automatic feeders/waterers so I don't have to leave
> tons of food and water out?  The male is in fantastic shape, but the female
> is a butterball -- a real tubbo.  I have the feeling that if there isn't a huge
> P.S.: Thanks in advance from Sam and Kodi, too!
> -- 
> 
> The MAD Programmer -- 919-228-3313 (Cornet 291)
> alias: Curtis Jackson	...![ ihnp4 ulysses cbosgd mgnetp ]!burl!rcj
> 			...![ ihnp4 cbosgd akgua masscomp ]!clyde!rcj

I'd leave out as much water as possible. On food, leave out
only the amount they'll need for those 3 or 4 days. For a
longer time than that I'd either get someone to come in and
feed them (neighbor kids are great for this) or put them in a
kennel. I don't have any experience with an auto feeder, so I
can't comment on other that it seems a good idea, but, once
they learn the hang of it, I don't think it would make any
difference over leaving the food out, except that it won't get
stale as quickly.
-- 
Suzanne Barnett-Scott
uucp:	 ...{decvax,ihnp4,noao,savax,seismo}!terak!suze
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