How to stop one cat from using the wrong litter box?

Hello,

We have 2 cats and have this issue. One cat is about 2 years old
(Aster) and we've had her since a kitten. The other (Ezzie) is 7 or
8. Ezzie would be fine to have nothing to do with Aster, but Aster
likes to play and do the normal "torturing" of the older one. She
will eat Ezzie's food, and that doesn't start a fight. But Aster
seems to like to use the Ezzie's litter box, and then that's a
problem. Ezzie will either stop going, or sometimes a chase and fight
ensues. You can just TELL that she's mad. Aster goes in her own box
like 90-95% of the time. So I don't know what causes her to do this.
I think it's either laziness or just thinking it's OK? Maybe it's a
game? But she does know the difference cause she usually uses her
own.

I make sure the boxes are both clean and unobstructed. When I catch
Aster in the act I scold her and pick her up and put her in her own
box. I think she partially doesn't "get it" and partially it's a game
to her. And who knows what goes on when we're at work all day.

Any advice besides correcting her 'in the act' and making sure the
boxes are clean to STOP one cat (Aster) from using the other's box?
Ezzie had been alone for the first 6 years of her life so we don't
want to make them share a box even though many cats do. Plus, Aster
has a sensitive stomach. We've had her tested for everything and they
say she's healthy, but knock on wood, if something does ever happen we
don't want any diseases passed back and forth, or just germs in
general.

Advice appreciated very much :-)
T, Aster, & Ezzie

I make sure the boxes are both clean and unobstructed. *When I catch
Aster in the act I scold her and pick her up and put her in her own
box. *I think she partially doesn't "get it" and partially it's a game
to her. *And who knows what goes on when we're at work all day.

Any advice besides correcting her 'in the act' and making sure the
boxes are clean to STOP one cat (Aster) from using the other's box?
Ezzie had been alone for the first 6 years of her life so we don't
want to make them share a box even though many cats do. *Plus, Aster
has a sensitive stomach. *We've had her tested for everything and they
say she's healthy, but knock on wood, if something does ever happen we
don't want any diseases passed back and forth, or just germs in
general.

Basically, you can't stop her from using another litter box. (It's
better she uses another box than the floor or another undesirable
place, like your bed.) Please don't scold her when she uses the
"wrong" box. She might start being more secretive about going in other
locations. You can add a third box near the "wrong" box to see if
she'll use that. Some cats like to urinate in one box and defecate in
another box anyway, so you should ideally have three boxes for two
cats.

I am unsure why you don't want them sharing a litter box. If you scoop
twice per day and regularly scrub the boxes, there is little chance of
disease transmission.

On Feb 6, 4:10*pm, "Rene S." wrote:
I make sure the boxes are both clean and unobstructed. *When I catch
Aster in the act I scold her and pick her up and put her in her own
box. *I think she partially doesn't "get it" and partially it's a game
to her. *And who knows what goes on when we're at work all day.

Any advice besides correcting her 'in the act' and making sure the
boxes are clean to STOP one cat (Aster) from using the other's box?
Ezzie had been alone for the first 6 years of her life so we don't
want to make them share a box even though many cats do. *Plus, Aster
has a sensitive stomach. *We've had her tested for everything and they
say she's healthy, but knock on wood, if something does ever happen we
don't want any diseases passed back and forth, or just germs in
general.

Basically, you can't stop her from using another litter box. (It's
better she uses another box than the floor or another undesirable
place, like your bed.) Please don't scold her when she uses the
"wrong" box. She might start being more secretive about going in other
locations. You can add a third box near the "wrong" box to see if
she'll use that. Some cats like to urinate in one box and defecate in
another box anyway, so you should ideally have three boxes for two
cats.

I am unsure why you don't want them sharing a litter box. If you scoop
twice per day and regularly scrub the boxes, there is little chance of
disease transmission.

Thanks for the reply. Most cat owners I know (not on here but just in
general) I've seen give each cat a box if possible. The reason for
not wanting them to share is that they don't get along fantastically.
The older cat tolerates the younger, but what has been HER food, HER
water, and HER litter box for 6 years is tough to try to make her
share. I thought/think for sure that it's more fair to the older cat
to not disrupt her space like that, no?

Point taken on there being no 'wrong' box. But the older cat never
goes in the other box, and the younger cat didn't used to go in the
'wrong' box, and only now does it occasionally. They have separate
food, separte water, etc. I've never thought of a cat wanting to poop
in one box and pee in another.

But, it noticeably disturbs the older cat when the young cat uses the
older cat's litter box. She's not OK with it. Plus, I figure if they
each use their own box, then each box will not get as nasty so quick
and I can scoop them daily without fear of them ever getting full.
With two cats firing away it would get filled twice as fast and be
twice as nasty. Just my opinions; I don't really disagree with what
you said either :-)

Thanks
T

You really should have a third box for two cats. I have three boxes for
two cats and I usually scoop as soon as I see a box has been used. My
younger cat (Tiger) tends to be the "bully" and Amber (14) usually lets
him get his way.


---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

Sat, 7 Feb 2009 13:57:11 -0500 from ---MIKE---
:
You really should have a third box for two cats.

I can understand two, but THREE? Why? Is this some house where you
have to pack food and water to get from one end to the other?

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
t...
Sat, 7 Feb 2009 13:57:11 -0500 from ---MIKE---
:
You really should have a third box for two cats.

I can understand two, but THREE? Why? Is this some house where you
have to pack food and water to get from one end to the other?

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...


Stan some cats like to use one box for #1 and another box for #2 rule of
the game you should have at least 2 boxes per cat but 3 for two is
understandable

But, it noticeably disturbs the older cat when the young cat uses the
older cat's litter box. *She's not OK with it. *Plus, I figure if they
each use their own box, then each box will not get as nasty so quick
and I can scoop them daily without fear of them ever getting full.
With two cats firing away it would get filled twice as fast and be
twice as nasty. *Just my opinions; I don't really disagree with what
you said either :-)

I can understand why the older cat might not like the younger cat to
use 'her' box. I have a similar situation at our home. Adding another
box will give the older cat an alternate place to go if the younger
cat has used the box.

On Feb 9, 9:38*am, "Rene S." wrote:
But, it noticeably disturbs the older cat when the young cat uses the
older cat's litter box. *She's not OK with it. *Plus, I figure if they
each use their own box, then each box will not get as nasty so quick
and I can scoop them daily without fear of them ever getting full.
With two cats firing away it would get filled twice as fast and be
twice as nasty. *Just my opinions; I don't really disagree with what
you said either :-)

I can understand why the older cat might not like the younger cat to
use 'her' box. I have a similar situation at our home. Adding another
box will give the older cat an alternate place to go if the younger
cat has used the box.

Wouldn't it also, though, be another place for the younger cat to go?
The older one seems fixed in her routine, so I doubt she'd venture off
to a 'new' box.

I also understand/but not really - the point about 3 boxes for 2
cats. On one side, people are saying it's OK for cats to share boxes
and I shouldn't designate one box per cat. So then wouldn't 2 boxes
for 2 cats be OK? Others are saying one box for pee and one for
poop. Again, wouldn't two boxes cover that?

I'm not arguing, you obviously have a system and it works. But I too
wonder how much "space" we are realistically able to have boxes for.
We have 2 bathrooms upstairs, and 1 box in each. I don't know where a
third box could be put and not be 'in the way'. I've also not seen a
problem with cats not wanting to pee and poop in the same box as long
as it's well kept. Again, not arguing, as you have a working
system. But I'd like others to chime in on this. Is it totally
COMMON to have 3 boxes for 2 cats? Or is this a 'luxury' that a
handful of people have?

Just wondering, as this really is the first I've ever heard of the
third box idea; if that is true than I think I will insist to my wife
that I also receive an extra toilet :-)
T