Day 119: A Little Privacy Please

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 119: A Little Privacy Please

Have you ever watched a DIY video and thought … I can do that. Was the outcome not up to scratch or even what you hoped for? I can relate.

A while back I watched a video of a woman turning an ordinary box into a chic bathroom for her cats. She cladded the box inside and out with a white marble wrap, cut a door in the front panel, a window in the side panel, and even added some extra touches such as curtains, a towel rack and a shelf with miniature flower pots. All this to hide an unseemly litterbox.

That’s a nice idea, I thought, our cats could do with something like this.

The first problem, however, was finding a big enough box. All the boxes I came across were too small to allow for a litter box, let alone room for a cat. That changed some two weeks ago when we had a new washing machine delivered. The box it came in was not alone big enough, it was too big. Not a problem though, this box could be made smaller.

Once the box was the right size, Dieter proceeded with the cladding. A job that proved to be more difficult than anticipated. See for yourself …

Meanwhile, Halley was having fun with the cladding paper.

The end result wasn’t as nice as the box in the video, but I doubt the cats noticed this. After all, what cat cares about curtains, toilet paper, a mirror, a carpet, and wall decorations? So, the box was put in position, the litter box was placed inside and now we waited if they would actually use it.

When Gabriel, Charlotte, Holly, and Halley approached there was a lot of looking, careful approaching, sniffing and cat talk. You know, when cats make these cute little noises among themselves. It was like they were having a conversation.

Halley: “What is that?”

Holly: “No idea.”

Halley: “Our litter box is gone.”

Holly: “You’re right. Where can it be?”

Halley: “I don’t know. Take a look around, I really need to pee.”

Holly ever the inquisitive one took a closer look at the box.

Holly: “Our litter box is in there.”

Halley: “In that box?”

Holly: “Yes.”

Halley: “It’s rather dark in there.”

Holly: “Don’t be such a wuss.”

Halley: “I’m not going in there. You go.”

Holly: “I don’t have to go.”

Halley: “I’m not gonna be the first.”

Holly: “I thought you had to pee?”

Halley: “It went away.”

Charlotte comes sauntering along.

“What is that?”

Holly: “Our litter box is in there.”

Charlotte: “In there?”

Halley: “A little scary, right?”

Charlotte: “I’ll say.”

Gabriel wakes up from a nap and joins the trio.

“Can you three keep it down. What’s going on anyway?”

Holly: “Our litter box is in there.”

Gabriel: “Ah, well, it’s about time. Can you let me pass?”

Halley: “You’re going in there!”

Gabriel gives Halley a look as if she just spoke Japanese and enters the box. Charlotte, Holly, and Halley watch him carefully. Moments later he let out a complaining meow. If you ask that meow could only mean one thing … “Ladies please, a little privacy!”

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Gabriel a.k.a. Aladdin

Entertainment is important to the physical and mental health of animals. Hamsters have a wheel in their cage, birds have a mirror, dogs like balls and squeaky toys, and cats ... well, cats are complicated.

Just about every cat owner knows that cats like boxes. Whether loving owners buy a beautiful cat tree, a soft sleeping basket, or a toy, if it comes in a box, the box gets all the attention while the purchased item gets ignored.

My lot has a variety of toys such as: soft balls, mice, a laser light, and fishes on a string. Out of all of these, they prefer the fishes on a string. I drag the toy over the floor and they chase after it, or I hold them up in the air and they jump for them.

Holly used to like playing with a ball, until one day I threw a ball across the room, she chased after it, skidded and slammed into the wall. That was the end of playing with a ball.

Gabriel has a fondness for mice, but the way he handles those mice turns it into a costly affair. See for yourself ...

However, now Gabriel has discovered a new toy ... a type of carpet.

Earlier this month we bought a rug for under the coffee table, a carpet for in front of the fireplace, and a runner for the hallway. Out of all of these, Gabriel took a fancy to the runner.

While the others merely sleep on the rug and carpet, Gabriel like to attack the runner. He lies on it, grabs hold of one of the corners, and subsequently kicks the crap out of it with his back paws. Or, he runs from the kitchen, jumps on the runner and uses it as a skateboard.

Between ten to fifteen times a day I have to put that runner back into place. Sometimes I find it in the living room, other times in my bedroom, and occasionally in the bathroom.

His love for this runner has quickly earned him the nickname “Aladdin”.

How to train your cat to use the litter box in 3 simple steps

Did you adopt a cat or kitten? Has this sweet addition to the family had an accident on the floor or carpet? Not to worry, cats are among the cleanest animals and in most cases training them to use the litter box is fairly easy. Cats are like people, they like a clean place to their business and they like it private.

Litter box location

When you try to pick a location for your cat’s litter box, think like a cat – where would you like the box to be? Not somewhere with lots of foot traffic or loud background noise as this will frighten kitty. Not somewhere where she eats, sleeps or plays. By way of eliminating, what is left? The bathroom is an obvious choice, so is the laundry room, the garage (if she has easy access to it) and even the balcony (weather permitting).

Take the cat’s age into consideration and make the litter box easily accessible. An older cat might have arthritis and might have troubles climbing a staircase or climbing over furniture to get to her box.

While some cats like the privacy of an enclosed litter box, the majority likes their box open. Use unscented litter and place an old carpet or towel in front of the box so that kitty isn’t left with litter on her paws or between her toes.

An appropriate litter box

Litter boxes available in pet stores are generally suitable for most cats. As a rule of thumb a litter box should be the length of a cat’s body. Kittens do not need a small box, but extra large cats might need an extra large box.

If you’re not in favor of emptying the litter box, you have options. You can make use of cat litter liners, which you can just tie up and disposed of, or you can buy disposable cat litter trays. Disposable trays are a little more expensive than regular trays that have to be filled with litter, but super easy to use.

The litter

There are many types of cat litter available. There’s the regular sandy type, but there also clay, shredded paper and wood pellets. Try to avoid litter with anti-bacterial elements or strong perfumes. A fresh scent might seem attractive to you, but might be too much for your cat. Remember, a cat’s sense of smell is much more advanced than yours.

How to train your cat

Step 1 – Show her where to go

When you bring a new cat or kitten into your home, show her where her litter box is and put her in the box. Cats might be smart, but they’re not that smart that they instinctively know where to go. Either pick her up and show her her private little bathroom, or encourage her to follow you.

Step 2 - After meals

Few cats use their litter box right after a meal but you could try to put her in her litter box after she’s eaten or had a drink. This might lead her to associate food with poop and water with pee. Don’t force her to stay in her box though. Forcing her will create fear. Simply put her in the box, talk to her in a soft tone of voice what the box is for and leave it at that. Kitty will probably have a look, sniff around and jump out of the box. Leave it up to her.

Step 3 – Praise her

If you notice that kitty has used her litter box, lavish her with praise. While petting her say “Good kitty” or “Smart kitty” or anything else that makes it clear how pleased you are.

Accidents happen

Should your cat or kitten have an accident, don’t punish her. Never yell or spank her. Cats don’t understand negative enforcement and yelling or any other type of punishment will only frighten her. Should you find a poopie on the floor or a wet spot on the carpet, show her the accident and then put her in her box.

When you clean up the mess, place the damp tissue or the poopie in the box. The scent will lure her to use this place for future relief.

To discourage her from using the wrong place again, thoroughly clean the accident spot. Soak up most of the urine with tissue paper, sprinkle with plain baking soda (no cleaning agents added), and vacuum. Repeat if necessary.

Litter box maintenance

Once your cat uses her litter box on a regular basis, keep the box as clean as possible. Scoop out poopies on a regular basis and wash the box at least once a week. Just like you prefer a clean toilet, so does your cat.

Cats are naturally clean and smart, and training should require little or no effort.

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Friday is cat day - Life in a box

Most cat owners spent a significant amount of money on toys and soft bedding, while all it takes is a box.

SSSST ... I'M PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK I'M STILL TAKEN MEASUREMENTS NOT A WORD! WANNA JOIN ME ... THERE'S ROOM TO SPARE I'M DREAMING OF A 300 I NEED TO STRETCH MY LEGS HIDE .... ... AND SEEK I HOPE THE SHOES FIT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GETTING THIS BOX BACK JUST CLOSE THE FLAPS AND LET ME BE THIS IS NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE 0 Comments Leave a Reply.

Every action has a reaction

It’s hard being a cat sometimes, especially if you share a house with other cats.

Even though there are three perfectly good baskets around, whenever there’s a box available Chanel, Mickey, Charlotte and Gabriel will take turns curling up in it.  But sometimes one of them overstays his welcome.  In that case patience goes out the window and it’s time for a little action.

While Gabriel was sleeping in a cardboard box today, Mickey did just that.  He positioned himself close to where Gabriel and looked at him.  Make that, stared at him.  He stared and stared and just when I thought he was about to give up, he stared some more.

Gabriel wasn’t bothered.  Mickey could stare all he wanted, Gabe wasn’t moving.  So what did Mickey do … he bit Gabriel’s leg.  He lowered his head, nuzzled his nose into Gabriel’s long hair, but instead of grooming him, he took a bite.

As planned, this action had a reaction.  Unfortunately Mickey hadn’t thought this one through though.  Yes, Gabriel vacated the box, but Mickey couldn’t immediately take possession of it.  First he had to deal with a mouthful of hair.  That comes of it when you bite a longhaired cat.

Do Mickey and Gabriel fight?  Neih, they’re the best of friends, always have been.

In general it wasn’t Mickey’s day today.  This morning I couldn’t find him.  I wasn’t really worried because I had seen him some five minutes before, so I figured he was probably sleeping somewhere.

While waiting for Mick to resurface I decided to make the beds.  I started with Dieter’s bed, grabbed hold of the duvet and flung it on the floor.  There Mickey was, with some dumb look on his face like “What the hell happened?” 

Did he get up?  If you think he did, you don’t know Mickey very well.  He put his head down and went right back to sleep.  Okay, I would come back later.  Much later.

I moved on to my bed.  Once again I grabbed the duvet and threw it off the bed.  I heard a “clonk”.  That was strange, duvets go down softly, they don’t go clonk.  This time I had interrupted Charlotte’s sleep.  She slunk from under the duvet (that was now in a heap on the floor) clearly not impressed.  She gave me a look that said “What’d do that for?”

This was clearly a no win situation for me.  So I left the beds alone and went to do the dishes instead.  Much safer for everyone.

Mickey a.k.a. Lassie

Earlier today I related the story of Chanel’s ‘disappearance’ and now the spotlight turns to Mickey.

Mickey, or shall I say ... 'Lassie’.

You remember Lassie, don’t you? The beautiful, smart Collie, who by barking, let his owners know that there was some kind of emergency. What an amazing dog that was. But, what Mickey did today is nothing short of amazing too.

Nothing stirred, everything was quiet and yet suddenly around 2:00 p.m. Mickey, who had been sleeping on top of the wall unit, got up, jumped on the floor and ran – not walked, but ran – to Dieter’s bedroom.

Within seconds he was back in the living room, looked at me and meowed. Not a ‘Hello’ meow, but a meow that demanded attention.

“What’s the matter boy?” I asked.

When Mickey saw that he had my attention he went back to Dieter’s room. I followed.

What I saw could have turned into a catastrophe, had it not been for Mickey’s sharp hearing and quick response. On the floor was Charlie, trapped in a box underneath Dieter’s desk.

Charlie must have jumped in that box (you know what cats and boxes are like), the box must have tipped over and the way the box was positioned, Charlie couldn’t get out.

Whether it was Charlie who signaled a 911 distress call, or Mickey who just picked up Charlie’s vibe that something was wrong, I don’t know, but thanks to Mickey, Charlie was saved. What a smart kitty cat.