Cat Lovers - Page 1

I know there are many on this board who like both cats and dogs, so I thought I'd give this a whirl.

I just adopted an 8 mo. old kitten. Socialization with the canines is going just fine, but I've noticed the cat's breath is just AWFUL!  Normally bad breath is the result of tartar on the teeth, and occurs in older animals.

Any suggestions to the possible cause, and how I can remedy this? He's on Performatrin (Pet Valu house brand) kitten kibble.

Also, my GSDs are lifting kitty cookies from the litterbox, so I am getting the bad breath from both canines AND felines!  I have the litterbox inside a dog crate, but that still hasn't stopped them. When I went to clean the box this morning, there was no kitty poop in it at all !

{Sigh} Gotta figure another way of dog-proofing the litterbox!   

 

Get a big rubbermaid tub with a lid. Cut a circle hole in the top. The cat can get in and out, but the dogs can't get their fat heads in to reach the litter. 

http://www.amorepetshop.com/product.asp?itemid=10885&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=portal&utm_campaign=feed&gclid=CL_J_fTq-bMCFctcMgodJE0AeQ

Thank you for the suggestion, Jenni! I actually have a couple of those tubs. May need to find a way to anchor it, though, so they don't tip it over.

Edit: your link doesn't work, but I assume it's the Clever Cat top-entry litter pan you were trying to show me. It's on sale now for $29, but the original price was $49!

For that sort of money, I'm sure I can make my own with a Rubbermaid bin! 

Love kitties, I sure miss having one 

First thing that comes to mind, with stinky kitty breath...is a tooth/gum infection, best bet is to get kitty checked out by the vet.  

The weight of the kitty litter should be a pretty good anchor, also if you can put it in a corner or between two big things (washer/dryer, walls, etc.) 
If you have a really, really big tub (they got some nice big ones at walmart for good prices) perhaps you could put the cat litter box inside of it and cut a hole in the tub that is catty-corner to the hole for the cat litter box (assuming it's a covered cat litter box)  that will also stymie the dogs and provide more anchor help. 

I have a large covered litter box. Actually, I could probably just cut a hole in the top of that, and block up the front entrance. The dome is high enough to prevent the dogs from getting their heads far enough in.

Meanwhile, I'm off to Global to buy some dog toothbrushes! 

Have found that the only way I could keep dogs out of the cat
litter tray - and not put the cat off using it  lol ! - was to keep it
in a room the cat had access to but the dog didn't.
In this case it was my bathroom  (made for slightly stinky
bath times often, but it was the only way in that apartment.)
I had a baby gate on the door, one  with vertical bars - cat
could walk right through, dog could not follow.  I could just
about close and lock the bathroom door if I had to.
Just might be another suggestion if your kitten doesn't
take to your adaptions ?

Could its bad breath be gastric, if the teeth are ok ?  Hate to
be a pain, but maybe you could get a better catfood  (its the
sort of change we all recommend regularly to dog  owners
complaining theirs has bad breath ...

Not an option here, as some of my frequent guests are allergic to cats. Also, the guest bedroom has my one REALLY expensive rug in it, and I dont want it exposed to possible accidents.

I am pretty sure I can barricade the box behind some shelf pallister strips at the far end of the sun room, where guests won't be exposed to the odour.

(If you keep the box clean, there should be almost NO odour, unless the cat just had a poop!)

Yes, Eric used to like to take a dump just when I was
lying in the bath, companionable sort of 

When I did keep the litter box in the bathroom, it was amazing how often the cats had to join me, and do THEIR business as I was doing MINE!

They were part of a feral litter I bottle raised, so I was their mommy, and I guess they are hard-wired to learn by imitating their mother.

Ain't Mother Nature grand?