Dogs and Cat litter boxes???

[Laura Dannon]

We are trying to come up with a way to keep our two dogs (wiener dogs) out of the cat boxes. The cat boxes are underneath our basement steps, so our temporary solution is that we have a baby gate up in the laundry room to block entry to under the steps from the dogs. One of our cats in particular doesn't like this as he is rather large and doesn't like to jump. He has also had issues with his bladder, so he is the LAST cat I need avoiding the boxes.

Any suggestions???

[Sheryl]

I don't have many suggestions for you. My dog is 115 pounds, so what I have done is put a latch on the 'cat room' that allows me to leave the door open about six inches so the cats can get in but not the big guy. If I think of anything brilliant that would work for your small dudes, I'll let you know.
And why is it that dogs think that 'kittie krunchies' are such a treat?!?

[Marsha]

My vet told me years ago that sprinkling the cat's food with meat tenderizer would make their stools unappealing to the dog, and he would quit going into the litter box. He said that's what he does at his house. And he said that you have to keep up the meat tenderizer thing because when he would stop for awhile, the dogs would go back to getting into the litter box. I guess they check it out just in case!! We were never able to get this to work because we forget to put the tenderizer on the food, and the gate works for our situation.

I don't know anything about the health risks of cats having meat tenderizer on their food. I just know that this particular vet does the same thing with his own cats.

[Grace Erick]

Are your dogs actually having lunch in the litter box or just using it too? If they are poop eating, there are ways to deal with that. I don't know what they are off hand. There have been topics here that have gone into what you can do if that is the problem and it's not that they are just using the litter too.

[heathea]

top entry litter boxes. I saw them a while ago and thought they were a great idea.
http://www.clevercatinnovat ions.com/top_entry_litterbox_ testimonials.cfm
I know they make different types, this was just one that I saw.

Another thing we used to use when we had cats was the littermaid litter box. They could get into it but it was always clean.

Your other option would be to put it up on a table under the stairs if that would work.

My friends who have dogs of all sizes face their lidded litter boxes against the wall with only a 4'' space between the entryway and the wall. That keeps their dogs out but the cats can squeeze their way in.
I hope these ideas help.
Good Luck!
Heather

[Sheryl]

Grace, the dogs actually have kittie krunchies for a snack! I have known of lots of dogs who like to eat the cat poop. Gross, I know, sorry. My sister (who is a vet) has seen dogs get really sick from bacteria that are in the cats' poop, even cats who aren't allowed outside.
I'd better go and scoop the sandbox while I'm thinking of it. How much are those self-cleaning litter boxes anyways, and are they good?

[Summer Magic]

I have two cats and a sheltie and she likes the kitty truffles also. ;) We solved the problem by turning the opening of our covered cat box around to face the wall leaving just enough room for the cats to enter the box but not enough room for the dog to get her head into it. Works for us quiet well :p



Judy

[Marsha]

As for the self-cleaning litterbox, the Litter Maid, we love ours. I know of people who don't like them, and I can see why someone would prefer the other type box. They're a little bit harder and have more parts to clean when it needs a major thorough cleaning, and you still have to go in and change the receptacle (the container that the poop gets automatically scooped into). It's certainly not work-free. It's just that you don't have to go in and scoop and clean every day (or more than once a day for one particularly fastidious cat who can't seem to go if ANY waste is in the box). However, I don't think this would be an answer to keeping many dogs out. It would be simple enough to wedge the cover off the receptacle with a nose. I don't think this kind of litter box would be the answer. We have it and it didn't keep either a pug or a 23 lb. terrier/hound mix dog from being able to get a snack if we left the gate down accidently.

[Laura Dannon]

OMGosh, how simple yet brilliant. See, our stairs run east/west and there is a little "hallway" of sorts to get back to the cat boxes and where it turns to go actually UNDER the stairs that is were the litter boxes are sitting side by side north/south. So, if I turn them like some of you mentioned, there is plenty of room further under the stairs for the cats to get in, but the dogs can't! Wow!!! I am changing the boxes tonight so I will try it! This would also help with the cats tracking litter into the laundry room! 2 birds with 1 stone!

Thanks all!

[Randy Jane]

I am glad to know my dog is not the only one who eats the cat poop.
Does anyone know of any kind of product to put IN the litter box to deter the dog?
thanks

[Lesly Stevens]

You can get something from the vet to deter your dog from eating kitty poop - it's an oral medication.

I turned the litterbox so the opening was in the corner facing the wall, and this worked for us.


I am glad to know my dog is not the only one who eats the cat poop.
Does anyone know of any kind of product to put IN the litter box to deter the dog?
thanks