Another Reason Cats Are Mysterious
Welcome cat lovers.If it’s Monday, you know it’s Mondays With Merlin, your friendly neighborhood wise, old cat. Let me share another tidbit about cats and our mysterious ways. Another reason cats are mysterious is simply because humans can’t figure us out no matter how hard they try. Take for instance cats and litter boxes. The popular view is that cats like litter boxes to be big and uncovered and that’s true most of the time. But just to keep you on your toes we sometimes behave in unexpected ways.
The other day I was circle walking in the living room needing to pee. I’m blind and didn’t feel like walking the 20 odd feet to a litter box so I peed on the floor. Layla cleaned it up and announced to my dad about needing another box in the living room. There weren’t any extra boxes so she improvised by taking the bottom half of a hard-sided carrier and placed it under the chair. It was a little small but I loved how easy it was to enter since it didn’t have four walls. The funny part was soon after Odin, the curious one just had to check out my special box. Then Gris Gris took a whiz in it. What’s up with that? This is my special box. When Domino squeezed his fat self inside, Layla laughed. We have boxes strategically placed on all three floors but you’d think this was the Rolls Royce of litter boxes!
I’ve been spending a good chunk of my days napping on the porch and love to pee in the bushes on my daily garden walks. The porch is gated so I can’t escape so one day I peed on the porch. Before you know it, the special box was moved to the porch for my convenience. The rest of the boys who often do their business en plein air as they say in French, suddenly couldn’t resist the charms of this petite non-litter box on the porch. So now the box is moved back and forth and is the favorite of all of us. Eventually the novelty will wear off, but it goes to show you just never know what a cat will do next.
Domino posing on the porch with the “special box”.
Has your cat ever liked using an unusual litter box and why do think this little box is so irresistible?
Pee Ess: I’m loving the heat. As an old kidney cat, I’m usually cold. I haven’t lost more weight but looking skinnier from losing muscle mass.
35 Comments
Kjelle Bus aka Charlie Rascal
My litterbox is a BIG one with roof 🙂
If I´m outside walking for a long time I do what I need to do outside 😀
Oui Oui
Our mom just loves how we use the litter boxes right after, or even while she is still cleaning them – just so she can clean them again. The litter box story she can think of was her first kitty, Leia. When the mom took her in she was pregnant and the regular box was too high for the kittens. So the mom put some litter in a disposal aluminum roasting pan. Leia got into the pan to show the kittens how it was done and it was so small, the mom was sure Leia would miss. But she did good and didn’t. Still, the mom wonders why kitties must use a litter box right after its been cleaned.
Also, she will be emailing you in the next day or two. Purrs!
Glogirly and Katie
Waffles doesn’t care what size it is….
as long as it’s MINE.
*sigh*
~Katie
Kitties Blue
Predictably unpredictable is what Mom always says about cats. We had a litter box in the vestibule that we all liked and used. When the humans had the deck screened in for us, they moved that box to the catio and put a different one in its place. Now we no longer like the one that used to be in the house and will beg to come in so we can use the new box in the old place. Go figure. Purrs and hugs, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
CATachresis
Merlin, a gentlecat’s litter box is a private affair. I think you must live with a bunch of street moggies!!! 😉
Layla Morgan Wilde (Cat Wisdom 101)
Indeed, all three are from the street 🙂
Sue Brandes
What a great idea. Never thought of that. A lot of people throw them away as they are broken. Could reuse for this purpose. I have a 21 yr old kitty and had to get one that has the lower front opening with the high sides litter box as his aim isn’t so good anymore. And he has a hard time getting into things anymore. I have had to improvise with a box before lined with a trash bag and litter for a sick kitty.
Layla Morgan Wilde (Cat Wisdom 101)
Puppy pans work well too with their low front side as long as the cats aren’t messy litter diggers..
Cats of wildcat woods
Pretty good idea to use the carrier – easy entry. The novelty will wear off – they all think you have something special!!! We have a couple of CRF cats but they seem to find the boxes OK – but this is good to know in case.
Marg
That looks like a great idea for a little box and obviously everyone else thought it was a great idea too.
Thanks for leaving that link about the vestibular disease. It was a little more encouraging than the vet was. We are just going to go day by day and see how it all goes. He is in the bathroom and not liking it but not being bad. Thanks Layla.
Cynthia Southern
I love Mondays with Merlin. 🙂
Layla Morgan Wilde (Cat Wisdom 101)
Cynthia, we love that you love it 🙂 Merlin sends purrrrs.
Andrea
What a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that? I have many carriers just in case we have to put everyone in one at the same time. Of course, most are not in use so they would be great for this purpose.
As for why they like it? Well, I know that cats like new things, new including old things repurposed or old things that are moved. As long as this box is moved when needed I think everyone is going to like it.
Matt - Brisbane Photographer
I’m not too sure what they like about boxes, but my cat will sit in ANY box around the house. Anywhere.
For fun sometimes we put the box in weird places. lol
meowmeowmans
That’s a GREAT litterbox for Merlin! How funny that all the other cats want to use it, too. All we know is that as soon as we clean the box, the kitties line up to go. At home AND at the shelter. 🙂
Off to vote! 🙂
Skeeter and Izzy
Necessity IS the mother of invention and cats always like to do the opposite of what we expect! That is why we love them so! We’re so glad that Merlin has such a wonderful Mom that always adjusts what needs to be adjusted to suit his needs. We luvs you all!
Luvs Skeeter and Izzy and the Feral Gang >^..^<
Brian
That is a very clever box idea and sure was a purrfect solution! We’ve been voting!
Abby
Mom feels I don’t like climbing into the box anymore so she got pads for me and that is what I use. But we all do enjoy keeping up the mystery!!!
Flynn
If one uses it they all have to. They may be missing out otherwise. Flynn prefers going outdoors and will hang on mornings until he is let out in the garden. When we are on holiday and he can’t go out, he uses it without batting an eyelid.
I am voting for you every day.
Jacqueline
That is a cool litter box, so easy to get in and out of!…All of ours are covered or sit inside a little wooden end table type of box that our Mommy purchased at Amazon…Happy Monday, dear friends…kisses…Calle, Halle, Sukki, Mommy Cat, Daddy Cat
Cheysuli
Wow, a toilet that comes to you. What a treat. We found a really big old under the bed plastic box that was very low sided all over and very large so that Georgia could get in and out of it easily and it had a lot of space for her to do her stuff. That worked for awhile for her-
Gabriel Turch
Cats are very mysterious. I had two, so I can agree. I never know what they want to do! Many of suprises! 😉
Tamago
That 3 sided litter box is such a great idea for Merlin. It must be so much easier to access for him. We have just regular boxes – three of them as there are two boys. They tend to use the one on main floor frequently, leaving other boxes rather clean.
easy rider
It’s a perfect box – for some things in life we need more room than we expected :o)
da tabbies o trout towne
dood….when ya gotta go. ya gotta go…prettee smart we think….bout usin de carrier base….grate job sendin that message via EEE ess and Pea 🙂 ta yur mom sew for her ta take credit for it
….all sew…WAY happee for you and conga rats and best fishes in de petties competishunz 🙂 !!!
Sam and Pam
That’s a purrfect litterbox for you Merlin – too bad the other boys think it’s purrrfect too! Sam has never gone potty anywhere but his litterbox OR outside. Now that he’s older sometimes he doesn’t stand in the middle of the box all the time as before and accidentally pees over the edge onto the floor but no worries. I’m “at the ready” to clean up his accidents which are few and far between. He likes ME to be present when he uses his box – he’ll come and get me wherever I am to tell me he’s heading to the basement and his box. Crazy boy – he likes a totally clean box at all times so Mom has to be standing by to immediately clean it! Cats and litterboxes – everybody’s got a story I think! LOL
Pam (and Sam says HI MERLIN!)
Layla Morgan Wilde
That’s a good one and he has you well trained!
The Island Cats
We’ve never had an unusual litterbox but we can say that we like to do our business in the box whenever the mom is cleaning them out. She’s shoveling and cleaning around us! Haha!
Layla Morgan Wilde
That’s so true. The moment it’s cleaned :-0
Caren Gittleman
I think that box is a GENIUS idea! One reason I am thinking that they like it so much is that they do not have to LIFT their legs to enter…..all of the other boxes require them to lift their legs. With this one, they just walk right in!
That is brilliant!
PS: you seriously should patent this 🙂
$$$$$
Layla Morgan Wilde
The company who makes these could easily have an off shoot business but it would would better using a larger size box.
Sometimes, Cats Herd You
Using a carrier for a box with an opening in front is a good idea! We have a tall-sided box (a rubbermaid bin) and a low-sided one, so we can choose. Having choices is good!
Sparkle
We kitties really aren’t all that mysterious – we just like to keep the humans on their toes! And Merlin, you are doing a great job.
Kathryn
I really like that cat box — well, not a cat box, but it really is. I wonder if we have our hard-sided carrier from 2002, when we brought the boyz home together in one carrier, at 5 months and 5 pounds each.
Well, Mao was bigger than Ched in those days.
Merlin is so adorable. They’re all so adorable.
Happy Cat Family
That looks like a great box actually, especially for an older cat, with the lower entrance on the front – good job on coming up with it!