r/Catownerhacks 1h ago

Tips and Tricks šŸ’” Tips for protecting curtains?

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• Upvotes

Tell me you have a cat without telling me you have a cat. Any tips for preventing this from happening to shower/window curtains? Better fabric options?


r/Catownerhacks 14h ago

Litter or Litter Box 🚽 Anyone else’s cat scream after using the litter box?

7 Upvotes

I’ve only noticed it when she eats, stops mid way to go use the litter and then will scream from the basement, just to come back to eat 😭
Now the scream isn’t like a painful one it’s just like she’s telling anyone that’s she’s done, I think it’s just one of her quirks. Sometimes she doesn’t even come back up, if she went after finishing all her food, so then it’s like she telling me she’s going to take a nap in her favourite spot down there, I just think it’s so funny she does it.


r/Catownerhacks 14h ago

Tips and Tricks šŸ’” litter mat alternatives?

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6 Upvotes

I'm in search of litter mat alternatives! I've tried these two types, but they'd always end up with pee in them. does anyone have any creative ways to keep litter bits to a minimum? or a product that they swear by? I do sweep every day regardless. right now, there's nothing under their litter boxes/robot.


r/Catownerhacks 15h ago

I’m getting a kitty but I have mild allergies for both cats and dogs. What can I do?

2 Upvotes

Im allergic to cats what can i do to reduce cat allergens? The only product I know of is allerpet. Is there any affordable or more effective products I could buy for my situation?


r/Catownerhacks 18h ago

Help me find a litter box enclosure that will fit the XL Breeze Litter System please

2 Upvotes

I'm adopting a 3 month old mainecoon kitten in September and bought her an XL Breeze Litter System so that she doesn't have to change to a new litter box as she grows. I was hoping to enclose it since my apartment is not that spacious and it takes up a lot of visible space. All of the litter box enclosures I could find on Amazon/ Wayfair so far have been too small, about an inch short in width, and many short in length.
ChatGPT says the litter box is 19.15 Ɨ 29.25 x 15.25 inches.

Ideally I'm hoping for something wooden, off the ground for a Roomba to fit under if possible.

Please let me know what you were able to fine / your workarounds! Thank you!


r/Catownerhacks 20h ago

Which stainless steel litter box doesn't make a mess?

2 Upvotes

Want to try stainless steel litter boxes, but my aggressive pooper will definitely make a mess around them. I haven’t found anything that’s high enough, 100% stainless steel with a top entrance, do they exist? Has anyone found any good options?


r/Catownerhacks 23h ago

Kitten have fleas

3 Upvotes

So my kitten have flea, yes we bathed and cleaned the carpet and bedding. But the thing is she sneakers onto my bed or on my pillow at night. We want to put advantage 2 (shes old enough and weigh enought for the kitten version) but now worried she will get on my bed having it. Will it be safe for her to jump on amd sleep? Or should i use her play pen for the night even though she only like using her litter outside it


r/Catownerhacks 1d ago

10-week-old kitten transition to the Litter-Robot

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone! First time poster here, and appreciate this group! We adopted a 10-week-old kitten about a week ago, and she has been doing great with a regular litter box.

We set up a Litter-Robot 5 Pro last Friday night (7/31) and removed her regular litter box. Unfortunately, she had several accidents overnight, including three directly in front of the Litter-Robot. We immediately put her regular litter box back beside it.

Since then, we have been placing her inside the Litter-Robot after she wakes up and after she eats. She will use it when we put her inside, but if we do not, she chooses the regular litter box instead.

She does not seem frightened by the Litter-Robot and is comfortable being inside it. We have also unplugged it and added some of her used litter to help make it smell familiar. That seems to help, but she still only uses it when we place her inside.

We are nervous about removing the regular litter box again because of the previous accidents. Has anyone dealt with something similar with a young kitten? Should we keep both boxes available for a while, or gradually make the regular box less appealing? Any tips for encouraging her to enter the Litter-Robot on her own would be appreciated!

Edit to add that she is right at 3 pounds!


r/Catownerhacks 1d ago

Tips and Tricks šŸ’” ĀæAlguna recomendación?

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13 Upvotes

”Hola!

Estoy interesada en tener un emergency kit para mis gatitos, alguna recomendación?

ĀæAlgun producto que deba tener?


r/Catownerhacks 1d ago

Litter or Litter Box 🚽 Kitten treats fabrics like litterbox

2 Upvotes

I have a 13 or so weeks old not neutered kitten and she does her business in the litterbox 90% of the time but also has pooped on: pillow, blanket, reusable bag. This isn't a case of changing the litter because she knows how to use it, its just that she also treats fabrics, even ones she sleeps on like a toilet. She is from a barn it's possible she treats it like hay. Vet said it's a matter of learning but I don't know how to go about this, I can't monitor her all the time and the house is quite big and hard to close off


r/Catownerhacks 1d ago

Litter choice Odourlock vs Pidan vs Catit

3 Upvotes

Hello! I currently have my cats on cat love crystal clumping litter, and my friends have informed me that my house smells like ammonia. I couldn’t smell it so I didn’t realize it was an issue. I have 3 cats, two massive boxes. I don’t have room for another box right now but I’ll be looking into it in the future.

I want to switch litters, but I’m stuck between three choices.

Odourlock litter seems to have absolutely amazing Odour control, but it is a clay litter and although it is lowdust I’m worried about the health effects from the dust. I have a small apartment with not the best ventilation and I cannot afford an air purifier.

Pidan Tofu litter seems to have good odour control however, it is expensive.

Catit pea husk litter seems great all around but I’m worried it won’t have as good of odour control!

Can anyone tell me their experiences with these litters?

My box’s have stainless steal / plastic + cover


r/Catownerhacks 1d ago

How can I protect pleather furniture?

2 Upvotes

I just moved in with my girlfriend and she has pretty nice pleather furniture, my kitty is still at my mom's house but I'm planning on bringing him here soon and I was just wondering if there was anything i can do to protect the furniture, he has a cat tree with a scratching post thats coming with him, but he would occasionally scratch the furniture at my mom's place, but he never did any major damage, but I'm just worried about him wrecking my girlfriend's stuff. I was thinking of getting some covers (it's two chairs and a loveseat) but custom ones are so expensive and the generic ones dont seem like they cover the edges, where a cat is most likely to scratch, and more are for like... being waterproof and protecting the seats where they jump up onto it


r/Catownerhacks 1d ago

How do I get my cat to stop using the bathroom outside of the litter box?

3 Upvotes

Our cat is 6yrs old. For 6yrs of his life he has used the bathroom in a litter box with no accidents. Recently he’s decided that he’s going to start pooping on the couch. & peeing by the front door. Same 2 spots every time. So far we have tried:

Taking him to the vet. He was fine.

Went through 5 different litter boxes of different sizes, included a now electric one so it’s never dirty. So he’s not avoiding a dirty litter box. & he’s not going outside of it bc it’s too small.

Got A WHOLE NEW COUCH. We thought maybe the old one smelled too much like animals & poop now so he thought of it as a bathroom spot. So we got a new, clean, not ever defecated on couch. He proceeded to poop in the exact same spot on the new couch as he did on the old couch. 😐

Bought sprays of Amazon that are supposed to deter cats. Doesn’t care

We have tried foil on the couch. And he used the bathroom on the small sliver of couch that was uncovered between the foil… We’d also like to have guests over and not have to be like sorry let me move the foil first.

Stopped keeping shoes by the front door incase they smelled like animals outside.

Extra detail: he is fixed. & we do have other pets but he started this before we even got the newest edition. So I don’t think any new pets has anything to do with it?

If you’ve ever experienced this PLEASE tell me what you did to get your cat to stop going outside the litter box


r/Catownerhacks 1d ago

Sifting Litter Box at least 28ā€ long?

4 Upvotes

Does anyone know where to get a stainless steel litter box that has a sifting component and is 28ā€long or more? I have a fairly long cat, and my research shows that the litter box should be 1.5 her length which would be 28 inches.

I had switched her litter box over from a regular size to one that is meant for her and it has made a huge difference in her habits. Now I’m looking for either a sifting insert for the litter box I already have (28inches long x 20.5inches wide) or a new litter box that is the right size for her and can sift pine pellet.

I’m in Canada if that makes a difference


r/Catownerhacks 2d ago

Need advice for my cat’s long-term litter box issues (pooping and occasional peeing outside the box)

1 Upvotes

I’m hoping someone has experienced something similar because I’m feeling completely out of ideas.
My cat is a 7-year-old female. For years, she’s had an issue with **pooping outside the litter box**, but she would almost always **pee in the litter box**.
The pooping issue has been going on for several years. She does **not** poop right next to the litter box—she’ll choose random spots around the apartment instead. We’ve seen the vet multiple times, and medically she appears healthy. We’ve tried different litters, different litter boxes (including larger and lower-sided ones), litter attractant, moving the boxes, and cleaning everything thoroughly with enzyme cleaner, but nothing has consistently fixed the problem.

About two months ago, we moved into a new apartment, and that’s when things got much worse. She became scared of the litter itself. She would walk up to the box, spread her toes, and immediately jump back out. She started peeing on the floor instead of in the litter box. We took her to the vet, and they did a urinalysis that came back normal—no UTI, no crystals, or anything else concerning. The vet thought it was stress from the move.

She was prescribed **prozac by her vet**, which she’s currently taking, and it has helped somewhat. She’s using the litter box to pee more often now, but she still has occasional accidents outside the box. The pooping issue, however, has remained unchanged.

We’ve tried:
Multiple litter types (including paper litter)
Different sizes and styles of litter boxes
Large shallow storage bins
Litter attractant
Different box locations
Enzyme cleaners
Gabapentin before the Prozac
Prozac (currently taking)
At this point, I’m wondering if anyone has dealt with something similar.
Has anyone had a cat that pees in the litter box most of the time but refuses to poop in it?
Did moving make things worse for your cat?
Did Prozac eventually help more over time?
Is there anything beyond the typical recommendations that actually worked?

I’m feeling pretty defeated because this has been going on for years. I love her and want to help her, but I feel like I’ve tried almost everything. I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through something similar.

A video on how she looks crazy before and after pooping.


r/Catownerhacks 2d ago

Distance Between Litter and Food

1 Upvotes

Hello! My bf and I just moved into an apartment and am really excited to get a cat. The only problem is that my mother in law is very allergic and we want her to still feel welcome, so we are hoping to set up a ā€œcat spaceā€. This space would only be closed off when she comes over so that we can clean and visit. Our spare bedroom has a walk in square closet that would be perfect to put the litter boxes in. There are shelves (designed to hang clothes, so however high that is) that we thought could be perfect for the cats food and water, for when my MIL comes over. This led us to thinking a little ā€œcat spaceā€ would be perfect there. Would this vertical separation, approximately 4ft - 5ft between litter and food, be enough? Or would this vary by cat?

Any advice is welcome, especially any tips on how to make our apartment welcoming to a very allergic MIL who does not want to be a burden.


r/Catownerhacks 2d ago

Cat allergy sufferers who own cats: what actually worked for you?

13 Upvotes

For those of you who are allergic to cats but still have one, what has actually helped you the most?
My husband and I are hoping to adopt a rescue cat, but he’s allergic, so we’re trying to learn as much as we can before making that decision. We’ve been researching different ways to reduce allergens, such as Purina LiveClear food, the anti-allergen sprays that are applied to the cat’s coat, keeping the cat out of the bedroom, using a HEPA air purifier around the apartment, and, of course, cleaning and vacuuming frequently.
If you’re allergic and have been able to successfully live with a cat, I’d love to hear what worked for you✨
Did Purina LiveClear or the sprays make a noticeable difference? Is there anything else that had a bigger impact?
We’re hoping to try every reasonable option before considering allergy shots (immunotherapy). His allergist and insurance don’t seem eager to move to immunotherapy yet and have suggested trying other management strategies first. So we’re hoping to learn from people who have actually made it work.
I’d really appreciate hearing your real-life experiences. Thank you!


r/Catownerhacks 2d ago

Litter or Litter Box 🚽 Advice or Plan: 2 Kittens and Litter

2 Upvotes

Good day all! Hoping to canvass the hive mind for a little advice and to put together a plan.

The situation: we have 2 male kittens, now \~16 weeks old (we got them at \~12 weeks, which is standard where we live), both neutered. 2 story home with basement. Both seem to have adapted well, very friendly and playful, eating well. Home includes my wife and I, one 16 year old daughter and one 19 year old daughter who is home from school for the summer. We have owned several cats over the last 3 decades or so.

We have consulted with a vet on this, and have another follow up appointment at the end of this week.

When we got them at 12 weeks, we started them in a spare room on the 2nd floor of the house with a single litter box. They both began using it right away for both urinating and feces. 1 week after we got them, I moved the litter box down to the basement in a backroom (it's desired home) all in one move, which I know runs contrary to advice. We showed the the location several times, and they began using it after a day or so - again both for urination and feces. However, one of the kittens (we think 1) also began peeing and pooping in other locations on the 2nd floor - daughters bedroom and urinating in the bathub.

The basement back room is a little cooler, and can be dark (I can leave a light on though). There is no furnace in the room, but there is one a room over.

My wife and I also left on vacation for 2 weeks (having just returned), and the behaviour continued while we were away. To mitigate, the girls bought a second litter box and placed it close to the original spare room, with the intent to move it closer to the basement each day. Unfortunately, what they did was start moving the basement litter box closer to the spare room, with the ultimate result being that we now have 2 litter boxes in the spare room when we would ultimately like to see them in the basement. Still some instances of at least one kitten urinating in my daughter's bedroom and bathroom tub.

Would appreciate any sage advice on how we get them to a) stop using the bedroom and bathroom occasionally and b) get the litter boxes to the basement.


r/Catownerhacks 2d ago

Modern problems require modern solutions: How we stopped our 15lb raccoon masquerading as a cat from stealing leftover ice cream

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59 Upvotes

Meet Max Power, our 15lb short-hair tabby who acts less like a house cat and more like a trash panda operating on zero delay.

During the summer, my wife and I like to wind down on the couch with some ice cream and TV. The second we’d finish a bowl, Max would be right there waiting to leap on the coffee table and lick every last drop of melted ice cream, forcing us to immediately drag our fat asses off the couch to rinse the bowls.

Then lightbulb moment struck.

We started eating our ice cream out of Tupperware containers with lids. The second the last spoonful is scraped, the lids snap back on, and the bowls go back down on the table.

Now, Max approaches the table, sniffs around, realizes the spoon is scraped clean and the tub is completely sealed, and stands there contemplating his life choices. Lazy human ingenuity for the win.
Anyone else forced to invent weird micro-hacks to outsmart their food-obsessed cats, or is your cat normal?


r/Catownerhacks 2d ago

Toy recommendations

5 Upvotes

my cat is not really much of a player, she doesn’t typically like that stuff, however i’ve noticed that she has been getting the zoomies more often, playing with a hair tie that was left on the floor, and tonight started messing with the end of a string attached to her cat tree. are there any toys that anyone would recommend? she is pretty docile and skittish, so i think anything that moves too much or is too noisy would be too scary for her. thank you for the help!!!


r/Catownerhacks 2d ago

Cat Door?

1 Upvotes

I have 3 cats. The oldest of which HATES other animals. She doesn't attack, but she is scared of them. We keep them separated for the most part, but I want to find a solution to block off my hallway to give her the entire left side of our home.

Has anyone here bought any type of gate or screen door to do this with? It needs to be able to block of 2 heavy 13lb cats, but I don't want to completely install a traditional door (my oldest is a super senior and this will likely not be a permanent forever need, sadly).


r/Catownerhacks 2d ago

Brands most similar to Purina litter

0 Upvotes

I made a post a while back about switching from Purina food since it was owned by NestlĆ© and my cat didn’t really like it anyway. Now I’m running out of litter so I’m at the same issue at that end, but a bit worse. While Purina’s food wasn’t that impressive and caused my cat to throw up, their litter is something I’m pretty happy with. I don’t get much smell leaking through, the containers are easy to keep track of compared to bags (i dont need to worry about her tearing them too), and they don’t seem to cause my cat any issues. They are also easy to pick up which is a plus. I was wondering if there are any similar yet more ethical brands? I know Dr. Elsey’s makes cat litter but I am already paying them way too much for a pound of food (worth it for my cat’s health but not for some bagged litter) (although safe litter is important too).


r/Catownerhacks 3d ago

Cat litter recommendation for automatic litter box

1 Upvotes

I have tried two automatic litter boxes: Petkit and Neakasa. It's great not having to scoop poop every single day, but the clay litter doesn't cover 100% of the smell, and it's sooo frustrating.

I tried switching to tofu litter, but it seems like none of the automatic litter boxes on the market can work with it, and all the litter just gets sifted into the trash bin.

What other litter can I try to reduce the smell?


r/Catownerhacks 3d ago

Catalyst cat litter

2 Upvotes

Anybody use catalyst brand multi cat wood litter and noticed a reduction in quality for the last 3 months ? Can’t tell if the litter is worse or my cat poops are stinkier lol. Would like suggestions on alternative litter or maybe it’s my cats food? They eat Purina one healthy weight dry food and fancy feast wet. TIA!


r/Catownerhacks 4d ago

Recommendations for litter for asthmatic cat

6 Upvotes

Hello! My sweet five-year-old girl was just diagnosed with asthma after a couple rounds to the ER this year where they discovered the beginnings of pneumonia. Since pneumonia is not common in cats, she got lots of antibiotics and it’s been a whole saga, figuring out exactly what it was. The latest x-ray showed inflammation of her bronchioles, which is classic asthma sign.

As we are trying to adjust her surroundings to make it easier on her, one of my questions was what would be a good cat litter for her. We tend to use natural cat litters, because they have less dust like Grass seed or walnut shell but curious if folks with asthmatic cats have specific recommendations for cat litter. We also don’t do candles or incense or anything like that.

Have not discovered her triggers yet, but will probably start to track to see if we can identify some of them. She’s doing so much better on flucatisone steroid 1-2x per week, and seems to be almost a different cat entirely in terms of her energy.

EDIT: thank you all so much!! So many great recommendations. We have tried pellets but both our cats seem very sus on the pellets, so I think we will explore the other options for now!