Cat Owners

seal57
seal57 Posts: 1,259 Member
edited December 21 in Chit-Chat
Hi all,

My landlord has given me permission to get a cat...Before I starting looking for my new family member, I need to get a few things....

The main thing is a kitty litter tray.....I was wondering is anyone has used the hooded type ones...I found it on ebay for $30 including postage....

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Replies

  • tamsinwhitfield
    tamsinwhitfield Posts: 135 Member
    Can't speak for all cat preferences (since I only have two and am obviously not one), but mine absolutely hated the hooded litter tray we initially bought, and spent large amounts of time trying to knock the top off. They seem to prefer to stand actually on the edge of the litter tray than right inside it (presumably to stop their little cat feet getting dirty), and obviously this isn't possible with a hooded litter tray.

    Your cat(s) might be completely different though - see if it's well-received (if it's already litter trained and is used to a different type, possibly not very), and if not you can always switch to the regular kind. As long as you empty it regularly, there shouldn't be any problems (and if you don't have a "sociable" place to keep it - ours is in the garage to avoid any problems on this front - odour masking cat litter works quite well).
  • da_sammit
    da_sammit Posts: 238 Member
    my cat HATED the hooded one. much preferred a tray on the floor of the garage. if we put the lid on, he would so kindly do his mess beside it.
  • seal57
    seal57 Posts: 1,259 Member
    Thanks girls....I will just get one of the other ones and some good kitty litter.....

    I'm in a unit and no garage so I will have to look as to where I can put it....

    I'm in no rush to get my new family member as when I do I will be taking time off work so I can get him used to me and my budgies and is new home....
  • MrsWilsoncroft
    MrsWilsoncroft Posts: 968 Member
    Hi

    I only had a litter tray for a short time, once my kitten had grown up she has always just gone outside now to do her mess lol.
  • Guisma
    Guisma Posts: 215
    When my cats were kittens i used one without the cover. Once they got used to the place where the the litter was, i replaced it by one of those ( taking the door out in the first times ) and with no one there was a problem
  • k2charmed4u
    k2charmed4u Posts: 282
    Our cat uses the hooding variety and she doesn't mind it at all. She started with the basic ones but was so enthusiastic in covering her results she sprayed the floor with cat litter :grumble:

    So we got her the hooded one. It's great as you don't have the unsightly mess and also it contains the smell of any deposits until we get home from work to clean her out. :happy:
  • Brinasacat
    Brinasacat Posts: 505 Member
    I have 3 cats and have always used a covered box. my cats are diggers and will sling the litter over the side without it. But when orienting a new cat to a box ( and location), I always leave cover off until they have a well established routine. more importantly, if you get a kitten, don't use clumping litter. they may ingest it, and it can kill them.
  • lil_pulp
    lil_pulp Posts: 701 Member
    I know cats that use a hooded litter box. It might be worth a try starting off with one and then you can just take the top off if the cat hates it.
  • polly_lops
    polly_lops Posts: 35 Member
    Hi there,

    I have two cats and they have used the hooded litter tray. They are mostly outdoor cats now but now and then my black cat gets an infected paw and is not allowed out so we have to bring the litter tray out. I would say it smells a damn sight better than an open litter box and we keep ours in the kitchen (yes I know, gross) I would say get wood chip litter as anything else smells like poop, whereas this smells like wood and it's cheap enough to replace the whole lot every day rather than scooping out the mess.

    If you get a kitten then it won't know any different about litter trays and not going out but if you get a cat that is used to going out and doing its business outdoors, then you might have an issue. Good luck!
  • Assassins_Angel
    Assassins_Angel Posts: 329
    when me brought my 4 month old fur baby home we got one of the hooded ones but he was too small to push the door open so we took the top off till he was bigger hes now almost 9 months old (we put the hood back on about 2 weeks ago) and he hasnt had a problem since :) we just showed him how to open it and how to get out and he got the hang of it quickly
  • polly_lops
    polly_lops Posts: 35 Member
    Oh my lord, I am so dense! Train the cat to use the toilet!! http://www.litterkwitter.com/en/index.php

    My friend's cat managed it - you will need to get a kitten though as you can't teach an old cat new tricks!
  • SP2Bfit
    SP2Bfit Posts: 114
    I have had a number of kitties....have 3 currently. We have 3 litter boxes in the home 2 without hoods, one with a hood. All 3 cats are comfortable using either. I did take off the plastic flap on the opening of the hooded lid--past cats didn't like it...just make sure you clean it out at least once a day (I try to clean them out 2x a day) ....with a hood on it sometimes it is easy to forget to clean it and then your kitty may decide to poop/pee someplace other than the litterbox!
  • Crystalchaos72
    Crystalchaos72 Posts: 531
    I HAD to get one but I also HAD to take the 'door' off........they were scared of it so it was necessary. It still works beautifully without the door in place. Highly recommend that kind, it makes a little mess in the entry way but. It keeps the rest of the floor cleaner :) I have a couple 'vigorous diggers' good luck ! :)
  • seal57
    seal57 Posts: 1,259 Member
    Thanks for all your replies.... Especially polly_lops...Would love that but I always put my lid down.....Besides, what happens when I want to go and the cat is on it. Or the other way around....I think I will go with the hooded one..If my kitty hates the hood then I will just take the top off......
  • sleepyjean88
    sleepyjean88 Posts: 180 Member
    My cat has always used the hooded one with no issues what so ever, we've had her since she was 7 weeks old, I think it maybe just depends on the cat to be honest, I prefer the hooded one as you dont see or smell anything plus when she starts burying her poo litter doesn't go everywhere lol.
  • mandimuscles
    mandimuscles Posts: 107 Member
    I've had a few different cats, one wouldn't go in the hooded one at all, the one I have now will go in as long as the door is removed. But it sure is less messy than the regular uncovered litterboxes! And, I've also tried the "self-cleaning" litterbox, what a joke that was!!
  • hdsqrl
    hdsqrl Posts: 420 Member
    Four cats here and we have 2 hooded boxes without the door flap on either one. No issues at all for the cats, and it does help to contain the mess. :)
  • tabulator32
    tabulator32 Posts: 701 Member
    My cats never liked the hooded boxes but I think if they had started with it as kittens, they would be fine with it.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    http://litterobot.com

    Expensive, but the best litter box I've ever had.
  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
    My cat always hated the covered ones, and he had no problem letting me know by refusing to use it, so it was worth cleaning up what litter got on the floor from an uncovered one to prevent that. It's more convenient for you to have a hood, but there's a chance the cat's not going to like it.
  • warneg
    warneg Posts: 12 Member
    FWIW, my vet recommended the open kind. Had something to do with the cat being sensitive to the odor/bacterial buildup in there which caused the cat to hold off peeing, then he got a bladder infection. Anyhoo, I took her advice and he's been fine since. Good luck with your new baby when you get it!
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    http://litterobot.com

    Expensive, but the best litter box I've ever had.
  • SkyPixie
    SkyPixie Posts: 224
    I think if your kitty is young enough you can train them but mine was quite old (19) when she finally gave in and had to have a tray inside and she would not use it .. which got a bit messy in the end :frown:

    So she has an open tray and even tho she is now 20 she can still kick litter all the way down my hallway like an Olympic champion :laugh:
    If kitty doesn't take to it my advice is buy buckets of litter and keep a hand held vacuum handy !
  • sweetpea7441
    sweetpea7441 Posts: 149 Member
    My 2 have the hooded one - they are 10 years old now and probably had that type of tray for the past 5 years.

    Was not a problem. Only thing was I did remove the cat flap on it, simply because the one cat tends to bully the other one and I wanted him to be able to have a fast escape out of his toilet...
    :-)
  • Sherriediva1
    Sherriediva1 Posts: 345 Member
    Kitties are so special! Take your time to find one well matched to you!!
    And because I can't help it...here's my Mo girl!!

    4h4fme.jpg
  • Curvy1taliana
    Curvy1taliana Posts: 371 Member
    My cat had the hooded typed with a door thing when he was little but he is part Maine Coon and is very large so it got too small for him. I then bought him one that is "partially hooded" as in, the front is open (not a door) and the top goes halfway... so he can jump out as he pleases. He likes his privacy so I turn it around facing the wall :wink:
  • seal57
    seal57 Posts: 1,259 Member
    Kitties are so special! Take your time to find one well matched to you!!
    And because I can't help it...here's my Mo girl!!

    4h4fme.jpg

    Your girl is so cute.....

    It's been ages since I had a kitten and so looking forward to getting another one....I'm not going to rush into it. at least not until I get the supplies......Going to look at Big W tomorrow to see what they have.....
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I have seven cats and six litter boxes (technically, I should have 8 since you should have one for each cat plus one, but I don't have room in the house for more than that and I refuse to have a litter box in my bedroom or kitchen). All but one box is covered, but none with door flaps, and the one that isn't has really high sides... it looks like a covered box, but without the roof. Most of my cats are major diggers and thrashers... I'd have litter EVERYWHERE.

    My favorite box is the one by Tidy Cat. http://www.tidycats.com/Products/Accessories/LitterBox.aspx

    Hinged lid and rounded sides make scooping easier... no corners where litter gets stuck. Should be about $20. When I got mine, it came with about $15 in litter coupons.

    Favorite litter is the Arm & Hammer Essentials. It's clumping, but corn based instead of clay based. So not only is it better for the cats and the environment, it's not as heavy as regular litter. Not a big deal if you have one cat, but with seven, and a 30 pound limit on city garbage bags... I can get some seriously heavy trash! There's also other corn based litters, as well as pine based and wheat based, but the A&H seems to be the most accessible (no need to go to a pet supplies store) and best priced.

    Although the best clumping is Scoop Away. That thing makes clumps so hard you could toss them through someone's window, if you were so inclined and hated them bad enough. :laugh:
  • Katanthus
    Katanthus Posts: 346 Member
    THE best cat litterbox ever, is the LitterRobot, if you can afford it. It is well worth the money. It automatically cleans the box, by rotating itself. You pull out a drawer, grab the trash bag, and throw it in the bin. Replace trash bag, and you are done. It uses less litter, saves time, and there is no smell. Tried all the other types, Littermaid, and other, and they really are awful. This was expensive, but it was wonderful. I say, "was", we still have it, but my kitty died suddenly on the way to the new house, and I am still devastated, so no new kitties yet, but will use it again, if I get another cat.

    http://www.litter-robot.com/?gclid=COLo-qWJvLACFQSxnQodWWyOqQ
  • iwillrideagain
    iwillrideagain Posts: 10
    each cat is diffrent i have 3 cats now did have 4 rip maria she didnt like the flap so we had a hooded one but took flap out as they would fling the litter everywhere !! hope you have many happy years with your furry friend :smile:
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