Artmom... go look in the mirror. See those letters writen across your forehead.. they spell SUCKER!!! ~GRIN~.... just come to peace with the idea of the pets and things will be much easier.

We are at low tide right now for pets..1 Great Dane, 1 Jack Russle and one cat who is not long for this world if hse poops in my house again!

Tell me about the chicks... are you going for eggs in the end? ~ ewww that sort of sounded nasty~... I have always wanted to have chickens but I suspect that we live to close to the city to get away with it.

Maddiemom

Wow, I am so glad pets came up on this forum, because for me, it has a direct impact on the flow and function and freedom of my home.

[I had 2 cats that could not adjust to new man (now DH) then baby 1, baby 2, and a kitchen renovation. Just before baby 3, I had to find a new home for them (peeing in laundry baskets that had baby clothes in them: pretty clear message).]

So my organizing concerns are, if we get the kitty everyone in my home wants,

1)where to put a litter box?

Having it in unfinished basement was too "dirty" for them, too much 84 yr. old dirt-fallout from hardwood floors above - and our 1st floor is one big open space for the five of us and guests, ie. no nooks or crannies to have box -- and I have a tiny 2nd floor bathroom, ie. no room upstairs),

2)will the new kitty smell pee from previous owner's 2 cats? (we don't since pulling up all carpet and refinishing floors, but it might)

3) And what if it does pee? I felt so lousy giving up my putties before, I don't want to fail an animal again. But I HATE the idea of my well-cared for, organized, clean home to smell like cat pee.

The pet forum people don't get me, I think. But I'm hoping some kindred -organized- spirit here can reassure me to go for it, and that the chance of having a wonderful adorable pet is much greater than and more important than the chance of the cat peeing outside it's box in the next 15 years or so.

Oh jeeze, I'm nervous.

boy, will I be glad when the guinea pigs finally die--unfortunately they live up to 7, sometimes even 9, years (I'd read 4 to 7 before we got them).

They really create a lot of organizing work, and for not much payoff. Gotta store hay (the best hay is bought in bulk, but how to store that and move it around w/o dribbling), pellets, shavings...gotta do many more chores than w/ a cat....and they aren't that particularly enjoyable. At least the cat *likes* to sit on my lap!

So here's a question for us all: which pets are the lowest organizational maintenance?

when the guinea pigs die, they'll never be back. They may have to go away before then, even.

When the cat finally goes, I'm not sure what I'll do--it might be nice just to not bother anymore. But it is nice to have a soft, warm, fuzzy thing sit on your lap now and then.

When I grew up we always had a cat (usually only one, sometimes two). It was free to come and go as it pleased, and very low maintenance. It was satisfied with a bowl of food and fresh water. Even leaving for vacation was easy. Just asked a neighbor to feed the cat outdoors for a week and leave the garage window slightly open for shelter if wanted.

Now my cats (2) are indoor-only and higher maintenance. More cat hair to deal with, a litter box to clean, spats to break up. They need to brushed and played with (for exercise). They need to be considered if we travel. They have me very well trained and let me know their preferences.

Our litter box is kept in the laundry room, under the slop sink. Do you have a laundry/utility room where a litter box could be stored? A small foyer/entry way leading out of the back door? A friend used to have her litter box under a table next to the back door. I know some cats don't like to feel enclosed, but I'd be inclined to put a table skirt around the table to conceal the litter box.

Good luck -- it is a big decision and a long-term commitment.

There's that C word. (commitment)

I think that's what I am most afraid of.

Ten years of marriage, three kids, a thirty year mortgage... you'd think commiting to a cat wouldn't spook me, but...

My kids are after me all of the time, but it's no pets for us except for the goldfish.

I always had pets and the last cat needed to be put down 8 years ago. A home with no pet hair. I love it. We can leave and not have to make pet arrangements. I love it.

I love to garden and no way am I going to have a yard full of dog poop which I know will end up being my job. No walking dogs when it's 10 below.

I just tell the kids they can have all of the pets they want when the grow up. No more pets for me.

Gloria

The chickens started out as a science fair experiment for school with 33 eggs at a friends house. One egg hatched( thanks to the hurricane last year) and the friend was a bit abusive toward the baby chick so we ended up with it, got addicted to them and now have Bantams. They are about the size of pigeons. "Jack and Jill" had 2 babies hatch 2 weeks ago, "Nugget and Fillet" are getting cuter by the day. Jill had been laying an egg a day and since they are so small it took a week to get breakfast. The neighbors don't complain about Jack's crowing so, until they do, we don't have a problem keeping them. The city ordinance is kinda loose.

Nugget and Fillet??? HAHA HA HA HAHA HAHA!!!!

OMG, your whole pet quandry has me ROFL! I'm sorry. But it's funny to first read from you "No more pets!" then you talk to fondly about.. Nugget and Fillet (I cannot even think that without laughing) As if now you're just having a grand time with pets.

Fess up, you don't know what you want, do you?

I'm teasing, Ihope you know. I think I'm laughing with you, not just at you.

http://www.catsplay.com/bci_683805.php3

Just to show you the Booda Dome cat litter box -- we have a small house so our litter box is in our master bathroom. Obviously I wanted one that would "blend" in (as well as can be expected!!! LOL!) ---- and I have been really pleased with our white Booda Dome. Also -- when the box is in plain sight ------ it is kept VERY VERY clean!

((( We now have FOUR cats ---- we think the squirrels are making maps to our place! LOL! ----- and we have another litter box sitting in the master bathtub -- a temp measure --- just to get all the cats used to the idea!!!)))

jcs, we had a previous owner that literally let the cat have the run of the basement. Took a while for us to thoroughly de-odorize the place, but we used a spray ozone product that we found at home depot specially made for pet odors. It took a little persistence but it really helped! Our cat is 100% no accident.

Our litterbox is also the one with a tall lid on it (not the Booda but similar). It is a great invention, as is the arm n hammer litter deoderizer (sp) !!!

I'm thinking about putting the box, or high-sided tray, in a bench. Check out the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: litter box bench

The bench/cat box is an excellent idea!!! Really ingenious!!!

Wish we had a hall of any kind that we could put this bench ------ but not in this house!!!

the downstairs neighbors hadtheir catbox under a table (similar setup to that one in the link but homemade) in the dining room. They had a lamp on it. Id on't think they used it as a buffet, quite, but it was just a side table.

Make it high enough, and you could use it as a phone table, a table by the sofa, etc.

Just beware that some cats won't use a covered box. I learned the hard way! Now, we use a big Rubbermaid storage bin as a cat box. It's about a foot high, so we almost never have cat litter tracked outside anymore.

About the pet hair and the maintenance, I think that's just something you live with if the payoff is good enough for you. I wouldn't want a house without pets (we have five cats), in spite of the fact that my clothes are always covered with hair and daily vacuuming isn't enough to keep the house fur-free.

I have had at least one cat for the last 30 years. My husband one year for Christmas gave me a beautiful navy blue pea coat. After the first time it got covered with cat hair, I carefully cleaned it off,put it in a plastic bag and put it in a closet, telling myself "I'll wear it when the cats are all dead." That day has never come, and I don't expect it ever will. MY DH's cousin and his wife finally got to that wonderful time when all the kids left home and all the pets were dead. It lasted about six months, then his MIL became ill and had to enter a nursing home. She had a two-year old dog. No pets allowed at the nursing home. Can you guess where the dog lives now?

I fantasize about our cats using the WC (water closet, ie washroom). My childhood best friend was England english, and I've called it WC since I was little. That or loo, lol. SIL and BIL had their kitties trained to use the WC on their boat and it worked great for years, with no problems. I've even thought of putting in a third WC in the basement just for the kitties. I love my pets, 2 dogs, and 2 cats, so I couldn't imagine not having pets, cat and doggy hair, doo, and all. I even want more pets when the kids leave home. I want a red setter, a little white dog and a water loving cat.

{{gwi:151448}}
Juliette

Yeona

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Toilet-Train Your Cat

Jannie,
DD's brownie troop visited residents at a local nursing home last Christmas. They do get to have small pets. Several of the residents either have a cat or a small dog. I think it's great that they allow that kind of companionship. It's more of an assisted living place than a 'nursing home' in the traditional sense, and allows them to live in a very apartment-like environment.

I have a friend who has toilet-trained her cats. the hardest part is training the visiting PEOPLE never to shut the lid to the toilet, or the door to the bathroom when they're leaving it.

I live in paranoia of things falling into the toilet from above, bcs I desperately need the storage space above it. If I tried to toilet-train my cat, I'd have to install a cabinet somewhere else.

Hi Betsy! I didn't realize you still had offspring from the Science Project! Nugget and Fillet! How funny!! But really, with such a talent for names,you should have a poultry farm . . . you could have almond, soup, salad, alfredo, and the list goes on and on . . . don't go to the cooking forums or you'll end up being called the Colonial before your done! LOL! If I recall you have a little dog too don't you?

We have two cats (Crumpet & Struedel) and a dog (Tilley). Struedel was declared terminally ill in December (after spending a small fortune on vet bills.) He is now perfectly healthy and the vet was apparently wrong! I do wish I could shrink Tilley, our dog. She is a great dog (Black Lab & Something mix) but just so big! We keep her trimmed because she sheds terribly . . . she has long "feathers" like an Irish Setter. Our next dog (AFTER this one is gone!) will be something small like a Westie or Scottie.

Brenda

I had an uncle who had a toilet trained cat. He said she got mad if he didn't have blue toilet paper in the roll. He was quite a character. No, about the only pet we don't have is a dog but we would love one if we had a fenced yard. We are currently down to 4 chickens, 2 cats and 4 fish. Glad to hear Struedel is doing fine.

The catBox Litterbox cabinet sure looks stylish, but I might want something that stayed in the laundry room or bathroom.

I knew a woman who had a pig named "Pork chop".