first off, i live in a small apartment. bed, bath, kitchen, living. there’s no great place to put it in the first place [it’s in the bathroom rn]
every time i see it it feels like a chore. it gives me anxiety, it is a constant chore, endless, does not stop. it will never stop. i cannot finish the chore, ever.
^ and to that point – if i were to scoop every day or even less frequently, it is disgusting 100% of the time, no matter what. touching it at all is disgusting, putting my face or body near it is disgusting, i don’t want to see or interact with it in any way. every time i interact with it, it’s a mental barrier to break down. no amount of cutesy names or molded plastic will make it not fucking disgusting.
none of the self cleaning ones really work properly, do they?
it’s bad for the cats if you don’t maintain it properly
i mean ok whatever. if this is the worst part of their lives, fine, they don’t have to work or pay rent or worry.
Not really sure what the point of this post is honestly. Are you just venting? If you really feel this way about having to clean up after your cat, maybe having a cat just isn’t for you?
Pets are a responsibility, and there are aspects of that that suck, but we put up with it for the parts that are good. If you feel like it’s too much hassle that’s fine, but it means you shouldn’t own a cat since you’re not meeting its needs. Someone that felt it was too much of a hassle to walk their dog and clean up after it likewise shouldn’t own one.
Edit: Also if you do decide that owning a cat is too much for you PLEASE do not just dump it somewhere. Ideally you’d find a loving home to adopt it, but at least turn it over to an animal shelter.
i mean, what’s the point of any post? clearly some other people feel the same way, no one likes the chore, it takes some level of emotional toll…?
i mean i’m glad you enjoy 100% of cat ownership instead of 97%, clearly that means give up the cat unless people meet your standards. why are pet forums always like this
You’re misunderstanding. Nobody enjoys cleaning cat litter, but it’s part of owning a cat. Whether you enjoy it or not, it’s something that needs to be done for the health of the animal, and all pets deserve to be healthy and well looked after.
My point is that if you feel that cleaning your cats litter is too much work to the point where you stop doing it, you shouldn’t keep the cat because that’s animal cruelty.
Generally the point of a post is either to inform, to request help, or to showcase something. E.G. the majority of the posts on here are just showing off pictures of cats that are cute or funny. I was confused about your post because it didn’t seem like you were asking for help, nor was there really information, it just seems like you’re complaining which is why I was asking if you were just venting. I suppose it’s fine if you were, but this also isn’t really the right venue for that exactly. Since I wasn’t sure of the intent of the post I was just pointing out that properly looking after your pets is something all pet owners are obligated to do, and those that are unwilling or incapable of doing so shouldn’t be pet owners both for their own well being and that of the pets.
If you own a pet, you have committed to every part of their care. It is a chore and it is unpleasant, but that’s what you signed up for when you brought a pet into your home so you better get used to it.
I hope you’re not refusing to clean the cat’s litter box because neglect is a form of abuse. I feel sorry for the cat.
I’m with you. It’s easy to forget about until it starts to stink up the place, and even then, “it can wait until tomorrow.” I recently learned that I’ve been living with undiagnosed ADHD my whole life, and I’m curious if maybe you have similar issues that are inhibiting your ability to take care of these tasks. No need to share publicly, just a theory of mine.
So, know that there’s no judgement here, but UTIs and possible renal failure are serious stuff, and when you say “at least they don’t have to pay rent” it sounds really callous.
Maybe changing your perspective of how much harm a dirty litter box can do will help you maintain it better. (Assuming that you wish you were better at taking care of this responsibility.)
My best friend of 15 years died from renal failure and had chronic UTIs. I know that 15 is pretty old for a cat, but his last few months were pretty painful for him as we tried antibiotics and other medication to get him better. Sadly, nothing helped and he died in my arms as we were taking him to the vet to be put down. I don’t know if he’d still be around if my litter box habits were better. I can only wonder.
Cleaning the litter box is more important than cleaning your own toilet (don’t get me started on having to do THAT!) It really can cause severe issues, so don’t think about it as just scooping shit, it’s keeping your cat safe and happy. You wouldn’t stop giving them food or water just because it’s inconvenient, and this is just as important.
Again, I REALLY don’t want to be the people like “OMG! You give your cat TAP WATER and non-organic cat food?!?” But, if the action FEELS more important, you might feel better about doing it.
Best wishes!
I’ve had both a littermaid and scoop free and both worked well, but if you truly want “hands off” litter robot is probably your best bet.
By agreeing to take in a cat, you are obligated to maintaining its wellbeing for its entire lifetime. This includes access to healthy food, clean water, clean litter, hiding spaces, enrichment (toys, play, companionship, etc) and ensuring it is spayed/neutered, has its shots up to date, and has (at least) an annual checkup with the vet.
Pets are not toys. They are not trophies. Pets are living, thinking, and feeling companions. Do not get one if you cannot handle those basic responsibilities.
With that out of the way, the Litter-Robot (from litter-robot.com) is a pretty good automatic litter box. They’re a heavy up-front investment, but I feel it’s worth it. They work with most litter brands so you don’t have to buy special litter through them (although they do sell it). They don’t work with cats under 5lbs, so it’s not suitable for very small/light breeds or kittens. It’s large enough for average size Maine Coons, but that’s about as big of a cat that it’ll work with. You can get a refurb through them for a discount if the price for new is too steep. It does take up a large amount of space compared to a normal litter box, so it may not be good for very small living areas.
Since you’re in an apartment, I’m assuming letting them outside isn’t an option. Put them up for adoption if you’re that grossed out by a litter box.
That should never be a reasonable option anyway wtf, just send your cat to shit in your neighbours yard or a park or something so you don’t have to deal with it is rude
If it’s so disgusting then how do you yourself shit or piss?
Waste is a part of life and opting to take care for a living animal means cleaning its waste.
none of the self cleaning ones really work properly, do they?
Uh, yes they do?
Or do you neglect your appliances as much as you neglect your animals? They do still require some human intervention to empty their waste, so you still can’t ignore them even if you’re dealing with it less.
You accepted this responsibility when you took in a cat. I hate it too, no one likes playing in poop. You aren’t special or alone in this. We all find a way to suck it up and get it done because we love our pets, and if you can’t, you aren’t fit to be a pet owner.
