I got incredibly lucky when I adopted a little stray cat named Daisy. From day one, she has been lovable (but not annoyingly so), she has not scratched on furniture, she has used her litter box, and she has not eaten/pooped in my plants. (Note - this is very unlike my friend Cara's cat, Gomez. Some of my favorite Gomez adventures: "Monsieur Green Paw", "Sexy Pig", "Oh the Carnage", and "That Darn Cat")
Anyway, back to my sweet kitty, Daisy: we found out recently that she is asthmatic. This is very rare in cats, but as I mentioned, I got incredibly lucky. For the past few weeks, she has been on steroids, and her breathing/shedding has improved. Unfortunately, like all medication, the steroids are not without their side affects, including a risk of diabetes and development of some very icky looking skin conditions (I will spare you the link - trust me on the ickiness). So, we began to consider possible causes for her condition, because she has not always had a problem. (I am sad to say that she has had this problem for a while though - I did not know cats could have asthma attacks, and I have been incorrectly diagnosing her episodes as hairballs or poor choices in food such as bugs or plants.) It is too bad cats do not, as a general rule, speak English.
We decided that the problem may have begun a few years ago when we began using a litter box with a cap on it - she is in a confined space with the litter dust floating around on a daily basis. But the cap serves a purpose - we don't wish to have a bathroom coated in kitty litter. So Adam bought "dust-free" litter that is made from wheat.
A snippet from the packaging: "Wheat litter and why its better: Wheat enzymes naturally eliminate odor; Low dust, less tracking; biodegradable, certified flushable; Safe and non-toxic for kittens and cats."
It also looks delicious. Seriously. I eat steel cut oatmeal for breakfast, and this stuff looks like it could be cooked up in a pinch. It also costs about the same. The cat, always wary of new things, gingerly approached her litter box, sniffing as she went, and began eating it.
I am gravely concerned that she will not poop in this. And who could blame her? I would not want to poop in oatmeal either. What worries me even more is where she will decide to poop. I'll keep you posted. Hopefully it is in something of Adam's...or the toilet. Now that would be worth posting about.
Updated: I was pleased to find three little turds in the appropriate location this morning. Never thought I'd be so glad to see poo.
4 comments:
Oh haha!!!!! I know the kitty litter dance, as I have done that jig myself. I tried the wheat stuff and HATED it. (I thought it got gross and gooey and smelled horrific and zoo-like when my cat, Destiny the Dingocat, used it.) I recommend the very expensive but amazing and aptly named "World's Best Kitty Litter"-- made of corn. You'll notice that it, too, smells wonderful, looks wonderful, and may entice your feline buddy to eat it. Whichever you choose, rest assured that Daisy's odd dietary experiment is normal and safe. They do that. And with a litter made of wheat or corn, it's no problem.
Good luck and good health to you and your furry friend.
You are very lucky indeed, to have such a sweet cat! I've never heard of wheat litter. I'm sure she will recognize that it is the bathroom pretty quickly. Keep us posted!
http://ntothezed.blogspot.com/ this is the website I was telling you about. Go figure!
This was very funny.
As you know, I am always amused by talk of poop. I found myself laughing aloud in the middle of the library at school, causing the people around me to stare. O well. I was amused.
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