1:
Any suggestions in how one keeps a one year old cat from using our bathroom floor as his litter box on occasion? This happens about once a month (though his litter box is cleaned daily).
He also likes to fish used Q-tips out of the bathroom garbage can and hide them throughout the house, and paw at the toilet paper roll until the whole roll is a pile on the floor.
Is there such a product like the "invisible dog fence" that we could use in the house to keep him from going up to the second floor in the first place?
2:
Seeing that he's an indoor cat, would declawing and neutering make him less "curious" around the house?

Regards

 

Cats are very curius by nature and many of the things that you mention are pretty normal. The occassionaly accident in the bathroom, is not uncommon, though you didn't mention if it was urine or feces. If it is urine, it is quite possible he is marking his territory, so yes neutering may resolve this problem. But regardless, please get him neutered. Many times neutering will settle down some behaviours.

The toilet paper and QTip thing is something many cats do. It is amusement for them to do this, so perhaps more toys that he can play with would be an alternative? My cats often dig out Qtips and play with them, when this happens, I know their toys are lost or need replacing.

Going up to the second floor is a bit of a challenge if you do not have a door. One thing we have done in the past to keep our cats out of a particular area of the house is to use child gates. There are a variety of types of gates, some of which can be semi-permanently put in place, that actually open with latches etc.

It is inhumane, in my opinion to declaw a cat, due to the nature of the surgery. The surgery actually removes the toes just past the first joint. Why do you want to declaw in the first place? There are alternatives to declawing if the cat is scratching up furniture, drapes etc.

Hope This Helps.

 

Thanks for your reply RhainyC
I don't necessarily want to declaw our cat as he does'nt seem interested in scratching anywhere but his "scratching post", but thought it might, in combination with neutering, lessen the frequency of his household "adventures" while we're out.
He craps in the bathroom, usually behind or beside the toilet, so I doubt that he's marking his territory...more just trying my patience I think because as soon as he hears anyone approaching the stairway, he bolts downstairs and hides under the couch for a spell.
Perhaps if an electronic device for cats is'nt made available to restrict indoor areas, one needs to be invented?

Regards

 

Hmmm, sounds more like he may be smelling soemthing that causes him to make his mess there. Not to say your cleaning is insufficient, but perhaps using some vinegar, behind and around the toilet each time you clean. This generally will kill any bacteria, that cats can smell, but humans cannot.

As for keeping him downstairs, there is a device called I believe, a Scat Mat. You would need to google it and see if perhaps it would work. I am thinking if you got the proper size, and laid it along the stairs at the lower few stairs, it would keep him off.

Anyways, hope this helps, and glad to hear you won't declaw, it really doesn't help with much except scratching up things, and as I said, in my opinion is very inhumane.

Good luck.

 

WGW,

My cat does the same thing. I have to keep the bathroom door closed, or he'll go in the tub and do it. Since we're his mommy and daddy, I think that since WE do our thing in there, he thinks he can too. Either he doesn't realize that we're not cats... or that he's not a human... one or the other.

I haven't found a solution... discipline does not help. Keeping his box clean, and keeping his favorite "2nd choice" off limits by closing the door- especially if we aren't home- seems to limit his accidents.

You could always take advantage of the situation and get one of those books on how to toilet-train your cat... sounds like he's just missing the target.

 

Ha! Thanks XSleeper;
Toilet training the cat would really be something. Course he might have difficulty pushing the flush lever down with his little paw though!!
I'm going to look further into a "scat mat" as RhainyC suggested.
Petcetera sells them for about $50. so it'd be worth it if he learned that the second floor is off limits even when we're not home.
Funny though, tonight I saw him scoot upstairs and I called out and asked where he was going. He immediately came back down with a "Damn, caught in the act" look and shot under the couch (his fav hiding spot).

Regards