Litter box Tips for Maine Coon Cats

​Litter box Tips for Maine Coon Cats

Although hormonal changes or undue stress may be the root of your cat’s litterbox mess-ups, five smart decisions on your part can potentially remedy a significant number of your cat’s litter problems.

Missing the Box
Urine marking is an anxiety and stress-induced condition that causes cats to urinate on rather unusual surfaces, but once recognized, it can be treated by making environmental adjustments, encouraging behavioral changes or using medication.

Although most male cats will start marking their territory when they reach puberty, “if neutered, this comes to a halt in 90% of cases,” says Nicholas H. Dodman, BVMS, Dipl. ACVB, ACVA, professor of behavioral pharmacology at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Massachusetts. Females can also mark, especially when they come into heat. Female marking also ceases in 95% of spayed cats. “The purpose of urine marking isn’t to empty the bladder, but to send a signal,” Dr. Dodman says.

Some urine marking occurs in already neutered or spayed cats, therefore ruling out hormonal causes. Instead, urine marking is usually a “territorial anxiety caused by other cats either inside the house or a frequent window-visitor from the neighborhood,” Dr. Dodman says.
Other anxiety triggers often include the arrival of a new baby, workmen in the house, quarreling family members or anything that may induce stress. “It’s a dead giveaway if your cat starts urinating on vertical surfaces, such as the wall or drapes,” Dr. Dodman adds. But your cat may also mark on other unusual surfaces, such as on the laundry, the computer keyboard or shoes.

To narrow down the source of your cat’s anxiety, note where it tends to eliminate. “If your cat is urinating around the window, you can guess it’s stress caused by an outside visitor,” Dr. Dodman says. If your cat urinates on a particular family member’s clothing, “it could be that the cat is very attached to that person and goes on the clothing when that person leaves for work,” he speculates.
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Work with your vet on the best course of action for your cat, but Dr. Dodman insists that “these days, there’s no reason why any cat with a litter box problem can’t be cured either completely or almost completely, either by behavioral adjustments or medication.”

We also use Feliway plug ins to help bring any stress down.  This can also help prevent accidents outside the litter box.

Litter box Size
Select an appropriately sized litter box for your cat. Make sure the box is large enough for your Maine Coon to urinate in one corner and defecate in another.  Maine Coons are big cats so bigger the better!  We use a huge black boxes, which are cement mixer boxes, purchased from Menards, Lowe's or any place similar. We also use the Litter Robot and Catit Jumbo hooded cat pan. The Robot litter box will not trigger unless your cat is at least 5 lbs.  So having another litter box is ideal at first for younger kittens.

*The kittens that leave us will be use to the Menards litter box.  If you want to use a Litter Robot or a hooded litter box, I suggest putting a regular litter box next to the one you want them to use.  Some kittens will use any litter box without any issues, while others might be scared of it and will go in the house instead.  This will help with the easy transition to prevent accidents.

Litter Choice 
Choose a comfortable, scoopable litter. Many litter types are available, so you might have to experiment to find one your cat likes. Litter that clumps together makes it easy for you to scoop (hence its commonly referred to as “scoopable litter”) and keep up with frequent cleanings.  We have tried many brands and our Coons have not been picky.  The litter we use now we chose because of price and helps with smells having multiple cats.  We use
Kittens are introduced to very small litter boxes around 4 weeks old.  When they are about 6-7 weeks old they start using the big litter box on their own.  I gradually take away the small litter boxes over time and they are fully litter trained when they leave us.  The litter they are using is Arm & Hammer when they leave us. 

Clean and Neat 
Scoop at least once a day.  More is even better as cats like a clean litter box.  When thoroughly cleaning, dump, wash with dish soap and let it soak in diluted bleach water for 10 minutes.  Dry and refill.  Bleach cannot be used on the Robot litter box but dish soap is okay.

Litter box Placement
Make litter boxes accessible and convenient. Your first instinct may be to tuck your cat’s litter box in the corner of the basement where it’s hidden away from guests. But by doing so, you’re actually making it inconvenient for your cat to use its litter box. This also makes it harder for you to tell when it’s dirty. Instead, place litter boxes on a main floor where your cat can easily find (and use) them.
Plenty of Boxes: Provide enough potty places. Most of us consider more than one bathroom in our living space a necessity, and your Maine Coon is no different. The rule of thumb is to have one more litter box than you do cat: for instance, three litter boxes for two cats. But even if you only have one cat it should have at least two designated potty spots.
By making these simple changes, you’ll probably see fewer accidents and you’ll definitely have a happier, more appreciative cat!

When bringing your kitten home make an area that is just for them with their litter box, food, toys, etc.  They will feel more comfortable having their own area at first.  This will help prevent accidents as well.