Pet Lovers

[charlestownliz]

There are so many pet  lovers on this site that I just know i will get the best possible advise.

My beloved dog passed away almost two years ago, after 14 years of being my constant companion. 

I am considering getting a kitty.  I live alone and would like a companion to talk to and snuggle wiith.

Problem:  I have developed a total adversion to litter boxes.  While helping a sick friend with her pets, I was gagging and vomited when trying clean her litter boxes. Am in a neighborhood where cats run freely and all seem to return to their homes at the end of the day wiith no ill effects.

Is there any option for me or is just no kitty for me?

[lolakimono]

@charlestownliz 

Welcome to the boards!

It might be the litter that you reacted to.  I use a "fancy" litter because my girl prefers it, and it doesn't have the smell that others do.

I don't think anyone thinks that a litterbox smells like roses, but kitty cuddles outweigh any unpleasantness of a litterbox, IMO.

[Peaches McPhee]

Cats have been using the great outdoors as their litter box for centuries.  While it is discouraged now-a-days, it is hardly unheard of.   You still should have an indoor box, however, for when the kittie can't get out.  Sometimes, nature calls in the middle of the night.  

[NickNack]

@charlestownliz   I don't think you should get a cat with the intention of letting him/her live outside.  It's just too dangerous.  Outdoor cats disappear all the time.  Coyotes kill them, and they get hit by cars among other things.  It's just not the right thing to do.  They deserve to be indoors only and loved by you.

If you had an indoor/outdoor cat they would still need a litter box for when they're in the house.  It just wouldn't work.

Why don't you just get a small dog?

[SXMGirl]

@charlestownliz  I think that it is wonderful that you are thinking of giving a cat a home.  I clean the litter boxes twice a day.  If the box is kept clean, there really should  not be a problem.  Maybe it was the dust from that particular litter.  It really is like any other bathroom that needs to be clean.  Washing the boxes out ever few weeks will also help with odor. I am not a fan of cats running loose as there is no guarantee that they will come home safely.

[Mz iMac]

Do research for "self cleaning" automatic litter boxes. 

You never have to touch/clean out the "dirty litter." 

They last for years.  Never had a "regular" litterbox.  I currently have the "Open Air Litter Robot."

[KingstonsMom]

If you have that much of an aversion to litter boxes, a cat is not for you.

Letting the cat live outdoors has many issues, including injuries from cat fights, procreation if it's not 'fixed', diseases, getting hit by a car, attacked by a dog, etc.

Please consider a pet more suitable to you, that doesn't involve a litter box, rather than have a cat that you leave outside.

[geezerette]

If it was odor that you reacted to, it could have been that kind of litter or maybe the boxes were used more before cleaning than you would have.  The litter could have been saturated and smelled worse than it should.

If it was having to pick up the poop itself, you could look into a self-cleaning box, as @Mz iMac suggested.  I would check into these to be sure I understood how they worked before I got a cat, though.

Cats are wonderful companions and great company.  Cleaning someone else’s cat box is a lot little changing someone else’s baby’s diapers.  It’s different when it’s your own. You get used to it. 

If the whole thought of a cat going in a box in your house makes you uneasy, I’d suggest another type of pet.

[eddyandme]

I'm not into letting any pet, cat or dog, run free for safety reasons nowadays.  I don't even believe in dog parks - too many things can happen.  So, I wouldn't get a cat and leave it outside all day - too many things could happen, umho.

I would suggest that you look at rescues online or better yet, go to a local rescue. Visit a few times if necessary - volunteer to help out, whatever it takes.  When it happens, it'll happen, probably when you least expect it.  What I'm trying to tell you, your furbaby in Heaven will find a way to bring just the perfect needy pet to you - synchroncity!

Relax you mind.  Talk to your furbaby who has passed.  It will happen.

[eddyandme]

@charlestownliz. please excuse the typo's - my furbaby, Eddy, wanted to go to bed - his own bed (right up against mine) - and insisted I come to be, too.  So, I'm on my laptop typing in th dark!