PET OF THE WEEK: Baby Ruth is a spunky, 8-year-old Chihuahua mix. She doesn’t mind the company of other dogs, but she’ll beeline over to you with those puppy dog eyes if you’ve got treats and love to give. Chihuahua adoption fees are waived at PHS/SPCA until the end of April. Come meet Baby Ruth, ID# A818459. Adoptable pets are available at Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA’s Tom and Annette Lantos Center for Compassion, 1450 Rollins Road, Burlingame. For information, call 650-340-7022 or visit www.phs-spca.org. (Thelma Andree / Peninsula Humane Society)
Dear Miss Behavin’: My cat can’t seem to get her droppings in the box. Sometimes she misses, other times she barely makes it. How can I get her to keep the mess inside of the box?
Reply: We’re asking a lot of our indoor cats when it comes to relieving themselves. They must go to the bathroom in a tiny, uncomfortable box, in one location, every day, for many, many years. It sounds a bit daunting, if you ask me.
Do your cat a favor, and upgrade to a box big enough that allows your cat to dig, turn around, walk a step or two, and find a placement without having her bum over the edge. Since cats vary so much in size and shape, the box should be at least six to twelve inches longer than your cat’s body. The bigger the better, within reason.
Main Coon cats, cats with long bodies, and overweight cats will need extra room. They can’t be expected to fit in the small, average-cat-sized litter box. While some may be able to pull it off, others may not.
Since many pet stores only carry standard litter boxes, head to your local hardware store and look for a cement-mixing trough. They’re essentially super-sized litter boxes. Your cat will thank you.
If the cement-mixing trough doesn’t fit in your allotted litter box space, try a corner box or a box with higher sides.
If you take away anything from this article let it be this: we humans would much prefer a normal restroom to an airplane bathroom stall. It’s no different for your cat.