sinman Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Anyone have any ideas as far as how to extinguish a behavior, specifically eating cat poop out of the litter box, using positive reinforcement? Is it possible? I will admit I'm not a fan of purely r+ training, but I'm always willing to try things that I feel might work. I'm not worried about when he's left home alone; that would be impossible. Normally I keep a baby gate across the doorway to the bathroom where the litter box is, but when I am home I keep it down so I don't have to hike my leg 4 feet in the air with a full bladder or in a towel. He likes to sneak off and steal and I caught him yesterday while I was in the shower, and yelling is just unproductive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptJack Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Honestly, this is so rewarding for the dog that it's hard to get rid of entirely without management being the method. My method has been to use a chain latch (a longish one) on the outside of the door, so that the cats can paw it open JUST FAR ENOUGH to get into the room with the litter-boxes, but the dogs can't fit. Then when I need in, I just unchain it and close the door normally to pee or shower or whatever. I know that's not the kind of advice you were looking for, but it's actually great as an alternative to what you're doing now, so. There you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 If you can find ANYthing on God's sweet earth that would make a dog willingly and happily give up a taste of "kitty-roca," be sure to let us know. I've found the only thing that works is prevention, in my household. Either the baby gate or a string latch that only allows the door to open 6 inches/cat-width wide.~ Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Chain latch is good. A hook and screw eye is good, too. You're leaving the door open enough for Kitty to get in and out, but not enough for nasty, sneaky border collies to come in and steal things, Precious. Sorry, couldn't help that last bit. I agree with Gloria and CptJack. There is probably nothing more reinforcing to any dog than the chance to eat poo, of wide and varied types. And the fact that they find it themselves probably adds to the reinforcement. Ruth and SuperGibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 I have to agree with the above. I also manage access to the kitty litter box. I have the litter box placed in a corner with a baby gate angled in front of it. It is leaned against the wall so that the bottom leaves about 4 inches open for kitty access. The dogs have not challenged it more than once or twice because when they did, the baby gate fell onto the tile floor with a god-awful noise that prevented further attempts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teresaserrano Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 I had a kitchen cabinet made that has two spaces. Top space is to store various stuff, bottom space is where I put the litter box. In one corner there´s a hole, big enough for kitty, but dog can't get in. Due to the strategic disposition off the cabinet in relation to the kitchen sink, dog can't even peep inside. Problem solved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 I was also going to mention a solution similar to the one described by teresaserrano. You can search on the internet to get several ideas of how people disguise their kitty litter box within a cabinet. Most are doing it for aesthetics, but I think it serves a double purpose to help keep the dog out (depending on size of dog and location of hole in cabinet, etc.) At some point, I am going to go with a set-up in a cabinet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Kling Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 They do make baby gates with doors in them, so you can just open the gate and walk through. A bit more expensive but worth it in the long run if the other suggestions don't work for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cass C Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Unfortunately cat poop eating is self rewarding. I got a pet gate that has an opening at the bottom for the cats to walk in and swings open for me to get in. They sell them at Petco an some PetSmarts. I believe it was $50, which while expensive works out great! My grandma also has swing open gates with no bottom entrance to block access to certain rooms and they cost closer to $30, but make sure they are tall enough because Lily can easily jump my grandmas 3' gate if she wants to bad enough, but can't get over my 3 1/2' gate. Another option is making a bin litterbox that required the cat to jump in and out through a hole in the lid of a big plastic container. The dogs can't get into the box, so that could solve your issue. I'm not sure how concerned with looks you are, but they also make litter boxes that are similar and look better, but it will cost you more. I also know there is stuff you can add to your cat's food to make their poop 'taste bad' to dogs, but I've never tried it personally. I know from experience that adding pineapple to a dogs diet makes their own poop 'taste bad', so it might work for cats too if you can get them to eat the pineapple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waffles Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Pet gates work better than baby gates as Cass describes. They have an opening for the cat and they swing open for humans to walk thru. I personally use top entry litter boxes. One is the store bought kind that was given to me. I looked it up and I think it sells for $30+. I have also made one (as we have two cats) from a Rubbermaid tote. Just cut a circle in the lid and voila. I have caught Levi lingering around the boxes but I haven't seen any evidence he has been able to get his head in. Otherwise you can search online or Pinterest for hidden litter box ideas. Lots of people take an old trunk or night stand or something similar and cut a hole in the side for kitty and attach a hinge to the top for you to access the litter. You can also install a cat door in a closet door and keep the box in there. I personally find it so gross that I wouldn't do anything but block access. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 If you have an old cat, top entry litter boxes might be more difficult for them to enter. You will know if you find the cat not using the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Friends have a 29 gallon aquarium with a stand that has hinged doors like a cupboard. The back of it's open, though, and with the baseboard and room for the filter it sits a few inches from the wall. They put the litter box inside so the dog can't get into it but they still have very easy access for cleaning it with the doors. When I had a cat I did what others have mentioned. The litter box was in the bathroom with a loop fastened to the wall that went onto the doorknob with enough room for the cat to go in but not the dogs. It was no trouble for me to open to get into the bathroom when I needed to. Pineapple contains bromelain, which is supposed to make the stool taste bad. Adolph's meat tenderizer also contains this and sometimes people use it on pets' food to dissuade other animals from eating stools. I've never tried it, so I can't vouch for its efficacy. The tenderizer also contains salt and sugar, so I wouldn't recommend it. Plain bromelain (derived from pineapple) can be purchased as a supplement, though, so I see no reason why you couldn't buy it in powder or capsules and sprinkle some on the cat's food to see if it would help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
painted_ponies Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 I once asked my vet about the food additives to make cat poo unpalatable. He said, "Sally. It's ****! How much worse can it taste?" Anyway, I use one of the gates that cats can sail over and humans can unlatch but nasty poo-eating dogs cannot breach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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