cats

Not really sure what the point of this post is honestly. Are you just venting? If you really feel this way about having to clean up after your cat, maybe having a cat just isn't for you?

Pets are a responsibility, and there are aspects of that that suck, but we put up with it for the parts that are good. If you feel like it's too much hassle that's fine, but it means you shouldn't own a cat since you're not meeting its needs. Someone that felt it was too much of a hassle to walk their dog and clean up after it likewise shouldn't own one.

Edit: Also if you do decide that owning a cat is too much for you PLEASE do not just dump it somewhere. Ideally you'd find a loving home to adopt it, but at least turn it over to an animal shelter.

If you own a pet, you have committed to every part of their care. It is a chore and it is unpleasant, but that's what you signed up for when you brought a pet into your home so you better get used to it.

I hope you're not refusing to clean the cat's litter box because neglect is a form of abuse. I feel sorry for the cat.

If you have the money, a litter robot would help your situation IMO. We got one and tbh it'll probably end up paying for itself in the litter saved. The only downside is you'll have to vacuum more as it feels like the tracking is worse with it.

Also, do you have ADHD? I do and I basically never touched our previous litter box and left it up to my girlfriend. I hated it so much, so I totally understand where you're coming from.

I mean ok whatever. if this is the worst part of their lives, fine, they don't have to work or pay rent or worry.

Sounds like you don't understand that you have a responsibility to take care of them. The cat didn't choose to live in your small apartment. You chose to adopt a cat and house it. That makes you responsible for it's well-being.

People have this illusion that cats are an "easy" pet because they don't require as much time/effort as dogs, for example. This is a common misconception from people who don't understand that cats are intelligent, communicative, empathetic, and loving.

If you feel that having a cat is a burden on you and the act of cleaning the catbox is too much, you should probably see if someone can adopt the cat from you. It's not going to get easier. Personally, I'd invest in some dish gloves and pull on my adult pants.

Pets are a lot of work. They require time and energy to keep them healthy and happy.

I'm with you. It's easy to forget about until it starts to stink up the place, and even then, "it can wait until tomorrow." I recently learned that I've been living with undiagnosed ADHD my whole life, and I'm curious if maybe you have similar issues that are inhibiting your ability to take care of these tasks. No need to share publicly, just a theory of mine.

So, know that there's no judgement here, but UTIs and possible renal failure are serious stuff, and when you say "at least they don't have to pay rent" it sounds really callous.

Maybe changing your perspective of how much harm a dirty litter box can do will help you maintain it better. (Assuming that you wish you were better at taking care of this responsibility.)

My best friend of 15 years died from renal failure and had chronic UTIs. I know that 15 is pretty old for a cat, but his last few months were pretty painful for him as we tried antibiotics and other medication to get him better. Sadly, nothing helped and he died in my arms as we were taking him to the vet to be put down. I don't know if he'd still be around if my litter box habits were better. I can only wonder.

Cleaning the litter box is more important than cleaning your own toilet (don't get me started on having to do THAT!) It really can cause severe issues, so don't think about it as just scooping shit, it's keeping your cat safe and happy. You wouldn't stop giving them food or water just because it's inconvenient, and this is just as important.

Again, I REALLY don't want to be the people like "OMG! You give your cat TAP WATER and non-organic cat food?!?" But, if the action FEELS more important, you might feel better about doing it.

Best wishes!

By agreeing to take in a cat, you are obligated to maintaining its wellbeing for its entire lifetime. This includes access to healthy food, clean water, clean litter, hiding spaces, enrichment (toys, play, companionship, etc) and ensuring it is spayed/neutered, has its shots up to date, and has (at least) an annual checkup with the vet.

Pets are not toys. They are not trophies. Pets are living, thinking, and feeling companions. Do not get one if you cannot handle those basic responsibilities.

With that out of the way, the Litter-Robot (from litter-robot.com) is a pretty good automatic litter box. They’re a heavy up-front investment, but I feel it’s worth it. They work with most litter brands so you don’t have to buy special litter through them (although they do sell it). They don’t work with cats under 5lbs, so it’s not suitable for very small/light breeds or kittens. It’s large enough for average size Maine Coons, but that’s about as big of a cat that it’ll work with. You can get a refurb through them for a discount if the price for new is too steep. It does take up a large amount of space compared to a normal litter box, so it may not be good for very small living areas.

Cleaning the litter box sucks but it’s something you have to do as the caretaker. It’s ok to vent but I would caution you, as others have, that “if this is the worst part of their lives, fine” is all well and good until the cat is sick due to box avoidance. I’ve struggled with this too and I’ve had to take my cat to the vet because of a UTI she got from not going simply because there was one tiny pee spot in her giant litter box that takes up half my bathroom. Do the right thing and make sure it gets done either by sucking it up or finding someone who will.

If you want some advice, I have a few suggestions. You could pay a friend or relative to do it if they have regular, convenient access. You can also try to wear something like latex gloves while dealing with it and I always wear a face mask because the dust that kicks up gets in my sinuses every time. Some people have even had success teaching their cat to use the toilet

I know the box is the most annoying part about taking care of a cat but it is what it is. Hope you find something that works and I hope your cat stays healthy

I’ve had both a littermaid and scoop free and both worked well, but if you truly want “hands off” litter robot is probably your best bet.

I've tried the various self cleaning and given up on them, my maine coon pees too much for most litter to handle.

Check out https://www.purina.com/tidy-cats/breeze-cat-litter-boxes

It's basically mostly non-absorbing pellets and then a pee pad underneath. You just dump the pad out every few days and put a new one in, then dump and replace the pellets once a month.

Dirty litter boxes increase the chance of urinary tract infection and can speed up their death if the infection reaches their kidneys, literally one of the weakest parts of cats as they age. So no, not "ok whatever". You took responsibility for the life of something. Time to own up to the gross part of that. (Like changing a baby's diaper)

Also, paying close attention to your cat's feces and urine can warn you about internal issues like kidney stones by the shape of the pee or the appearance of the stool. (Seriously, once a day for cleanout isn't remotely enough, no wonder its so gross you don't want to touch it)

I'd say scoop it out, or at least check, every time you see it and dump it out when it gets too stinky, scrub it, dry it, and put in new litter. Even a functional electric one, which according to my brother does work, will need some kind of cleaning at some point so the responsibility is never completely escapable. Seriously though, my brother swears by the electric box he got after his own cat was constantly at the vets from UTIs due to him being the only person ever cleaning her box.

As for the anxiety? This seems like an extreme reaction for a litterbox in comparison to all the other never-ending chores we have to do on the day to day. The litterbox is comparatively easy to work, commute, balancing our bank accounts, or taxes. Are you okay?

Since you're in an apartment, I'm assuming letting them outside isn't an option. Put them up for adoption if you're that grossed out by a litter box.

Spend the money to get an auto-cleaning litter box, then. They work just fine. All you gotta do is replace the litter once in a while and empty the bag it dumps all the collected stuff into.

And I mean, it will be more disgusting if the box is so dirty, the cat decides it's safer to shit in your bed. They don't like a dirty litter box and may refuse to use it.

I use pelletized bedding instead of clumping litter. It's still disgusting, it still tracks everywhere, it still needs to be cleaned but it smells less and it's waayyy cheaper (that link is $7 for a 40lb bag of the stuff)

If you won't clean a litter box you aren't fit to care for an indoor cat.

I had a cat that I adopted from some piece of shit that was bad to him. He always wanted to go outside like a lot of cats, was enamored with it when the door opened. So I let him. This was a choice I made, I knew life for an outside cat was harder but he was happier, and he was neutered so I let him go outside. I never had to change litter, he went outside every time. But it came with a price: he died early from being bit by a snake or something. I always knew it was a possibility but I knew my cat, he would've been miserable cooped up all the time. He was a free soul.

So you have a choice: clean a litter box every day, without fail, even if you hate it, or let your cat go outside whenever he wants. He will get beaten up by other cats, stuck in trees, attacked by wild animals, he will not come home sometimes for 2 days, he will come home sometimes looking like he got the shit beat out of him by another cat. You have to make sure he doesn't get picked up by the pound, that your apartments won't flip out on you or get him picked up, and he could get run over by a car. Maybe he won't like being outside, in which case it's not an option, you're cleaning a litter box. Or, if you can't deal with either, don't have a cat. Someone who won't clean a litter box has no business having a cat, go shit and piss in the corner of your bedroom and leave it there and see how happy you are with that state of affairs, that's what you do to your cat being a lazy bum.

If it’s so disgusting then how do you yourself shit or piss?

Waste is a part of life and opting to take care for a living animal means cleaning its waste.

none of the self cleaning ones really work properly, do they?

Uh, yes they do?

Or do you neglect your appliances as much as you neglect your animals? They do still require some human intervention to empty their waste, so you still can't ignore them even if you're dealing with it less.

You accepted this responsibility when you took in a cat. I hate it too, no one likes playing in poop. You aren't special or alone in this. We all find a way to suck it up and get it done because we love our pets, and if you can't, you aren't fit to be a pet owner.