Cats - Covered Litter Box and Flea Elimination

[realthaideal]

Imagine if you will... that you left your home for a month or more and left a Thai to look after the house, and your cat had babies in the meantime. The kittens are cute as can be. There are though, some differences in the state of the house and how you'd like to keep them:

The litter box has just been a simple open container with sand... and it smells so bad. In the US I used to have a covered litter box with even some kind of filter material at the top to prevent bad odors escaping.

Has anyone seen a covered litter box in Chiang Mai ? Where and for how much?

Who has the best price on kitty litter?

Besides the drops you apply to a cat's skin, how do you eliminate a household flea infestation with minimal use of poisons and powders ? What do you recommend I buy, and which shop?

My offended nose and itchy legs thank you!

[elektrified]

As far as the covered litter box is concerned, we never could find one here after checking at all of the major pet shops, so we ended up ordering one from Bangkok. That was a few years ago but I still haven't seen them in the stores here. I believe we paid 1000 Baht for the covered box plus 100 Baht post and it is still in good shape years later.

Sounds like you need to flea bomb your house. Close all the windows, set off the bombs, vacate for 2 hours, come back open the windows for 30 min and then let the cats back in. If your cats have fleas, they probably have ticks too. Ticks are even more common here.

[NancyL]

Yup, flea bombs used in combo with that liquid that you put between their shoulder blades once-a-month. That also does a great job with the ear mites.

As for a covered litter box -- we, too, gave up on finding one and just bought a really deep container that works well with our guy -- who loves to pitch the litter great distance, especially when it's fresh. The trick to preventing odor is to remove the droppings twice daily. But, our challenge was to prevent the cat from emptying the box every time he used it.

[Howzitbro]

If it is available here I suggest you get the "clumping" cat litter which goes a long way to helping with the smell as long as you remove it daily.

[survivingthailand]

Flea bomb for the house, should take a couple of hours. Frontline on the cats every month, it's about 200baht per application so it can get expensive if you have a lot of cats. As for the litter box, you should be scooping it everyday and changing the cat litter once a week or so. If you do that it shouldn't smell at all.

[FolkGuitar]

I found large covered litter boxes in two locations in Chiang Mai; the pet shop next to the motorscooter parking in Kad Suan Kaew, at foolish prices (high,) and in two of the pet stores in Khantiem Flower Mkt behind Tessco Lotus at rather low prices. They also sell odor-control kitty litter a good prices too. 20k bag for about 400 baht. That lasts several months.

[Starrysky]

Litter and flea problems aside, please get that cat sterilized to help reduce the unwanted cat population in Chiang Mai!

[realthaideal]

Thanks, everyone.

I inherited the cat already pregnant, though just a kitten under 1 year herself. So point about fixing is well taken - especially in this country.

I'll check KamTieng market, FolkGuit - that's a good idea.

Have already schemed that there might be a general box n lid combo available for modification at CM Plastic in Warorot n will go investigate today. I'd be pretty excited if I can just make one on the cheap n easy.

I get the daily scooping thing - I've had cats before. But given the hot climate n all, I want all the cards in my favor I can get.

[gennisis]

If it is available here I suggest you get the "clumping" cat litter which goes a long way to helping with the smell as long as you remove it daily.

I've been using a paper based cat litter for a while now...not especialy 'clumping' but no odour. 185 baht for 5 litres.

I also tried a wood based litter that at least didnt track everywhere...pleasant woodysmell.

[anonymouse]

Litter and flea problems aside, please get that cat sterilized to help reduce the unwanted cat population in Chiang Mai!

Funny you should mention that.. I have two make kittens that need neutering. I tried two local [Doi Saket/San Sai] vets yesterday to make an appointment. Visiting both with my Thai wife neither vets could understand why I wanted the male cats neutered and said that they didn't perform the operation. They seemed to think my request was very bizarre. I mentioned about male cats spraying and they said to buy some cat litter and it wouldn't happen!

If anyone knows a vet that does perform this operation in the Doi Saket or San Sai area it would be appreciated.

[FolkGuitar]

.............

I'll check KamTieng market, FolkGuit - that's a good idea............

The two shop I found (which were the only two I bothered to look at) were straight back from the entrance on the west side of Lotus. Driving down that street, you run right into one of them (it's facing you at the end of the road,) and the other is on your left just before you run out of road. Both had them, same price. I bought from the one you run in to, as they also sold the extra large bags of kitty litter.

[RastaMama]

There are covered litter boxes in both the pet shop on Suthep road, don't know the name of it as it is in Thai, but it's a big one. There is also a pet shop next to BigC hangdong, that's where I bought mine, good quality and only about 800฿.
As for your flea problem, I've got the Frontline big bottle that you spray on the cats. You squirt the cats every once in a while (3-4 weeks) and they stay flea free. I bought it at the shop on Suthep road. it was about 700฿ if I remember correctly which is a bargain compaired to the little individual doses. Remember to get them dewormed and vaccinated too.

[NancyL]

Litter and flea problems aside, please get that cat sterilized to help reduce the unwanted cat population in Chiang Mai!

Funny you should mention that.. I have two make kittens that need neutering. I tried two local [Doi Saket/San Sai] vets yesterday to make an appointment. Visiting both with my Thai wife neither vets could understand why I wanted the male cats neutered and said that they didn't perform the operation. They seemed to think my request was very bizarre. I mentioned about male cats spraying and they said to buy some cat litter and it wouldn't happen!

If anyone knows a vet that does perform this operation in the Doi Saket or San Sai area it would be appreciated.

Not exactly in the Doi Saket area, but Dr. Nook clinic just off Chang Klan Rd, immediately south of the Shangri-La took care of our guy and several others we know. We've had many male cats over the years and I wouldn't think of having one that wasn't neutered. The trick is to get them neutered early BEFORE they start spraying. We've had cats who already started to spray and the neutering only helped the spraying somewhat -- they'd still spray if they were around un-neutered males. We did have to push Dr. Nook to neuter our guy before she though he was ready.

Also helps with roaming. Neutered male cats are more likely to stay close to home. Yes, they may be more focused food and not running around, but you can keep them slim thru play and exercise.

[anonymouse]

Litter and flea problems aside, please get that cat sterilized to help reduce the unwanted cat population in Chiang Mai!

Funny you should mention that.. I have two make kittens that need neutering. I tried two local [Doi Saket/San Sai] vets yesterday to make an appointment. Visiting both with my Thai wife neither vets could understand why I wanted the male cats neutered and said that they didn't perform the operation. They seemed to think my request was very bizarre. I mentioned about male cats spraying and they said to buy some cat litter and it wouldn't happen!

If anyone knows a vet that does perform this operation in the Doi Saket or San Sai area it would be appreciated.

Not exactly in the Doi Saket area, but Dr. Nook clinic just off Chang Klan Rd, immediately south of the Shangri-La took care of our guy and several others we know. We've had many male cats over the years and I wouldn't think of having one that wasn't neutered. The trick is to get them neutered early BEFORE they start spraying. We've had cats who already started to spray and the neutering only helped the spraying somewhat -- they'd still spray if they were around un-neutered males. We did have to push Dr. Nook to neuter our guy before she though he was ready.

Also helps with roaming. Neutered male cats are more likely to stay close to home. Yes, they may be more focused food and not running around, but you can keep them slim thru play and exercise.

Thanks Nancy, Yes one of the boys has started to roam a lot already and they are around 5 months old so a good age to neuter.

[arunsakda]

When you live with an animal you like like an animal.

[Mapguy]

A great deal of practical advice above regarding cats, but where is Priceless, a man who is cat lover dealing with practical issues absolutely beyond the ken of the ordinary! His cats are NOT ordinary!

[anonymouse]

When you live with an animal you like like an animal.

Thanks for your valuable contribution

[NancyL]

When you live with an animal you like like an animal.

Thanks for your valuable contribution

Yeah, every time the cat walks over the computer keyboard on his way to his pillow on my desk, I think he's trying to tell me that I should stop surfing Thai Visa since the pigeons on the ledge outside the window are putting on a much more interesting show!