Instead, Darr created a private refuge for Buddy, a quiet and safe place to eat, drink and sleep. "When my mother died, I couldn't cope with the thought of people coming to my house and walking into a pile of cat poop, so I put Buddy in the basement with a litterbox, food, etc. He had a box to sleep in and a towel on a cabinet he seemed to like to lay on.

"When life settled down a bit (about a week), I let him out. I haven't had a problem since. One day I forgot to shut the basement door and when I couldn't find him, I checked downstairs. There he was, happily sleeping in his box. He lives down there now, in his own space. He comes up and roams the house, but goes back down there to sleep. He's been religious about the litterbox and he's even more affectionate. He would never get up on my bed, but does so now and cuddles up to me, which is a first.

"What he was trying to tell me, I still don't know. Maybe it was just, 'I need my own space.' But whatever it was, the problem seems to be solved. My only concession has been to remember to leave the basement door ajar. And that certainly doesn't raise my blood pressure. The frustration seems to be behind me and we're all happy again."

Cats can be mysterious, but with knowledge and understanding, not incomprehensible. If we work to see their world from their perspective and consider their needs, we may solve the problems they are having outside the litterbox.

- More Litterbox Tips -

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