How do I get my cats to stop taking huge dumps at night?

I realize this isn't on par with some of the other life-altering decisions out there, but maybe someone has some non-sarcastic advice.

I have two neutered toms, both a little over a year old. I live in a small apartment with them. I've been free-feeding them for a few months now because back when I tried to keep them on some semblance of a feeding schedule they wouldn't let me sleep, they were on my ass in the middle of the night to feed them. Well, the free-feeding fixed that. Now it's just the 3 am crazies and...

Well, I feed them very good quality food (Power of Nature) instead of the grocery store junk I used to feed them. They like it, they eat less of it (although still very often)... The thing is, although they eat all day long between naps, they only take a shit at night. I can practically time it. They wake up at around 3 am, eat some grub, and then waddle into the litter box, take a dump, come back out and eat a bit more, chase each other a bit, then another dump.

The first thing that wakes me up is the noise they make digging a hole to China in the litter box. Then the huge undertaking of covering it up, which usually fails despite the effort. Like I said, my place is small, and the noise wakes me up. Then, sooner or later, comes the lingering stench of shit. I have to get up and scoop the shit or cover it up for them. And it's huge piles that they save up for all day long.

I've tried to look up cat digestion info to see if they always take the same X amount of hours to digest food, but the info out there regarding cats is just filled with "lulz spray them with Febreeze" and "I don't have a cat, but so like..." type of stuff, real Yahoo! Answers gold. What confuses me is, even if cats were to, say, digest food for 12 hours, since these fellas eat pretty much round the clock, do they just hold it in the rest of the time?

I know this is pretty much in the Woody Allen region of problems, but once I wake up I find it difficult to fall back asleep, and I only got 3 hours last night. So I gotta figure something out.

 

Could the solution be something akin to this?


Sorry. Couldn't resist the non-serious answer.

 

LOL that's awesome

 

you can't. man up.

 

Why even bother post?

 

I work for a vet. There is no answer to your problem. They are animals you invited into your home. Let them, at least. shit in peace. That's why I bother posting.

 

Okay. Back in the day, when I was still active here, we had a Tilted Knowledge forum where you could ask anything, no matter how inane, and people actually gave a shit enough to be polite in their posts, sharing their advice or experience. I realize those days are gone now, as are those forums, and a rude off-hand remark makes for a faster, easier +1.

At any rate, I used to work at a garage; didn't make me a mechanic. Although "there is no answer" sounds good too, I've read that some people have had some luck with spending time tiring their cats out before bed through play, or using an automatic feeder. I totally dig the fatalistic no-sleep path, but I'mma try something else first.

 

ok. well you are into coddling folkses about normal animal processes like anyone, person or animal, should have that work with animals and deal with these issues all fucking day. it's a job, like any other. get a grip.

an animal needs to shit in the middle of the night? be glad it's willing to shit then. some cats are autonomous and shy. they are animals, they don't have to meet you halfway.

 

I can't really help. Cats I've had in my life have either been in and out cats who did their business when they were outside or if they were strictly inside cats, I had an enclosed porch where they and their litter boxes would go overnight.

There's nothing worse than waking up to the smell of cat poop so I can sympathize but I'm at a loss to suggest a way to alter their defecating habits. It might be easier to find a way to keep the sounds and smells as far away from you as possible.

Or scrap the cats and get a dog. At least a dog can be trained to hold it overnight.

 

Aww, no, I couldn't part with my boys. Although my post fixated on the pooping part, it's not that which is the issue at heart. It's just that they only seem to do it when they a) eat a lot at once and b) run around like crazy, both of which always happen at 3 am. So I guess I am trying to figure out if it's just a schedule thing that the three of us can change... Like, no food during the day and then all they can eat at 11 pm, and maybe they'll sleep later in the morning. I just fixated on the litter box part because that was how they woke me up last night, and that was it for any semblance of sleep after three hours... And I really meant for it to be half-serious, half-humorous, but I don't have the kind of sense of humor which translates well in writing... At any rate I appreciate your response. I think I might move furniture around today...

 

These are cats - they might just be doing it because they know it pisses you off.

In addition to preventing them from eating until you're ready for bed, you could also try giving them some catnip to play with during the day to tire them out though they're still quite young and tiring them out may be hoping for too much. The good news is, time will eventually sort out their hyperactivity.

 

I already disliked cats.
Now you've added yet another reason.

 

I think the problem is that you are feeding them.

Stuffed cats are good to stroke and don't shit at all.

You have to dust them, though.

 

That would be ceramic cats, dear. No one dusts their stuffed pussies.

/still in training

 

This is why I employ a wife for domestic duties.

 

Cat Litter Boxes Automatic Litter Pans from PETCO.com

 

I'm going to tell you we do, though this may not work as well for you (depending on the space and setup of your unit.

1. Our cats are fed specific amounts of food during the day (main amount in the morning + extra when it gets dark). The second amount is to get them inside the house (they are free to roam during the day, and often poo outside). This is on the vets advice as she said both our cats were overweight.
2. When we go to bed they are shut into the laundry (where their litter box is). This means if they poo, it is nowhere near me, plus there are no 3am chasings - I like my sleep and I'm fully aware that nocturnal animals will chase each other around the house if you allow them to.

So my advice? lock them up at night, as far away from your nose as possible.

 

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Done and done.

 

I never had a cat, but my SO says you don't really have any practical options as long as you're free-feeding them. The only real shot apparently lies in scheduled feeding. On that token she says it is very hard getting a pet such as a dog or cat to change their routine once they established it, and one can really only adapt to their lifestyles.

Prince I can only hope the other replies you got in this thread were more in line with the impression you had of TFP. There shouldn't be any reason you can't ask anything in a reasonable fashion.

Also, mixedmedia : Where does your use of "man up" in response to his question come from? Being nonchalantly self-righteous about your rudeness is also a big plus right there. "Lady up", and all that nonsense.