wood and felines

[Karl Card]

here is my problem. I hae three cats, and no they are not dissappearing, and they need a place to relive thereself. I personally think my 2 teenage daughters should potty train them but they just dont seem up to it.
I am thinking or pondering the ideal of putting the box down in the basement where my woodshop is. They already go down there to see what they can play with now so that part isnt an issue.

There wont be much but yet some wood dust will eventualy settle in there litter box, will this hurt them or can this hurt them?

[Curt Fuller]

Cats have 9 lives. Give it a try.



Seriously, as a person that lives with 4 cats, I would be more concerned with cat pee in the shavings than shavings in the litter box.

[David E Keller]

I doubt there is much risk to the cats.

The smell of cat excrement in the workshop doesn't sound all that appetizing, but I'm not much of a cat person.

[Karl Card]

I doubt there is much risk to the cats.

The smell of cat excrement in the workshop doesn't sound all that appetizing, but I'm not much of a cat person.

oh my, i dont know whether to laugh or cry, My basement is big enough though that I can control the smell, plus I have a vent down there whith a fan going almost 24/7. and maybe a touch of febreeze.

It is funny though that I see them go down to the shop but never see them mess with anything. They just sit on the steps and look around.

I just cant stand where my wife has it right at this moment and so I figured if she isnt going to do anything with it, then I will...lol

[John Keeton]

.....but I'm not much of a cat person.

I could say that about myself, but it would be such a gross understatement!

On the other hand, Karl, from what little I know about cats, they are pretty self protecting, and I would think their keen sense of smell would preclude them from a situation that would present a danger for them.

[Thom Sturgill]

Don't know about just dust, but Walnut shavings really hurt horses. Get one of those self-cleaning boxes with a cover.

[Cathy Schaewe]

They'll be fine.

I have a 16-year-old cat, who loves to watch me turn. (And she bosses the dogs around, including the 120 pound chesapeake.) She's down there all the time.

Don't put the box where the shavings will fly into it, and don't worry about it.

[Richard Madison]

+1 what Cathy said. My shop cat lives in my shop, of course. I clean her litter box daily (twice on rainy days when she stays indoors all day) and also clean and refill her water dish frequently. When running the DC or other loud tools and when spraying lacquer I always try to have her outside. Also never spray lac. in the evening so she will not be indoors with the fumes all night.

I take frequent breaks to sit and sip some coffee and she feels that it's important to hop in my lap at these times. Has learned that "Ok back to work" means to hop down and go be somewhere else for a little while until the next break.

Also have a house/backyard/garage cat (and two dogs). The two cats do not get along, so each has her own domain.

[Rod Sheridan]

You'll be fine, my 3 cats have their litter boxes in the basement, along with my shop.

One cat is the "shop cat" and he likes to be in the shop even when machinery is running.

Regards, Rod.

[Ken Garlock]

Greetings good people.

Some people are dog people, and some are cat people, that is fine with me. Our house has been for the past 37 years a cat house (no snickering please.)

We have a sign in our laundry room that says 'cats are like potato chips, you can't have just one.' We currently have 3 cats, a Bengal, an Abyssinian, and a Heinz 57. The Bengal, and the Abby are pedigrees and the "Heinz" is a rescue that found us at a local Petsmart.

Adjoining the laundry room is a bathroom, and we keep the litter boxes in it. We have two boxes that get cleaned in the morning and again in the evening. Yes, we have the 'little green cloud' from time to time, but it quickly dissipates as we use a an oder absorbing cat litter. I buy it at Sam's Club in 40 pound containers.

If you do move the litter boxes to the basement, you need to be cognizant of several things.

Make sure the main floor-basement door is such that the cats can always get to their sandbox. This is a consideration for cold weather, and heating the house.

Set up TWO litter boxes. Put a mat in front of both boxes so that the cats will clear the litter that is in their toes.

Keep the boxes clean, twice a day is important if you want them to use the boxes. We use Wally-world grocery bags for used litter.

When you move the boxes, take the cats to the boxes and show them what they are. Stand them in the litter and scratch their toes in the litter.

[Mark Burge]

Our cats like to think of my shop as their huge litter box. I have to keep things swept up pretty good or they will walk past the litter box to the shop and ... well.

[David Hostetler]

The cats are absolutely, positively NOT welcome in my shop, mostly for fear of me not seeing where one of them is when I turn on a machine... Mind you, I am more of a dog person (the puppy goes in the shop with me), but that has more to do with predictability. The dog wants to be by my side, and if that gets to be a problem he gets put into the house... But typically, he hangs out with me. The cats have pretty much the full run of the house, including the bedroom where the puppy is forbidden. (Cats need a sanctuary too!).

[Belinda Barfield]

We have two boxes that get cleaned in the morning and again in the evening.

Make sure the main floor-basement door is such that the cats can always get to their sandbox. This is a consideration for cold weather, and heating the house.

Set up TWO litter boxes. Put a mat in front of both boxes so that the cats will clear the litter that is in their toes.

Keep the boxes clean, twice a day is important if you want them to use the boxes. We use Wally-world grocery bags for used litter.

When you move the boxes, take the cats to the boxes and show them what they are. Stand them in the litter and scratch their toes in the litter.

Ditto what Ken said. Two home cats, two shop cats. Shop cats don't mind the machinery even when a bridge saw, the CNC, air compressor and several polishers are running.

[Curt Harms]

though it's mostly due to SWMBOs diligence. We have 4 cats, all rescues. One Persian, 1 calico DSH(Domestic Short Hair) and 2 Maine Coons. We had 2 normal size litter pans plus 1 upstairs. I'd still find the occasional puddle where it didn't belong. We read about getting a larger litter pan so went to KMart and got a plastic storage container about 2' X 5'. It takes 28 lbs. of litter but seems to have helped. Most of the cats just come down, see what I'm doing, make sure there's no 'dinner on the hoof' and leave. The Maine Coons are characters. The male may be a mix, if he weighs 4 lbs. it's a lot. Seldom still and the bane of mice & voles. The female has to weigh at least 15 lbs. but she's my girlfriend. She behave as much like a dog as like a cat. Likes my assembly table the best because it's just the right height for her to stand on and gets strokes. I figured the first time I turned on the Jointer/Planer & dust collector, she'd beat a hasty retreat. Nope, stood right there and made sure I did it right. I need to find some maine coon cat sized safety glasses & hearing protection .

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[Jeff Willard]

No cats. I haz mices. They like to steal the pecans and hide 'em in the spare DC and shop vac hoses. Shavings don't seem to bother them, and I work with a fair amount of exotics. Had a tree rat sneak in once, and he got along fine-'till I caught him. Then, he was not at all happy.

FWIW, Krenov let his cats have the run of the shop. Never heard him tell of any prollems.