mildlyinfuriating
Sister refuses to actually clean litter room
This is what it looks like right now (the spots that are cleaner in 1st photo is where the litter boxes used to be i moved them to start cleaning) my sister and I both have a cat, so we both take care of the cats, I do the food and water, and she does the litter boxes. She's been fussed at by our mom more than just once and she says she'll clean it then she never does, this same thing happened when I used to do the litter and she used to do the water and food bowls. She wouldn't keep those clean or feed them for half a day and it got to the point algae kept forming in their water bowl cause she'd never clean it so I offered to switch since she said I had the easier task so we did. Well guess we can see how that turned out :/ I've also offered to just do all cat chores but we got in an argument over that because I told her she could just take my other chore of doing the bathroom trashcan and id do both cat chores, she didnt want to though because she says our mom would get mad, the thing is, our mom is pissed anyways cause she wont clean it and now im stuck to clean it anyways and deal with the fact shes gonna yell at me later for cleaning it :/
Discussion
Your mom needs to step in. These cats are being neglected.
Yeah and I dont want them to be anymore so thats why im just gonna do the cat chores by myself
Oh it's not your fault AT ALL! I'm saying your mom needs to stop in with you sister's behaviour. You've done everything you could.
Thank you for stepping up. include your sister too and explain they AND YOU GUYS can get sick from unmaintained litter.
The kitties will be very thankful. Your sister is still at an age where people can be very young. I'm honestly relieved she isn't older.
Good luck Hun. Routines are very helpful especially if you write them down to get started
It's more than that though. She needs reprimanded from your mom or she'll think pets are simple for the rest of her life. Those kinds of people are never given enforced responsibilities or reprimanded and end up with neglected pets as adults. There's plenty of people that return puppies and kittens to shelters because they don't want to train them or provide necessities. There's plenty of people that end up giving a dog to their parents because they simply don't take care of it but they still want it. They just want someone else to be responsible. Even if this cat becomes yours, your mom should talk to her about responsibilities.
you and your mother need to seriously sit your sister down and teach her about basic responsibility and have her understand how neglectful and irrational her behavior is. i get that she’s 14/15, but if she’s owning an animal, she better have the skills equipped to be able to do so. i’ll emphasis on my last comment, especially now since the topic of neglect is on the table.
remove ownership of the animal from your sister and give the animal to someone that’s actually able to take care of it. whether it be you, a trusted friend, or family member.
Have you tried telling your sister she doesn't love her cat because she isn't taking care of it? Would she care or are you the only one that truly loves their cat?
This seems more a parenting issue - why is an adult allowing this to happen? It’s easy to blame the sister but the sister is a child as well. The cats shouldn’t be here if the parents are unable to care for them. Sad for cats and family.
My mum isnt home very often and my dad lives somewhere else
I get it; these are also your pets that you love and care about. It’s a tough situation for you to be in. Make sure you are washing your hands well and wearing gloves if possible. Unfortunately you are having to be the parent in this situation and recognize it can’t stay this way (with the mess). Stay strong , keep yourself clean and the areas you can clean.
Thank you
Do you need help OP? I mean this genuinely. If the animals are being neglected and you say your dad lives elsewhere… and your mom is hardly home.
Are you safe and have the things you need? Food, water, etc?
Yeah we have food and water plus im attempting to get a job still to help extra
Okay - just checking. Set aside a little for yourself if you can. I know helping the family is a noble deed but in reality the world is very large and expensive when you’re past 18 and it ain’t getting cheaper anytime soon lol
I wouldn’t tell anyone about it either. If your parents are anything like mine, they’ll feel entitled to all of the money you make until 18. Glad you’re safe.
You’re a kid. You shouldn’t have to contribute at all! That’s messed up! They are adults and can get it together. You should enjoy being a teenager before life gets even more demanding. Please find time for yourself and do things that bring you happiness.
Litter ROOM???
Its an empty ish room we keep the litter boxes in so they're out of sight, clearly its been taken very litter-ally (get it??)
"Out of sight" can be a double-edged sword. Sure, you don't see the gross cat litter boxes. But you also end up kind of forgetting about them, out of sight, out of mind.
Its just her though cause I kept up with it when I used to have the job otherwise the house would start to smell but I get what you mean
If an animal is being mistreated, that’s the responsibility of everyone under that roof. I’m not a pet person, so I have no clue where this falls, but it sounds like it’s your job to make sure it gets done
OP is only 16, it should really be on the parents to get this under control and help prevent it from happening again.
Pets are living things and aren’t an opportunity to teach your kids “a lesson”.
If your cats are kicking litter out of the box that badly, you could try boxes with raised sides or top-entry boxes (although some cats really don't like top-entry.)
Bro I see no boxes, the shit is literally all over the floor???
when you dont put a lid on it (or you have a really determined cat) the floor could very easily end up like that. thats why most people will keep litter mats in these cases. OP you should definitely look into that, its a lot more convenient to clean and a lot cleaner for your kitty cat!
They're in the second or third photo :)
Okay first off, there’s not enough litter in those boxes. Second, it looks like your kitties are kickers and diggers so get them high-sided boxes or get ones with a cover. Even a larger box for them both is an option, with a smaller box off to the side. Sometimes when you offer two boxes they’ll use one for poo and one for less poo. Third, get a huge tray like a boot tray or a silicone tray and put that under those boxes. You also should have a litter mat to catch all the loose litter from their paws.
Fourth (this is the most important), never EVER let your sister have an animal of any kind on her own. She would neglect it to death.
Thank you for all this information ill be using it!! Also for the not enough litter did you mean like from my comment showing the cleaned up room?? If so how much roughly more should I add??
Photo number 3 which shows the boxes with garbage bags in them + litter. the fact that you can see the bags on the bottom makes it clear its not enough litter. You want it to be a solid 2-3 inches deep.
Ohh ok, if you've got the time/chance could you look at my comment with the cleaned up litter boxes and stuff and see if its good enough???
If you let litter sit on the floor, they’ll start using the floor as a litter box. It’ll soak into the hardwood and it’s not possible to ever get it out fully.
Best and least expensive litter box option is to get 2 big plastic Sterlite bins. No garbage bag liners, because they just claw those up. Add at least 3-4 inches of clumping litter so the pee has less chance of soaking down and sticking to the bottom, and it’s easier to scoop. Refill with more litter every time you scoop. And then every month, throw away all the litter and take the bins outside to scrub them clean with liquid Dawn dish soap and water. Then spray all the soap out with a hose and dry them with old towels.
You guys are disgusting.
My first thought too 😭
I thought it was just an entire room being used as a litterbox, based on the first picture
i built a full litter room. My cats have a door to it at the top of the stairs. Its built into the walkin attic space and well insulated/lighted. I can access it from a door built into the top from the attic space for cleaning.
im so glad i wasn’t the only one with this reaction. just straight kitty litter ammonia piss and poop being ground into the wood flooring 🤮🤮🤮
They don't mean a room that is used as a giant litter tray, they mean a spare room where they keep the litter trays so they don't have to live alongside them day to day
It's fucking scary that people don't realize this. There's literally litter boxes in the fucking pictures and people still don't get it??? I knew what OP meant the second I read it.
OP said litter room and then we see what I would assume is a litter room. I see tons of disheveled boxes of kitty litter, but no actual litter box.
I mark this post as SAFE to assume the cats have an entire poop room with wooden floors.
Edit: I have identified the litter boxes. I stand by my comment.
They will eventually see enough litter on the floor, I'm sure they will cop a squat anywhere there soon enough.
Yeah im trying to clean it right now because I feel really bad for the cats and im tired of her saying she'll do it in another day like she always says
I'm not even shaming you. Cats do what cats do. If I forgot the litter box I found a present on my bed or the bathroom rug.
My sister's cat pees on people's beds and on towels cause of this and I feel terrible cause these poor kitties dont deserve this amd I really just want my sister to help and stuff cause im mot doing so well rn mentally and idk why but doing all the chores except taking the trashcan out to the road makes me feel overwhelmed cause I do all the other chores cause my siblings wont do them 😭
It'll be alright. Mentally you can think of it as a reward. You can see it is clean and a job well done. The cats will be happy and they know who is helping them. Don't let your sister walk all over you. If there is something you can neglect that won't upset your parents but inconvenience her ...do it. It's petty but if she sees it's not all about her maybe she'll grow up and take care of her responsibilities ie her cats.
Yeah, maybe that could work, thank you
You're a good mallow, the cats are lucky to have you.
Thanks man, I just wanted this to be a vent post really because I have Noone to vent to and while ive gotten lots of kind comments ive also got the mean ones who dont even seem to read or look at the photos and istg im gonna cry over this i just wanted to vent
Hey, those mean people can go to hell. You’re doing a great thing stepping up OP, and I’m proud of you. And like the other person said, think of staying on top of this as a huge win for you AND your cats. It takes a big heart to be concerned about another living thing. And coming from someone with mental health issues, it’s ok to feel overwhelmed. Pour your heart and soul into projects like this that make things better for others, and seize the joy from that. And don’t get discouraged when they immediately run over and pee in it the second you finish cleaning it. It’s their way of saying “OH THANK GOD THE TOILET ISN’T OVERFLOWING ANYMORE AND IT’S USABLE AGAIN!” You got this girl
based on how dirty the litter and room is + peeing in multiple different spots, the cat could have a uti
I’m confused as to how and why there’s so much litter on the floor. Do the cats play in it? We use the same litter as you and there’s not too much tracking. It would take years of doing nothing to get it to this level.
My favorite was the kitten (who is now my cat) breaking a bag of litter, spilling a bit on the floor. Friend’s oldest cat took a dump on the tiny amount there.
How do I know who it was? Kitten refuses to use anything that isn’t his specific box with enough litter, oldest was roaming around, middle child was stuck in another room behind a “barricaded” door (read: door was open and ajar about 15 cm). One got stuck behind open doors enough that every room had a litterbox and water, one took a dump at the sight of litter, one would open child locked doors to get to bags of litter.
I am legitimately amazed that they apparently haven't yet.
I can almost guarantee they have. My old one will kick out litter, scratch up a pile, and deuce right on top. Goddamn it violet, you are a twisted old bitch.
I had a roommate who adopted a cat. I told her I would be fine with it as long as it didnt trigger my allergies and she cleaned up after it.
The litter box was kept in a bathroom and it was constantly full and litter was all over the floor around it. The house smelled the moment you walked in. We complained and she moved it to the basement where she cleaned it even less. She blamed us for making her move it down there, saying it was now "out of sight out of mind." The cat started going to the bathroom on clothes (our laundry machines were down there and we would have baskets of clothes either waiting to be cleaned or ready to be taken up and put away). Instead of re-cleaning her clothes, she just left them down there covered in cat feces and urine for weeks. Then the cat clawed a hole into the unopened box of fresh litter and started going to the bathroom in there. He would kick out litter onto the ground and go there too.
When she moved out with him, I did a massive clean on the house including enzyme cleaner on the floors and walls to get rid of the smell. It was better but the smell still persisted. I eventually discovered there was a ton of dirty litter in the floor vents. A lot of it was too big to fall through the slots so I strongly suspect the dirty litter on the floor was being swept into the hole and the vent cover replaced. Once I got those cleaned out it the smell finally started getting better.
Im so thankful we dont have floor vents where I live or thats probably what my sister would do 😭😭
Wow what a great way to give your cat a UTI, your roommate was awful
Invite her friends to come over
I should ngl
This is extremely unfair to the cats, and borderline neglect. She should be straight up told that and be given a wake up call. which I’m sure you know. Let alone the health hazards to people.
She should not be allowed to have a cat. With pets comes responsibility.
First of all...that girl does NOT need a cat...omg...think of the horrible conditions that poor cat would have if she moved out and took it with her... She needs to start small and see how much responsibility she CAN handle. I would suggest gifting her something that requires less care...maybe a pet rock...and see how that works for a year...
She's used to have a bunny that she wouldn't feed until one day it dug a hole under its little bunny home and ran away, I always felt terrible for it :(
Take a picture every day and send to mom. Let her handle the parenting and sister will be mad at mom not you
IDK turn off the wifi every day until the chores done, no chores? No wifi 🤷♀️
I think only our mom could do that since she pays for the wifi 😭
Just unplug it!
Oh ok! It doesn't like ruin it to do that?? (Im soso sorry if this is a stupid question)
No, it doesn’t* ruin it. It’s fine to unplug it, siblings will definitely be confused also 😆
*edited
Ok thank you!
Or browse to 192.168.1.1 in your browser, check the underside of the WiFi router to see if the admin password is on there, log into the admin console for the router, change the password for the WiFi and don't tell your sister what it is until she's cleaned that room up. If she slacks again, change it again.
op those boxes look kinda small, I recommend trying to make your own boxs with the entrance in the very top lid or high up, which will stop that massive amount of litter going everywhere.
I plan on doing this when my oldest cat passes (she's kinda fussy and doesn't like lidded boxes because shes super big)
Ohhh wait thats such a good idea thank you so much!!! Im gonna ask my mom if we can do this for our cats!!
And why is your mom not stepping in? In my house, my parents would have asked me once, and only once. If I refused, things would have started being taken from me until I did it. If I never took care of my cat, my parents would have found it a new home. Why is your mom not growing a pair and dealing with it?
Buy a Liter Robot. They can be found on marketplace for pretty cheap and are amazing.
Doesn’t solve the underlying issue but an alternative is put the sister up for adoption
Ohh thank youu thats a great idea!!!
Maybe we might have to put her up for adoption, sounds cheaper 😔
Not trying to be mean, but they don't seem like the types to spring for a Liter Robot... just sayin! 😂
Completely agree. That’s why I mentioned the marketplace suggestion. I see them for $50-100 all the time but then again your probably right lol
This is a parenting issue. Your mom needs to make your sister do it and watch her do it like a micromanager. Because she needs to set a standard. The standard being, when you get a job you have to do the job without being told and do it well.
Micromanaging now and being held to expectations is how you teach a child to be a decent human being and independent. She's too old to be acting like everything needs to be taken care of for her.
BLOODY HELL
My cat after discovering that other cats have litter rooms instead of a litter box: 😾
Noo its a room we keep the litter boxes in, the litter boxes were moved by me (they're in the second or third photo) because i cleaned up the room now so I needed to move them to clean up all the litter and cat poo off the floor
I can smell these pictures.
Yeah its not nice smelling, im hoping the smell will start to lessen after im finished cleaning and continue cleaning it, not sure if ill be able to get it completely to go away tho :(
Ew
Poor cats :(
Sounds like a conversation you need to have with your parents about who actually owns these cats and if maybe sister need to take on other chores around the house if you are going to take over cleaning after the cats.
This is ridiculous. Your mother needs to be a parent and an adult with basic decency and step in. Those cats are being neglected and this is disgusting.
The plastic bags inside the litter box are not a good idea. They're in the way and the cats' claws will get caught in them and they'll tear. I would put something like a sheet of cardboard or a mat under the boxes.
Cleaning the litter is not a big job. It only takes a few seconds. I would do it several times a day. That way the litter lasts longer. Feeding doesn't take long either. You might as well do it yourself.
Yeah, after some other commenters input ive also come to the realization about alot of the stuff you said, and I think the new amount of litter they have is good cause I got some input on that too, though in the photo I took i put liners in cause I didnt know yet but ive taken them out already!!
Litter…room?
The LITTER WHAT
Poor cats
How long has she let that floor go???? I don’t clean under or behind my litter boxes every week and they don’t get close to that even when life has been crazy and it’s gone over a month of just cleaning boxes. Also, those boxes need more litter. Get some high sided boxes. (Stainless if you can afford it), use more litter, and put a tray (I use those pans you put under drippy cats) or piece of cardboard under them to orotect the floor. Get rid of the liners, the cats don’t like them and tear them up.
Jesus fucking Christ I’m depressed and struggling through life but at least I clean up for my cats.
Your sister sucks. Idk if this is weaponized incompetence or if shes just a lazy fuck but either way your cats deserve better and she should not be part of their care. She shouldnt even get to own one.
Id talk to your mom about switching chores, and let her do it. Tell her youre willing to take on the cat full care if she can give your sister another chore instead. The issue isnt the chores because the parent should be handling that part of it, its the fact her not doing her chores directly affects another living being and does harm to them when shes deciding not to do it and clearly she has ZERO consequences if she can get away with this. My kids would be wrestling each other to clean that shit up before I could even see it!!!
Your real problem is here is your parents that let it slide, but the cats shouldn't be neglected the way the kids seem to be.
Send the cats for adoption, if this is neglected what else is?
First of all, your mom needs to pull her shit together. I have 2 kids who are assigned 2 rotating chores a day, plus emptying half the dishwasher every day. The chores take less than 10 minutes each (vacuuming stairs, emptying trash cans, cleaning the kitchen table, etc.). Their phones get locked after school until they're done. There is no reason for an adult to allow a child to starve an animal to the point it runs away. I work full time, cook dinner from scratch, and am a widow with severe anxiety and depression. However, kids need to learn how to become functioning adults and need guidance. I have the chores printed and put in cheap plastic picture frames so they can check them off with dry-erase markers.
Second of all, your sister needs professional mental health care. I don't know what's going on, but it has become habitual at the expense of animals. She will not be able to independently own pets, so this cat can't continue to be hers if she ever moves out. Or, clearly, if you ever move out. If it's executive function issues, depression, defiance, or something else, she needs to see someone.
Lastly, you are a good human. The way you took feedback to help both cats shows significant emotional intelligence, well above your age. You excuse your sister because she's just a kid, but so are you. I don't want to add more to your plate, but please be sure the cats see a vet at least once a year. I'm concerned that, with how uninvolved your mom is, this isn't happening. Their teeth need to be checked and cleaned when necessary to prevent pain and other health issues. They're also prone to kidney failure. I'm glad you're the one watering them. In the future, you might consider getting a water fountain for them. They like running water, and it entices them to drink, lessening their chances of kidney issues. Don't run out and get it now. It's just something I learned from owning cats.
Please take care of yourself. I'm overwhelmed for you, just reading your comments. Try getting some quiet sunshine and fresh air when it's possible. Find something enjoyable to treat yourself with every day to give yourself positive reinforcement. Sending you love
I empathize with you a lot. My dad's house growing up would be a lot like this because he didn't care much to keep up with pet chores (he was exhausted & probably a little depressed from being a single working dad and taking care of us the 50% of the time we were with him) and my younger sisters were kids (3 and 7 yrs younger than me). As a teenager, I would have so much constant anxiety because of the animal neglect and knowing that if I didn't do certain things, they wouldn't get done.
This is absolutely not your responsibility and should not be put on your shoulders, but unfortunately for the sake of the cats, there's not much of an option and I think it's best that you take care of the cat chores as best you can. Your mom should be taking control of both the chore assignments and your sister's behavior as the parent, not forcing you to be the adult by default. I'm really sorry you are being put in this situation, both you and the cats deserve better.
Coming from someone who is 10 years down the line, it sucks right now but it will get better. I resented my family for a long time over things like this and I've worked hard to overcome that as an adult. I hope things improve for you. ❤️
Ouff, my fiancé and I clean/scoop our cats litters literally the moment after they finish using it lol
Here we do the same! The smell is ubearable! People only know we have cats (4) when they see them!
We have two! Wouldn’t know until you see them lounging around. I swear my fiancé has the most insane sense of smell, cause 10 seconds after one of them uses it she says all she smells is shit 🤣 then proceeds to light candles and cleans the litter lol
Sister shouldn’t be allowed to have cats.
Rehome the cat. It deserves better.
Your mom needs to be a mom and handle your sister.
Sounds like a job for ::parenting::
Litter room?! wtf?
She shouldn’t have a cat, then.
What the fuck is a litter room?
As someone with a cat, I don’t think it’s fair to split cat duties as food/water vs litter box.
Well no worry for that anymore since ill be the only one doing anything soo 🫠
Why is she allowed to "refuse" to do her chores?
Cause our mom isnt home too often so she never really knows who actually does majority of the chores and also because she just yells about it when things dont get done no actual punishment which leads to my brother leaving his dishes unwashed knowing someone else will do them, and my sister to not clean the litter room and I dont want it to get to the point that our mom threatens to get rid of the cats so im just gonna do all the cat chores
I'm sorry. This sounds rough. Would it be worth setting up a chore chart or something on the fridge where everyone can see that you can all initial when you do your chores? That way your mom can see when something has been done and who has done it? For what it's worth you might want to put your initials on something just BEFORE you do it so they don't take credit for work you've done. Unfortunately yelling with no punishment means nothing is probably going to change but if your mom isn't home much I'm guessing when she IS home she doesn't want to spend her time enforcing rules.
This is absolutely disgusting and quite frankly, if I get down voted or challenged on my point of view, I don't really give a flying fuck.
First of all, the cats are and should be the main priority and if no one can be arsed to clean the cat trays then the cats need a new home. Your MUM needs to step in and do some actual parenting because I imagine your house absolutely stinks.
This isn't about shaming anyone before anyone jumps on me but if you can't meet an animals BASIC needs then you SHOULD NOT have that animal in your care, it really is that simple!
There is a smell in there that will outlast religion
It’s very unhygienic for the cats and humans!
Much more than mildly infuriating....gross!
Absolutely disgusting. The door is obviously kept open for the cats to access it. It must smell horrible.
I sweep up the litter that's kicked onto the floor and put it back in the tray. No point wasting unused litter
I cannot begin to describe the many health hazards to people from this situation. Does she have some sort of a problem understanding hygiene
Get litter boxes with the highest sides and the largest tray made for boots in a mud room.
That floor & rug is going to smell like cat urine and will need tobe replaced.
I'm sorry what?? This is fucking nasty
I have three litter boxes and it takes me less than 10 minutes to clean and sweep around them each combined.
HOW is she making that much of a mess? Is it like so much litter is going unswept that the cats are getting confused and going in the stray litter piles? Or is she not cleaning the boxes at all? Is she just haphazardly cleaning causing shit clumps to fly everywhere?
Is she mentally alright?
No I get it but how else is she gonna learn if you just keep doing it
Cause I havent done it until now, I originally did have the cat litter chores but we swapped cause she couldn't keep up with their food and water and she said this was the easier chore so we swapped but shes neglecting this one too now and I dont wanna lose my cat because of her negligence so im stepping in to do it
yeah but if OP doesn't the cats will end up the ones suffering for it.
the sister shouldn't have pets.
How old is she lol like she should know better if she’s old enough and to just do it and not be lazy
Sounds like you have 2 cats cause your sister doesn’t want or care about hers.
There’s an easy way to solve this. Let your mom know you are doing this.
- Take a stack of newspapers, sheets of plastic wrap, etc. and lay them on your sisters’ bed, thick enough so nothing will soak through.
- Put littler pan on top.
- Put a note on top of litter explaining that the litter pan AND room needs to be cleaned and it‘s her responsibility to do so.
If she yells at you for doing that, ask her if she would have yelled at you if you cleaned it yourself and that you are tired of getting fussed at by your mom because she’s not doing her chores. If she still doesn’t want to it, ask her if she doesn’t want the cat anymore. Be polite but firm and have your mom back you up.
Tell her to rehome her animals if she can’t properly care for them. There are many people out there that will love them properly
Bro wtf
I had my cats for a full 4 hours before I realized a self cleaning litter box was going to be a necessity
Transition the cats to pine pellets and a sifting litter box. Less mess with zero odor and a 40-lb bag is only $8. Lots of tutorials on setup and use on YouTube.
Dude, this is a health hazard, you need to fix it ASAP. Normally you don't have a litter ROOM, you have a litterbox located usually on the toilet. But as i said this is a health hazard, you might all get toxiplasmosis from it and die.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/toxoplasmosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20356249
Those cats are being neglected, please keep up on it. Litter areas that dirty are so, so bad for the health of those poor babies. It can cause UTIs and lead to severe kidney issues, and the build-up of ammonia can cause further respiratory issues. I believe you said your sister is 14, and that is definitely old enough to know better. She shouldn't have animals.
Have you asked her directly how she plans on paying for the vet bills and disposal when she moves out and neglects her cat to the point of death?
Show her this post and everyone’s reactions to it. Unfortunately, a kid at that age cares what others think so maybe showing that this IS NOT OKAY for cats. I mean, imagine if she was forced to use that room to do her business or, forced to drink bad water. She wouldn’t so why neglect the pets bc of laziness
Thank you for stepping up and making sure things get done. You truly are the better human. I know it must suck. You are an angel, though, so thank you.
I can smell this picture.
I know it smell crazy in there
to keep the litter from coming out like that you can make a little enclosure for the box out of 2 sterlite clear bins, cut a door in the lower one and attach the top one with some zip ties on one end, keeps it contained better
I suggest switching to pine litter. It's cheaper and easier to clean. Clay litter is just so messy.
I buy this stuff from Walmart when it's available
https://www.walmart.com/ip/39108788?sid=f5be3062-0b5e-4a57-8fc1-e68629d76a50
Or this stuff from Tractor Supply
Then get a litter box that can handle pellets.
I got this one Mr. Catman Mr Catman Wood & Pine... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFD6867C?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I put a litter bag on the bottom layer for easy clean up. When I'm cleaning I dump the old stuff into it along with the wet litter that fell through.
So get rid of the cat or get rid of your sister, I prefer the second option.
Get your cat some covered litter boxes and one of those litter collect mats for in front of them. In all my life and many many cats, kickers etc I have never seen litter like this all over the floor. And I’d just take on BOTH cats as mine since she isn’t responsible enough to care for its needs
Ooh gross, why even bother with the carpet at that point?
They say you can't smell pictures...
Keep the cat, send the sister to the farm.
Bro noooooo
Besides for that being utterly disgusting and unsanitary that is ruining your property value - will never be able to get that clean enough
Litter ROOM? Oh no.
Your sister should not be allowed to have any pets since she’s too irresponsible and lazy.
My cat is a monster in the litterbox, my fiance and I went out of town for a few days and came back and I swear the litterbox room looked like this 😭
I couldn’t imagine this, hopefully your sister grows to learn more responsibility, but I understand she’s young right now
Excuse me, did you just say litter room?
This is gross and I can only imagine what your place smells like...
It’s time to just take over. Because here’s the issue: when you care for a living thing who can’t care for themself, whether it be an animal, child, elderly person, or disabled individual, be prepared to care for them fully. Otherwise you risk someone else dropping the ball, and they don’t deserve to suffer for that neglect. So start now. No need to ask; just get up and do it. If your sister doesn’t like that, then she can step up. But always be prepared to take care of that responsibility independently.
Y'all definitely need deeper litter boxes, that are covered or at least have an upper open top addon. That would definitely help to contain the litter within their boxes.
For the litter maintenance, you need to get your mother involved to deal with your sister. Getting your sister to do her part is not your job, it's hers. That you are willing to do both chores and have your sister do different ones is something you can discuss with your mother, and would certainly result in the better treatment of the cats.
“litter room?” Say what now?
I’m sorry, say that again….. litter ROOM?
I have a mat thats huge and it traps the loose litter that comes out of the littwr box and then i can just dump it back in after im done. This may be a solution at least to having as much of it on the floor.
cracks knuckles ok… If you let litter sit on the floor, they’ll start using the floor as a litter box. It’ll soak into the hardwood and it’s not possible to ever get it out fully.
Best and least expensive litter box option is to get 2 big plastic Sterlite bins. No garbage bag liners, because they just claw those up. Add at least 3-4 inches of clumping litter so the pee has less chance of soaking down and sticking to the bottom, and it’s easier to scoop. Remember to refill with more litter every time you scoop. You don’t need the expensive stuff either. Just buy the store brand unscented clumping litter. And then once a month, throw away all the litter and take the bins outside to scrub them clean with liquid Dawn dish soap (no bleach or ammonia cleaners) and water. Then spray all the soap out with a hose and dry them with old towels.
She should not have pets.
Might as well just throw the litter directly on the floor at that point. Jesus...
over time, the cats will realize YOURE the caretaker and pay all the attention to you and none to her
Does your family have a shop vac? Those will suck up the spilled litter really fast. Make sure it has a bag for fine particles, though. Litter dust is bad stuff.
If your sister doesn’t do the litter boxes, tell her the cats are going to start peeing outside of the litter box, like on rugs, furniture, and laundry, and it’s really, really hard to stop that once it starts. The whole house will smell like cat piss or worse. If she still doesn’t step up, start bagging the clumps and put them in her room.
If her problem is ADHD or executive dysfunction related, she should set reminders on her phone. If it’s sensory, she should wear gloves and a mask.
Hi. That's annoying.
Here's what you do: tell your mom and your sister that you are going to do the important cat care chores at 8pm (whatever time makes sense, perhaps this is a negotiable time) if they haven't been done. Your sister is expected to complete it before then but if she doesn't you will do it because it's important to properly take care of pets.
Your mom won't be mad with such an arrangement but the next time your sister wants to take on responsibility you should avoid the shared responsibility because she has demonstrated not being responsible.
Mildly infuriating?! Mildly?!?! This is one reason I could never convince myself to get a cat. Growing up with the nastiest cats was a great lesson for child me. My ma didn't give a shit about her cats. The house smelled of it. 🤢🤮
Cat deserves better. Periodt.
Dump it in her bed. She’ll learn to clean pretty quickly.
That much litter shouldn't be even getting on the floors. Your cats need either a high wall litter box or an enclosed litter box
Ah the incompidance, shes only going to get worse. Sounds like at some point you're going to have two cats.
tbh if that was my kid, the chanclas would’ve already been out
She shouldn’t have gotten a cat if she’s not capable of taking care of it. As a parent your mom shouldn’t have allowed her children to get pets they weren’t going to take care of if she’s wasn’t interested in picking up the slack.
Today I learned people have litter rooms
Yuck
How old is your sister? I think the cat needs to just be yours, because even letting algae grow in the water bowl is just serious neglect.
She's 14 almost 15 in less than 2 months and its 2 cats, one is specifically mine the others is specifically hers
As inconvenient as it might be for you, she's not equipped for a pet. Even if it's on purpose, the cats do not deserve it. Please just do all of the care yourself.
Yeah I plan to do it myself from now on, but it's just kinda annoying cause we were supposed to split the chores and ive offered to help her before but she always says no and we get in arguments over it cause she doesn't want our mom to be mad at her for not being the one to do it but our mom is more mad that no one is doing it, and I dont want our mom to say shes gonna get rid of the cats cause mine has saved me from some bad choices before so I really dont wanna lose him
I truly truly understand. My siblings and I were the same way until I realized my dogs haven't been out to potty in hours or fed all day. So I just started doing it, because it truly isn't fair to them regardless.
Yeah, they're just poor little animals, basically babies and I love my kitty soso much and dont want him to suffer this neglect so im gonna do it from now on
You sound young, so give yourself grace too. Especially if anyone has a rude comment.
Im 16 🫠
Congrats. You're a vastly superior human to most 16 year olds! (including myself at that age lol.)
You have a lot of responsibility at a young age, it sounds like. Would you be able to talk about this with a school counselor? I don’t think you need to get rid of the cats but you getting saddled with all the chores is really unfair and it doesn’t sound like your mom is any help
Taking care of a cat isn't a lot of responsibility for a teenager.
Nah man, I'm team mom. If this is too much responsibility and Mom isn't on board for dealing, rehoming the cats is a solid plan. Would relieve some responsibility. Maybe get rid of the cat that belongs to the girl that isn't doing her share, but teenagers are old enough to do basic pet care, and if not, they shouldn't have a pet. This isn't mild neglect we are looking at here.
That’s still very young hun
Honestly, once you get this room under control maintaining the cleanliness and litter won’t be too bad! Clean up the room and get it organized in a way that works for you to keep it that way 😊
Thank you for stepping up and doing what’s right for these kitties.
Then stop asking her and tell your mother that for the sake of the cats you're going to take over both chores and your sister can do other stuff.
I think you summed up the appropriateness of your post here "it's just kinda annoying"
You're appropriately - mildly infuriated.
Maybe just let it be known to your mom that you're just going to do all the cat duties and if your mom wants her to have something to be responsible for (for enrichment) it should not involve another living created at this time.
Screw if she gets mad or not, if she really doesn’t want to get into trouble she really would do it. Please take care of the poor kitties and maybe if she gets into enough trouble for not helping she might start doing her share, otherwise tough titty.
Its just your cat now. And your sister no longer gets a say in its care what so ever because she chooses to neglect it. Thats what happens when you cant take care of your responsibilities.
If this is where your cats have to do their toileting then no one in your house should have pets. This is awful.
As a person about that age: if she really cared about that baby she would do it herself. Or at least a little bit like changing the water.
Not responsible enough. Those poor cats. They need better home with a responsible pet guardian.
Wild jump and not a diagnosis, just an observation from my own life:
Is she actually lazy or does she genuinely forget? I know that can be hard to determine for a 15 yo girl, but I'm diagnosed with ADHD and something important I had to teach myself- your brain is lying to you, and "I will do it later" is a trap. I forget 99% of the time if I say I'll do something later.
The best practice for me has been to take care of any daily chore before I take my shoes off when I get home.
And some random advice- don't make fun of her if she does start helping. psychology thing, but you don't want to "punish" desired behavior.
I honestly dont know if she genuinely forgets or not, I know she probably does have some issues though so I try to be kinder about it to her which is why ive ignored all the people saying to do mean stuff to her in return