The Dilemma of the Bully Cat

I just had a wonderful email conversation with a woman whose cat began gulping her food down after the introduction of another cat into the household. Sasha was a happy but lonely 4 year old kitty. Her mom, Fran, adopted her when she was 3 from a local shelter. Sasha was sweet and friendly and cuddly, and the best cat ever. She was healthy, ate normally, and played like a kitten. Fran had thought about adopting another cat so Sasha would not be alone all day when Fran went to work. But she feared that it would change Sasha, and ruin the great energy and relationship the two of them had. And Fran is the kind of pet owner who believes in “forever homes,” so if there were problems, she would stick them out and have to deal with them.

At the urging of friends and family, Fran decided her fears were unwarranted. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? She would choose a sweet, cuddly and healthy cat, around 2 years old. Well, here’s what happened:

Danny came into their lives much the same way Sasha came into Fran’s life. Adopted from a local shelter, he was healthy, cuddly and friendly, just the way Fran envisioned. She took her time introducing the cats to one another, and it appeared all was well; except at the food bowl.

Danny loved to eat, to the exception of all else. He would scarf his food down, then run over and bully Sasha away from her food. In order for Sasha to get her portion, she began gulping her food down to beat Danny to the punch. Unfortunately, this did not set well with her, and she would then throw her food up.

THE FOOD FIGHT BEGINS

Living in a studio apartment, there was really no way to keep them separate when they ate, except to put one in the bathroom. Danny’s yowling continued to scare Sasha, so she would continue to gulp  her food and throw up. Fran almost came to the point of giving Danny away, when her vet came to her rescue.

The vet was trying out our new product, the MeowSpace®, and she wanted to see if it would work to solve the problem. In all honesty, I didn’t think it would work. If separating them using the bathroom didn’t work, how would the MeowSpace® solve it? Interestingly, it worked! Seems the fact that the MeowSpace® was like a new piece of furniture, and that it is clear, was the thing that did the trick.

Sasha would be eating inside her MeowSpace®, and Danny would come over as usual to try to bully her. But somehow, Sasha realized that he couldn’t harm her as long as she was inside and he was outside. Not only did she stop gulping her food, she began glaring at him in a way that apparently told him not to mess with her. He not only stopped bullying her around food, he stopped bullying her at all. All she would have to do is give him that look, and he cooled his heels (or paws, as the case may be).

This happened in 2009, and after a friend of mine mentioned a similar gulping problem, it reminded me of Fran and Sasha. I looked up the record of the vet who loaned her the MeowSpace®, and found out that she no longer needs to use the MeowSpace®, so she gave it back to the vet, who has since loaned it to other patients, for other feeding and litter problems. Many of them have become our customers.

Very cool!

Keep the Dog Out

Only the cats have the key to getting into their litter whenever they want it. No more doggie poopie mouth!

Whether you want to keep a dog away from the cat’s food or its litter, the MeowSpace® is the perfect answer.

Tom and Maisha describe the scenario in their household before getting their MeowSpace®:

We live in a small apartment with one bedroom and one small bathroom. We have two cats (Fred & Wilma) and a Miniature Poodle (Maxie). Maxie came to us as a rescue last year, and he is the smartest, cutest dog we’ve ever had. He loved the cats right off, and though it took a couple of weeks, the cats came to love him, too.

One morning we awakened as usual and went to clean the cats’ litter box. That’s where “usual” ended. We use clumping litter, and habitually, our cats manufacture their Kitty Roca over night. This particular morning, there was no Roca, and the hardened puddles were exploded into small pieces. We figured the cats were just playing that night.

The next morning we woke to the same situation. Our new doggie came romping up on our bed to play with us, and we noticed litter all over his mouth area, and stuck like glue to his little poodle beard. Now we knew where the Roca went. Maxie was eating the cat poop. We needed a dog proof litter box.

From that moment on, we were constantly watching, waiting, and then pouncing to keep Maxie out of the litter box. At night, we would be lying in bed watching a movie with one ear listening for the tell-tale sounds of Maxie in the litter again. This meant constantly jumping out of bed and yelling while running to stop the litter invasion once again. I’m sure our cats thought we were absolutely nuts.

We didn’t want to close our door with Maxie inside with us all night because our cats liked to sleep with us, and were accustomed to doing so. The one night we tried that was a night without sleep. The cats were clawing to get inside, and the dog was clawing to get outside.

We got on the internet and started typing in the problem we were having. We were linked to the MeowSpace® site and stood there staring at it like a deer in the headlights. We couldn’t believe we’d found the answer so quickly and simply. We ordered it immediately, then called MeowSpace® to ask questions later. We talked to Casey, who listened to our story and gave us tips for training. She also surprised us by sending us the extra magnet and a litter pan at no charge.

It’s been over a year now, and there is no way to adequately describe our gratitude for having found the MeowSpace®. We have turned several of our friends onto it, too. Today, it stands proudly in our living room next to the couch, hosting our now dog proof litter box as the most interesting conversation piece!

Thanks so much. Sorry it took so long for us to write this!

Happy MeowSpacers,

Tom and Maisha

(Note: T & M coined the word “MeowSpacers,” and now we’ve started using it! What about tee shirts with “I’m A MeowSpacer! R U?”)

Your beloved dog greets you with wagging tail and kisses all over your face. Suddenly you realize he has cat litter on his mouth. So do you. You vow to find a way to keep your pooch from getting to the cat’s poop once and for all. You’ve come to the right place. You’ve come to MeowSpace®.

HOW IT WORKS

The best way to keep your dog from eating the cat poop is to, well, KEEP YOUR DOG AWAY FROM THE CAT LITTER! Easier said than done? With the MeowSpace® it’s easier done than said! Your cat can access the litter box within the MeowSpace® because she has a collar device or microchip (no collar needed) that triggers the lock on the door flap to open. Fido is, in the words of the MeowSpace® user below, plum “out of litter luck.”

From Sheila Hagar, blogger, reporter and columnist at the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin in Walla Walla, Washington:

“So you all are aware Cap’n Jack has been outed for his Kitty Roca habit, right? Oh, we took measures, including putting up an annoying baby gate …that we tripped on all the time, then forgot to lock behind us as we limped up the stairs.

We’ve been using Meow Space for a month now and all Cap’n Jack can do is gaze longingly through the clear acrylic wall and dream of the days he had unlimited access to manna. HAHAHAHAHAHA, Cap’n Jack! And we’re no longer afraid to kiss [Cap'n Jack].”
Read the whole humorous story…

And Another Happy MeowSpace® User

“Finding your site was a godsend! I’ve been struggling for years having both a cat and small dogs (mostly dachshund/poodle mixes) because the dogs just love cat poo. They get into the litter and dig away… The MeowSpace is definitely the bargain in this story! It’s working perfectly. The cat is happy, and the dogs, well, they’re just plum out of litter luck.” 

-Ron from Roanoke, VA
[Ron now has two MeowSpaces®—one for the litter box, and another for the cat's food.]

I’ve done a lot of research regarding dogs eating cat poop. The response from the experts seems to be a mixed bag. Some warn of the dangers of dogs getting worms and other bad creepy crawlies from the cat poop, and others say it’s no big deal. Most say it has something to do with the high protein content. But the one thing they all agree upon is the problem of the litter itself getting ingested along with the poo.  Whether clumping, clay, wood chips or sand, cat litter and doggie stomachs don’t match.

The MeowSpace® certainly takes care of the problem and saves time, energy and money in the long run.

Some Topics On This Page: how to stop my dog eating cat poo | why do dogs like to eat cat poop | my dog eats my cats poop | why do dogs eat cat poo

Jupiter, the overweight cat, contemplates a MeowSpace® break-in, to no avail!

Here is a picture of Jupiter, my overweight kitty trying to gain access! Mello, my underweight one is well on her way to gaining more confidence. Right now she needs a nudge to gain entry and is quite adept on how to exit. So far, so good.

Update: My overweight cat goes to the vet on Thurs and I’m going to give them one of your brochures.

Update: We had success this morning…I heard the CH sound and Mello was eating her breakfast!

Additional Update: Casey, we DEFINITELY have success in my household!

Kim J., New York, NY

Mellow eats while Jupiter watches. Finally, Kim has a way to get both cats to their healthy weight without having to police them at all.

Some Topics On This Page: underweight cat | overweight cat | cat confidence | confident cat

I received an email today from a person who originally bought two MeowSpaces®  for their cat named “Cat.” Seems they have several small dogs who love to eat Cat’s food, as well as Cat’s litter. One MeowSpace® holds the litter box, and the other holds his food and water. With that problem solved, another problem took center stage. Apparently the dogs take turns attempting to play and roughhouse with Cat, and all Cat wants to do is hang out with the family without being bothered by the dogs. If everyone’s in the tv room watching a show, Cat wants to be there, too, even though he would be left unbothered by the dogs if he chose to be in another room. No matter where Cat goes in the tv room, the dogs can get to him.

Cat’s family decided to try something creative. They bought another MeowSpace® and stocked it with Cat’s toys, blanket and even some catnip.

“Cat has developed his own routine each night after dinner. When we all move into the tv room, he goes into the Meowspace with the food and eats a bit. He then enters the litter Meowspace. Next thing we know, he’s lying comfortably in his blanket Meowspace, which we conveniently have between our two easy chairs. He loves being able to see what’s going on through the clear plastic, but also realizes he’s safe from the dogs’ attentions. It’s his own little flat of rooms. You might say it’s his own Cat Haven, and he loves it.”

“The best part of it for us is that there is peace in our home after dinner for the first time in two years. I think I’ve never seen a full uninterrupted tv program since we’ve had Cat, though it was never his fault. It’s still so new to us to hear the quietude that it’s the topic of conversation during commercials!”

-Bill T.

Thanks, Bill, for taking the time to share your story.

-Casey

Some Topics On This Page: house for cat | cats house | cat haven | cats haven

CLICK FOR MORE CUSTOMER REVIEWS…

Just received from a recent MeowSpace® customer, Marie S., from San Francisco:

Mews (inside) & Rothco (observer outside). Door is taped up as suggested during the training process.

Hi Casey,

CLICK FOR MORE CUSTOMER REVIEWS…

These are updates and photos from Deborah Cole, Kirkland, Washington.
Started Using: Dec. 22, 2010

Lenny contemplating entry

Lenny pushing door open

Lenny entering

Lenny eating

December 22, 2010
MeowSpace 101 – I introduced Lenny to the new MeowSpace the first few times by putting his food inside, then putting him in through the hatch at the top. I had placed a loop of tape on the door on the outside, so that I could control opening the door for exit. As Lenny would start looking for a way out, I would slightly pull the door open from outside, and tap on it, to bring his attention to the exit. Each time, I would open the door less, so that he would have to push more to get through it. He quickly learned to exit on his own.

Once he learned to exit, we started practicing entry. I place him at the door, sitting behind him, nudging him gently, keeping my hand on the door so that as soon as the magnet triggers the lock open, I push it open and encourage him to go inside. Gradually, I am doing less of the door opening, and his head is doing more.

January 12, 2011 – Since my cat is quite tall and lanky, I added a small rolled towel under the front edge of the box, to put the collar magnet more in range of the door lock. Now, we have progressed to I put him in front of the door, and have to give him just one or two nudges from behind to get him to go inside, instead of several. It is slow progress, because there is not someone here with him all day to work on it . . . but we are getting there!!

January 16, 2011 – Continuing to make progress. When my kitty “asks” for his food, I walk him back to the MeowSpace, put him in front of the door, and he goes in with just the slightest nudge from behind !! I think the first time I hear him go in on his own, you are going to hear the “whoo-hoo” all the way from SEattle !!!

January 17, 2011 – I am thrilled to report that at 9:15 pm last evening, Lenny went into the box all by himself !!!
I can’t believe he finally “got it” !! I was watching TV and heard the door click in the other room ~~ quietly went to check, and there he was, inside, munching away! He was making rapid progress yesterday, but I was concerned that he would not make the leap of knowing he could get in if I wasn’t there coaxing him and tapping on the door to encourage him to go inside.
Now, the next step is that I will leave just a small quantity of food in there during the day while I am at work, such that I will be able to tell if he has gone in and eaten during the day.
If I can tell he is going in during the day, then I will let you know we can pronounce him another successful MeowSpace graduate !! -Proud mom

January 22, 2011 – I am very proud to announce that Lenny is now a full-fledged MeowSpace graduate !!!
He easily goes into and out of the box several times a day to enjoy his snacks. My vet had originally suggested the MeowSpace, and I will now be happy to report the good news to her, as she was waiting to hear how it would work for him. I’m hoping that by the time I get him in there for his annual check-up next month, he will show the much-hoped-for weight gain she would like to see.

February 6, 2011 – I’m very happy to announce that at the vet’s office yesterday (Sat), Lenny had already gained almost a whole pound!! The vet was very happy about that (and me, too!). She is the one who recommended MeowSpace to me, and I told her I would be willing to be a referral for any other of her owners who might want to consider getting a MeowSpace to use.
Just let me know how I can help.

September 28, 2011 – It is with great sadness that I am writing to let you know that Lenny has passed away.  He began hemorrhaging from his mouth / nose suddenly one evening, and the likely cause was a tumor in his nasopharynx.  I held him as he was peacefully released from his suffering . . .

I just want to let you know that the MeowSpace made his last months the BEST he had ever experienced !!  He was able to eat without being bullied away from his dish by my other cat.  He could have small amounts as he needed all day long, which worked better for his inflammatory bowel condition.  He gained weight for the first time in his 10 years with me and seemed so much more content.  I am so happy he had these good months.

Thank you for your MeowSpace product, and for giving my beloved Lenny a much better quality of life.

Sincerely,
Deb Cole

train cat to use cat flap | training a cat to use a cat flap | train my cat | cat enclosure

Kui eating inside his MeowSpace®

cat stealing food | cat safety | cats needs | cat cafe