I enjoy the poop posts!

Laurie, it's going to be 10 degrees less today, and another 10 degrees less tomorrow!! I'm so happy about this. I spent last weekend holed up inside my house, grumbling about the weather, the collapse of the economy and my inability to knit some damn toe up socks (my first attempt at socks..boo!!).

Wishing you all a cooler and more relaxing weekend!

Books are one of the best things in life! I have stacks everywhere. Thanks for the info about the cat litter! I am still a relatively new owner of two kitties and need to know this kind of stuff.

I keep my unread books seperate, too! I thought I was the only one who did it.

Cat Attract really is miracle stuff. They sell an additive, too, that you can put in your standard litter, although I've never tried that.

I have a "special" kitty and he ate that cat litter.

Once when one of our kitties developed skin allergies to some unidentifiable "thing" that seemed to be everywhere, a cat-only vet asked me what sort of litter boxes we used. The plain old plastic kind I said, and she told me to throw them out and go to a restaurant supply store posthaste and get stainless steel hot-table pans instead--the sort that are dropped into a frame on a steam table at the cafeteria. One of the standard sizes is just about the same size as a standard litterbox. So I did. The best thing besides helping the kitty was that they can be really cleaned, and they will last forever. Just be sure to get the stainless steel and NOT the aluminum ones. As for litter, the vet recommended Yesterday's News, which is recycled paper pellets, at the same time. The other kitties adjusted to it, so we've stayed with it.

And thanks for the words of wisdom, Laurie. I've had a bad week, and all the doom and gloom hasn't helped. I'm going to try and think happy thoughts the rest of the day.

I LOVE your comment about having your own personal mini library-bookstore from which to choose your next read. I myself have not just a shelf but an entire BOOKSHELF, plus stacks of books precariously perched on top, of books I have not yet read. Do not join an online book club if you value your sanity and your bookshelf space. :)

You're right on--enough with the doom and gloom. I've stopped watching CNN while I eat breakfast and I'm happy to report breakfast tastes better now!! PLUS next week I'm voting absentee and will spend the rest of the month planning my post-Election Day party, be it huge celebration or drowning sorrows.

There are good things in life. Mine are my two beautiful kitties (without pooping problems!), snuggly hubby, good beer, yarn that magically turns into hats and scarves I'm not embarrassed to wear, the job I don't really hate all that much, lovely cool weather, apple cider, books, wine, books, yarn, kitties, wine, hubby, books, beer, yarn, kitties...you get the idea!

I do love the Queen guarding your books. My guys just nibble the corners.

Have I told you how cute your house looks?

Built-ins are a gift from the Goddess, too!

Hee hee - poop!

My husband built me a small bookcase just for my unread books. It's so pretty. It's made of oak and has bun feet.

Also, for cat/litterbox issues (we had a problem), I googled "cat behavioral issues" and came up with quite a few suggestions from the Humane Society website. Very interesting and very helpful.

I second the Yesterday's News litter recommendation. I love not having all that gritty stuff all over the floor. I'm currently buying both Yesterday's News and Feline Pine then mixing them. I like the little bit of added pine scent.

I'm totally with you on the "doom and gloom" stuff. I tried posting a funny political clip on my blog and even labeled it "humor" but found that some people are simply unable to get past the "seriousness" of the election long enough to laugh.

I love Kate Atkinson.

Ha ha, that's the shot that Frankie horned in on yesterday. Soba is so seriously kyoot. Thanks for the new author to go check out, and hulu rocks -- watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog.

So happy you ever so occasionally answer emails! Now, hie thee a bit north (what, less than 70 miles?) for a day and say HI in Goleta! Tourists are gone, ocean is warmer, and yours truly for a hostess, cum cats (Miss Flora Underfoot and Mr. Cicero Golding)... hey, what's not to like? The beach is perfect this time of year and there's a restaurant right there. :)
IN the Sock-Shaped State and not far from you,

==Marjorie

Laurie, what kind of pan liners do you use? My 3 will only go in Tidy Cat litter, but it clumps nasty to the plastic catbox itself. If i use pan liners, the girls shred them (they have killer claws) ugh.

Laurie- I was SO excited to read that you enjoy Kate Atkinson's books, because she is my all-time favorite author. Her new book, "When Will There be Good News" (which features Jackson Brodie), is amazing, but I still think her first novel, "Behind the Scenes at the Museum," is her best. I totally recommend it!

I loved the "Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." It's the first I've read from Kate Atkinson; I'm glad to hear there are more I might like!

Commenting again just to air my views on the cooler weather and world situation: Soon there will be fires in the fireplace and blankets over my toes and hot chocolate and eggnog and Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then it will start getting warmer again. The world goes on and I’m glad about it. Now if we can just get all the politicians and world leaders to stop acting like buttheads, then the world would be a better place. We can always hope.

I'm a biologist and trust me when I say: there's plenty of poop in science! :)

Books are the third-best thing in life! They're beaten out only by poop and yarn. Without poop (aka organic dirt) we would not have zucchini, or pumpkins, or life itself. Without yarn we wouldn't have hats, or socks, or sweaters. We might have life itself, but it would be awfully cold.

Speaking of yarn, Laurie, you said,

I'm sure more folks will have suggestions for you, too.

And you are so right! (You knew I would jump right on this, didn't you?) Even as we blog I am making a lovely two-color brioche-stitch scarf, and you can read much more about the technique than you ever wanted to know at briochestitch.com. When you do two-color brioche stitch you work with only one color at a time yet magically end up with knit ridges in color A on a background of color B, and the other side is the reverse, ridges B, background A. It also goes really fast because there are a lot of slip stitches. And, unlike the other kind of brioche, it is not at all fattening.

Brioche stitch looks really lovely -- I saw a pattern in an old issue of Interweave that had a fabulous brioche fisherman's hat and scarf. Lovely!

One of these days I'm going to win the Powerball, and then buy me a big house with all kindsa built-in stuff.

I *love* watching TV for free online, and Hulu's my first choice too. Turns out there are other good options -- who'd have guessed? -- and Lifehacker posted a list of some good ones recently:
http://lifehacker.com/5055337/five-best-sites-to-stream-tv

That article also mentions ways to get around geographical restrictions on some of the services, if you are not in a country they desire to serve.

We are adopting two cats tomorrow (I am so excited, I may not sleep tonight!), they are both three years old and grey, but definitely not related. We bought a litter tray for the time being, but I will be attempting to teach them to use... The Human's Toilet.

To do this I have purchased a training kit, and I will no doubt be blogging about the whole process almost exclusively for the next six months. I wondered if you had heard anything good/bad/indifferent about toilet training cats?

Honestly Jen if I leave the lid up for ten seconds Bob falls in so ... you know. But I am excited to hear about your adventures! Congratulations on your two new kitties!!!

Jen--mine would DRINK from the potty if I ever left the lid up. Even if we forgot to flush. They also prefer muddy puddles to the bowls of clean water I leave out, and used Q-tips fished out of the trash to hand-knitted cat toys.

I have heard of quite a few human-toilet-trained cats. Since you're getting adult cats, the process may not be as easy as if you had kittens (they are moldable!), but I'd say give it a shot. Good luck!

I was going to say do use the library as in the UK we have the Public Lending Right which pays authors for books lent. But there doesn't seem to be a similar scheme in the US.

I also have shelves of books waiting to be read. Every so often I have to stop buying books and reduce the book mountain a bit.

*squints at picture of bookshelf* You've got Boggle! It's such a fun game :)

I also have a particular space where I put the books I haven't read. I cannot live without books, and I always have to have one going.

Okay, so how much do I love that you have all those board games especially Operation? I always wanted that as a kid.

Isaac Mizrahi...reason enough to go into Target. I love that man, and pretty much everything on a hanger with his name on it...

Nothing drives away the gloom and doom like a good post on cats, books, and yarn. Thanks. I had fun knitting your pumpkin hat last year - about time to hunt that out.

Chez poopsalot?|!|? I used to have a cockatiel named "Sir Charles Crapsalot"! Thanks for the cheering up.

I love Kate Atkinson! My favorite is her first book, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, followed by her latest two, Case Histories and One Good Turn. I was just this morning wondering if she has a new book coming soon, and amazon tells me her latest was just released last week!

Another way to deodorize a litterbox, especially in a sunny, dry climate, like LA or Vegas, is to have one extra box, rotate them, and take the one not in use outside, spray it down well with the hose, and leave it in the sun for a couple of days. Did this in both LA and Vegas, leaning it against the patio wall where the sun beat down on it. If you have someone who puts all 4 feet in the box and then eliminates with tuchus over the side (!) a cheap shower curtain liner spread over the endangered area is a good containment device, and can be changed out when yucky. (They're $2.49 at Target, I think.) Ah,the joys of the kitty Mom.
PS: Mine seem to like Fresh Step scoop right now.

LMAO--sunshine and unicorns! Thanks for the laughs!

RE: Kitties and the loo.

My sister has taught both of her cats to use the facilities. She is very happy with the results, and says the only drawback is strolling in to use it yourself . . . and realizing that it is already in use!

About the cat poop. I got a new to me 4 yr old cat last year. I thought she just didn't like going in the cat boxes (4 of them) after the other cats had gone (3 other cats) because she would poop on the floor in front of the boxes. Well I tried some fancy dancy cat litters and she wouldn't go near them - actually no one would. So one day, in a moment of inspiration (ha - I was at Walmart looking over the litter situation) I decided to try the Walmart Special Kitty brand litter (green box). It came in a big box, so was somewhat cheaper. It was unscented and I thought the scent of my regular stuff (Scoop Away) might be bothering her. And it is clumpable! Changed 2 of the boxes and started to notice less poopage in front of the boxes, so eventually changed them all over when I had determined the other cats were ok with it. Since then I have had poopage in front of the boxes much less - maybe once a month - where before I had it every couple of days at least. I've also noticed that the Walmart brand is a lot less dusty than the Scoop Away and we don't have that Scoop Away stink on everything any more. I do not notice any offensive cat box odor in the house either. I hate to admit it but Walmart seems to have saved the day.

Sobakowa looks like my Maggie - the pooper. Magie had an attitude when I first got her last year, but she has turned almost into a real sweetie with the other cats lately.

OK....I see your future. Someone must hire you to write the "Dear Laurie" advice column. You sound so authoritative on books, cat poop, knitting, cooking, etc. This is a winning formula!

I use first names to file in my address book, too! Must be a June 22nd thing (we're born on the same day). It makes it so much easier when people change last names. Plus, it's easier for somebody ELSE to find a name in your address book, seeing as most people know each other on a first name basis (and not necessarily by first and last name). But here's the true test... do you file your grandma's address (for example) under "G" for Grandma or under whatever letter her first name starts with? My grandparents are under 'G', my dad under 'D', but my mom under 'V' for Valerie (lost track of my own filing system). Whoops! :)

PS: I also arrange my CDs in this manner. Alphabetized by band name or artist first name. So Dave Gahan's solo albums end up being right next to Depeche Mode (where they belong, methinks), rather than all the way beside Gogol Bordello. :)

Wow ... your house is so organized! I'd love to see some photos of your outdoors area. I look out your windows when you post photos. lol It looks so nice out there on the patio.

I feel fortunate that my cats, Miss Cleo and Mister, like the domed litter box. (I use Fresh Step and think it's great! I hope it's not dangerous for them.) My cats are not as large (long) as yours, though. Cleo has some extra weight; Mister is very thin. Of course! The female can't control her weight and the male has no problem!

I sound crazy ... sorry. lol
Lesley Ann

Can I come over and play Operation? Maybe a few games of Boggle, too?

Your book has gotten me (almost) through a horrible, sad, life altering divorce. I'm currently knitting your roll brim hat, drinking Fish Eye Chardonnay. Love that stuff. Love cats, too. Keep blogging. It makes me laugh when I don't have a whole lot to laugh about. :0)

"Queen Sobakowa will not use the box properly unless it smells like sunshine and unicorns."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

Love it....thanks for the laugh :)

As someone with 3.5 cats and lots of books - and as an avoider of gloomy news I can't do anything about - I loved this post.

In The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life, Steve Leveen (of levenger.com) recommends having all your unread books together. I don't do that (at least yet), but I can see the appeal.

A slight correction, World's Best litter is made of corn, not wheat, so cats with wheat problems might be able to use it. I have had good luck with it, but as you say, it takes some experimentation to find the right one for your cat(s).

Thanks for the cat box cover tip. I am going away for the weekend and will take the lid off and hope that more poop lands in the box than outside it.

Also, when I saw the photo of both your cats, I realized you have two "eclipse" cats! Cool!

http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/09/29/funny-pictures-eclipse-kitteh-50-complete/

Ok, Debbie Cowherd already noted this - but yes, World's Best is corn, not wheat. And while it won't work for everyone, I do ADORE it (and I work in rescue for 7 years now, so I know my litter). It cleans up really wonderfully (no need for pan liners, the litter scoops but comes SO easily out of the pan if the clumps hit bottom or side). However, I do think the name should officially be changed to "Worlds Best BUT MOST EXPENSIVE Cat Litter". And while I do like SwheatScoop as a cheaper alternative, the SwheatScoop is SO STICKY that it actually gives me calluses trying to clean the boxes out.
ALSO - Thanks Julie for the shower curtain idea! I was using big under-bed storage bins to catch any "tush-over-side" pee, but the shower curtains are much cheaper and maneuverable than giant bins.
Yesterday's News is also great and might be very good for cats with asthma - no dust to deal with at all. Some cats don't like the pellet feel under their feet, but so far I have never had a problem with it. I just prefer the clumping.
Sorry for all the cat-poop talk, especially since I am nowhere near as entertaining as Laurie is about it! But I DO know my poop (when it comes to cats, at least.....).

1) I LOVE that you have board games, Monopoly, Sorry!... they all rock!

2) My cat TELLS me after he's used the box! He comes to me with a special meow and asks me to clean it RIGHTNOW or else he'll get all big and green and wear purple shorts and poop in my bathtub (which is unfortunately not a removable item.)

Cat Atract. It's a godsend.

First - re: gloomy-doomy. I have adopted a Traffic Jam Philosophy. Goes like this: if you're caught in an unmoving long traffic jam you can do one of two things. You can swear, pound on the steering wheel, shriek, scream, cry....OR you can take out a book or some knitting or sing along really loud with the radio. (Not easy if you're listening to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" but nevermind). Thing is, whichEVER you do is not going to have ANY effect on the traffic, which will move when good and ready and not before. So I prefer happily entertaining myself to getting all overwrought and foul. (Actually if you could hear me sing, it might be taken for shrieking and screaming, but I'm not.) Second: books are decor! I'm hopelessly addicted to books, and the DH says "But you already OWN all the books there are, and keep them tidily in Your Friendly Local Library!" He tends toward the thrifty. HowEVER! They get testy if you jot little pencil notes in library books, also like as not I take one out, read it - and then buy it anyway (see above about pencils). My home is decorated in Early Salvation Army-Middle Student Housing with accents of Book and Paper Piles. VERY attractive. And lastly - dealing with poo seems a small enough price to pay for the privilege of being allowed to wait hand and paw on a Feline Companion.

I have my unread books scattered on several bookcases, So that I can come across them unexpectedly and then get excited, its a bit like getting a present and forgetting to open it straight away!! No I wish I had a reason for it but the truth is I'm a lazy untidy old bag so they are probably where my long-suffering husband has put them after I have left them on the table/kitchen counter/ floor!!!!

I too have just got into Kate Atkinson and I'm half way through One Good Turn, its set in Edinburgh, during the Fringe Festival and I was there this summer so I kinda feel I have a link!!

I got very excited by hula.com and then when I clicked found I couldn't use it cos I'm in UK. I have got websites that I watch telly shows on but free films sounded fab!!

Love the blog keep writing and entertaining us all.

dunno if others have already commented on this one (my brains are sorta mushy at the mo) - but i used the (1 potty per kitty + 1) formula... as in: 3 kitties = 4 litter boxes. there are more potties to deal with, but they don't become "objectionable" as quickly.

i use hulu all the time. didja see that they have the entire series of "arrested development"?

also - i love the mini-tours you give us of your casa! they make for such cozy, welcoming posts. ^_^

my books take up a lot of space too... i just added "the shock doctrine" to my collection. the book itself is frankly, well shocking. but my goodness, does it explain a lot.

What a great advice column today's post was.
I do not have cats but we always had cats when I was a kid. We NEVER had litter trays, the cats did their business outside. Do cats not do this anymore? Are they all too posh to dig a hole in the dirt and poop in it? Just wondering?
Love the blog BTW.

Love the blog! So many inviting subjects to comment on, but I'll stick to cat poop... My two well-travelled cats and I relocated from Colorado back to Australia last year. This is the 5th home for the master cat Morrison and the third for his devoted slave, Ming. They used to poop outdoors until Morrison the great hunter became the hunted two homes ago. After some very scary moments and an astronomical vet bill for snakebite treatment, I took my cat-hating mother's advice and installed my first "cat park". Several years later a cat door in my bedroom window now opens on to a tunnel that leads to a series of walkways, steps and cages over the top of the deck and into the garden, with the toilet cage furthest from the house. The latest version is a permanent fixture, but a smaller version has worked on two rented houses, including the Colorado place. The cats have an outdoor litter tray and a safe place to bask in the sun while I'm at work (or the option of staying inside hiding in the closet). I have a litter-free house and peace of mind, with no worries about the bird life or the highway a block away. The only time I resort to an indoor tray now is when the weather is so severe that I take pity on the poor shivering creatures - my poor Australian cats haven't yet forgiven me for American snow. Unfortunately I don't know of anyone in the US selling pre-fabricated cat parks, and I can attest from recent experience that it's a pretty big do-it-yourself project. It's also expensive, but I think of it in terms of the vet bills I've saved and it doesn't seem so bad.

I can't help but ask if you bedazzled your little CD player. Or did it come all gemstoney?

To the person who asked about litter liners: Don't waste your money. Use plain old regular trash bags. I insert the litter box into the bag, fold under the excess and fill with litter (I use Tidy Cat regular, not the clumping kind) and put the dome on top. Our cats used the dome kind from kittenhood and they don't seem to mind it. When ready to change it, I take off the dome and turn the bag inside out with the litter inside. I put this into another trash bag because there are claw holes more often than not and this will happen no matter what you use unless your cats are declawed. I dump in whatever other trash cans need emptying and that's it. I wipe down the box with Next to Godliness spray from Trader Joe's - our cats don't mind the scent - and change the litter.

We cat owners/co-residents with cats spend so much time worrying about cat litter and the "box." I am as guilty as the next but it is over whelming at times. I also wanted to let you know that I appreciate your wisdom re: litter. cd

SUNSHINE and UNICORNS !!!!!!!!?????
bwaaaaaahaaaaaahaaaaa SRSLY thanks for the tutorial....very informative..

Hi Laurie -

I also alphabetize my address book by first name. I also write little notes on the cards in the (ridiculous) event that something horrific and unmentionable happens to me, the police will know who mom and dad are and not call a long-lost Christmas-card-only friend from college.

Oh - and about a knitting bag. I always have many projects going and I wanted to line my bags up on a shelf in my closet, but still see in them without pulling them all down to see which project was in which bag.

To that end, I found some clear PVC/vinyl bags at Hobby Lobby (the brand is Me and My Bag I think - find them at CraftsEtc.com) that are smallish and perfect for hats, scarfs, and socks. They also tuck into my regular schlep bag and are protected from sippy-cup and cheerio spills. I think I got a set of three bags for $3 or something.

For larger projects like sweaters, afgans and felted purses, I found some clear PVC/vinyl bags on amazon that have a zip top. They are perfect! I searched for a loooong time because I was not willing to spend $100 on some trendy clear bag (yes, clear vinyl is ïn" - who knew?). The ones I found were $15-ish from Bag Republic, and they are truly perfect.

I just love seeing all my projects lined up so neatly (a little OCD about organizing over here), and I can just grab one and go.

For one of my Christmas knit projects, I made my mom a felted bag for her knitting stuff. It turned out so great, I am going to make one for myself.

After your earlier post with the color-sorted book arrangement, I tried that here- it looks so nice! I always kept the books arranged by topic, but the color sorting looks so much more styley! Thanks for the inspiration :).

re: cat litter- after reading about the horrors of the scoopable type, I tried a few alternatives and learned something interesting that I'd never read about on the innernets- the grain-based litters attract pests the way grains can in your kitchen!! (and were also soundly rejected by my picky boy cat.) I started seeing tiny little bugs on a bookshelf (NEAR MY BOOKS!!) that looked like an infestation we found in our kitchen not long after moving in to our house. I'd found out before that they were some kind of grain loving buggy, and just couldn't figure out what they were doing so far from the kitchen. Finally one day I was cleaning around the bags of rejected grain litter and found the source- those little grain-lovers don't care if the package does not say 'food' on it!! It just never occured to me that there could be bugs in cat litter...YUCK! So out that went, and, since it brought unwelcome guests, it will not be invited back!

You are such a good cat-momma, most humans would do well to learn from you. well done cat momma. yay for poop. xxxx

Wrt litter liners: We used liners for a while (no longer do; just figure one less thing to need) and found that the cats clawed less at the clear plastic liners. We tried trash bags (black or white); also white or grey (as in not-quite-clear plastic) liners; they shredded them to pieces, getting litter etc. on the box anyway). The clear ones seem to get only incidentally damaged. So if your cats destroy your liners, try a different liner...they may find a different liner acceptable to their impeccable tastes.

You said ass over teakettle! I've ONLY ever heard it from my dad and I sort of thought that he made it up, but now I'm thinking that maybe it's a southern thing! I am a little bit overwhelmed by the thought of my dad just making up crazy things to say to me not being true. Shakes my reality around a bit. Wow!

One way I have eliminated pooping outside the litter box is providing a larger box. At Home Depot, Menards, or Lowes they have black plastic trays, tubs, or whatever in the same department as cement and morter. They are used to mix batches of concrete, potting soil, etc. Mine is 26"x20"x8". They usually cost under $10. I paid $5 for ours, we have several for spares. We no longer have anyone pooping over the side. The downside is it does take more litter to fill the pan, but I use scoopable. I don't believe we are using any more litter than we did with the old litter boxes.

Your site has won a Blog of the Day Award (BOTDA)

http://blogofthedayawards.blogspot.com/

Award Code
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Your award will go live on Sunday October 12, 2008

Thank you,

Re two-color scarf: the very very easiest two color scarf is to knit half in one color, and then switch colors and knit the other half. When you wear it, the colors will be together. You can also knit a sideways scarf, where you cast on enough stitches for the length of the scarf instead of the width, and do the same thing. Then you get stripes the length of the scarf, but this only works if you don't hate casting on and you don't suck at casting off. I tried it once and despite my best efforts and using a needle two sizes larger, the cast off edge was still too tight.

Re cat litter: second the rec for a bigger box. I also fill mine fairly deep, because it cuts down on stuff stuck to the bottom. With clumping litter it lasts long enough that this isn't a total waste.

I use regular Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat (not the Cat Attract) because my cats are good box users as long as it's clean enough. I hate dust and all three of us hate scented litter. Few litters meet both requirements. I used to use Ever Fresh but it got bought by Ever Clean (or maybe those are the other way around... I used the one that had charcoal bits in it) and after that it started to smell a little like detergent, even though it still said unscented on the label. I used it anyway, but now that I'm working in the next city over, where the Petsmart is, it's easy to get Precious Cat, which is better.

None of the wheat or corn ones have ever worked out for us, and the cats don't like any of the ones that have bigger pellet size. So we're stuck with trying to find the least dusty clay litter that also doesn't have nasty scent.

N.B. "99% dust free" isn't all that dust free. If a 14 pound box of litter (which just fills my big box) is 1% dust, that's over an ounce and a half of dust. The ones I like usually are labeled "99.9% dust free."