Please help!
 
I love my little guys, Gus and Cap, but the litter box training just isn t
working and I m wearing down fast.
 
The facts:
1. Two boys
2. Two months old
3. I ve had them for a month
4. They were in a used and small cage where a regular corner shaped litte r
box wouldn t fix.  The cage was hard to clean so I used that as an excuse.
5. I bought the big Midwest cage----- that s 24 x 36 x 48 hoping that the
newness would help them decide on one corner.  Instead they just started
going all over the bottom of it.
6. I started putting towels all over the bottom hoping that they would
associate that with their sleeping area (which was above in two separate
hammocks.) They just used the towels as a litter box.
7. I stopped using cat litter and switched to processed paper but still no
luck.
8. I ve taken down the ramps and made the top part of the cage inaccessible.
I place a box in the cage that s taken away most of the space on the bottom
hoping that they would get the idea that the only place to go to the bathroom
would be in their corner box.  I read that shrinking their living space would
work but still no luck.
9. They use the box about 10% of the time. I m beginning to think that s just
an accident when it happens.
10. This has been going on for almost a week now.
11. I clean the cage every time I see that it s dirty (several times a day)
with bleach, Simple Green and an enzyme solution. Now that they ve been all
over the bottom though I don t think I ll ever get all the smell off.
12. I let them go to the bathroom before I get them out for play but they
still find a place to go again on the carpet.
 
I feel awful. They have such a small space now but I've been in hopes that
this will work soon.
 
What am I still not doing???? What am I doing wrong?? I am spending over an
hour a day working on this but haven t gotten anywhere. Any suggestions will
be helpful. I m at my wits end.
 
Thanks a million!!!
Sheen
[Posted in FML issue 2117]