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Will We Ever Be Ready?


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We read Adopting the Racing Greyhound and Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies before we even went to Meet & Greets, looked online for information, found Greytalk about two months ago (what a great way to avoid work!), and have been purchasing supplies, and generally getting ready. But I feel like we're never going to really be ready.

 

We are about to bring Monty home (Thursday!) and I am excited, but also nearly in a panic. He is a year and a half (I always said I'd never go puppy, and that's cutting it close), apparently doesn't like baby gates and isn't fond of his kennel, and I'm nearly beside myself with "new-parent paranoia." He seems to be showing a little separation anxiety according to the foster, so we'll be trying to work the alone-training with him this weekend. I know we can't be ready for everything, but I'd sure like to be!

 

The thing that is concerning me the most is the litterboxes. We have two cats, and I use World's Best Cat Litter (corn based - our keeshond Marlie thought it was the best kitty-litter-buffet EVER because the litter was at least as tasty as the poops). There are litterboxes on main floor, baby-gated into the rarely-used front entryway, and one litterbox in the basement with a door for us and a small passageway for the cats. And making that passageway small enough for the slimming-down keeshond to be blocked took about 4 different attempts on my husband's part. (The dog's kibble toy rolled under the stairs one day and she followed it and ignored her toy and eat direct from the box. Ugh - she pooped litter for days - many times a day. And she kept being able to get under there! We had to use an elizabethan collar on her when we were at work for a couple of days as we tried to re-engineer the design.) I don't want the greyhound to have litterbox snacks if he won't be babygated. Would babygating him out of a small area be as resented as babygating him in a small area?

 

Does anyone else have additional suggestions on preventing access to the litterbox buffet? Covered litterboxes are out - my boy cat is long and I am using the largest litterboxes I can find (Jumbo) and still sometimes he misses. Marlie was a short dog, about knee high, and couldn't get over a babygate if her life depended on it, though she did stand in the sunroom and look longingly at the litterboxes sometimes.... She would have been in there in an instant if she could have jumped that gate!

 

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

 

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Guest Redpack

I know you said covered ones are out, but I bought (for this very reason) domed ones. They have a little stairway that turns and the greys can't get to the....ummm tootsie rolls. They like this one so much they stopped using the other box that used to be their primary one. They don't like the dogs going in there any more than we do!

 

As to babygates... I don't think they resent them at all...unless one is one side and the other is on the other.

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Guest Scouts_mom

Babygating the litter box to keep the dog out is definitely different from gating him into a room. Hopefully it will work, as long as the cats can still get to the litter box.

 

My litter box is made dog-inaccessable by a workbench, the dryer and and old chair. The arrangement keeps my greys out, but my sister's collie figured out how to push the chair aside to get to the goodies. Collies are better problem solvers than greys!

 

My Dad made his inaccessable with a big wooden box (about a cubic yard in size). My sister keeps her litterbox in the upstairs where the dog never goes (scarey steep stairs). You do what you have to do. If the dog gets afew "kitty kookies" while you're working out a scheme, it won't hurt him. Although I'm not sure about your fancy litter.

 

But relax and enjoy Monty!

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Welcome to the world of greyhounds! It sounds like you already have the kitty litter lesson down! :lol

 

We use babygates all over our house, people who visit think we are crazy, but we literally have 3 babygates within sight the minute you walk in the door. The cats have their own room where no hounds are allowed, this has their food and their beds/toys/etc and we have the litterboxes in the closet under our stairs, the door has a "cat door" in it so only the kitties can get in, no hounds allowed!

 

Other than that, it sounds like you are doing your research, welcome to GT and I know you will love your hound and become just as addicted as we all are! :)

 

:confetti

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Guest jsk4x

Your greyhound may surprise you by not being interested in the kitty buffet. Out of the three dogs that I've had, only one was interested. My greyhound is not. I want to second the idea of a domed litter box. We have the Booda (sp?) dome. I really like it.

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Guest weycoolgrey

First of all.....congrats on your new baby!!!! :yay How exciting!! Can't wait to see pictures of Monty!

Secondly- you're right that you can't be prepared for everything, but you sound like you've done your research so I'm sure you will be fine! Besides- there are MANY people on this board who have adopted greyhounds who are not cat safe or doesn't respond well to this or that, but once they come to their new home they prove everyone wrong!

 

Enjoy your new addition!

 

Jen

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Guest George

Fruity, Take a deep breath and relax. Everything will work out just wonderfully. You will each learn to get to know each other and work out all of the arrangements together. We installed a cat door in our utility room where the cat litter was and the cat just scooted through it. You might want to give that a shot. good luck.

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Guest Moebaaviva

Congratulations on your family member! :confetti We have covered litter boxes in our house, but that didn't stop our girl from sticking her head through one of the litter box doors a few months ago. <_< She's now denied access by a series of roadblocks. The room in which we keep the litter boxes is now the designated "cat room", baby-gated off from the rest of the house. Should the baby gate be removed for whatever reason (DH has a habit of taking it down when he needs to enter that room instead of just stepping over it), the boxes are inside a curtain-covered closet and facing one another with approximately 12 inches of space between the two. Cats are bendy, they have no problem squeezing in at that angle, but it does slow down a greyhound. :) Good luck, and try not to worry too much!

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Guest KaylyRed

Congratulations on your new addition, and welcome to Greytalk! :baloons

 

Score another one for baby gates. We have our litter box in our mudroom, and access to that is blocked by a baby gate. I know for certain that Quin would gleefully dine at the kitty poop buffet otherwise. (Not so sure about Ella.) The dogs don't resent the gate; they understand that the part of the house we've blocked off isn't for them. And they don't try to challenge the gate, either. We have a walk-through gate (available at Wal*Mart for about $35) which makes things a lot more convenient for us humans. :)

 

Try not to be too anxious--anxiety is contagious, and dogs catch it easily. Things will work themselves out. It may take some time and patience, but it's so worth it. :gh_child

 

EDIT: This is the gate we have, in case you're interested: Evenflo SimpleStep

Edited by KaylyRed
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Guest shanesmom

Congratulations! My grey has never shown interest in the litter box. It is in the bathroom and the door is always open. Even when home alone, he has not bothered it at all. My bridge angel Shane never had any interest in the litter box either. You may find that Monty will just leave it alone.

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Guest yankeedownsouth

Good luck with your new grey!

 

I keep my cat box in the laundry room and I installed a hook and eye to the top of the door. The hook is long enough to hold the door open enough for the cat to get in, but it's small enough to keep my kids and small dogs out.

 

I don't have a grey yet, but this has worked for us.

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