January 20, 2010

The Enticements of the Litter Box

Our society sends out mixed signals about sand. It's okay, and even encouraged to dig around in plastic turtles and large pits at the playground, but it's not socially acceptable to stick your fingers in ashtrays and cat litter boxes.

I have the hardest time keeping little fingers out of the later.

I only wish I was talking about my almost sixteen-month-old. Sadly, I am talking about my trio of six-year-olds.

I was unloading the dishwasher over the weekend when I was overcome by a hideous odor. I turned around to find one of my sons holding the cat litter scooper, filled, of course, with cat poop.

"We've got to clean this out," he said authoritatively, dumping half of the clumps into the kitchen trash can. Unfortunately, he misjudged the width of the trash can, which resulted in the other half of the turds being dropped onto my bare feet.

"Sometimes I just want to stick my light saber in there," my other son said a day later, eyeing the litter box wistfully.

"Resist the urge," counseled my husband.

This morning, I was cleaning out the litter box and was not at all surprised to find a tennis ball among its contents.

"I thought the cat might want something to keep her busy while she's doing her business," Cortlen explained.

At that moment, I was struck with a realization. How could I have been so blind?

"Would you like to go to bathroom in a litter box?" I asked my son.
His eyes lit up.

"Maybe for your birthday," I replied. "As a one-time special treat."

"Really?" he asked.

"No," I answered and shook my head.
****

For the record, I felt bad for quashing his dream.

34 comments

Brittney said...

LOL that's hilarious!

Shannon K. said...

Only for a child would it be considered a one time special treat to poop in the litter box!

Kim Ginsberg said...

If pooping in the litterbox would speed up the potty training process, I'd be willing to try anything...

Parenting Ink said...

My son likes to pee outside. Every time he does so, he looks at me and says, "That's what Dada does!"

Confessions of a Mother, Lawyer & Crazy Woman said...

HAHA ! So great. Funny funny funny.

Mrs. Ohtobe said...

*snort laff* he is already a man because you know given the opportunity.....!

Southern Belle Mama said...

Oh,now you have to let him! It's only fair!

Emmy said...

Lol! okay that is just too too funny. Oh I can only imagine. Some dreams just have to be squashed.

Christine said...

Ha Ha. Reminds me of the time I was picking up dog poop in the backyard and my then 3 year old tried "helping" by picking them up with her bare hands. Blah.

Yvette said...

I continually find matchbox cars in the litterbox. My almost two year old thinks it makes the perfect car track. Its either that or his 4 year old brother and him cannot resist the urge to swoosh their hands through the box to feel all of the lovely clumps. Anyhow, I feel your pain.

Connie said...

My 18 month old found the litter box- unbeknownst to me - until I saw the "chocolate" on his face! I gagged all day!

RN Mama said...

I just found your blog, and I love it! I say let your son pee in the box, just for a special treat. What can it hurt? This is however, coming from a mom who doesn't have boys;)

arogronjoskomom said...

Our son had to have tubes put in his ears when he was 5 because his hearing had dropped so drastically he couldn't hear me hollerin' his name 2 feet from his head!!! The ENT doc came out of the OR to let us know our precious first born was a-okay but he was carrying a small orange plastic container and laughing. In the container were 2 pieces of cat litter that had been found in our son's ear canal. I CANNOT imagine how they got in there and was horrified and embarrassed by the fact. I still have the container for someday when he's older and brings home a girl....muhahahahahahah!!!

The Four Week Vegan said...

Eeewww...so glad we waited to get cats until the kids were a bit older. I would not have been amused.

Mrs. C. said...

Wish I could get my kids to approach the litter box and give it a good scoop now and then. I'd even let them use their hands.

Right now am trying to get the cat to make the transition from litter box to outside. I swear he has a mega-colon and XXL bladder as he will be outside all day till 10 p.m. then come in and rush to the litter box where he will spend 5 minutes making one huge clump.

Andrea said...

Beware, you've planted the idea in his head now it is only time before he tries it! :)

Michelle said...

Too funny! I agree, he is going to try this when you aren't watching.

Angela said...

Allowing your son to share your pet's litter box is PREPOSTEROUS! Get him his own, jeepers!

In fact, on this birthday, you could wrap it up. ORrrrrr...make your infamous halloween kitty litter cake, and tell him the tray's for keeps!

Erin said...

OMG that's hilarious!!

I'll have to remember that. Maybe it would help my 2 1/2 year old potty train? haha

Unknown said...

This is why we only had outside pets. That and my mom hated cats. She heard they'd smell milk on a baby and smother it.

Working Mommy said...

Muwahahahahaha!!!!! I definitely think that you should avoid letting him use the litter box - though it would make for a funny blog after...he might keep doing it all the time!

~WM

Valerie S said...

Well, Jana, you may have said no but you've planted an idea. It's totally going to happen so don't be surprised. Sorry.

LemonyRenee' said...

HaHa! My son once thought it was fit to EAT! Yum! He was crawling age and crawled over and helped himself while we were packing the car for a short vacation. Ewww!

Being a first-time mom, I panicked and actually called POISON CONTROL!! Then I spent the rest of the day aggravated by the condescending "Be more careful next time," advice by the poison control officer.

~C~ said...

I'm literally laughing so hard tears are falling down my face. We have 3 kids, and 2 cats. My youngest is a girl and we call her....Ally-cat. We had to stop calling her that for a while because...well....she was eating cat food every chance she got and she would dig in the litter box to find "burried tredures" even though we explained that it wasn't treasure she was finding. So then she would put her own treasures into the litterbox for the cats to find. Little glitter pens, and once my husband's wedding ring that he'd taken off while taking a shower. Little booger snatched it off the counter and tossed it in the litterbox. We spent nearly 24 hours searching high and low for it until we saw her toss a little plastic ring she'd gotten in a treat bag from a bday party in there and thought to "pan for gold" in the litter box. ICK. Almost as bad as being called to the principal's office at my son's school because he decided to pee on a tree at recess (in 2nd grade) darn cub scouts.

A Mother's Thoughts said...

Cute story, Not that I have anything that can mildly compare to your story, i just wanted you to know that I enjoy the way you write. it is refreshing to get to a blog and want to read it!! :)

Lynn

Kristen said...

I am a lurker...I have been reading your blog for months, but today...I come out of the shadows to tell you that I almost peed myself while laughing as I read this. I have an almost 3 yr old and #2 on the way, and I see this being a future predicament.

Malea said...

Ah man! I was totally hoping you'd let him. Bummer.

LessToLove said...

I seriously thought 6 years ago that my boyfriend at the time hid my engagement ring in the litter box. (I knew I was getting it and he made me play the hot/cold game until I found it) Thankfully, it was hidden on a window sill that was also serving as a bookshelf. He was rightfully horrified when I even glanced at the litter box. :o) It just seemed like something he'd do... what can I say?

Sunnysideup said...

that is hilarious! I lived in Switzerland for two years and in Europe they are much more open about those things. One time a friend was watching my boys (then 4 and 9) while I went somewhere. apparently my 4 year old needed to go and so he let him "water the lawn" and old lady came up to him just as I met up with them, commenting about how she had never seen a boy pee as far as him and giving my son a compliment!

Unknown said...

HAHAHA...Just today my 2 year old was messing in the litter box...Kids. Follow my blog. www.lechateaudesfleurs.blogspot.com

lifewithquads said...

OMG!! I'm laughing so hard I think I peed my pants a little.

Maybe instead you could make one of those litter box cakes for his birthday and he could eat from it instead?

Anonymous said...

I remember a day many years ago when I had the flu. I was sick as a dog and hardly got off the couch all day. My girls were then almost 3, and almost 5. I left them alone for longer than I usually would. I got up to check on them and found that they had been digging in the cat litter with their teapot and cups and other pretend dishes, and has been using the litter and its contents as pretend food. This was one of the few times that I really lost it with my girls!

Anonymous said...

This is just hilarious. I'm with the rest of these people-you've planted the idea..it's just a matter of time. Keep watching those terds cause one day a few of them are going to be larger than normal. lol. Maybe you could let him pee in the litter box for his birthday. :-) Karen in NC

Anonymous said...

I had to google this because last night I discovered that my 4 year old daughter pooped in the litter box in our bathroom! She's a pretty normal kid but this is the oddest thing she's ever done. I almost peed my pants laughing. Of course she denied it but later admited that she did indeed do it. I never even asked why. Who knows with a 4 year old?