Sorry I haven't popped by in awhile.......
Many studies have been done to see what cats prefer in regards to the litterbox - covered vs uncovered, scoopable litter vs plain clay, liners vs no liners etc. You are always much better off doing things preventatively rather than waiting for a problem to come up and then trying to fix it. Of course, if your cat is doing something out of the ordinary in regards to their litterbox habits such as:
-pooping or peeing outside of the box
-more frequent trips than usual
-crying/straining when in the litterbox
-licking frequently under the tail
They should always have a medical checkup and urinialysis ASAP, ESPECIALLY if it is a male cat. With pain or discomfort, we think the cat's thinking is, "It hurts when I go in the litterbox, maybe it won't hurt if I go somewhere else".
If there is no medical problem found, we usually look next at what might be making them unhappy with the litterbox. All these suggestions are best implemented *before* you have any problems. Many people wonder, "well, I've only ever had 1 box for 5 cats and not had any problems" or "but I've always only cleaned the litterbox once a week and they never complained before!" Many cats will get fussier as they get older, and will just hit a breaking point where they can't take it anymore and look to go elsewhere. Keep in mind to that with every cat you have, your chance for litterbox problems goes up 10%. So if you have 5 cats, your chance of having a problem is 50% and you need to be especially diligent about keeping the set-up as appealing as possible.
Consider these changes if you are not already doing them:
#1: SCOOP/DUMP THE LITTERBOX DAILY!!!! (at the very least) This, more than any other thing, seems to make the most difference when there is not a medical problem and the owner is not cleaning the box daily. We get creeped out using a toilet that has been 'used' and not flushed. We get annoyed having to use a public restroom that has TP and papertowels on the floor, much less having to walk through urine and feces to get to the toilets! Cats have a very sensitive sense of smell, and if you can smell odor when you go to clean the litterbox, it is much stronger to the cat.
2. Have 1 box per cat, plus 1 extra 'buffer' box. Ideally there should be at least 1 box per floor.
3. Most cats prefer the texture of clumping/scoopable litter. The majority of clumping litters have deodorizers or scents added - these are added for us, NOT the cats. Here again smell sensitivity can be a problem - you might like the scent but the cat may not, or it may be overpowering for them. Look specifically for litter that is unscented or fragrance-free. Plain clay litter is ok too but should be dumped daily. Scoopable litter should be scooped daily and completely changed once weekly. When you find something the cat likes, try to stick with it. You are more likely to have problems if you bring home something different every few weeks (ie just buying whatever is on sale). Most cats prefer a litter depth of about 1.5 inches.
4. Boxes should be at least 1.5 times the length the the cat's body. Many commercial litter boxes are too small for larger cats. Sweater storage boxes, cement mixing tubs, and small dog litter pans (for dogs up to 35 pounds) all make excellent cat litter boxes. They should be in a quiet location (ie not right next to the noisy dryer or washing machine). They should NOT have their food or water dishes close by.
5. We see more problems with cats that have hoods on their litterboxes. Cats do want privacy to some degree, but when there is a hood on the box, they can't see what is happening in the room. If a child or another animal disturbs them when they are in it, there is only one way out (that may be blocked) and it may cause them to be nervous about using the box in the future. WHen the cover is off, they can see what is going on and have an easier time getting away if another creature comes to bother them.
A second problem with hoods is the 'outhouse' effect. Out of sight, out of mind - it is easier to forget about cleaning the box, and it can concentrate odors in that small area making it more stinky, even when they have filters on the top.
6. Avoid liners - they tend to absorb and hold odors even when being scooped daily. This is the other end of the spectrum with the problem of scent where *you* may not be able to smell anything but the cat can.
7. Boxes should be washed weekly with dilute, mild dish soap (e.g., Ivory Liquid); no bleach, ammonia, fragrances. Boxes should be completely replaced yearly as the plastic can absorb and hold odors over time.
8. Avoid using scents around the litterbox for 'odor-control' - like Glade Plug-ins or litterbox deodorizer additives. If you are keeping the box clean, odor won't be an issue. You risk picking a scent that the cat dislikes.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
More than you ever wanted to know about kitty bathrooms, huh? Hope it saves some messes for you down the line - you don't *have* to do these things, but is it easier to scoop stuff from the box or scrub it out of the carpet?
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For fleas, the best topicals are Revolution, Advantage, and Frontline. Flea collars just keep fleas away from their neck, and the over-the-counter products are not very effective and we have seen some nasty chemical burns at the site of application. For the topicals that come in little tubes, they should be applied at the base of the neck, high up enough that they can't turn around to lick it. They are not toxic, but they sure taste yucky - hence the drooling by Saki in the past.
The little tubes are the easiest, but it can get pretty costly if you have a lot of pets. I think the best value for it's effectiveness and still only having to apply once a month is the Frontline spray. There are probably several places you can buy it online, this is a link at petmeds:
http://www.1800petmeds.com/pgroup.asp?LV=201&PG=Frontline Spray
You do have to wear gloves and there is more of a chemical smell since you are using it in a spray form, but it works very well and will kill any existing fleas very quickly and prevent them from coming back for 1 month. Can be used on dogs and cats.
kitty composer - he's sooooooo 
thanks beth!
lol.
(No cats are injured, they are spared)
