There is a silent epidemic in the cat-owning households of America. It’s the tabby down the block, the siamese next door, and yes, maybe your very own domestic shorthair. America, in this new era of change, it’s time we faced our cats’ addiction – that’s right, I’m talking about litter use. One brave man has created new literature to help us beat this all too common problem – reluctant cat-whisperer Perre Di Carlo is the author of the new book Kick Litter: Nine-Step Program for Recovering Litter Addicts. The book seeks to help cats get clean and stay clean; pioneer Di Carlo spoke with Animal Fair recently about this groundbreaking new work. Here is what he had to say.
AF: So if I understand your book correctly, litter abuse is actually an epidemic among house cats in America?
PERRE: It’s a dark secret…millions have silently felt the sting of shame seeing that obsessive turning and digging, turning and digging while another kitty-life spins out of control… We don’t talk about it because…well, because we just feel hopeless. We don’t think we can do anything about it. So we put up with litter. The clean-up and odor, the needless expense, the constant replenishing, the yuck-factor, and those tell-tale scatterings of litter across the floors that we only just cleaned twenty minutes ago.
But the first step is just to acknowledge what’s happening. The signs of litter addiction are everywhere if you ask the right questions. Does your cat ‘hit’ the litter box first thing in the morning? Does your cat sleep through the day? Experience a loss of motivation? No interest in work? Does your cat seem dissatisfied with life? Disappear without explanation on all-night benders?
It doesn’t have to be this way! Kick Litter lays out a clear nine-step guide for the furry little litter addicts in your life, and puts them on a path to recovery.
AF: What made you decide to break your cats’ litter habits, and how did you develop your nine-step program?
PERRE: I first read about [cat toilet training] in a one-page instruction sheet written by Charles Mingus – the great jazz bassist and composer – who trained his cat Nightlife to use the toilet in the 1960s…
It was time for an intervention! Initially, [my cats] Moxie and Cooper didn’t understand what was happening – their litter box just went missing! When Cooper found it, it was up on a cinder block next to to the toilet. Once they got used to jumping up, it moved again, on to the toilet… then inside the seat, then with a hole in the middle of the litter box… until they were staring at their reflections in the water below. Soon cats and humans were peacefully sharing the only toilet in the apartment. We had won back our pride and our freedom.
AF: Did you have failed attempts before figuring out this system of kicking the litter habit?
PERRE: Yes, the parents arrived for a weekend stay a few days into the training. Cats being change-averse, they let us know that wasn’t a good time to kick litter just yet.
AF: Have your cats ever relapsed? I understand that with addiction, one is always in recovery?
PERRE: Yes of course, my cats are cats after all. When you change something significant in the home – new roommate, construction, if your cat gets sick or if you abruptly change their food they’ll “act out” on the floor somewhere near the toilet… A sharp no at the time, then extra affection and treats puts them right back on the bowl.
AF: What’s your take on the big litter companies in America – do you think they’re trying to hook kittens, to create a new generation of users for their products?
PERRE: Big Litter is just filling demand. Even if we made litter illegal, the Canadian litter cartel would run it across the borders, so there’s no stopping litter making its way into our cities, corrupting the kitty youth. I know it’s a cliche, but I’ll say it anyway because it’s true: change starts at home. You’ve got to look in the mirror and ask yourself if it’s time to help your cats off litter and onto the bowl.
AF: Are there any awareness groups for litter addiction, or do you intend to start one (MAL Mothers Against Litter, PFLU, Parents and Friends of Litter Users)?
PERRE: I expect those groups to form organically. Right now, there’s no better support for your furry little litter users than you. Make a commitment to being your little critter’s ‘recovery sponsor.’
Hopefully, Mr. DiCarlo’s work will inspire the nation to finally address this widespread addiction, and perhaps lead to newfound awareness. Until then, the power is in your hands, cat owners, take a good hard look at the litter users in your house, and decide if the time for a change is now. Good luck!
By Max Goodman
Photo Credits: Perre Di Carlo