One of my 3 cats was the runt of the litter. His brother has groomed him more than he has himself from day 1. They've been with us for over 7 years. Ricky's always had problems with the litter box, has intermittent diarrhea, and we're assuming he's the one that relieves himself right outside the litter box. Is his problem a fear of discomfort from illnesses or is it possible he's claustrophobic? We've tried going with an uncovered litter box, but it is SO messy. We now have a dog, and want to make one room of the house a cat-only zone & maybe move the litter box in there (it's currently in the laundry room). To keep the dog out so that their toys won't be destroyed & they can play or relax in peace, we were thinking of getting a pet gate with a cat-sized door in it, but we're concerned Ricky won't go through it. Any suggestions on how to help our kitty with his problems?