about 8 years ago we got our cat, "sassy" from the Humane Society. at that time we lived in an apartment, so she is an indoor cat. first let me say...let's not go down the whole indoor/outdoor cat thing again. this is not why i'm posting this...lol....ANYWAYS...when we got her she was about 11 months old, so she's about 9 years old now. when we got her, she was VERY skittish. she would hide in things and was very afraid to come out....then she finally warmed up to us, and loved to play and snuggle....but still VERY skittish when other's would come to the house. she would hide as soon as she heard an unfamiliar voice in the house. so then about 5 years ago, we moved into the house that we still live in. let me make this clear that ever since we got her she has ALWAYS been good at using the litter box...NEVER had a problem...NEVER any "accidents"....then about 4 years ago, my dad wound up with a cat at his house which he didn't want there and was going to get rid of it. we fell in love with this kitten immediately and said we'd take her. so we brought her home and immediately Sassy totally hated her. wouldn't let her near the food....she'd stalk and then attack her...we tried for a while, but realized we couldn't have the other cat here. Sassy was just NOT happy about it. so we took Maggie to the spca. then when Anika was born...it wasn't that sassy didn't like the new baby, she was again just "skittish"and would hide until Anika would go to bed. she still does that with Lex around too....my kids aren't mean to sassy AT ALL...when we grab sassy and sit her on our lap, the kids very gently pet her...but sometimes they get so excited they squeal and yell and it scares the crap outta sassy. lol... so now even when the kids come even remotely near her, she instantly swats at them...especially at Lex, and he has gotten some pretty good gouges in his arms and hands....poor lil guy. and i repeat he has NEVER been rough with her...he's just loud....
so the last 3 months i'd say....Sassy has started to pee on our clothes. sometimes we just quickly drop our clothes on the floor not thinking, and jump into the shower....from the time to drop out clothes to the time we're done our showers, she has already gone and pissed on the clothes. luckily i have found that vinegar works really well...also there has been a few time where she doesn't pee on the clothes, she just pees on the carpet in our room...then this afternoon, we went to go pick out a xmas tree and I went upstairs to get out of my slippers, left them by my dresser and put on some socks. when i came back, i found she had taken a big fucking SHIT in my fkin' slipper.....
We are soooooo pissed at her. she's NOT nice to our kids, she's constantly shitting and pissing on things besides her litter box. her litter box is always kept clean, she doesn't have any health problems....we give her lots of attention (when we can find her, when she's not hiding..lol..), she's well fed....we've gone 8 years with no problems with her, and now she's just being a little BITCH!!!!!! so we've decided...sadly....we have to get rid of her. we won't just put outside cause she just won't survive out there. she'll die within a week most likely....so we thought we'd take her to spca...but i'm afraid, she won't get along with the other cats there, and because of her age, nobody will want her. the people that work there, i'm sure would have to be honest and tell people she isn't good with other pets OR children...which is definately something most people won't like....
what do we do?
wow that was long....lol...help please. ↓
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| Name: Dawn0027 | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 5:01 AM |
Hi bmes,
I have had cats for most of my life, and I know how irritating it is when their behavoir changes like this in such a negative way.
I got my first cat for Christmas when I was nine, and I had him for 16 years, He was always well behaved and happy, but when he reached the age of about 14, he started using the bathroom outside of his litter box as well.
Just like your cat, he would poop and pee in the oddest places, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not figure out why. I finally took him to the vet, and it turned out that he was very sick, and by him using the house as a litter box, he was trying to let me know. I found out that he was going through kidney failure, and although there was nothing the vet could do, with treatment he was able to live a couple more years. Also, once the treatment started, he became more comfortable, and no longer used the bathroom out of his litter box.
The best thing you could do first in my opnion, is take him to see the vet. I hope that her health is not the problem, but you definately want to rule that out first.
~Dawn ↑ |
| Name: winnmom | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 5:22 AM |
Bmes, yes I agree, this very well could be a health issue......and that cats way of getting your attention.........
question is your cat spayed or neutered?
I would suggest going to the vet first.......to rule out health problem......and then advertise in the local paper maybe wording something like- great for seniors???
but yes I would certainly go to the vet.......routine check ups, do not always turn these things up, and when something ike this happens the vet will know to have a better look at the cat.
good luck ↑ |
| Name: winnmom | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 5:31 AM |
| Name: bmes | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 5:32 AM |
yes she is spayed. i think i will get her checked out. i have heard before that they do that to show you something is wrong....still i don't think that's it. i honestly think she's doing it because she doesn't like coming downstairs where the kids are.
but it is becoming more and more frequent, so MAYBE something is happening.
thanks for the advice.
but if she IS healthy, then what? maybe an ad in the paper like winn said "good for seniors"...but we might be moving in a month.
ugh i'm so mad. they were my favorite slippers!!!! lol ↑ |
| Name: Joeys_Mam | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 11:31 AM |
We have a bit of a sulky cat ourselves, but she's an outdoor cat so we never have any problems with peeing or pooping indoors. But like your cat, she's quiet, keeps to herself, when she comes in she finds a quiet spot and sleeps and unlike our other cat, doesn't bother giving us any attention really.
Sounds like there could be something wrong, lack of control of her bowels, who knows?
I'd have no hesitation personally on adopting an 8 year old cat. Cats generally live till they're 14 years or so, so she has plenty more years left.
If you feel you can't keep her any more, then try to find a nice home for her yourself. Advertise in your pet shops, newspaper, etc. ↑ |
| Name: cherisalorraine | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 2:56 PM |
| I really hope that you find that something minor is wrong with her and you are able to fix it. When Annie ( my grandmas cat that I ended up with) started doing it at around 14 we found that she had developed a sensitivity to her litter even though it was the same thing we had always used for her. She had developed a bladder infection after that and had the same problems. If you do try to place her outside of the home sometimes senior centers and places of that nature are happy to find companion animals for their residents.I really do wish you luck and I hope that this member of your family is not forced to move out. ↑ |
| Name: bmes | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 3:03 PM |
rosey, yes!!!!! when she is scratching and attacking my KIDS, when they are just walking by and not even BUGGING her AT ALL, damn rights, i want her gone!!!!! you should see the scratches my kids have gotten from her. they are scary. Anika even had one go right across her fkin' EYELID!!!!! yes. i don't care how long i've had her, she down right fkin MEAN to my kids....and how are you supposed to discipline a CAT???????? tap her nose and say "bad kitty!! no scratching!!!" ?????
and after 8 years of having her and having no problems with her going in her litter box, and assuming she's healthy...i'm guessing she's doing it out of anger because of our kids!!!!
i'd find it MORE cruel to KEEP her here in this environment if she's not happy here....that would be torture to her. why wouldn't I try and give her a place that's more suitable for her????
the spca here isn't a bad place. i don't know about where you're from....but they treat their animals VERY well here. but that's what my whole post is about. if I took her there, i'm afraid it would be worse for her there, ONLY because of the type of cat she is and her personality. Rosey, i know you weren't trying to be rude, but i'm not an idiot, and we didn't decide this lightly. i'm mad as hell at her, but i still love her and don't want any harm to her. this is why we're trying to find the best possible option for her, and in my opinion, our house is NOT a good option for her. try reading my post first before trying to make me come across as a heartless bitch who just wants to dump off one of my family members.
thanks to everyone else for your advice, i will take her to the vet, see if anything is wrong, and if she's healthy, i'll probably have to put an ad in the paper!!
thanks again!!! :-) ↑ |
| Name: winnmom | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 3:27 PM |
Rosie, The spca here in Canada DOES NOT put animals down.........
Bmes I agree, You HAVE to think of your children first........Not your pet........and I understand how hard of a decission this must be on you............. ↑ |
| Name: red87 | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 3:46 PM |
She could have a bladder infection?? Cats will pee in places other than their litter boxes becaus ethey think it's the litter box that is hurting them...but if not I would either put an ad in the paper saying that she is an older shy cat and would be suitable for senoirs, if you cant get rid of her before the move then you could bring her to the SPCA. We had to get rid of a cat not to long ago and we just told them to PLEASE do not put her down - if she doesn't get adopted to call us and we would take her back and find a home for her ourselves! They called us a week later and told us she had gotten adopted :) so something like that would be nice! Or maybe you could bring the cat with you and try to get rid of her in your new town?
I don't blame you for wanting to get rid of her! If she's being a bitch to your kids - she probably wouldn't last that long with me! If she was scratching my baby lol... ↑ |
| Name: red87 | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 3:49 PM |
winnmom - i live in alberta and they do put animals down here if they are at the spca for too long!
bmes - i bet your cat will be adopted sooner than you think :) some people dont mind the age and like shy cats! ↑ |
| Name: winnmom | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 3:56 PM |
well thespca does not put cats down here, I know I have asked when I brought a stray in before.....They said they will turn animals away if they are full, and they only put animals down if they are sickly.......
also The cat may be attacking because it is sick.............
another thought and yes I do know many do not agree with this, but declawing is an option..........too........ ↑ |
| Name: ..RoSey.. | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 6:11 PM |
lol woah ok, this is exactly the response i didnt want... next time i will sugar coat things..
I didnt realise how bad the scratching was... and i never thought you were a cold heartless bitch.. i could have guessed things were much worse by the fact you had choosen to give her up. i guess i just jumped the gun as i was tired and 2 seconds away from going to bed lol =\ Sorry.....
Yeh i have nothing else to say....
goodluck or whatever. ↑ |
| Name: ..RoSey.. | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 6:14 PM |
| Another thing the SPCA where i live DOES put down cats if they cant find them good homes..... they do the same thing in America as i have watched the programs.... How was i meant to know where Bmes is from ?? im not a mind reader.. ↑ |
| Name: winnmom | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 6:43 PM |
| Rosie, I do not think anyone expected you to know, that is why told you.......I know from experience from when I went to bri ng a stray into the spca the first thing I asked was if they put them down if they do not find them homes, and they told me no.........they only put them down if, the animal is dngerous or very sickly......not because they do not have room. ↑ |
| Name: Joeys_Mam | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 6:43 PM |
| Yeah that's similar to where it is with me. The USPCA (as it's called with us) will pull dogs and cats to sleep if they aren't rehomed within a certain period of time (usually 2-3 weeks) sadly. There are alternatives to where you can place your unwanted pets here eg animal sanctuaries but as they have a no kill policy, there are only so many places in them. My advice would always be to do your best to rehome your cat yourself, but if you can't, then try the local sanctuary and if not that then your SPCA. ↑ |
| Name: ..RoSey.. | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 6:48 PM |
| nah i know winnmom... thanks for telling me anyways but yeh.. im a grump bum and got worked up over nothing lolll 1st thing in the morning here and i gotta think of getting ready to take izzy to playcentre.... I love staying in my pjs all day damnit =P ↑ |
| Name: Joeys_Mam | Date: Dec 1st, 2008 6:53 PM |
Bmes, in a way I'm in the same position as you atm.
My otherwise placid JRT Coveu has been attacking my other 2 dogs. My CKCS Nieko has a toothmark in his skull from the latest attack last night. He doesn't attack me or my family, just the other dogs. But still, it's NOT acceptable and I worry incase he might go for Joey, you know?
He is 4 years old, and he's fully trained in obedience and even agility. He's so obedient with us, and yet attacks my others dogs when we aren't there. I can't have that!
So next month, he's going to be neutered. He was never for breeding anyway obviously but I only like to put any animal under the knife if they give me reason. And he has given me plenty of reason. Sadly. I hope hope hope that after being neutered he will return to the placid and wonderful dog he always had been and won't attack my other dogs any more. :( So I hear you. It's horrible when a beloved pets personality changes out of control. ↑ |
| Name: lindalu | Date: Dec 3rd, 2008 5:04 AM |
Bmes,
Have you tried moving her kitty litter box to a more quiet place? some were she can gain access to it with out feeling fearful of coming in contact with the children.
I do agree with you bmes, I think she is stressed. That would explain her lunging out at the kids as well as her urinating in places other then her box.
How do you react to her when she scratches the kids or urinates on your laundry? Do you scare her in any way such as yelling or chasing after her? ↑ |
| Name: lindalu | Date: Dec 3rd, 2008 5:38 AM |
Bmes, Red87 could be rite about the bladder infection I had a cat that urinated on my laundry, I took her to the vet and it turned out she had a UTI.
I also have a nephew who had a cat that urinated on his laundry, he was going crazy with the cat not knowing why. Well... one day I was visiting my nephew and figured it out for him.
He would keep the cat isolated to one room all the time only on few occasions would that cat be allowed in the rest of the house. Because of it being isolated it became stressed very skittish of every thing including load noises fast movements or new people.
The few times my nephew would let the cat roam the house he would yell at the cat or chase the cat causing the cat to fear my nephew. The cat was not only stressed he was fearing my nephew.. so every time the cat came in contact with my nephews laundry he would smell my nephew causing him to urinate out of fear.
My nephew didn't believe what I was telling him and kept the cat for a short while after, finally he gave the cat to another family member. I told my nephew to watch, I bet him that the cat would not urinate any where but his box once he got to his new home. I was rite! the cat was fine never once going any were but were he was suppose to. ↑ |
| Name: bmes | Date: Dec 3rd, 2008 4:46 PM |
lindalu...no we don't chase or yell at her. we don't do anything. we just clean it up and move on.
I took her to the vet yesterday, and the vet agrees that she's probably stressed and suggested to make sassy a little safe zone on the house somewhere where the kids can't go. i do not want to put a litter box in my room and make my room a safe zone, because the kids are up there all the time and are ALWAYS in my room when i'm doing laundry and having showers and stuff. so we put up the baby gate again that goes into the kitchen. we have two kitchen tables in there (don't ask why..lol.) and the table that we DON'T eat at has the litter box underneath. so we put a large table cloth that goes all the way down to the floor. it has her litter box and food and water under there, and we bought a little cat house for her to hide out in.
hopefully this will help. our house has very limited space to where the cat can have her own space.
also, the vet suggested some kind of anti-stress pills. not a prescription...it's something you can buy in a pet store. it comes in pill form or liquid form and it just helps mellow them out. lol...so if the kids are yelling and running around hopefully it would help with her not worrying so much.
i'm also waiting for my cat to pee. she gave me some of these non absorbing pellets that LOOK like litter...hopefully she'll pee in that and then i can take a sample to the vet to rule out infection.
we're actually HOPING it's an infection, that way we know it's not behavioral, and our poor cat isn't going more mental than she already was...lol....
so...waiting on some pee...lol... ↑ |
| Name: bmes | Date: Dec 3rd, 2008 4:48 PM |
| oh and just to clarify about where her food and water is.....it's NOT right next to the litterbox. the litter box and the food and water is on opposite sides of the cat house. ↑ |
| Name: lindalu | Date: Dec 3rd, 2008 6:35 PM |
I know what you mean about hoping for the infection appose to her being stressed. If she had an infection that would enplane her urinating problem and with some antibiotics she will be fine. But... if its that she's stressed then there will be a lot more to consider, including the possibilities of having to re home her.
Bmes, if the comfort shelter you provided doesn't seem to work for her I would suggest finding her another home, one were there are no young children. Stress can cause many physical and neurological problems with cats, so if you cant remedy the problem then it is only fair to her that you find her a safe comfortable home.
Good luck! I hope all goes well for both you and her. ↑ |
| Name: bmes | Date: Dec 4th, 2008 2:32 AM |
| thanks lindalu. yes if we can't fix this, we fully intend to find her a more appropriate home...maybe a lonely old lady or something. :-) ↑ |
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