Email this topic to a friend Printer-friendly version of this topic Bookmark this topic (Registered users only)		Archived thread - Read only  Previous Topic | Next Topic
Conferences Off-Topic Forum (Protected)
Original message

Max Headroom 10069 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 08:23 AM (EST) "Need some OT wisdom about cats" We have two cats in our household, a 4-year-old male and a 12-year-old female. Both have been "fixed". The male was added to the family as a kitten, and the two of them get along well. Here's the problem: One of them has begun urinating everywhere except in the litterbox. This has gone on for at least a month now. And these aren't accidental "misses", whoever is doing this has urinated on clothing left on the floor by family members, along with a stuffed animal also left on the floor. This morning he/she left a big spot on the (carpeted) stairs, right in the middle of the landing. I'm stumped. I strongly suspect the male cat is the culprit, but haven't been able to catch him in the act (though he was nosing around in some of my dirty laundry last night, before I snatched it up and put it on a high shelf). Nothing has changed in either cat's lifestyle, nor have we changed their food or anything like that. Both cats are in generally good health, and if this were health-related, I strongly doubt the culprit would seek out clothing and stuffed animals as an alternate litterbox. Thoughts are appreciated-- I'm at wit's end.   Top

Subject     Author     Message Date     ID    RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats Breezy 04-03-07 1  RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats byoffer 04-03-07 2  RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats vince3 04-03-07 3  RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats Lasann 04-03-07 4    RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats MKitty 04-04-07 19        RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats mysticwolf 04-04-07 22  RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats aquariaqueen 04-03-07 5  RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats PagongRatEater 04-03-07 6    RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats nailbone 04-03-07 12        RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats frisky 04-05-07 23  RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats dragonflies 04-03-07 7  RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats ginger 04-03-07 8  RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats frisky 04-03-07 9  RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats Puffy 04-03-07 10    RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats frisky 04-03-07 11  RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats Maroonclown 04-03-07 13  RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats Max Headroom 04-03-07 14  Update Max Headroom 04-04-07 15    RE: Update weltek 04-04-07 16    RE: Update Maroonclown 04-04-07 17    RE: Update dragonflies 04-04-07 18    RE: Update Snidget 04-04-07 20    RE: Update frisky 04-04-07 21        RE: Update Max Headroom 04-05-07 24

Lobby | Topics | Previous Topic | Next Topic

Messages in this topic

Breezy 18380 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 08:32 AM (EST) 1. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" One or both have a urinary track infection would be my guess. That's what my older cat did when she had one. It hurt to go pee in the litter because of the infection. Save a horse, ride a cowboy.   Top

byoffer 15947 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 08:40 AM (EST) 2. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" Fellow cat sufferer parent here. Our cat seems to love peeing on nylon bags left on the floor (eg gym bags). We found one in the basement that he had been using for quite a while. He also peed on a tent that I was drying (the Scouts were not impressed by the smell!) Now we are very careful not to leave bags on the floor. The other thing we did was to make the litter area more appealing. It is in a little room under the stairs, and we guessed that maybe the smell was unappealing. We had cleaned the litter box each day, but now actually remove the garbage bags from the room each day. Those are my $0.02, but I am no expert. *sits and waits for Frisque and the other expurrts*   Top

vince3 17341 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 09:09 AM (EST) 3. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" You might want to make sure there isn't a cat in heat in the area, the female might be jealous...... Cyg's 3 faces of Vince McMahon...   Top

Lasann 3616 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Thong Contest Judge" 04-03-07, 09:24 AM (EST) 4. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" Well male cats do like to leave their scent everywhere. My male, even after being neutered, will use any plastic bag/tarp and his favorite is duffle bags. No matter how many times I told my boys not to leave their soccer bags on the floor they always did and the cat would use the bag as a toilet. I've found that "Nature's Miracle" is the best cat urine remover, BTW. Heaven on Earth! That’s me lying on the beach *giggle*   Top

MKitty 2976 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Howard Stern Show Guest" 04-04-07, 06:48 PM (EST) 19. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" Nature's Miracle? I will definately check that out! My naughty kitty just peed on my suitcase and the scent is horrible! It's the second time she peed there and she has never ever peed anywhere else. I think she just smelled her scent again, and figured it was okay. I almost threw out the case, but now will try Nature's Miracle before I give up...   Top

mysticwolf 10692 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-04-07, 11:51 PM (EST) 22. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" Nature's Miracle is one of the front-runners, but I've found that Simple Solution actually works better a lot of the time. Don't pitch until you've tried both of them if NM doesn't do it for you. Missed this before but I concur with much of what's already been said. My first guess, if it's not an aging pet (they get dementia, too) is a urinary tract infection. One problem, though. A lot of time it hurts so badly to go that they develop a litter box aversion that can extend beyond the infection. I'd also recommend 2 litter boxes, possibly with different litters in each. Some cats like sand, others like clay, some like it deep, others shallow... They're cats. What can you say. We have 9 cats and 5 litters (one of which is one of the automatic ones - that's *golden* - Love, love, love it and so do the cats). We keep 3 of them (2 regular & the automatic) filled with Multiple Cat formula clay. The other two are filled with Tidy Cat Crystal. (I haven't found the other crystal brands to work as well. Great stuff, but hard on the feet in the bathroom.) The pheremone spray works fairly well but you have to use it pretty consistently. Is it clothing, bags, belonging to one specific member of the family? In that case it could be behavioral. Particularly if it's a person the cat really, really, likes. He/she may resent it when they leave &/or they could be trying to mark them as their own to keep them safe when they're gone. Or, it could just be that they are reacting to the scents on the items. I have one cat that washes dirty socks she finds in the water bowl. Wouldn't be so bad if she didn't then lay them out to dry on the feather comforter on the bed. Tribe sent springtime flowers! blogging's scary   Top

aquariaqueen 2616 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Survivor-themed Cruise Spokesperson" 04-03-07, 10:05 AM (EST) 5. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" Sometimes setting up another litter box will solve the problem. I have heard that some cats will all the sudden not appreciate sharing a litter box. Also, try bleaching the litterbox when cleaning it. I clean mine out completely every month. The urinary tract infection is an interesting idea that you may want to pursue.   Top

PagongRatEater 12996 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 10:14 AM (EST) 6. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" Sorry. The only advice I have is to get a dog. "It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” Patrick Henry   Top

nailbone 27263 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 11:51 AM (EST) 12. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" I'm with the Rat here. I'm NOT a cat-lover.   Top

frisky 11695 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-05-07, 00:10 AM (EST) 23. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" *clears throat dramatically* Rolly made this. Desperate Housecats   Top

dragonflies 8051 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 10:50 AM (EST) 7. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" I'll second the idea of getting another litter box. And have them both checked for urinary infections. Good luck!   Top

ginger 22512 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 11:11 AM (EST) 8. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" If you put a bowl of food in the inappropriate places they are pissing, they will desist. Of course, it's not always practical to place food bowls all over your clothes, etc. And do see the vet...urinary stuff always bears checking out.   Top

frisky 11695 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 11:29 AM (EST) 9. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" LAST EDITED ON 04-03-07 AT 11:31 AM (EST) One of them is pissed off. Pun intended. It sounds behavioural, but I would rule out UTI. Have you seen them both going? Watch for straining. Is it just little amounts? Is anyone hiding under the bed when they aren't peeing on all your stuff? If there are no abnormal peeing amounts/stances, etc. it's probably behavioural. I'll let you in on one general rule: when all else fails (ie bodily functions), get to the white plushy carpet! Kitty will urinate all over your best stuff to get back at you. Did you move their bed? Your furniture? Change their food? I agree with the second litter box. Once you figure out who the culprit is, plop him or her in the new box and watch what happens. I suspect it's the girl. Girl cats can be all PMS'ey and weird sometimes. Rolly made this. Desperate Housecats   Top

Puffy 6703 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 11:46 AM (EST) 10. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" My male cat used to be the problem. Now I have only a female. She wiggles her tail as if she's spraying (but she's not). The vet said that she's possessive of the house; thinks it's her own. The vet recommended Feliway pheromone spray. It now comes as a plug-in. I never bought it, but here's a link I found by googling pheromones. By googling, I also discoverd this: Apparently there are pheromones for humans made from female armpit sweat which boosts the love life of post-menopausal women. http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/obedcat/l/blfeliwayspray.htm   Top

frisky 11695 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 11:48 AM (EST) 11. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" > My male cat used to be the problem. Now I have only a female. She wiggles her tail as if she's spraying (but she's not). The vet said that she's possessive of the house; thinks it's her own. The vet recommended Feliway pheromone spray. It now comes as a plug-in. I never bought it, but here's a link I found by googling pheromones. My boys do the tail shimmy, too, without actually spraying. Thunder does it at stuff in the house and the walls, and Crash does it at me. >By googling, I also discoverd this: Apparently there are pheromones for humans made from female armpit sweat which boosts the love life of post-menopausal women. You googled female armpit sweat? Rolly made this.   Top

Maroonclown 5829 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 11:58 AM (EST) 13. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" Agree with everything said here so far. Well, except about the armpit sweat. I've got two (M & F) but my previous cat was a male and had terrible troubles with UTI. A lot of males do. He would start off straining to pee in the box but would eventually come out and try and pee everywhere else. I think they must panic, and I understand its quite painful. He would mew alot when trying to pee. I don't know how much $$ I spent on meds. I've heard of other cats who are just pissed off to the point of actually staring you down while they pee in shoes, or on the bed, or in the laundry. It's definitley worth a trip to the vet though, first and foremost.   Top

Max Headroom 10069 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-03-07, 12:31 PM (EST) 14. "RE: Need some OT wisdom about cats" Thanks to all for the ideas. It's worth taking the male to the vet-- last night he was yowling and carrying on after we'd gone to bed, so maybe he was trying to pee and having no luck. He's got a few loose screws and occasionally has yowling fits, but last night's was particularly long and expressive ... and this morning there was a huge pee spot on the carpet. Maybe that's it, and he's overdue to go to the vet anyway. Separate litter boxes will create logistical problems (the laundry room is only so big, after all), but I'll look into that too. At minimum I need to give the litter box a thorough cleaning, in case someone is expressing their displeasure about having to use a dirty bathroom.   Top

Max Headroom 10069 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-04-07, 12:47 PM (EST) 15. "Update" I took Midnight (the male cat) to the vet this morning and he has a bladder infection, plus crystals in his urine which require a lab analysis. The vet wasn't too concerned but wanted the analysis to be sure. So... hopefully this explains the recent pee-a-thon all over the house. Side note: The vet took pity on me and provided the antibiotics in a gel form. Instead of trying to give Midnight pills (a hopeless task if there ever was one), I get to smear a dab of gel inside his ears for the next 20 days. Should be fun. That cat is like a bowling ball: 14 pounds!   Top

weltek 16936 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-04-07, 12:50 PM (EST) 16. "RE: Update" A gel for their ears? Weird, yet cool. Our 14.5 lb boy is no treat to give pills to, either. Liquids are only minorly better.   Top

Maroonclown 5829 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-04-07, 02:18 PM (EST) 17. "RE: Update" A gel in the ears? Why didn't anyone think of that earlier? Way easier than getting a cat to swallow a pill. I'm glad you found the source. If it continues you at least know one of them is just majorly pissed off at you.   Top

dragonflies 8051 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-04-07, 02:21 PM (EST) 18. "RE: Update" I have a male, black, longhaired cat named Midnight too! He doesn't pee everywhere, but he gets in fights with our other kitty, leaving little tufts of black fur everywhere instead! Seriously, glad to hear you got a diagnosis. One of my other cats had the crystals thing. He had to be on special food for his entire 17 years. I love the gel in the ears thing. I never could get them to easily take a pill, even wrapped in meat or a treat.   Top

Snidget 44369 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-04-07, 07:18 PM (EST) 20. "RE: Update" Glad they found the problem and hope Midnight feels better soon, and your belongings return to the pee-free state they should have. That gel sounds cool. For some reason I was good in college at wrapping up other people's cats in a towel-kitty burrito and stuffing the pill into them. Everyone has to have a talent. Of course the trick is being able to figure out when they've really swallowed the thing. You don't want to try to catch a recently un-burritoed kitty. "I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top." - An English Professor   Top

frisky 11695 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-04-07, 11:29 PM (EST) 21. "RE: Update" Gel in the ears?! Crikey! Well I'm glad to hear that's over with. And gel in the ears! Wow! Rolly made this. Desperate Housecats   Top

Max Headroom 10069 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 04-05-07, 08:27 AM (EST) 24. "RE: Update" LAST EDITED ON 04-05-07 AT 08:28 AM (EST) After Day 1, the ear gel seems to work well. Midnight is pretty easy-going, and me wiping a dab of gel inside his ear generated only a mild protest. (Of course, things may change after I've done it to him 20 times.) The vet told me to alternate ears, just in case the absorbing agent irritates his skin. Oh, and he peed all over the floor in the laundry room last night. That's an improvement-- the floor is tiled, not carpeted...   Top

Remove

Lobby | Topics | Previous Topic | Next Topic

Select another forum Lobby The Amazing Race Message Board Forums (Conference)   |--The Amazing Race Fanatics Forum (Protected)   |--The Amazing Race Basher Forum (Protected)   |--The Amazing Race Spoiler/Speculation Forum (Protected) American Idol Message Board Forums (Conference)   |--American Idol General Discussion Forum (Protected)   |--American Idol Individual Contestant and Judge Discussion Forum (Protected) Big Brother Message Board Forums (Conference)   |--Big Brother Fanatic Forum (Protected)   |--Big Brother Bashers Forum (Protected)   |--Big Brother Live Feed Updates And Spoilers (Protected) Survivor Message Board Forums (Conference)   |--Survivor Fanatic Forum (Protected)   |--Survivor Basher Forum (Protected)   |--Survivor Spoilers Forum (Protected)   |--Survivor Games Forum (Protected) Other Reality TV Shows (Conference)   |--The Bachelor / The Bachelorette Forum (Protected)   |--Dancing with the Stars Forum (Protected)   |--Other Reality TV Shows Forum (Protected) Off Topic (Conference)   |--The Help Forum (Protected)   |--Off-Topic Forum (Protected)