For example:
... that's right: the cat was having major pee issues again ... before I left for my 3-week trip to Malaysia/Singapore, she had already been having issues, but due to the small volume of pee per 'accident' we figured it was a UTI... brought her to the vet who took our word for it because they couldn't extract anything from her bladder to test! We had trouble getting her to consume the liver-flavored antibiotic pills, so we decided to halve her dry food and see if she would then eat the 'spiked' canned food.
Combine the food deprivation with the upside-down schedule due to Dr Kosh's vampiric hours and resulting lack of attention given to the cat, and the medical condition transformed into a behavioral one. By the time I got back, she was peeing in the bathroom (but not in her box) on a regular basis. Like, daily.
Then she expanded her horizons to the kitchen: right by the kitchen/back door... and...
... yes, she peed IN one of her food bowls (we had a few interim bowls lying around, because one of the fixes suggested is to put her food where she tends to pee... ummmm, didn't *quite* work for her!!). ... and then, horror of horrors...
(fyi a month later and I *still* haven't found a replacement!!)
Limiting the cat to just the bathroom -- and allowing her out only if she was with one of us / under supervision -- would limit the damage she could inflict on us .... but hubby wasn't keen on 'punishing' the cat... then...
Kosh and I were mega stressed-out by all this... and this didn't help either:
... have things gone back to normal now? Stay tuned, I'll tell you more in Part Two!
I feel your pain. We have a little cat we have had for over 10 years that was born in a wood pile behind the apartments at Bruns and Jefferson. She always peed on things, esp clothes on floor, oven burners, electronics. Now she poops all over. She is perfectly healthy also. We have tried all sorts of positive and negative behavior training, none works. She is not fit to live indoors.
ReplyDeleteFor those with the problem, it can be insecurity. Feliway spray (one squirt in one spot - it smells like a nursing queen and fosters a feeling of security. Short-term use of a mild vet tranquilizer might help. A little dash of chlorine bleach (take care not to damage floor)in the clean-up water or a little lavender oil in a water spray seems to please them. Nervous cats need closer boundaries to monitor. It's normal for cats to want to mark their boundaries. When the boundaries move INside, it's usually a sign of a rival cat or uncomfortable changes.
ReplyDeletePS Don't spray the cat, LOL
ReplyDelete