Can anyone help me with a cat issue???

fishgirl · 09-21-2008, 08:25 AM

So we have a wonderful, indoor-only cat that we adopted four years ago. She was a year old when we got her, and has always done her business in her litter box with no problems. (Except for the time my husband shut the door to the laundry room with her litter box in it!) So then we got a lab. And she was still fine and they became somewhat "friends". Then I had a baby, and she was fine with that, too. Then a couple months ago, I brought home a wiener dog. They seem to do fine together, but with their sizes being so similar, they fight and/or play a lot. The last couple weeks, I caught her pooping in our bedroom. Her litter box was kind of full, so we blamed it on that. And I think it happened two other times that we ended up blaming it on the wiener dog. Then, this morning, she peed right on my lab's bed! And the litter box is completely clean.

What is going on?? Anyone have this happen before? Is she jealous of the wiener dog? Is she having some sort of medical issue? What should I do?? Why would a five-year-old cat suddenly stop using her litter box??

fishnlady · 09-21-2008, 08:55 AM

It sounds like a jealousy issue to me, but it would be best to get her checked by the vet to see if there is a urinary problem. She could have an infection. Even if the vet finds her healthy, they may be able to help solve her potty problem. Good luck!

Incredible_Bulk · 09-21-2008, 09:02 AM

When I first moved down to Oregon, I moved in with my Uncle. He had a cat. Soon after I moved in, their cat started messing in the house, primarily in my cousins stuff. They kept getting him in trouble, rubbing his face in it, etc.. and the problems continued. I moved down to Salem a couple of months later, they never had a problem again.

I had invaded the cats space and he was ticked. Here's the problem, I don't have a solution for you. Definitely look into the UTI issue, but it could be a jealousy thing. Try removing the weiner dog for a while, have him stay with some family for a couple of weeks and see if anything changes... don't know. Definitely talk with your vet about it when looking into the UTI.

24 on/ 48 off · 09-21-2008, 09:04 AM

Cats are evil

Ok, that was in jest

StickFish · 09-21-2008, 10:27 AM

I think you nailed it with the fight or play statement. I'd say little dog and cat are trying to figure out who's role is what, why it messed up the big dogs stuff

Whatever happens good luck

maniacmikey · 09-21-2008, 02:01 PM

Maybe some recipe suggestions?

fishkisser · 09-21-2008, 07:52 PM

This is Fishkisser's wife and at the shelter where I work we sometimes have people calling in after they adopt, having issues with the cat not using the box. What we suggest is locking the cat in the laundry room or other small space. For up to a 2 weeks. This may seem extreme but cats in a shelter have a lot less space and manage to pee in little trays in their kennel. Food and fresh water should always be available of course. The litter box should be cleaned every other day. Making sure to leave A turd. This indicates to the cat where the poop and pee should go. I prefer clumping litter because its easier and less waste but at the shelter we use regular stuff. After a week you should let the cat out again to roam if the accident occurs again with poop, pick up the turd and put it in the box and lock the cat in the room again for 30 minutes or longer. This usually does the trick.

Most of the others are right, the cat is competing for territory or space or just rights to it's human. It sounds like you have a few animals and the cat has finally reached the capacity for dealing with that and will need to adjust.

Hope that helps
Abalone-girl

RascallyRabbit · 09-22-2008, 06:29 AM

My cat only had a problem with not using the box when I would bring girlfriends to the house. Then he would either pee on them, or their bag/purse. One GF got the double whammy, he hit her bag (found when she went to get a change of cloths), then he hopped in her lap, while she was scratching his head he peed in her lap. There were only 2 that he didn't do it to, my best friend Jarretta, and my wife Telma. He was obviously much smarter than I, when it came to picking my relationships

Steve/RR

30pound-tasty-fish · 09-22-2008, 07:09 AM

We had a female cat that started peeing around the house. She may have had an issue with the other two cats in the house. We tried every thing including prozac. Nothing helped. She now lives outside.

OceanBlue · 09-22-2008, 09:32 AM

Kind of reminds me of a story... I had an older female cat and one day adopted a male kitten. They never got along swimmingly, but she ruled the roost and he knew who was boss... they mostly steered clear of one another.

Several months later, I'd come home to find poop in the middle of the dining room. Guess who got in trouble? The male. Still a kitten, I figured he was acting up or something. Pretty much every day I'd come home to find something else amiss. Then about a week later, both cats have abscesses. Puzzled, I figured maybe they got into it with one another. Every night my daughter (about 18 months old) would stand in her crib and point down, saying "key-key" (her word for kitty). We figured she was just wanting to see our kitties, so we'd soothe her and lay her down, close the door and let her go to sleep.

About 2 weeks goes by and I come home to find a loaf of bread I'd left on the counter all chewed.. right through the plastic. I told my husband there was an animal in the house, besides our cats (they were now left outside during the day). He scoffed at me. I pointed out that we had a pet door, maybe a coon or oppossum or something had gotten in. He humored me and we searched the house... and found a feral cat under my daughter's crib.

What ensued after that should have been a scene in a comedy. 45 minutes of chasing that cat around the house... it literally climbed the wall and did a circuit around the ceiling. But we got it out (and removed the pet door.)

Are you sure it's your cat that's doing the damage?

fishkisser · 09-22-2008, 03:37 PM

Oh my gosh ...

That is too much ...

Oh ... Oh ... I can't breath ...

fishgirl · 09-22-2008, 03:59 PM

Oh, OceanBlue!! That's awful! I'm sure I don't have that problem, and glad I don't!

I've been trying to keep the puppy from chasing the cat, and trying to give my poor kitty cat some more attention. If that doesn't work, I think I'll try locking her in the laundry room with the litter box and see what happens...

But getting rid of her or the wiener dog is just not an option! I love all my pets just too dang much!