I'm frustrated with the cat again

[iluvk9]

I am at my wits end. Again.

Recap: Bo is probably around 13, give or take a few years. I really don't know. He does not have a UTI. He has a room to himself, with a gate up so the dogs don't bother him, but he mingles with them all the time.

Awhile ago, he was pooping outside of his litter box, which I empty every day and clean/replace litter every 2 days. I tried the covered box and it seemed to work.

Problem: The past week or so he has been pooping outside the covered box. Now he is peeing in the dog crate, and on my throw rugs. I literally watched him this morning go into the dog crate, scratch and pee.

I am so done. I opened his cat cage up again and he will have to stay in it when unattended by my watchful eye.

Is it mean? I guess it is better than me strangling him. He meows and rubs the cage to come out. The cage is in the "dog den" and he can look outside through the sliding glass door and has the dogs sleeping in there most of the time. I moved the food to the shelf on the right, so it is not near his box.



A woman at work who has cats said it might just be he is getting old and sort of senile.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Joyce. I feel your pain. The Piss is only 7 and she does it too, right in front of me.

[amalie79]

Have you tried a different litter? One of ours was VERY picky. We had to make sure there was one litter box per cat, plus one...a mix of covered and uncovered boxes, veeerrrrry fine litter, and UNSCENTED litter. Those were the important things. She'd been not picky at all and then decided the stress of whatever was happening was just too much to handle and the only way to relieve it was to pee on my step daughter's bed. Repeatedly. And in her papasan chair.

[iluvk9]

Joyce. I feel your pain. The Piss is only 7 and she does it too, right in front of me.

Yes, I know you feel it and SMELL it.

Have you tried a different litter?

I did, but I will remember to try unscented and a finer grain. I use Fresh Step, clumping.

Thanks for the idea.

[mnp13]

Merlin does that when his litter box is dirty, but obviously that's not the problem here!

[iluvk9]

Unless he gets annoyed it is SO clean??? I don't know...now I am saying crazy things.

[plebayo]

You should talk to your vet about putting him on paroxetine/paxil. It might help with his behavior, you could also try something called alprazolam which is in the valium family I believe. It may be anxiety related, even if he doesn't seem to be bothered by the dogs he might be. Cats are really weird and they can get picky about things overnight.

I don't think the cage is mean or cruel. Better that than you getting rid of him or kicking him outside.

[amalie79]

I can't remember what brand we used first... Arm and Hammer unscented has worked fairly well for us recently. Special Kitty from Wal-Mart was acceptable; Petco's bulk refillable litter is not great for clumping, but I was so sick of having the plastic and the boxes from the others that I switched anyway.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Joyce, I have found that the litter of the gods is "World's Best Cat Litter." http://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/

I love this stuff, and The Piss has been peeing out of her box less since I got it.

[iluvk9]

Thanks for the brand names, Amalie and Liz. I used Special Kitty from Walmart, and didn't see a difference, but will try the Arm and Hammer. I googled Worlds Best Cat Litter and I can get it locally.

[iluvk9]

I just bought Arm and Hammers version of Worlds Best Cat Litter. Sort of combining both the suggestions.

I still don't feel I can trust him to roam free, so at night he will be in his condo.

[BullyLady]

It may be anxiety related, even if he doesn't seem to be bothered by the dogs he might be. Cats are really weird and they can get picky about things overnight.

I don't think the cage is mean or cruel. Better that than you getting rid of him or kicking him outside.

Yes to both of these things, cats are soooooo finicky. =/

I would look into an antidepressant/antianxiety medication if I were you.

[iluvk9]

I would look into an antidepressant/antianxiety medication if I were you.

Harleybird is on them to increase his appetite, so maybe after Bo goes on them, I should!!

And if anyone thinks I am going to be able to shove a pill down his throat, you are nuts. He is not going to cooperate on that.

[plebayo]

And if anyone thinks I am going to be able to shove a pill down his throat, you are nuts. He is not going to cooperate on that.

Quit being a weener.

Besides, you can have the medication compounded into a liquid form FYI

[iluvk9]

Besides, you can have the medication compounded into a liquid form FYI

And how do you suggest I hold his little face and pour it into the sides of his mouth as he kicks and scratches me while growling like a mountain lion?

I am probably not going the medication route, as I try my best to deal with things other ways besides drugs.

[plebayo]

Besides, you can have the medication compounded into a liquid form FYI

And how do you suggest I hold his little face and pour it into the sides of his mouth as he kicks and scratches me while growling like a mountain lion?

I am probably not going the medication route, as I try my best to deal with things other ways besides drugs.

If you did go the medication route you could put it in wet food, or a small amount of tuna. I'm watching a cat for some people that are on vacation and they used to hide her thyroid pill in a tuna ball. I definitely understand not wanting to medicate him, but the only issue with the cage is if he has to live in there permanently you will probably at least need to let him out to play for a little bit... That's the only negative I see with being permanently caged - he can't really exercise and move around.

There's a show on animal planet called 'My Cat From Hell' you might watch some of the episodes. The guy has some good insight into helping cats feel secure in the home.

I can't remember, did you ever try using feliway? That might be something to try as well.

Cats can be really frustrating, no doubt about that!

[hugapitbull]

And how do you suggest I hold his little face and pour it into the sides of his mouth as he kicks and scratches me while growling like a mountain lion?

I would suggest you drag out the equipment you used when you first got Lenny and he wanted to eat you.

[pitbullmamaliz]

I would suggest you drag out the equipment you used when you first got Lenny and he wanted to eat you.

[mnp13]

I would suggest you drag out the equipment you used when you first got Lenny and he wanted to eat you.

Actually, though my cats are not scratchers or biters, when I have to pill them, I put them on the couch arm and then open their mouth - that way when they dig in with their claws it's onto the couch and not me!

[iluvk9]

Michelle, I recently bought a leather couch, so screw that idea.

Suzanne, Bo gets to run around when I am home and can watch him. Ironically, all yesterday, he chose to stay in his cage, even with the doors open. And I let him outside, when I am outside, to sit on the deck.




I can always chase him around for exercise.

I have been trying to figure out his age, and I came up with 14-16.

So far the new litter smells sort of nice and he uses it, and not the floor of his cage.

What is feliway?