Posted on 08/11/2008 4:41:14 PM PDT by yankeedame
In a nut shell: I have a ten year old, neutered, never been outside, male cat in perfect health who just took "a dump", worthy of any cocker spaniel, on the bedroom floor.
He did something like that about a year ago in the living room by the patio door. At first I scolded him but thought no more about it. Then this....the begining of a trend? He had a fresh litter box laid out last night. I am a "stay at home mom" so it couldn't be loneliness. All I can think of is that more and more he wants to be escorted to his food bowl whenever he feels the need for a nosh, no matter what time of day or night. But, for Pete sake, this is an empty nester apt. not Buckingham palace!
Anyway, sorry for ranting and raving but does any one have any thoughts, suggestions, whatever, to nip this thing in the bud?
(It's almost 90 deg. out there and I had to open the bedroom windows to try and get the smell out...grrrrrr)
Assuming this cat is in perfect health, something has changed, and he’s telling you something. You say your cat “did it” on the bedroom floor. Is the litter anywhere near the bedroom? If not, the choice of bedroom is interesting. Do you have a new boyfriend?
Are you sure this isn't a sign of a health issue?
-PJ
Your vet needed to be bumped off. I had a 24 yr old cat that didn’t START using the litterbox regularly until she was 18.....when I changed brands of litter
I’ve got an older cat named Mittens. She has her own personality. When she’s upset, she really trashes her litter box and meows until she’s almost hoarse. Once I pay attention to her and calm her down, she’s more careful with the contents of her litter box.
Baking Soda,stock up.
BTW, did you actually catch him in flagrante? If you didn’t actually catch him in the act, is he having hairball probs, d’ya know? Sometimes the feces can cling to the cat or get stuck on the way out if hairballs are a problem, and the cat’ll wipe his fanny on the floor to get rid of the, er...scat. If it’s hairball related, give your kitty a lube job. And if that’s what’s needed, I hope yours is better about it than mine is. He hates being lubed :(
If the cat is declawed, he/she may have a problem with the cat liter.
Maybe he’s just “thinking outside the box”.
> I had a 24 yr old cat that didn’t START using the litterbox regularly until she was 18.....when I changed brands of litter
Wow — that’s alot of work. If you’d owned a dog, you could have trained it to dump-on-command from about 6 weeks old and never had that problem for 18 years.
When I first saw the title, I thought you were asking for advice dumping a cat.
I had a doggie too. Anyway, as it turned out, Mandy’s nose was very sensitive and she hated the scent and dust of litter. When I changed brands, she faithfully used the box. The last night, before we had her put to sleep, she collapsed and couldn’t walk. I found her dragging herself across the floor to the litter box. Yup. The cat who shunned them for most of her life. Wish I’d discovered sooner what the problem was. *sigh*
Having an accident once a year in separate locations is not a trend. Your cat apparently had an upset tummy. Get over it.
That was funny as hell.
Okay, off subject but does anyone know anything about house training Yorkies? My son has a 3 year old and he always has BM’s inside. Their vet just says yorkies are harder to train.
Surely there is something that can be done. My husband says they just do not give him enough outside exercise. Thanks for any advice, I hate going over there because of this.
LOL! Ah my dear, you flatter me. Nope, just the same old husband. (Me thinks he chose the bedroom to take his "dump" since he knew the odds were better that either hunny or I would step on/in it.)
I made a special gift for a friend who was going to inherit a cat when he got married. It was a feline disposal kit. It consisted of a claw hammer and a hazardous waste disposal bag.
I’m no veterinarian or anything like that, just a long-time pet owner who’s picked up a few things along the way:
It could be a combination of the heat and his advancing age. You said it happened a year ago.
Maybe his litter box wasn’t clean enough for him?
Maybe he’s sick, but not showing it in any other way? How’s his appetite? Does he have any problems (like arthritis, say) that cause him constant pain or discomfort?
It won’t do any good to try to correct him hours after the fact, that’s for sure. He won’t be able to make the connection hours later, even if you rub it in his face (my dad used to do that to our pets, but it never worked). You’ve almost got to catch him in the act for reinforcement (positive or negative) to work.
Who knows? I think these things are likely to happen to all pet owners at one time or another.
Keep his litter box clean, his water bowl filled with fresh, cool water. Don’t let the house get too hot, day or night. Watch him closely for any sign that he might be sick or in pain. Keep his bedding clean and fresh. Cats that age that have been living with you a long time have routines they become accustomed to, and can act out if their routine is disrupted in any way. Good luck!
> Mandy’s nose was very sensitive and she hated the scent and dust of litter.
Let’s hope that this is the case for YankeeDame’s cat: nobody likes to lose a pet, and if the solution is as easy as getting different litter, it’s well worth a try, ay.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.