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I rehomed my cat after having her for four years. Same issues, almost exactly. Peeing on the couch. Peeing on the floor. Hissing and clawing at my cat, dogs, me, my baby. She peed on the baby's chair one day and that was it, I was over it. I put a craigslist ad up for her with some cute pictures. I got an e-mail about a week later from someone. She ended up in an apartment with an older woman whose kids had already gone off to college. Now that she's the only animal in the household she's an angel, and the woman who adopted her spoils her rotten. She never hisses or claws anymore and pees where she is supposed to.
You won't get any argument from me, if your cat doesn't fit in your household, maybe she would be happier being an "only cat." I have some tips on craigslisting a pet if you want them.
It sounds like you've done everything you can to improve the situation, and she's still not having it. I agree with MightySapphire, I think she needs a home where she's the sole pet, because she clearly doesn't play well with others.
@MightySapphire: I PMed you! Thanks!
@linguo42: Thanks for your reply! I'm seriously thinking that it might be best for her to go somewhere else. It's going to be hard to give her away. One thing is, I don't want to be dishonest about her eliminating issues, how could I explain that?
@beekiss: Because it's behavioral, you can't be sure the cat will do it in another environment. After discussing it with my vet, she said that it's likely the cat wouldn't do it as long as there were no other cats using "her" litterbox. So if you rehome her as an "only cat" she probably won't have issues.
@MightySapphire: Thanks for the PM. I'm going to think it over in the course of the next few days.
I had the same problem with one of my cats. I also didn't know how to rehome her without telling others the truth about why I needed to do so with one cat and not the other. I put her on craigslist about a year ago with no explanation. There were no takers. We've hung on for a while but we decided yesterday morning that the time has definitely come. I'd appreciate any advice about how to find a new home for her.
@MightySapphire: great advice!
You have to do what is best for the family as a whole, plus I'm sure she will be happier as an only pet
I had a inside cat one time..... ONE TIME. It started peeing on my carpet in one spot and it use to make me so mad.... when it peed on my brand new couch and I almost lost it. I gave it away the next day. I will NEVER have a cat anymore. dont feel bad for giving it away. your tried your best. Hope she finds a new home soon!!!
Unfortunately pets are a dime a dozen at the moment, so many over crowded shelters, not enough homes.
Hopefully you can get some good craiglist tips on how to markety your kitty for a great fur-ever home!
I had a similar issue with my cat after we got our two dogs. Due to the decreased attention he refused to use his litterbox and instead would poop and pee right next to it. We tried everything we could think of and after consulting with the vet determined it wasn't anything physical, but rather he was throwing tantrums if you will.
We ended up rehoming him after much debate because he clearly wasn't happy in our home any longer without full and complete attention (which he used to recieve). I felt enormous guilt but in the end the family that adopted him reported back that he no longer had the issues and was seemingly happy in his new home.
I do think about him every once in awhile and wonder.
@beekiss: I'm sorry, this must be tough :(. What I would do is post something on craigslist with some photos. Include if she's spayed & up to date on shots & that she comes with vet records (if you have those) & a little about her personality. In the ad I'd put something like "needs to be the only cat". I wouldn't write about her non-litterbox use in the ad. When a person comes to meet her, tell them that she does it because of the other cats & they can do a trial period & they can bring her back if it doesn't work out.
Please be careful about re-homing. That may be a good solution, but there are a lot of people who look for "free pets" for very bad purposes. You also might want to ask your vet about medication. There are some that are relatively inexpensive.
They do have animal behaviorists that specialize in cats, (think "My Cat From Hell" on Animal Planet"). I would contact one and see if they think she can be worked with, or if they think she should be rehomed. The fact that she doesn't seem to get along with your other cats does seem to indicate she may do better in a a home where she was the only cat.
If you do rehome her, charge an adoption fee. It doesn't have to be large, but even a small fee tends to weed out some of the weirdos. I would also look at some local rescues' adoption applications so you can get some idea of what questions to ask potential owners.
I just wanted to let you know that I work with a volunteer organization that specializes in rescuing and finding homes for cats. Your cat is exchibiting classic "princess" behaviour. In other words, they are not living well with other animals around.
Don't feel bad about rehoming her. She needs a home with no children or older children only and no other pets to be happy. I see it all the time :)
I wanted to let you all know that I've decided not to rehome her. When I do have kids, and she does hiss/claw, then I'll approach the issue again.
My biggest issue with rehoming her now is that she's super agressive and I don't want any liability if she were to bite somebody. I also know that if I took her to a shelter then she'd likely be put down since she is very agressive (hisses at everyone). It makes me sad that she hisses so much. I don't have the heart to rehome her at this time.
I was able to remove the covers of the couch cushions and wash them in cold water and vinegar and got the smell out. I saturated the foam cushions with an enzyme cleaner that took care of the smell. There's now only a slight vinegar smell but it'll dissipate. Thanks everyone for the advice.
@beekiss: Any update? I've made the decision to rehome one of our cats as well. He used to be a wonderful, loving, playful cat, and now he has seriously turned into basement cat. His fur is matted because he is so large, there is excess amounts of pee and poop in the basement from which he rarely comes out, he's terrified of EVERYTHING, and my second cat has even taken to hissing at him when he passes when they used to snuggle as kittens. He has been trully unhappy for 6-7 years and it breaks my heart (and my bank account) to continue this further. We do also have a dog, which he is terrified of, but our other cat handles just fine. I'm not willing to rehome my dog and cat, whom SO and I are rather attached to, for a cat that never leaves the basement.
Please let me know how this went and what you ended up doing.
UPDATE: Yesterday, we decided to rehome Tux. It was a very painful decision that in some ways I wish we hadn't done but knew was inevitable. I don't want to get into specifics but only that I do really love her. She deserves to be in a home where she's the only pet and there are no children/propect for children. Last night, both my Fiance and I were seriously wanting her back but after sleeping on it, and thinking about how much potential she could have with somebody else, we decided it's best to let it lay. I love her and appreciate the memories we had together, even if we weren't her forever home. My other cats listen for her (we had isolated to her own room while we were gone or asleep so she had her own litter box) but I think they'll adjust with her in no time. I think I'll always have some guilt for not being her forever home and certainly, I'll have a hole in my heart from it.
I'm so so sorry beekiss :(. I know its hard, but honestly it sounds like you did everything you could & re-homing was the best answer for Tux. Plus you didn't just drop her off at the shelter, you found her a good new home. She'll be much happier there, as it sounds like she was demanding to be the only cat. Plus your cats will be happier as well... you and your FI did the right thing. Still, I know its hard re-homing a loved pet, I had to do that at one point & it broke my heart. But I got updates & the dog was an entirely new & happy dog at her new home. Maybe you could get an update from the new owners & when you hear how things are going, that will bring you more comfort.
Update #2: Tux wasn't able to stay in her previous home b/c of aggression so within a week she was back with me. Her elimination issues continued. Today, the Vet euthanized her. It was an incredibly difficult decision for me and I wish that there were an alternative. I hope to see her again at the bridge. My heart hurts.
@beekiss: I understand your pain. My family had to put down a few cats all at once due to this very same problem. I'm sorry for your loss!
I'm sorry to hear your story. I commend you for trying so much for this cat.
As a current veterinary student with interest in behavior issues I have some suggestions for anyone else experiencing this. Sometimes these issues arise from too many cats per litter box. Try having a second litter box, clean it out at LEAST once per day. Are one of the other cats ambushing them when the come out of the litter box? There may also be other stressors, such as a change in litter or change in the household... Is it a male cat that is neutered? (neutering really decreases marking) Do they seem to be in pain when they urinate? You should definitely ask your vet as well for a medical check up because sometimes behavior problems can be caused by an underlying medical issue. I know that this is a difficult issue, good luck.
@beekiss: Sorry to hear that. Hope you are doing ok, what a sad decision to have to make.
For anyone else with these issues, I really recommend this site as a starting point to learning more about it & what you can try to solve it.
@Beau_love: We have 4 boxes for three cats cleaned at least twice daily. She had her own box and she showed no pain when urinating.
I need to vent. The vet sort of annoyed me, he did the two injection method. Unfortunately he wouldn't let me be with her during the final injection so now I feel terrible and like I wasn't there for her. I also feel like I should have had that right and that I don't feel a sense of finality.
@Beau_love: I read that link before I even began this thread. I'm 100% certain it was behavioral, she had some mental issues (coordination, depth perception, and personality). She used to run into walls and never walked/ran quite right, she pecked at the floor. She was the only kitten in her litter to survive, was separated from her mother early, went through a traumatic boarding incident and my roommate from hell that threatened my cat. I feel as though I failed her.
@beekiss: I actually just clicked on this thread for the first time now (TBH, it was because I read it as "I'm thinking of becoming a cat" and I just had to check it out). I'm so sorry you're dealing with all this. My heart hurts for you. It's upsetting that you weren't allowed to be there at the very end, but please don't beat yourself up about it. Big hugs to you. :(
@Juliepants: Thank you! It's been about two and a half weeks and while I don't think of her all the time like I did the first couple of days, I pause every now and then. Sometimes I cry, and feel the worst when Firefox my middle cat who has only ever known her life with Tux is still mourning her. She's been laying against the room that Tux spent a lot of her final days in (not the entire time but where she'd "live" when we weren't home) and sometimes she'll paw that door and do a sorrowful meow, the meow is usually at night.
Anyways, thanks everyone who commented on the thread in the past. I appreciate it, I really do. I will meet her on the bridge one day.
@beekiss: I am so sorry. I've had to put down a cat before due to behavioral problems (aggression) and sometimes, though you know it's the "right" choice, it's still a loss.
And as a vet tech I'm so very sorry you weren't allowed to be there at the end. That's not common these days- I've not yet (read:will never) work with a vet who wouldn't allow it. I would be just as upset. Try contacting a practice manager or the DVM and voicing your concerns, if it is still bothering you. I don't agree with the few who think it is better for owners to not be there, I think that is your choice to make.
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Guys, I'm at my witts end. I have three cats, one of whom has a serious litterbox problem. She is so finicky and I've tried my best to accomodate her demands.
I got new couches two months ago as an early birthday/christmas gift. They were not cheap and we really needed them. I took care to buy couch covers to prevent excess amounts of cat fur from getting on them and for ease of laundering. I'm very meticulous with my things.
Well this particular cat peed on one of the couches. This isn't the first time she's done this outside of her litterbox. I cleaned it up the best I could with vinegar b/c by the time I realized it, it had dried.
She's perfectly healthy, so it's clearly a behavioral issue. I'm getting to the point where I'm seriously wondering how happy she is living with us. My other two cats avoid her b/c she claws/hisses at them. Any guests I invite over have to avoid her or she'll hiss/claw at them. She is such an angry cat. I'm beyond frustrated here. We have plenty of litterboxes, they're not near her food, and I clean them twice a day.
I never figured she'd urinate on my furniture. She's always urinated or defecated on the carpet but I was quick to clean it up.
I'm getting to the point where I'm uncomfortable living with her. I would like to have kids at some point in the next couple of years but I'm concerned that she'd either a) start eliminating more outside the litterbox and my kids would get into it or b) she'd attack them.
I'm not sure what to do. I feel awful contemplating rehoming her. I've had her 3 years and she's always been like this. It's a constant battle to keep her "happy" enough not to mess outside the litterbox.
I just feel terrible about this. I take adopting my cats very seriously but at cost? I'm not sure I can handle much more of this. This is three years of constant issues. I've changed foods, added water fountains, different litterboxes, different litter, cleaning the litterboxes more frequently, etc.
I'm open to advice, suggestions, talking me down from thinking about rehoming her, etc.