Please help, giving up.

Hello I am new to the forums.

I have to admit that I don't post on them very often at all but I am at the end of my rope and was about ready to destroy my cat. I love animals and it really does upset me to even think of it but I am not sure what to do at this point.

Allow me to explain:
I have 2 cats which I got from a rescue shelter about a year ago (they were kittens), they were given all the inspections and such and we were told they were in perfect health. Cost of $350 total for all med bills and spaying. (Both females.)

First day home and one of them has diarrhea, not to worry we go and pay the vet $400 for meds for the both of them and tests to be safe and such, they have giardia and we do exactly as told. Also, one has respiratory issues, we pay $100 for that.

6 months later, same issues as before with the same cat, another $400 and we have to clean the entire house and bleach and get new boxes and use disposable boxes and food/water dishes while we give them the array of medications. By the way, kitty still has respiratory issues, she can only play for a little and lays down wheezing like she has asthma. $400.

Kitty claws the couch, poops on the floor and walls (don't ask how), attempts to constantly get on the counter and eat our food, and now, she waits for people to come into the house and bolts out the side door almost all the time. (She is and has to be an indoor cat.)

Now, we are taking an active role in attempting to solve her problems:
We don't strike kitty.
Attempted spray bottles, she runs but comes back a second later to try again.
Attempted loud noise to startle her, she looks at us.
Clip her claws to prevent furniture destruction.
Supplied 3 litter boxes, cleaned daily, all different types from enclosed to open.
Supplied multiple scratch toys.
Put catnip on said toys.
Put some cat correction spray on surfaces she shouldn't claw.
Purchased a scat-mat to try to keep her from taking food from the counter.

Nothing works, it's been a year. The other cat? Not an angel but no health issues at all.

I fear the sick cat is suffering and jeopardizing the healthy cats health (as well as our own since she poos and pees all over)

Tonight the sick cat just randomly jumped up on me while trying to sleep and peed all over me, my blanket, and my couch.

I don't know what to do, I love both cats but I am out of money, I never would imagine one cat costing over $1000 in the first year. She keeps ending up with the same issues months later even though we purchased heavy solvents and a steam cleaning mop and go through the house weekly.

Please help me, what would you do in my situation?

Thank you.

May, you are an angel. Many people wouldnt care to suffer BOTH health issues, non cheap vet, and all these peeing and pooing...

I have a theory here.
She was checked as healthy, yet next day she was ill. She has also peeing and pooing, this is often sayed to be caused by problems in her life.
Theory: Her illness is partly psychosomatic. Thus, part of the solution will be working on her wellbeing.

Thus. Try with a Feliway diffuser. (There is a thread recently about Feliway, look it up).

Second, a tip from one of the forumists, LDG: "in posting to another thread, I remembered that music can REALLY help stressed kitties. Check out these two links:
http://www.musicmypet.com/ and
There's a link to the music in the upper right corner: http://www.catfaeries.com/
Also, look for any harp music you can find."

In correcting her, dont use water, do hiss instead - like cats do.

Use also positive reinforements, ie every time she is peeing and poing at the right place, or scratching at the right place - praise her by talk nice to her, perhaps give treats, etc.
You can also praise her pal when the pal does things properly, when she sees it - they do learn from each other.

In cleaning: An first overall cleaning: The swedish liquid bolt soap is best. If you dont find it, any mild liquid soap or mild unparfumed dishing soap should do. After it, vinegar or dissolved vinegar spirit. (Vinegar very good at dissolving the pee!). Afterwash again with that liquid soap.
On places you cant use liquids, like the sofa: soak profusely with the vinegar. Let it dry out (perhaps by blowing warm air on it). Use the vacuum cleaner.

there are also modern, enzyme-based, spraying detergents. You vill find these at any well sorted pet shop.

Try to find a cheaper vet. Yours vet dont seems to be very cheap...


Good luck!


Ps. Welcome to the Forums!

May you really are an angel to put up with all that for a year!!!

I found when using a spray bottle the best plan was to pair it with a "psss, psss, psssssss" noise; that way I actually only had to get them once or twice before they associated the sound with getting sprayed & I didn't actually need to spray them any more. They now all respond to just the "psss, psss, psssssss" noise and immediately get off the table/stop what they are doing.

Is their any chance you're able to add an out-door enclosure for her? You don't need to go with the expensive pre-made ones, there are other solutions - but that might stop her from bursting out the door. Or you could try walks on a leash? (although you have to have thick skin because people are going to laugh at you ). Maybe some fresh air would do her some real good.

She sounds more like my naughty toddler then a cat!

I hiss at my kitties as well, and it does seem to help. Now instead of clinging to the tapestry, they pull a hit an run. Run by, tag it so it swings back and forth, and take off running down the hallway before Meowmy can yell.

I can't see how you can do much more than you are already doing. Usually I'd say try spaying her to calm her down some, but she's already been spayed from the beginning. Maybe some outside time will help, I agree with Nes on that. If you try doing it at the same time every day, she may learn to wait for it and stop trying to run outside at other times.

Good luck to you and your kitties. I hope everything is solved soon.

First thing I would do - even though you've spent so much money - is get a different vet opinion. Does the kitty still have diarrhea? If so, she may still have giardia. It can be very difficult to get rid of. The problem is that the "cysts" can hide in the colon - so just ONE fecal sample cannot determine if the cat is free of the problem. You have to take 2 - 3 samples over about a week period to be sent out and tested. That is the only way to be sure it is gone.

Personally, I think your kitty is sick - perhaps asthama, perhaps allergies, perhaps giardia - I don't know - but that is why she is "acting out."

Please use Stefan's advice! Cats learn best through postive reinforcement, not negative reinforcement. However, we've learned the best deterrent is not a hiss - people can't do it right - but a short, sharp puff of air directly to the face. This human equivalent of a hiss is something cats understand - especially when coupled with a firm "No." But you must take the next step - don't just show her what she's doing wrong, show her what she SHOULD do. If she's climbing a curtain, put her on something she can climb. Do you have any cat trees? Sounds like she needs at least one.

To stop the furniture destruction - do you have a lot of different types of scratchers? Drape your furniture in throw blankets and spray it with Feliway spray. When you see her scratching it, blow in her face, say no, and move her to a scratcher, if you must, hold a paw and scratch on the scratcher, and tell her WHAT a good girl she is!

Everything she does right, praise her to high heaven. Anything she does wrong, redirect her.

And she will continue to pee and poop all over a) if she's sick, b) if you don't clean up the scent with an ENZYME cleaner. Sounds like you should invest in both a black light and Nok Out to me. Not all enzyme cleaners are created equal, and we've found Nok Out to be the best. The black light should be used at night to find all places she's peed (will turn up as an orange splotch): http://www.ambericawest.com/blacklight.html
Nok Out: http://www.nokout.com

I would definitely purchase Feliway spray. I'm sure you can find it cheaper, but I'm providing a link to this site so you can also look up Flower Essences. I would purchase Bach's Rescue Remedy for her (health food stores often carry it). Dab it behind her ears, at the base of her tail, a good dab under her chin (so it wafts up into her nose) and a few drops added to the water daily after you clean the dish. So here's the link where you can see the Flower Essences and the Feliway spray: http://www.catfaeries.com

I would invest in the calming music. Specific classical and harp music are VERY calming to cats.

I would also consider giving her extra alone play time. Sounds like she's got energy to spare.

I would also use the Feliway all over the house (but not near litter boxes or scratching posts). I would also consider purchasing the Cat Attract Litter Additive. You don't have to exactly follow the instructions. It is expensive, and we find that just sprinkling a thin layer on top and mixing it in a little bit does the trick. Here's that product: (this is a good price for it) http://www.entirelypets.com/catattract.html

Have you tried purchasing new litter boxes? Different litter? Adding one or two litter boxes?

Finally, if she does get a clean bill of health from a new vet, I would ask about using amitryptaline. This is a very old line anti-depressant. It doesn't work well for depression in kitties, but it does help calm down stressed feral cats, and it does cause cats to retain their pee - which, for some reason, causes them to start using the litter box again. This is something to consider to break this cycle, give all of you some breathing room, and restart new habits.

I do not know this to be fact, but a rescuer told me that ammonia was the best way to clean the litter pans for giardia. You cannot use ammonia to clean other surfaces as it will encourage them to urinate in that place.

I also throw sheets or blankets over furniture. Easy to pick up for guests and wash.

Follow the instructions on the back of the ENZYME cleaners. Sometimes you need to reapply and let air dry. This does make a difference.

I have used Nok Out cleaner and it works very well.

I hope you can find a vet that will help you get to the cause of the medical issues. That does seem like asthma and if so getting all the chemical ingredients off areas she uses and getting an unscented dust free litter will help.

You are a wonderful pet parent and I do believe the suggestions from everyone may very well help. Hope something helps. for your cat and for you.

OH, girl! I feel for you!

First off, I recommend that you look for a cheaper vet. I've dealt with Giardia, dealt with URI's and UTI's and the most I've ever paid at the vet was $350 at a shot because Charlie ingested a ribbon and had to have test after test run and was in the hospital for a week. They're definitely overcharging you.

I would also recommend secluding them in a bedroom with all the comforts of the rest of the house. Use a Feliway diffuser and play some soft music. Sit with them. Just SIT. Cats are so intuitive and so perceptive that I think a part of this is that they're picking up on your stress. Just sit with them for maybe 30 minutes at a shot and wait for them to come to you, speak to them in a low, soothing voice and let them really enjoy you for the sweet caregiver you are. This will also remove them from the temptations of jumping on the counter and confine their messes to one part of the house. I echo that you should definitely use an enzymatic cleaner. I had a problem with Ramsey peeing inappropriately when we let him into the house after we took him in and I cleaned with enzymatic cleaner called Nature's Miracle along with dawn dishwashing soap and peroxide. It worked and left my carpet looking like new!

Another thing to try is Soft Paws: http://softpaws.com/. They're nail caps that still give the cat sensation of clawing, but which curb any destruction of your furniture. Plus, they come in supercute colors. They last for approximately a month, but less at first because the cats will chew, chew, chew on them to get them off.

I hiss at my cats. They understand it far better than anything else (except the water bottle, lol). Another thing to try is stomping your feet, hard, whenever you walk through the front door. Nobody wants to be trampled, and they should jump out of the way. I would not take them outside, even on a leash. I used to do that with Albert and he got to where he thought he could just go outside, which was absolutely out of the question. I don't think letting them out will help your bolting problem.

I really think that a lot of this is them acting out because it's such a stressful situation. If you are able to put them in a separate room and interact with them on your terms, it will lessen your stress which will in turn lessen theirs. Good luck and please keep us updated.

Like the other posters I think it is also time for you to go to a different vet. Sometimes a new vet with fresh eyes and ears can be a god send. And also a cheaper one can be much easier on the pocket book. I know this from experience with BOTH of my cats. The best thing I did for them both was leave the long time vet (11 years) and found new vets.

What is your kitty usually pooping or peeing on? Do you leave many items lying around on the floor or the house cluttered? Some cats do not like clutter or anything lying around and your cat may be telling you this the only way he knows how.

You could also try putting newspaper, puppy training pads, towels, etc. into one of the litterboxes. Some cats DO NOT like the feel of litter on their behinds. So this is why they use everything else but the litterbox...

Feliway diffusers are great for stress relief and calming for your cat. I don't know how big your house is but I would definately purchase more than one. My sister purchased two that she keeps plugged in all the time for her one bedroom apartment for her spraying cat and it has done wonders for his spraying habit....he doesn't spray anymore!!! You can purchase them for cheap on EBAY, Amazon, entirelypets, etc.

Bach Pet Rescue Remedy also a great stress reliever that can calm your kitty down as well. Make sure you purchase the Pet remedy as it is alcohol free. You can purchase it on http://www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm or http://www.iherb.com/bach-original-f...per/10604?at=0

Where are the litterboxes located? Are they in quiet secluded areas of the house? Some cats are very private and do not like to go to the bathroom in higher traffic areas. Are the boxes located near the furnace or washer and dryer? The sounds could be scaring the cat and preventing him from using the litterbox.

To prevent the scratching of your furniture could you put blankets on the couch and take them off when company comes over. Or if he goes to the washroom on the blanket than you can take off and throw in washer. I use the blankets for my scratcher cat and my kitty that has megacolon. She can not control her pooping and sometimes leaves poop smears or poops around the house. The blankets are very convenient, Can you get a plastic mattress cover for your bed if your cat pees on the bed? Or leave a plastic cover on the bed when you are not home?

What does your kitty like to scratch on? Carpet? Sissal? etc. I find leaving a few pieces of carpet around for my scratcher cat to scratch on also helps him from scratching the furniture.

Hello!

First I just wanted to really thank everyone that took the time to reply, this is the nicest forum I think I have ever posted on. (I would of posted earlier but I worked 14 hours today :/ only got 3 hours of sleep due to kitty last night.)

I'll try to answer and fill in some things, I am still exhausted though so I am sorry if I don't make much sense!

StefanZ: I will look into the Feliway thing! I already play calming classical music in the house so I have that covered Also, I have gone through .. BAGS and BAGS of kitty treats, I actually still do some positive reinforcement with the scratching posts and such but she still just doesn't get it. I use an enzyme based cleaner, then steamed the sofa, then did the cleaner again, then put baking soda on it. (I was told that they don't like baking soda since it helps mask the scent?) The reason I used the enzyme twice is that after the first treatment she was caught by a family member sniffing and pawing at where she went pee.

I've been looking into a new Vet, this one was recommended to us because they do overnight emergency care.. but I think I'll go back to my old one, she didn't cost nearly as much and I didn't have to keep going back.

Nes: They cannot go outside, I forgot to mention that Ms. Evil Kitty has a plant eating issue. At a cost of over $300 for the tests it was a bad bad day. Plus, I had to sign a waiver from the shelter saying that they would be indoor cats. (It's too dangerous out where I am anyway with all the coyotes and such.) Hissing just makes her look at me funny for a moment then go back to consuming all my free time, lol.

LDG: She cleared up but I noticed her walk changing again and.. though it sounds icky.. her anus is getting large again. It's so strange but the thing over time will get to be the size of a quarter, it looks out of proportion with her body. She also has a "poochy" belly that just feels like saggy skin but hangs down by a few inches. (Hence her nickname of Pooch )

I am looking to buy a cat tree, have been for ages! Thanks for the reminder! The issue is that with all the medical bills.. I can't afford one. I do cover the couches and stuff with blankets but they both enjoy digging under blankets so that just makes it worse. I do have tons of toys and cat scratching posts all over, they do have tons of selection to pick.

SamhainBorn: Thank you for making me feel more sane and the encouragement.

Skimble: During the treatments we used only disposable litterboxes and food/water dishes. The boxes had there own supply of litter so they were always clean, cost me $30 or so but I felt it would be worth it.

IHeartStrays: The outdoor bolting started when she got out one time due to a family member. She comes to me when I call her and luckily with a bit of coaxing it's pretty easy to get her back to me. (I cradle her like a baby and rub her belly and she lets me carry her wherever.)

I had been thinking about the softpaws or possibly declawing. ($100 or so when we first got them because kitten playtime led to the other kitty getting a clawed eye.)

I decided that the only declawing I would do was laser, which is supposadly less expensive and painless. Issue is that it's $500 a foot, plus I don't really like the idea of it, I've owned many many cats and never had any declawed. I'll look into the softpaws, thank you very much!

Denali: She hangs her butt out of the litterbox and pees and poos on the floor alot. I just got rid of the closed style box and changed over to my 4th different litter this evening. She also seems to pee on fabrics, I haven't caught her on the carpet yet.. but it smells like she may have in some areas. She also peed on the blanket and couch as you know. At one point she was leaking diahrea in trails all over the house/sofa/floor.. and she even would get it all up the walls in the bathroom, it was so gross. I felt so bad for her!

Clutter is no issue.. I am so OCD that I try to organize all their toys, which they of course scatter throughout the house. (That's ok though, it's good for them to play )

They use to have a box in the basement until they came up with a half rotting dead mouse. (I have only lived at this house for 6 months.) There is mice poo and everything and it's just not a safe or healthy environment down there right now so they aren't allowed down there until I have the money and time to get rid of all the yuck and insulation. Boxes have been all over the place and the main one they use is in the bathroom in it's own little quiet area

The bedroom is not an issue.. I have to admit that I am allergic to cats and have issues so they can't go in there.. though they do try.. They are allowed free range of the rest of the house though, so they have numerous rooms to run around and destroy. She scratches.. EVERYTHING cloth. Even by accident, I noticed that when she is playing and runs she rips things apart with the claws on her back feet, digging them in to run. I've never seen them be that rough before with back feet and it surprised me.

ALL: I also tried that spray that is supposed to keep them away, doesn't work very well for very long. I put catnip on areas where they ought to scratch too, it helps but it seems as if she gets bored after a couple hours and will go off to claw the sofa.

Thank you all so much and sorry for the long post but you all gave up your time to help me so I thought it only proper to thank each of you and enlighten/discuss/whatever the word I am looking for is!

Work in 6 hours.. I think I need to eat.. er.. drink? I just realized that I already fed the kitties and played a little and didn't feed myself! Haha!

Night!

Hi and welcome to the forums, 'though I'm sorry it has to be under these conditions.

You've been given a lot of good advice here and I don't have much to add, although I absolutely agree about getting a second opinion - a year with the same issue is definitely too long.

And when you talk to the new vet, also ask if diet could be an issue. Some cats have very sensitive digestive systems, while others are actually allergic to some of the commercial ingredients (especially the grains). If diet is the culprit, only changing the diet can fix the problem. (I know a lady on another forum who's cat went from near constant diarrhea to perfectly normal stools once his diet was changed. She posted about the problem and the fix real-time, it was amazing what a difference the new diet made.)

Good luck to you!!! Keep us updated, ok?

If she pees/poops over the edge of a box, try a tall Sterilite or Rubbermaid bin instead of a litter box. They are bigger and cheaper than most litter boxes, and my cats like those types of boxes much better than any regular litter pan that I've ever used.

And simply steaming your sofa will not get out the smell. Covering the smell with baking soda only helps your nose, but she will still be able to smell it. You need a good enzyme cleaner and you need to saturate the sofa with it, then repeat for good measure. Nok Out has worked for me when others have failed.

Be 100% consistent when you redirect her away from counters and scratching your furniture. I look at training a cat no different than training a young child. If the only thing you did for a child was to yell at it when it did something wrong, it would never learn what is right. I don't use squirt bottles on my cats because it doesn't teach them what they should be doing. When you see her scratching your sofa, give her a firm NO, carry her to the scratch post and place her paws on it. I'll kneel next to them and scratch the post with them for a bit, then give them a treat when they use it. Positive reinforcement works when you are consistent with it.

Hang in there!! There are a lot of people on this site that have been in your shoes and have come out of it with support from this great bunch of people. You have found the right site!!

Also, I have gone through .. BAGS and BAGS of kitty treats, I actually still do some positive reinforcement with the scratching posts and such but she still just doesn't get it.

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Only give her a treat when she does something RIGHT....not just because. Teach her a word like "treat" and say it over and over again so that she knows she has done something good. And only use the word when she does something good followed by the treat and lots of pats and kisses. I trained my cats certain words....it is so cute....

One thing you also have to remember is your kitty is quite young. She will grow out of alot of the misbehaving and rambunctious things she pulls on you. I know my cat grew out of alot once he turned about 3 or 4.

I use an enzyme based cleaner, then steamed the sofa, then did the cleaner again, then put baking soda on it.

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What one do you use? Some of the cleaners just mask the odor instead of taking the odor out. Someone on the forum suggested NOK. I will suggest Justrite....the website is http://www.justrite.com/123kit.htm I belong to a feline inappropriate elimination group http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/F...e_Elimination/ and they have tried every cleaner on the market to no avail. This Justrite seems to really get out the smell not mask it.

(I was told that they don't like baking soda since it helps mask the scent?

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)

Really - I have never heard that they don't like baking soda. I used to use it in the litterboxes all the time...

The reason I used the enzyme twice is that after the first treatment she was caught by a family member sniffing and pawing at where she went pee.

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The cleaner is not really working then. Cats can smell many things that we humans can not.

They cannot go outside

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Can you take her outside on a leash supervised. I did this for years in the yard where I used to rent. You can also take them for a walk on the leash. Both my cats are indoor cats.

She hangs her butt out of the litterbox and pees and poos on the floor alot.

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Is the litterbox big enough for her? The poster above gave a great recommendation of a very tall rubbermaid container - either place the litterbox in it, use only the Rubbermaid container as a litterbox (I do this, much cheaper than a litterbox) or you can keep the lid on top and cut a hole in the container for easy access. These recommendations will keep her from peeing and pooping over the edge.

I just got rid of the closed style box and changed over to my 4th different litter this evening.

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Why not just take the lid off and keep the bottom? How many litterboxes do you have in the house? Rule of thumb is one per cat plus an extra one. I have 2 cats so they have a litterbox each. What type of litter are you using? And what types have you tried? You may have to use different types in the differnet litterboxes? Did you see my response regarding trying newspaper, puppy training pads, or old towels in one litterbox? To see if this helps?

At one point she was leaking diahrea in trails all over the house/sofa/floor.. and she even would get it all up the walls in the bathroom, it was so gross. I felt so bad for her!

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Another poster mentioned her diet....what are you feeding her? Some cats do not do well on all the ingredients in commercial pet food. She may have a sensitive stomach and this is why she may be leaking poop? She may need a grainfree food.

She scratches.. EVERYTHING cloth. Even by accident, I noticed that when she is playing and runs she rips things apart with the claws on her back feet, digging them in to run. I've never seen them be that rough before with back feet and it surprised me.

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This is normal. She is young. Very rambunctious....sounds like she takes off with her back feet. Most cats do. My cats do this all the time. It is natural....she is not being rough.

ALL: I also tried that spray that is supposed to keep them away, doesn't work very well for very long.

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Didn't work for me either.....have you tried placing packing tape with the sticky side facing towards the cat. Cats do not like sticky things? This may deter her from scratching???

Okay, I have skimmed most of the posts, so forgive me if this is a repeat.

First of all, all I can say is you're an ANGEL for hanging in there with this kitty during all this!! I would be bald and in a mental institution by now!! It's so obvious that you love this girl and want the best for her since you've done all this stuff and now you're here seeking help. Bless you!!

I totally second the call for a different vet and/or second opinion. If you can find a cat-only vet, that would be great! I also agree with trying the Feliway (or Comfort Zone w/ Feliway diffusers). I also agree with trying the Rescue Remedy to help calm her, but use that in moderation as it can make them 'zone out' and act like a zombie, which isn't what you really want.

Has your cat been tested for not only giardia, but for T-F? You should read up on it. Here's a great thread about it. http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...Test+Parasites

I would also recommend using an enzymatic cleaner such as Zero Odor, http://www.zeroodorstore.com/, or something someone posted here recently that's used by clean up crews at crime scenes and stuff like that. I'll have to see if I can find the name of it for you. In the meantime, if you have time, read all the recent posts in the health care forum on diarrhea and runny poo.

Keep coming back here for encouragement and venting! Many people have gone what you're going through and can support you.

OS it sounds like you're doing all the right things, you just have a very difficult kitty!

If she's eating plants outside, maybe provide her with some cat-grass? That may also help her tummy a little. If you take her out no a leash you will be able to prevent her from snacking as she goes.

For clarity, I never suggested you hiss at your kitty The sound I make is more like an snake hiss, it's just my annoyed sound, the same way I say "no, no, no" to my son or "pshhh" to my dogs. You can go "BAZOOOM" if you want, the point want just to associate it with the spray (or a puff of air in the face, they really do hate that!) so that you can stop behaviours even when the cat is across the room.

Best of luck!

I forgot to mention that my DH growls at our cat from time to time when she's being naughty (on the counters). It's quite effective for us. Don't know if it's recommended or not, but the girl loves her daddy and jumps off when she hears him start growling!

I think the suggestion of a bigger litter box, such as a sterilite storage container, to be a good idea.

But there was a hint there...you mentioned her anus swelling up. It sure sounds to me like she has an anal gland problem, and that alone could account for a significant number of your problems.

MrBlanche had a good suggestion, but presumably thats something your vet should have noticed.

Originally Posted by Nes

MrBlanche had a good suggestion, but presumably thats something your vet should have noticed.

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We've learned the hard way that expensive vets are not necessarily good ones!

But I think Mike's on to something for sure.

Laurie

Originally Posted by Nes

MrBlanche had a good suggestion, but presumably thats something your vet should have noticed.

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Not necessarily.....he may have missed it or did not think that was the problem. I speak from experience because I went to the same vet for roughly 10 or so years and he had repeatedly diagnosed Lexus's problem as enlarged anal glands and every time the symptoms returned over 2 years (about every 2-3 months) he would extract her glands. FINALLY I took her to another vet and the problem was not her anal glands at all. She was majorily constipated. And now it has progressed to Megacolon. Which I firmly believe that if the longtime vet would have treated her for constipation in the beginning she would not have progressed to Megacolon. I also had a bad experience with this vet for my other cat. He diagnosed him wrong as well for atleast 5 or so years. I am so glad I woke up and took them to different vets. Best decision I ever made.

One thing I wanted to suggest for her rambunctious little personality is could you buy shelves that you could place in the living room or spare bedroom that you could place on the wall for kitty to climb on. And place fabric or blankets on them for cats to sleep on. This may be cheaper than a huge condo? Although a condo would be great for scratching and climbing on. I think you said you had scratching posts, right? What kind are they?

Yes, the shelving idea is GREAT for vertical space. Wood board are easy and cheap to purchase, sand and stain, and those "L" or triangle brackets are not expensive either. But for ideas on how to use them, check this out: http://www.katwallks.com/customerphotos.htm VERY cool!

Laurie