- Joined
- May 11, 2006
- Messages
- 8,028
- Purraise
- 22
Well, it's been a long and stressful few months, and the inappropriate peeing has not completely stopped. However, I think we are finally pretty close to solving the problem completely.
There were, in fact, three culprits. Penny had peed on some of my things in anger at the changes in my household, specifically, this "Squeaky-thing" taking over her favored spot on my bed at nights.
With it taking some time, then some talking it out with Miss Penny, her behavior has since calmed down, she has regained her sleeping areas in my bedroom, and the altercations between her and Squeaky are becoming less frequent and less violent.
Max and Squeaky had some problems when Max deferred to her as a newcomer, but then fought and regained his position as the Alpha. Now there are no more bad feelings between the two of them.
It took me a long time (weeks!) to find the source of the urine smell in the living room, but I finally saw Max spraying one day - in the litter box, of all places! And then I noticed he was spraying daily, in the box, aiming at the very back of it.
So I moved out the litter boxes, and took a close look at the wall behind them, and sure enough, the walls were marked. I use the Van Ness jumbo boxes with hoods, and once one of the cats had sprayed in one, some urine went through the crack betweeen the top and the bottom of the boxes onto the wall behind them.
Once Max smelled that, it became his actual JOB to continue to mark there on a daily basis! So I cleaned up the walls and the boxes using Nature's Miracle a week ago, and there has been no more smell and no more repeat of the marking behavior since!
So that takes care of that issue, but what about the occasional peeing in the bathroom on the rug or in the tub? I had changed the rug from a rubber backed one to a cotton one, but that made no difference. Feliway made no difference. I had no idea who was doing it...until this week.
I was scooping the box just outside that room (no room IN the bathroom for a box) and saw Squeaky go into the bathroom. Maxwell was next to me, looking in at her. I heard a scratching noise in there, and I asked her what was she doing (but I couldn't see in from where I was.)
When I finished scooping the box, I went in to see what she was up to, and she was all comfy and meatloafed up in a corner of the room...a foot away from a fresh, bright yellow puddle of pee on my nice, clean rug.
So now to figure out why.
Then I read a post by LDG in someone else's thread about peeing outside the box, and it hit me: I already knew she was in need of a dental, but was trying to get the money together to cover the high dollar quote the vet had given me. (She also needs her ear wax surgically removed.)
Squeaky was trying to tell me that her mouth hurts, and she needs that dental sooner rather than later!
So I got on the ball, made a few calls yesterday and found a vet that charges about a fifth the cost for the surgery. So Squeaky will be able to have the procedure very soon. She'll have a preliminary visit to them in a week, then we'll schedule her surgery.
My thanks to Laurie for shining that light over here!
Long story short, there is still drama, but I am hoping that all peeing out of the box and aggression issues will be quelled as soon as Squeaky's mouth is healthy again. I think Penny might be nicer to her once Squeaky's breath doesn't smell infected.
If you read all the way through, thanks for sticking with the story! It's been a long couple of months, with me working 12 hour days and dealing with coming home to the stink of cat urine and the soap opera of fussing cats.
I think we are just about at equalibrium, now. Just need to get her in and fixed up, and we'll take it from there! Time, patience, perseverence and love will win out every time!
There were, in fact, three culprits. Penny had peed on some of my things in anger at the changes in my household, specifically, this "Squeaky-thing" taking over her favored spot on my bed at nights.
With it taking some time, then some talking it out with Miss Penny, her behavior has since calmed down, she has regained her sleeping areas in my bedroom, and the altercations between her and Squeaky are becoming less frequent and less violent.
Max and Squeaky had some problems when Max deferred to her as a newcomer, but then fought and regained his position as the Alpha. Now there are no more bad feelings between the two of them.
It took me a long time (weeks!) to find the source of the urine smell in the living room, but I finally saw Max spraying one day - in the litter box, of all places! And then I noticed he was spraying daily, in the box, aiming at the very back of it.
So I moved out the litter boxes, and took a close look at the wall behind them, and sure enough, the walls were marked. I use the Van Ness jumbo boxes with hoods, and once one of the cats had sprayed in one, some urine went through the crack betweeen the top and the bottom of the boxes onto the wall behind them.
Once Max smelled that, it became his actual JOB to continue to mark there on a daily basis! So I cleaned up the walls and the boxes using Nature's Miracle a week ago, and there has been no more smell and no more repeat of the marking behavior since!
So that takes care of that issue, but what about the occasional peeing in the bathroom on the rug or in the tub? I had changed the rug from a rubber backed one to a cotton one, but that made no difference. Feliway made no difference. I had no idea who was doing it...until this week.
I was scooping the box just outside that room (no room IN the bathroom for a box) and saw Squeaky go into the bathroom. Maxwell was next to me, looking in at her. I heard a scratching noise in there, and I asked her what was she doing (but I couldn't see in from where I was.)
When I finished scooping the box, I went in to see what she was up to, and she was all comfy and meatloafed up in a corner of the room...a foot away from a fresh, bright yellow puddle of pee on my nice, clean rug.
So now to figure out why.
Then I read a post by LDG in someone else's thread about peeing outside the box, and it hit me: I already knew she was in need of a dental, but was trying to get the money together to cover the high dollar quote the vet had given me. (She also needs her ear wax surgically removed.)
Squeaky was trying to tell me that her mouth hurts, and she needs that dental sooner rather than later!
My thanks to Laurie for shining that light over here!
Long story short, there is still drama, but I am hoping that all peeing out of the box and aggression issues will be quelled as soon as Squeaky's mouth is healthy again. I think Penny might be nicer to her once Squeaky's breath doesn't smell infected.
If you read all the way through, thanks for sticking with the story! It's been a long couple of months, with me working 12 hour days and dealing with coming home to the stink of cat urine and the soap opera of fussing cats.
I think we are just about at equalibrium, now. Just need to get her in and fixed up, and we'll take it from there! Time, patience, perseverence and love will win out every time!
