Leaving today for a week - Please help!

Hi, I was planning on taking my cats with me when I leave this evening to go to my boyfriend's house for a week. My girl friend has warned me not to. This is why: I've found the kitten pooping behind the entertainment center in my apartment. Apparently, by the amount of poop there, this has been going on for a while. I do see him using the litterbox though, but I guess it's not 100% of the time. My friend said that he is a "dirty cat" and that there is no cure for a "dirty cat." They will always be that way and there's no changing that.

The other thing, I smelled pee coming from inside my closet and just now smelled pee coming from under my daughter's bed. I thought maybe I could bring both cats to my boyfriend's and just monitor the kitten, bring him to the litterbox every hour on the hour, and when we leave the house, lock him in the bathroom with the litterbox. My boyfriend has carpeting and nice furniture and I want to keep it that way!

But my girl friend says that it's probably not peeing. It's probably spraying. The kitten is 10 months old and I haven't got him fixed yet. I thought spraying was semen but she explained that spraying is urine, marking the territory. She said that even the older cat who is fixed, could also be spraying now that their are two males in the house. So then I shouldn't bring the cats because I couldn't monitor the spraying if it's not just a bathroom issue.

Please let me know what you think, I'm leaving this evening and have to make a decision soon to bring them or go and find someone to feed the cats while I'm away!

Thanks

I wouldn't take them. Since he's most likely spraying, I'd take him to the vet to be neutered while you're gone and then board them there. Upon your return, if not before you leave, you need to clean the areas where he's been pooping and peeing/spraying with an enzymatic cleaner so his scent is gone and he won't think those places are his litter boxes. Then, I'd retrain him on using the box before letting him out into the house unsupervised.

Stephanie

Hi Steph,

Thanks so much for your help. There's actually more to the story that I'm just piecing together. I think it may be caused by the fact that we moved the litterbox twice this month from the living area of the apartment to my bedroom (back to the living room, and then now it's back in my bedroom) because first my daughter had a sleepover birthday party and then my boyfriend and his kids had a sleepover here with us. So, the kitten at various times accidentally got locked out of my bedroom and probably went whereever he could and then once the scent was there, he kept those areas as a bathroom. Also, he's sharing one litterbox with the older cat, and it should have been cleaned more often.

I really want to bring them with us. Do you think it could work and my boyfriend's place will stay intact if we buy and bring over two new litterboxes and then also keep the kitten in the bathroom while we are out?

How does your boyfriend feel about it? Is he ok with the possiblity that his house may be filled with cat pee and poop? Your kitten is doing what a 10 month old un-neutered cat will do - spraying to mark his territory. He's not going to stop doing that because he's in someone else's house. In fact, he's possibly more likely to do it as it's a new 'territory' for him to mark. I do think it would be better for them to stay at home if you can get someone to look after them. Travelling and being in unfamiliar territory is pretty stressful for cats anyway - they'd probably be happier at home.

Sorry but I would have to say to leave them home. Your boyfriend probably wouldn't be too happy to have a cat spraying in his house. They will be happier there anyway. After my moving experience and Oliver hiding under the bed for 4 days- it's probably the best thing!

Hi, thanks so much for the feedback. I talked to my boyfriend about it, and he said if I can't find someone to feed the cats at the last minute, that we'll come back here halfway through the week and stay here a couple of days and then go back. Now my daughter's not talking to me, as if I ruined the whole week now that the cats won't be there, because she thinks we could have worked it out, but I didn't want to take a chance with his house. Thank you again! Breindel