New Member--desperate for help!!!

I my name is Cynthia. We have 2 cats, Eve (6yr old female),
and Topaz (1 yr old male siamese). They get along great.
Eve is the dominant cat.

Our problem started when Eve had a severe accident--she literally hung her self by her collar in our carport. I found her when I came home from work. Eve was an inside/ outside cat. (Topaz has always been only inside.) During her recovery from her surgery, I decided that I was not going to let her outside unless she was with one of us, for her safety.

That is when the problems started. she started pooping on my 12 yr old sons things. Mainly his bed and in his train room. Once on my bed. Technically she is MY cat. But, she generally sleeps with my son--my DH can't take cats on the bed.

I have read a lot of info on this problem but nothing really "fits" Eve. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get her to stop doing this. For now we are keeping the doors closed in my sons bed room and train room. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Hi Cynthia,

I am going to move this to our behaviour forum where other knowledgeable members will come and answer your questions.

My input on this would be to either offer poor Eve some type of outside enclosure where she can feel the grass under her paws but be safe from predators. I would also not put a collar on her unless it is a break-away collar, but even then, putting a collar on her might prove hard to do after her experience.

If you can get her adjusted to wearing a harness, you can start taking her outside for short walks, but if she truly wants to be an outside kitty, then let her outside without a collar on at all. I have seen several such kitties who have had collar incidences like you describe and some were not as fortuate as your Eve. Good luck, and I am sure others will weigh in soon with their opinions as well.

Welcome to the boards.

Hello, Cynthia, and welcome to The Cat Site.

First, let me say how horrible that must have been for poor little Eve, and for you as well! What an awful experience for both of you!!

You mentioned that Eve had surgery and I presume that it had something to do with her accident ... what was the nature of her surgery and how has the recovery period been other than the inapppropriate litter box behavior? How long has it been since her accident now? Does she still have stitches or other health concern that would preclude you from letting her go outside to potty?

Sorry for all the questions, but I feel I needed to know a bit more about the circumstances before I offered a suggestion to you on this.

I'll look forward to hearing from you,

Gaye

Hi!!! Nice to meet you all.

Eve's operation was to repair the damage that was done during her "hanging". She was very lucky to be alive--she only has 7 lives left...for I rescued her from the "pound"!!
She had to have tendons and ligaments repaired and then the skin sutered. She had a drain in for 2 weeks.

For the first few days home she was my constant companion.
The night that I found her hurt was my last shift at work before I had a hysterectomy. but, my hyst. wasn't for 3 after Eve's accident.
So, she got lots of Mommy attention.
We put a mattress on the floor in the living room and Eve and I slept there. I was so afraid that she would catch that wire drain on something and get hung up again.

anyway, she made it thru a very rough time. the vet said that she was a very lucky cat to have survived at all.
Eve did not desire to go out for quite awhile after that. She even acted "afraid" at the doors. then she started to beg to go outside.
Eve will not go outside again unless she is with one of us.
The reasons I am afraid for her safety: The possiblity of another accident. My husband says,"Ain't no $400. cat going outside!!" &
I am also afraid that my neighbor might have something to do with the accident.

The vet gives her a clean bill of health--so no health concerns for now. Our only problem is the potty problem. For now we are keeping those areas, my sons room and his train room doors closed at all times. This has worked. Her litter box is in my sons bathroom.
She has full access to that and so far so good.

I hope this answered your questions gayle--sorry I was so long-winded!
Thanks, Cynthia

Hi Again, Cynthia,

Again, this was just a horrible thing for you and for Eve, and I cannot say enough how lucky you were to be able to save her. As for your suspicions about your neighbor ... well ... don't get me started what I think should happen if THAT turns out to be true!

As for Eve's problem, while I cannot really offer any helpful suggestions, it sounds like this may be Eve's way of telling you she still wants to go outside to do her pottying, or it could also be "acting out" her frustration over a long and probably painful recovery from her ordeal.

My advice (while really NOT being advice at all) is to keep doing as you have - keeping her out of those rooms where she has displayed the behavior - and if that is working for now, so be it. My gut feeling is that this is something that will go away with time and patience along with a lot of loving attention.

By the way, my husband is of the same mind about my kitty going out. Chloe is a 16 year-old diabetic Old-Style Siamese with hip dysplasia and compromised kidneys, and her vet bills have been ... well, let's just say "more than we anticipated" with her when we adopted her. So, I get the same response from hubby when he sees me take her out on my porch deck to enjoy a bit of fresh air and sunshine. She never leaves the porch deck (can't go down the steps) and I am always right there with her (she howls if I even go back into the house for a second to grab my cigarettes or coffee), so there really isn't a concern - but he is adamant about it. So, I just wait until he goes to work and isn't expected back for several hours. *grin* Chloe gets her outside time and is stimulated by the sights, sounds and smells, but is protected by ever-vigilant Momma, who is standing close by. Don't know if this will work for you, but there it is.

Continued best of luck, and please keep posting - I would love to know how things are going with you.

Gaye

Your story is so horrifying. I don't know what I would have done if I had come upon one of my cats hanging and almost dead.

Perhaps Eve doesn't like to poop and pee in the same box. Thus, you might simply add a second box so that she can do her business in a clean box. This is extra important because you have two cats. In fact, you might even make 3 boxes available so that Eve can be assurred of not having to dig in a dirty box.

You might also grow some cat grass for Eve so she can have a little of the outdoors inside.

Thanks for all the input. I really do appreciate all the great suggestions.

Ok--stupid question time.........I think that Eve would love the grass inside thing--but, how do you grow grass inside???

Also, Topaz our 2nd cat, is siamese, and very non-touchable.
does anyone have any suggestions on how to get him more "lovable" friendly?

Thanks,
Cynthia

You can order cat grass through your local nursery or from Petsmart. Anne has a shopping link on her home page of this site. Just buy a large plastic planter and plant the grass, water it and watch it grow.

I will let someone who has Siamese handle the other question. I have a Siamese mix- Kahuna and he is so mellow and loving it is incredible. Good luck with your kitties.

Topaz is still but a kitten - give him time. Not all little boys are so lovable right away. There are a bazillion things to do and see and smell! *grin* Let him be a kitten and enjoy him as he is for now. There will be a time when you will miss this.


Gaye

(((Thanks Guys)))
Yall are a great bunch!!

What a horrible thing to have happened to your cat. One of my cats got his jaw stuck in his collar so I have never used collars on my cats since. And that was a "safety" collar.

Cat grass is simply oat grass or wheat grass. My cats don't like the wheat grass, though. My local grocery store sells oat grass in a little kit in the cat food aisle all ready to grow the grass yourself. You just mix the seeds in the soil that comes with it, water and wait. It grows very fast. You can just buy oat grass seeds and plant in your own soil in pots in your house.

As another poster said, it is true that most cats do not like to poop and pee in the same litter box, so do try getting another box, or two. The general rule is one more litter box than the number of cats. I have 5 cats and 6 boxes. And it is true, they use some boxes for peeing and some for pooping.

Could you build an outdoor enclosure so your cats can go outside safely without the harness on (which some don't like)? We have an enclosure that my husband built which is 24 hour accessible to the house and the cats just love it.