At my wit's end! New home?

[plainjane]

Okay,
So I've been inactive for awhile now...life's been bizzare lately...

But, Anubis, my male black cat who's my lover boy is just driving me nuts and I have no idea what to do.

I love this cat, but I've had it.

He poops and pees all over the place....On my brand new rug, on my clothes, on my curtains, on a blanket throw, on paper on the floor, on plastic bags, on ANYTHING! No, he doesn't have a bladder infection...or anything else anyone can find wrong with him. Yes, he's fixed. He just CHOOSES to do this. I have tried two clean litter boxes out at all times in quiet, secluded spots...Makes no difference to him, (with three indoor cats). Litter type doesn't matter either. Clay or corn, no difference. Covered or open-top, doesn't matter. He gets PLENTY of attention, doesn't have issues with the other two cats in the house... I tried the calming/hormonal stuff that you plug into the wall (the expensive kind) and that did absolutely nothing to help.

Yes, I have cleaned the spots with enzyme cleaner....Doesn't matter.

Peg and Luna do fine with just the one large litterbox I clean out each day. They both use it religiously.

I just am sick of it. I can't buy or set out anything nice. I have tried all I can think of. I broke down to having him be outside during the day and indoors at night, (since he prefers to be outdoors anyway), but that makes me constantly nervous I'll never see him again and I don't want to keep putting him outdoors. (Plus, he STILL makes messes in my house when he comes back in)

I want to keep him so much, I love him to death...But he has destroyed lots of things, (hundreds of dollars worth of items), some of them I can never replace.

Also, (forgot to mention this), Peg loves him dearly and I'm obviously going to have to search for someone else to bond with Peg as he has been more out-going with Anubis around.

I can't do it anymore...It's a constant clean up and headache. I love him but this is making me hate him...

I think I should just find him a home on a farm as a barn cat...Approve the home, look at where he'll be staying, and let him enjoy his outdoors life in a considerably more safe manner than he's able to with me.

Any help?

 

[howtoholdacat]

I have the same problem with Seti (it must be black cats with Egyptian names). He's SUPER particular about his box. I know you've said you do the clean boxes, etc. but I've found with Seti that I had to 1) buy him his own automatic box (we picked the Litter Robot which worked out since my older cats won't use it so it's all his) 2) I put cat nip (he's a JUNKY) in the bottom of it to attract him to the box 3) I MUST change the litter at a maximum of every two weeks (which sounds like a long time but because it's an auto box the litter stays much, much cleaner than a traditional box) 4) About every 2-3 weeks despite the condition of the litter, I must clean the box in and out with vinegar to remove any odors. When I do all of the above he uses his box just fine. It sounds like a pain but as you know it's far simpler to do those things than to constantly find accidents. I find the vinegar works well for cleaning the spots where the accidents do occur. When you have that many you need something budget friendly. With 4 cats and a geriatric dog we buy it by the gallon.

 

[carolina]

Hi there... Have you tried Cat Attract Litter? It might help you... People swear by it. Here is a rebate form, so your first bag is free. You can also confine him to a room until he starts using the box consistently, then release him back in the house.

Also, try spraying Feliway around the spots he has peed or pooped at - it helps a lot too.
Good luck!

 

[cjh27]

Hi lainjane,

I can't really offer much help to you as it sounds like you're already doing everything possible. Maybe howtoholdacat's right and your kitty is especially picky about always using a fresh loo.

But what I really wanted to say is that I understand how hard this must be on you

Good vibes to you and I hope ypo'll be able to find a solution to your problems.

regards,

christine

 

[denali]

But, Anubis, my male black cat who's my lover boy is just driving me nuts and I have no idea what to do.

How long has this been going on? Can you remember back to the time he started....any changes in the house setting, a cat being taken to the vet, someone in the house not being home for a certain amount of time, another cat keeping Anubis from using the litterbox, cat fights, new cleaner, new litter, new food, new location of litterboxes, etc.?

He poops and pees all over the place....On my brand new rug, on my clothes, on my curtains, on a blanket throw, on paper on the floor, on plastic bags, on ANYTHING!

One thing that pops into my head right away is that he does not like clutter. Some cats DO NOT like clutter and the only way they can show us is by defecating on it. I will refer to my sisters experience throughout this post b/c she had a spraying cat for 8 years. He would always spray on clothes, towels, etc. that were laying around. So she got hampers with lids and put them in closets and kept the closet doors shut.

No, he doesn't have a bladder infection...or anything else anyone can find wrong with him.

Can you give detail tests that the vet has performed to come to this conclusion? How many times has he been checked? When they do the tests do they send it away or do they get the results in the clinic?

I have tried two clean litter boxes out at all times in quiet, secluded spots...Makes no difference to him, (with three indoor cats).

The rule of thumb is one litterbox for each cat plus one. Where are the litterboxes located? near washer and dryer, air vent, toilet, bathtub, etc.?

Litter type doesn't matter either. Clay or corn, no difference.

Could you please list the litters you have tried. Ths sometimes gives insight into the problem. Have you introduced the new litter slowly and leaving the old litter in one of the litterboxes until the change has been accepted? Have you tried Cat Attract? This type of litter is supposed get a cat using the litterbox again. There is also a litter additive by the same company. You can do a search on the web and get great deals on this litter. Sometimes much cheaper then at the store. What size of litterboxes are you using? Are they big enough for him to move around in? Are you putting at least 5" of litter into the box. Some cats really like to dig. I would recommend you go to walmart and get a plastic storage container (the see through kind) atleast 58qt. You don't have to buy a lid. All you have to do is cut a hole near the top so the cats can get in and out. If one of the other cats is ambushing him from using the litterbox this will help him to be able to see them coming. (if you want I can send you a personal email of a picture of what I am talking about....)

Covered or open-top, doesn't matter.

Keep the lids off of all the litterboxes for now.

He gets PLENTY of attention, doesn't have issues with the other two cats in the house

...

You mentioned that he has been pooping outside of the box....has he been checked for constipation? Or enlarged anal glands. These are both reasons for cats to poop outside of the litterbox.

I tried the calming/hormonal stuff that you plug into the wall (the expensive kind) and that did absolutely nothing to help.

Where did you place the plug in? How big is your house and how many did you plug in. Many people try only one plug in for their entire house. Many times you need to place more than just one and leave it plugged in for atleast a month before you may see any results. My sister had 2 feliway diffusers plugged in in her 500 square foot 1 bedroom apartment. But she also combined the feliway with Bach Pet Rescue Remedy (a stress reliever) http://www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm and a flower essence formula called "Spraying cat" http://www.anaflora.com/essences/index.html. There are many flower essences out there that may work for your cats environment. Sometimes calling the company and discussing your cats living environment they can recommend an essence for your cats. Spirit essences is another respected company http://www.spiritessence.com/

You can do a search and find the feliway diffusers/refills for much cheaper then you can buy at a vets office or a store. My sister bought hers in bulk offline from the US (we live in Canada) and she saved over $75

http://www.entirelypets.com/6pakfedire48.html

http://www.entirelypets.com/3pafedire2ml.html

http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=12584188...s%2Ci%3Agarden

http://www99.shopping.com/xGS-feliwa...kin_id-8051927

Yes, I have cleaned the spots with enzyme cleaner

What brands have you used? I find that manyof the enzyme cleaners on the market do not do the trick. I have wasted so much money on these commercial brands. There is a product that really takes the smell out and does not mask the odor. Quite a few people I know swear by this product JUSTRITE http://www.justrite.com/

Peg and Luna do fine with just the one large litterbox I clean out each day. They both use it religiously.

They may be okay with the boxes but Anabis may have grown an intolerance to them for some reason. Or like I said maybe one of the cats has bombarded him while using the litterbox?

I don't want to keep putting him outdoors. (Plus, he STILL makes messes in my house when he comes back in)

Are there alot of neighbourhood cats or stray cats in your yard where Anabis can see them. This may be causing him to get very territorial. Cats don't like foreign cats to come into their space. Especially if they can not protect their area.

I think I should just find him a home on a farm as a barn cat...Approve the home, look at where he'll be staying, and let him enjoy his outdoors life in a considerably more safe manner than he's able to with me.

Please do not do this. This is not fair to an indoor cat. He may get killed by wildlife, etc.

Last question.....how long have you had each cat? Maybe there is stress between the cats that you do not see. Maybe a flower essence for peace between all cats could help the situation a bit. It could be that since there are 3 cats he is marking his territory?

What do you feed him? During this whole process of getting my sisters cat to stop peeing with the recommendations above she also switched her cat to an all wet grain free diet. The vet says a wet food grainfree diet is better for a spraying cat. Whatever combination she used above - it worked!!!!

Also, here is a group that has many members that have had cats with inappropriate elimination problems. They may be able to give you a bit more insight

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/F...e_Elimination/

 

[esrandall2000]

Originally Posted by Denali

How long has this been going on? Can you remember back to the time he started....any changes in the house setting, a cat being taken to the vet, someone in the house not being home for a certain amount of time, another cat keeping Anubis from using the litterbox, cat fights, new cleaner, new litter, new food, new location of litterboxes, etc.?



One thing that pops into my head right away is that he does not like clutter. Some cats DO NOT like clutter and the only way they can show us is by defecating on it. I will refer to my sisters experience throughout this post b/c she had a spraying cat for 8 years. He would always spray on clothes, towels, etc. that were laying around. So she got hampers with lids and put them in closets and kept the closet doors shut.



Can you give detail tests that the vet has performed to come to this conclusion? How many times has he been checked? When they do the tests do they send it away or do they get the results in the clinic?



The rule of thumb is one litterbox for each cat plus one. Where are the litterboxes located? near washer and dryer, air vent, toilet, bathtub, etc.?



Could you please list the litters you have tried. Ths sometimes gives insight into the problem. Have you introduced the new litter slowly and leaving the old litter in one of the litterboxes until the change has been accepted? Have you tried Cat Attract? This type of litter is supposed get a cat using the litterbox again. There is also a litter additive by the same company. You can do a search on the web and get great deals on this litter. Sometimes much cheaper then at the store. What size of litterboxes are you using? Are they big enough for him to move around in? Are you putting at least 5" of litter into the box. Some cats really like to dig. I would recommend you go to walmart and get a plastic storage container (the see through kind) atleast 58qt. You don't have to buy a lid. All you have to do is cut a hole near the top so the cats can get in and out. If one of the other cats is ambushing him from using the litterbox this will help him to be able to see them coming. (if you want I can send you a personal email of a picture of what I am talking about....)




Keep the lids off of all the litterboxes for now.

...

You mentioned that he has been pooping outside of the box....has he been checked for constipation? Or enlarged anal glands. These are both reasons for cats to poop outside of the litterbox.



Where did you place the plug in? How big is your house and how many did you plug in. Many people try only one plug in for their entire house. Many times you need to place more than just one and leave it plugged in for atleast a month before you may see any results. My sister had 2 feliway diffusers plugged in in her 500 square foot 1 bedroom apartment. But she also combined the feliway with Bach Pet Rescue Remedy (a stress reliever) http://www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm and a flower essence formula called "Spraying cat" http://www.anaflora.com/essences/index.html. There are many flower essences out there that may work for your cats environment. Sometimes calling the company and discussing your cats living environment they can recommend an essence for your cats. Spirit essences is another respected company http://www.spiritessence.com/

You can do a search and find the feliway diffusers/refills for much cheaper then you can buy at a vets office or a store. My sister bought hers in bulk offline from the US (we live in Canada) and she saved over $75

http://www.entirelypets.com/6pakfedire48.html

http://www.entirelypets.com/3pafedire2ml.html

http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=12584188...s%2Ci%3Agarden

http://www99.shopping.com/xGS-feliwa...kin_id-8051927



What brands have you used? I find that manyof the enzyme cleaners on the market do not do the trick. I have wasted so much money on these commercial brands. There is a product that really takes the smell out and does not mask the odor. Quite a few people I know swear by this product JUSTRITE http://www.justrite.com/



They may be okay with the boxes but Anabis may have grown an intolerance to them for some reason. Or like I said maybe one of the cats has bombarded him while using the litterbox?



Are there alot of neighbourhood cats or stray cats in your yard where Anabis can see them. This may be causing him to get very territorial. Cats don't like foreign cats to come into their space. Especially if they can not protect their area.



Please do not do this. This is not fair to an indoor cat. He may get killed by wildlife, etc.

Last question.....how long have you had each cat? Maybe there is stress between the cats that you do not see. Maybe a flower essence for peace between all cats could help the situation a bit. It could be that since there are 3 cats he is marking his territory?

What do you feed him? During this whole process of getting my sisters cat to stop peeing with the recommendations above she also switched her cat to an all wet grain free diet. The vet says a wet food grainfree diet is better for a spraying cat. Whatever combination she used above - it worked!!!!

Also, here is a group that has many members that have had cats with inappropriate elimination problems. They may be able to give you a bit more insight

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/F...e_Elimination/

GREAT advice!!!!!!!!