At my witts end

[chloenkitty]

Hi all! I have 4 cats. They were all rescues so I can't be sure of all ages, but 3 are definately all 12 and older and youngest about 5.

The oldest is about 18, deaf, senile, chronic sinus infections, high blood pressure, kidneys declining, awful miliary dermatitis from mystery reason (no fleas) don't know if is food allergy as she's so old vet says we shouldn't put her through it. Anyway, she pees out of box. One other cat is at least 12 and the vet says she's neurotic. She is extremely needy, licks fur off her belly, nervous cat, kidneys declining. She pees out of box. As a last resort,mshe was put on clomipramine (kitty Prozac) it helped for awhile but she's peeing out of box again. I buy good litter and tree is one box for each cat plus one extra, so no reason for this! I even put cat attract in the boxes. We have set up a camera and she will go in and out of the box every hour or so and then go right in front of it.

I love animals and have rescued over 100 the past 8 years with trap & release on my own dime, got many cats homes, etc. I am in my late 40s and am finally getting a home of my own, my husband and I saved forever to build. I am not materialistic, but i don't want them ruining my new house. I don't have the money to have new floors put in a new house only to have to replace them. Our current home is going up formsale shortly and I'm a basket case over the peeing. I'm a neat freak and it's even hard to keep up with. I put pee pads down even and the one that's on clomipramine will pee on them, kick them and get the pee on the floor, under the box, under the dryer. I can't take it anymore. I think I've done all I can for this cat. I've never put a cat down before unless it was very sick and dying, but I'm considering it, but fear I'll be riddled with guilt. I don't know what to do. I pray every day that when I wake up the one who is old and frail will pass in her sleep, but she seems to have 100 lives, not 9! I'd like to think God will let me down easy because of all I've done for animals, but I fear that won't happen, they won't easily pass on their own.

What do I do!? I'm a mess about this. Thank you.

 

[Ms. Freya]

One thing we found worked for our oldest (passed away at 21) was that he had the beginnings of dementia and couldn't tell when he was in the box, so we found using a really low (maybe 4 inches) rubbermaid under-the-bed bin helped because it was so big he could get in, walk a bit, and still be in the box. The other thing my parents did was to lightly tape the pads to the floor, so the couldn't be kicked off.

They still had him when they sold their house and one thing my mom did was put a tarp down under the litter box, so it could be rolled up and thrown into the shed (mess and all, if necessary) when they had a showing.

Sounds a bit silly, but it worked. 

 

[betsygee]

 
One thing we found worked for our oldest (passed away at 21) was that he had the beginnings of dementia and couldn't tell when he was in the box, so we found using a really low (maybe 4 inches) rubbermaid under-the-bed bin helped because it was so big he could get in, walk a bit, and still be in the box. The other thing my parents did was to lightly tape the pads to the floor, so the couldn't be kicked off.

They still had him when they sold their house and one thing my mom did was put a tarp down under the litter box, so it could be rolled up and thrown into the shed (mess and all, if necessary) when they had a showing.

Sounds a bit silly, but it worked. 

Those are good ideas--lower box and taping the pads.  I have an 18+ year old with kidney disease and have just given up on getting him to go in the box.  I've tried everything, too, and some things worked temporarily but not for long.  Now I just buy extra large pee pads and put them on a rubber mat made for holding the pads, like this:  
Travis now associates peeing with the pads and that's where he goes.  The holder keeps any pee that might miss the pad contained.