Please know that I am going to write a book here, but I do not know where else to turn and I honestly need help, asap. If I placed this in the wrong section, please accept my apologies and move it at your discretion.
I do not know where to start, only that I have two cats and recently moved from Pennsylvania to Florida. I am married, and my wife has not moved here yet. She is finishing out her job up north and will be moving down here with me in about 11 days from now. She is currently staying with her parents up north.
I used to be a member here years ago, but have changed my email( years ago) and I even forget what my screen name was for this site.
I have two cats, and I'm going to call them "Cat1" and "Cat2".
- Cat1 is a male and I found him on the streets in the summer of 2000. He was about 5 months old when I found him.
- Cat2 is a female and I found her at a local animal store as a 6 week old kitten and brought her home in the summer of 2002.
Both have been neutered as kittens. They've had their annual checkups/shots, and have been strictly indoor cats ever since.
I drove from PA to FL myself, and I could not handle watching the cats and driving at the same time, so my wife and I paid to have the cats transported to FL by a company called RoyalPaws <-- very nice people!
Cat history:
* Cat1 is your normal male cat. He is playful at times, but could really be less-bothered. He is loveable when he wants to be, but just likes to lay in the sun and be a normal, sleep-all-day cat. Medical history is good, with no known issues.
* Cat2 (female) on the other hand, is about 19lbs, and was diagnosed as being a diabetic this past September (2014). She is very loveably though! We took her the Vet prior to moving and the Dr put her on Glipizide 5mg pills. At first, he wanted her to have 2 pills per day (1 @ morning, 1 @ night). We took her back for another blood test a few weeks later, and he said that her levels were still high, so he wanted her to UP the dosage to 1½ pills in the AM and 1½ in the PM. Since taking the medicine, we noticed that it makes her back legs very weak, and she really does not move much since taking them. She also has been having an issue making it to/from the litter box. It hurts me inside to see her walk. I literally have to look away sometimes because I begin to lose my composure.
Generally speaking, my wife is NOT a cat (or animal) person. She only puts up with them because of me. For me, I love them will all my heart and soul. Although, I'm an animal person...always have been since I could first remember. I make my donations every time I'm at the pet sore. Maybe most of that money is going into some politicians pocket, but it makes me feel good to donate and hope that it's actually going to a good and proper cause.
Food:
I leave dry food out during the night hours to prevent them from throwing-up clear liquids in the early AM hours. The dry food I'm currently using is for sensitive systems, and says that it's "highly digestible". They need something like that since they both puke up almost anything else.
As for wet food, I give that to them twice per day, but in small to medium portions. I also crush the medicine and put it in the wet food for Cat2. It's the only way to get the meds into her system. Pill Pods -of any flavor- do not work anymore. She chews and spits them right out.
Since moving here, I knew that the cats would have needed time to adjust to the new house. The previous owner had a dog, so I'm sure the odors are still lingering. Although, I've tried to clean the best I could. Once the wife arrives (in 11 more days), we want to repaint the whole inside, then have new carpets installed throughout the house. This house is MUCH larger than our old one!! We now have a somewhat large screened-in (Lenai) room out back with a pool, and the cats are free to roam around out there while soaking up as much sun as they like.
My issue(s):
Since being here, I knew that I was goiung to have "litter box" problems, but they seem to be getting worse. I put three litter boxes throughout the house with new scoopable litter in them. I use The World's Best Cat Litter, which is the same litter I've used for years. I clean them every day, and try to keep up to the best of my ability. When they first arrived here in early December, they both used the cat boxes normally. Then over the next week or so, the male cat (Cat1) has been pooping in almost every room he can find. He does not use the cat boxes anymore for pooping. Only peeing. I've tried to relocate the boxes to different locations, but he sometimes goes right next to the box, as if he's angry at me. He knows what he does too, because he immediately runs away from me once he's finished, or when I walk near him.
Cat2 goes inside of her box, but needed a shallower-sided box to walk into because of her weakened back legs. She walks in, but pee's outside of it, leaving me a mess to clean up from BOTH cats, about 3-5 times per day. I've tried to tone-down her medicine to see if her back legs could begin to strengthen a bit, and they have, but then she goes right back into drinking water like crazy and peeing more.
Just this morning around 4:30am, I heard them meowing, as if they were hungry, and I came downstairs to see a wet floor, right next to the litter box. Actually, the bottom of the litter box was wet with pee because it seeped underneath. As I'm cleaning the mess, Cat2 went inside of the box and did the same exact thing, AGAIN! As I was cleaning the SECOND mess, Cat1 pooped on the floor, which was about 6 ft. away from me. I didn't notice because I was in the process of disinfecting the floor.
My wife and I have spent in excess of 10k to get our things moved here. To say that "money is tight" right now is an understatement. I seriously cannot afford to keep taking my cats to the Vet, having them charge $175+ per cat, per visit, to run their tests, then to just tell me to relocate the litter boxes and try different food. Our savings accounts have dwindled since/from moving here, and taking the cats to the local vet will have to be for a dire emergency only.
I apologize for rambling on, but I am at wits-end right now and cannot keep cleaning up after my cats day in and day out. Either they wake me up during the early AM hours by pooping or throwing up (yes, even TODAY!), or I have to walk like I'm in a minefield once I do wake up, or come home from shopping.
My wife cannot take this type of behavior, and even though I have a much higher tolerance level, I too am starting to wear-out. I can not stand the thought of being without them in my life, and I am even tearing up as I'm coming down to the end of my story here because I can't afford to take them to specialists to have a precise diagnosis. But something needs to be done...fast!
Please understand that I am writing to ask for help because I do not know what to do or where to turn. I'll respond to questions as quickly as possible. I could honestly use some good and experienced advice.
Thank you!
I do not know where to start, only that I have two cats and recently moved from Pennsylvania to Florida. I am married, and my wife has not moved here yet. She is finishing out her job up north and will be moving down here with me in about 11 days from now. She is currently staying with her parents up north.
I used to be a member here years ago, but have changed my email( years ago) and I even forget what my screen name was for this site.
I have two cats, and I'm going to call them "Cat1" and "Cat2".
- Cat1 is a male and I found him on the streets in the summer of 2000. He was about 5 months old when I found him.
- Cat2 is a female and I found her at a local animal store as a 6 week old kitten and brought her home in the summer of 2002.
Both have been neutered as kittens. They've had their annual checkups/shots, and have been strictly indoor cats ever since.
I drove from PA to FL myself, and I could not handle watching the cats and driving at the same time, so my wife and I paid to have the cats transported to FL by a company called RoyalPaws <-- very nice people!
Cat history:
* Cat1 is your normal male cat. He is playful at times, but could really be less-bothered. He is loveable when he wants to be, but just likes to lay in the sun and be a normal, sleep-all-day cat. Medical history is good, with no known issues.
* Cat2 (female) on the other hand, is about 19lbs, and was diagnosed as being a diabetic this past September (2014). She is very loveably though! We took her the Vet prior to moving and the Dr put her on Glipizide 5mg pills. At first, he wanted her to have 2 pills per day (1 @ morning, 1 @ night). We took her back for another blood test a few weeks later, and he said that her levels were still high, so he wanted her to UP the dosage to 1½ pills in the AM and 1½ in the PM. Since taking the medicine, we noticed that it makes her back legs very weak, and she really does not move much since taking them. She also has been having an issue making it to/from the litter box. It hurts me inside to see her walk. I literally have to look away sometimes because I begin to lose my composure.
Generally speaking, my wife is NOT a cat (or animal) person. She only puts up with them because of me. For me, I love them will all my heart and soul. Although, I'm an animal person...always have been since I could first remember. I make my donations every time I'm at the pet sore. Maybe most of that money is going into some politicians pocket, but it makes me feel good to donate and hope that it's actually going to a good and proper cause.
Food:
I leave dry food out during the night hours to prevent them from throwing-up clear liquids in the early AM hours. The dry food I'm currently using is for sensitive systems, and says that it's "highly digestible". They need something like that since they both puke up almost anything else.
As for wet food, I give that to them twice per day, but in small to medium portions. I also crush the medicine and put it in the wet food for Cat2. It's the only way to get the meds into her system. Pill Pods -of any flavor- do not work anymore. She chews and spits them right out.
Since moving here, I knew that the cats would have needed time to adjust to the new house. The previous owner had a dog, so I'm sure the odors are still lingering. Although, I've tried to clean the best I could. Once the wife arrives (in 11 more days), we want to repaint the whole inside, then have new carpets installed throughout the house. This house is MUCH larger than our old one!! We now have a somewhat large screened-in (Lenai) room out back with a pool, and the cats are free to roam around out there while soaking up as much sun as they like.
My issue(s):
Since being here, I knew that I was goiung to have "litter box" problems, but they seem to be getting worse. I put three litter boxes throughout the house with new scoopable litter in them. I use The World's Best Cat Litter, which is the same litter I've used for years. I clean them every day, and try to keep up to the best of my ability. When they first arrived here in early December, they both used the cat boxes normally. Then over the next week or so, the male cat (Cat1) has been pooping in almost every room he can find. He does not use the cat boxes anymore for pooping. Only peeing. I've tried to relocate the boxes to different locations, but he sometimes goes right next to the box, as if he's angry at me. He knows what he does too, because he immediately runs away from me once he's finished, or when I walk near him.
Cat2 goes inside of her box, but needed a shallower-sided box to walk into because of her weakened back legs. She walks in, but pee's outside of it, leaving me a mess to clean up from BOTH cats, about 3-5 times per day. I've tried to tone-down her medicine to see if her back legs could begin to strengthen a bit, and they have, but then she goes right back into drinking water like crazy and peeing more.
Just this morning around 4:30am, I heard them meowing, as if they were hungry, and I came downstairs to see a wet floor, right next to the litter box. Actually, the bottom of the litter box was wet with pee because it seeped underneath. As I'm cleaning the mess, Cat2 went inside of the box and did the same exact thing, AGAIN! As I was cleaning the SECOND mess, Cat1 pooped on the floor, which was about 6 ft. away from me. I didn't notice because I was in the process of disinfecting the floor.
My wife and I have spent in excess of 10k to get our things moved here. To say that "money is tight" right now is an understatement. I seriously cannot afford to keep taking my cats to the Vet, having them charge $175+ per cat, per visit, to run their tests, then to just tell me to relocate the litter boxes and try different food. Our savings accounts have dwindled since/from moving here, and taking the cats to the local vet will have to be for a dire emergency only.
I apologize for rambling on, but I am at wits-end right now and cannot keep cleaning up after my cats day in and day out. Either they wake me up during the early AM hours by pooping or throwing up (yes, even TODAY!), or I have to walk like I'm in a minefield once I do wake up, or come home from shopping.
My wife cannot take this type of behavior, and even though I have a much higher tolerance level, I too am starting to wear-out. I can not stand the thought of being without them in my life, and I am even tearing up as I'm coming down to the end of my story here because I can't afford to take them to specialists to have a precise diagnosis. But something needs to be done...fast!
Please understand that I am writing to ask for help because I do not know what to do or where to turn. I'll respond to questions as quickly as possible. I could honestly use some good and experienced advice.
Thank you!
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