Killing The Cat Question.

[Fiannan]

My wife took in a cat from her mother last year. He's a nice enough cat, but he's one of those strange Persian varieties that has some quirks. My oldest daughter (5 years old) loves the critter but he uses the catbox when he feels like it. Lately he's been using the house as his private bathroom. I really don't want my house resembling a Russian restroom and my wife has had it as well.

Problem is, I have never faced this problem. This is the first pet my young daughters have had and he isn't sick or anything. How have people here dealt with this problem? I know my daughters will be depressed, and that makes me sad.

Any suggestions?

[Seraphim Moonshadow]

Make him an outside cat.

[Fiannan]

Not possible in winter, and sometimes in warmer periods he holds it till he gets into the house.

[Aristotle]

Yep, I agree, Persians are finnicky creatures! First of all, either make it an inside or an outside cat, so as not to confuse him. (When he's outside, it's ok to initiate everything in sight!) If you make him an inside cat, confine him to one room for a week with his kitty basket (to sleep in) and his food and litter box. After this probation period, allow him to come out and explore, but keep him in the room overnight. After several weeks of this routine, he should get accustomed to it. Watch him closely to make sure he doesn't use areas of the house as his litter box. If he does, start the whole process again until he finally learns. In my experience, cats are as stubborn as 2 yr olds...I just happen to be more stubborn. ;-)

[mom_of_jcchlsm]

How old and set in his ways is this cat?

You can sometimes train a cat using a spray bottle of water. Make sure it's clean - not used previously for bleach or anything. Keep the bottle with you and administer an immediate squirt if the cat does anything he's not supposed to. No delayed punishment - cats just don't get that. And make sure you love and pet and play with him when he's being good.

Also - neutering can make a huge diference. If it's a tom, you should definitely try that first (good idea for other reasons as well).

[Maureen]

I had a similar problem with a kitten. Cats like to mark their territory and they may consider different levels, different territory. My kitten at the time used the litter box that was downstairs but also urinated on our bed upstairs, so the vet told me to get another litter box and put it upstairs and this will satisfy his need to mark. If he is not neutered, I would get him neutered. After a few months start moving the litter box towards the basement and hopefully he will adjust to just going into the litter box on just one level. If all else fails ask your vet.

M.

[BenRaines]

In my opinion cats are good for one thing. To give dogs something to chase. :)

[Fiannan]

He's a full grown cat and has had his testicles removed. I'll bounce Aristotle's advice off my wife and see what we can do. But what I would like is if anyone has been in the situation of euthanizing a pet how do you explain it or deal with it with small kids?

[BenRaines]

Since I was a boy on the farm and while raising four kids of my own we have only had to have animals put down when there was a medical reason. Example: Dog torn up by a pack of dogs, goat attacked by domestic dog, dog with internal organs failing, etc.

We have always found a home for pets no longer wanted or when we moved out of the country and could not take them with us.

I think understanding about an animals death helps children as they get older to handle human death, grandparents and things like that.

Ben

[Outshined]

Personally I don't believe in euthanizing healthy animals.

[Maureen]

Personally I don't believe in euthanizing healthy animals.

I agree. Fiannan if you think the cat is urinating because of a physical problem, ask a vet, they would give the correct advice and information. If it's a psychological reason, they would probably know that too.

M.

[Aristotle]

He's a full grown cat and has had his testicles removed. I'll bounce Aristotle's advice off my wife and see what we can do. But what I would like is if anyone has been in the situation of euthanizing a pet how do you explain it or deal with it with small kids?

I would never think of euthanizing a pet that wasn't dying. My friend has a hospice for cats, and she loves them all like her children. Everytime one of them dies, she grieves. Adoption is the best option!

[BenRaines]

That is what the cat needs is a psychologist. Get someone to understand why it is using the house as a cat box. Probably going back to it's childhood.

Will need years of therapy. :)

[sgallan]

I would never euthanize a healthy cat, and wouldn't even know where to start to explain such a thing to a child. And if I were a kid I might think..... "boy I better not have any accidents".

I've had a couple of cats who got into a peeing contest. So they both became outdoor cats. With a single cat I'd try Aristotle's advice first, and then if that didn't work..... introduce the cat to the great outdoors.

[Guest Syble]

The cat sounds like it is having separation anxieties from losing its first master and isn't feeling secure in its environment. Try loving it more.

I have had lots of cats over the years and yet to have one do anything outside the litter box.

[Maureen]

That is what the cat needs is a psychologist. Get someone to understand why it is using the house as a cat box. Probably going back to it's childhood.

Will need years of therapy. :)

If a cat is doing something that is not related to its physical health then it is doing it for other reasons. Like Aristotle mentioned, it could be insecure about its new location. Cats aren't just a bag of bones, they are people too.

M.

[Guest Syble]

<div class='quotemain'>

That is what the cat needs is a psychologist. Get someone to understand why it is using the house as a cat box. Probably going back to it's childhood.

Will need years of therapy. :)

If a cat is doing something that is not related to its physical health then it is doing it for other reasons. Like Aristotle mentioned, it could be insecure about its new location. Cats aren't just a bag of bones, they are people too.

M.

Wow ~ for once we agree on something.

[Dror]

My father likes cats, but my stepmother does not. When he married her, he turned his cat into an outdoors cat, even in the winter. He would leave the garage door open just enough for the cat to get in, out of the elements. He also provided a little "cat house" on the patio, complete with electric blanket (!), so the cat would not freeze. Smokey remained quite healthy (maybe more so, for getting exercise!) and fat. I love cats as much as anybody, but remember, cats are designed to live outdoors--there's a reason they have all that fur!

[Sugarbay]

I have ten cats. I have also had this problem from time to time. However a trainer told me that if I can catch the cat uninating anywhere but the litter box, I should pick it up by the scruff of the neck and place it in a cat- sized crate. Denying freedom of mobility is about the worst punishment you can givea cat. I tried it, it worked. Also, some cats will not use a litterbox that has been used. It means changing the box everyday or getting the clumping litter or do what I did...I got three of those automatic litter boxes that clean the refuse away and the cat always has a clean box.

If you find that there is no solution, why put the animal down. There are organizations that take in cats and keep them until they find homes for them, where as most shelters have a kill policy. Fortunately here we don't have one but there are places that do. Someone will take the cat eventually. Please don't kill the cat rather than train it or find it another home. The message that gives the children is that pets are disposable. Just my opinion, having been in this situation before.

BTW, I have trained a cat to use the toilet. It means you have to leave the seat up in the bathroom you have trained the cat to. It would be nice if he flushed but hey...!

B)

[Guest MrsS]

It is not healthy to put the kitty litter box near the food and water of the cat. Cats don't potty where they eat when they are outside only cats. That in itself may cause a cat to potty elsewhere.

I have raised cats for the last 30 years. First of all, how clean is the litter box? If the box is full,and or stinky the cat will potty elsewhere ~ most especially where you, his human, are the most, so that there is a very good chance that you will see/step in it, so that you will go clean his litter box. Have you changed the brand of litter on him lately? He may not like the litter. If you use the clumping, scoopable litter, you can scoop every other day and should totally dump the litter out once a month if not sooner. IF your cat doesn't get enough water, his urine is going to be strong. I have found that cats who eat the canned soft food, don't drink enough water. BUT you really have to wash the pan before you refill it. Wash with pine sol. It totally eradicates the urine and feces smell. FYI: NEVER get rid of the scooped litter down your toilet. You are asking for BIG BIG plumbing problems later on. Scoop into a 1 gal clear storage bag. I use Fred Meyer/Fry's or Wal Mart brand. Cheaper than the name brand. Tie it into a knot and put into a plastic lined 8 gal. covered garbage can. When the can is 1/2 full, take it out, tie the bag securely and put in your 30/33 gal. garbage.

Maureen is correct, cats are not a bag of furry bones. Of all the animals I think they are the smartest. Stop and put yourself in their place: Do you want to sleep, eat and potty all in the same room? You don't even do that when you camp out. When your human does not understand your form of verbal communication ~ then what do you do to get their attention? You potty where they: a) sleep, i.e. the bed; B) walk the most i.e. hallways, entry's into the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom; c) or if you are a very clever cat, then you do it in their shoes!

If you are having difficulties finding the right kind of litter ~ one you can tolerate and one that your cat will use. You might try using wood pellets! Yep, the same pellets that are burned in wood pellet stoves. I had two cats that flat would not use any kind of litter that was then on the market. Turning them into outside only cats was not an option. I lived in the hicks, and I was not going to turn these two into racoon/coyote/bear/feral dog/ hawk food.

A friend of mine had left a nearly full bag of wood pellets (they weigh close to 90 lbs.) on the floor of her garage, fairly near to the litter box. A few days latter she noticed the bag had fallen on its side and the cats had scratched a large hole on the up side of the bag and had pottied in it. Their litter box was full too. She dumped the litter box, scooped the poop out of the wood pellets, washed the litter pan and filled it with wood pellets. Every three days, she scooped the poop. Two months later she dumped the pellets. It was mostly urine saturated pellets by then. It had just started to stink.

That one bag of wood pellets lasted her nearly 6 months. Cost her 8.95 for the bag. A 20 lb. bag of regular cat litter cost 5.95 and didn't last nearly as long. PLUS you had to dispose of it in your own garbage. The wood pellets, she dumped into her burning barrel and burned them once they dried out.

Another reason the cat may be using the living room is stress. How long had your M-I-L have him? Going from a nice quiet household where he is the only "child" to one where there are demanding, hard to get away from little humans can be quite stressful on an older cat. It has been my experience that older cats should be adopted by older children ~ Get your daughters a kitten or two. Let them grow up with each other. The kitten is small enough to hide to get away from the children, and I have found that small children are much more gentle with "baby animals". The "baby" needs to play by itself for a while; the "baby" needs to sleep now. Heck, kittens will drop off asleep in their cat food! on a childs lap, on your foot or shoulder. When the 'sandman' hits them, out they go where ever they happen to be.

IF you have found a Vet that will put down a healthy animal ~ steer clear of him, he is no good for nothing!!

Adopt the cat out if you find you can not solve his random pottying. But don't put him down for it. THAT is truly inhumane.

Hoped my rambling has helped in some way.

[Domiducus]

In any poll of cat lovers, the main complaint will be the litter box. Even so, a lot of the work is usually accomplished before we even come into the picture. One of the wonderful things that Mother Nature does for us is to have cat mothers train their babies to use the litter box! Cats are very fastidious and always cover their feces in the wild. Cat mothers take the process one step farther by teaching their little ones to use the litter box by the time they are weaned. So when you adopt or buy your kitten, chances are very good that it is already toilet trained.

This is why it is so important to wait until a kitten is 12-14 weeks old before welcoming him into a home. Kittens cannot leave their mothers as early as puppies. They need the sibling play and the life skills training from their mother before they are ready to go be with their human companion.

If you have rescued an orphan kitten, you will need to take the mother’s place in this training process. It likely will not come as naturally to you, so here is the routine: Newborn and very young kittens need to be stimulated after they are fed. Wet a warm wash cloth or paper towel and gently rub the genital area until the kitten urinates and defecates. This needs to be down after every feeding.

When the kitten starts to walk on its own and has begun to feed itself, you can start introducing the litter box. Buy a box with a low lip so that the youngster can scramble over the top when it’s time to go. At first, you will probably need to place the kitten in the litter box a couple of time and scratch the litter with your finger. Do this immediately after feeding your kitten. You will be surprised how quickly your kitten will learn that the litter box is his toilet.

If your kitten is having trouble grasping this concept, you might have to either cage or confine him to a small room. The cage theory works best because if there is just enough room for a bed, water, food, and the litter box, your kitten will be forced to use the box. As confused as they can be at first, cats have strong instincts. When forced with a choice, they will realize quickly which spaces are for sleeping and eating and which ones are not.

PS Dogs rock!

[Guest MrsS]

All of my cats have been orphaned kittens. So I have been "Mom" to them all. The last two that I have are rescued feral kittens. Their rescuer was misguided, but had good intentions. She got them when they were about 4 weeks old. I got them one day after she "rescued" them. I was unemployed at the time, so I had the time to devote to caring for them. Which was 24/7!

The hardest part of caring for them was teaching them how to clean themselves. Let's just say I dabbed tuna water and they licked themselves clean

The cage theory works best because if there is just enough room for a bed, water, food, and the litter box, your kitten will be forced to use the box.

NO food or water where the litter box is. Even at the pound and the Vet's office they do not have food and water where the litter box is. At least not the pounds and Vets I have gone to. Keep the water and food together and in an entirely different spot.

It won't take very long for the kitten to learn where to potty. They hate to be in their own waste. I have found that if you make the spot where the litter box is private, there are less complications. When I finally bought the litter boxes with the privacy covers, that was a boon not only to me, but to my cats. When it is time to clean the entire box out I can easily pick it up by the handle and haul it outside and clean with the garden hose, a bottle of Pine Sol, and a toilet brush bought just for this purpose! Then when they are all cleaned, I take them to the bathtub to rinse with HOT water ~ and dry with an old towel. (Hot water dries off so much more quickly than cold water) Refill, put the covers on and carry back to the potty area.

I have a room just for the kitty potty. Also have lots of plants in there ~ works for me and Fred and Ethel too. :)

dogs drool

[Aristotle]

It is not healthy to put the kitty litter box near the food and water of the cat.

Of course if goes without saying to not put the food and water near the litter box. You can keep it in the same room, some distance away.

P.S. The "confine a cat" advice came from the Arizona Humane Society.

[Winnie G]

I have had cats until resent years I become allergic to them.

Two good friends have been cat breeders of those same cats you wrote about.

They would tell you once your cat becomes a dirty cat it will stay a dirty cat.

There is no cleaning product will remove the smell from carpets or wood for that matter.

Some of these specialty breeds are know for developing brain dysfunction and can become dirty and at times snaky. I had one once that claimed in to our artificial Christmas tree and stayed there for the whole month of December we could not get him out and when he did come out he would run to the littler box or my son crib pee and run up the living room cretins right back in to the tree. My mother finely can over with a cat catty and took him to the vet. We were told he was one of those cats that develop that dysfunction we put him to sleep.

When I cleaned out my sons bedroom closet some time later looking for a odd smell I found a hidden mess from that cat in a box way in the back. All my sons baby cloths were destroyed.

If breeders will not keep a dirty cat then I would not hesitate.

If the cat wont use a letter box then you have no choice, its better to put them down then make him live a life were he is not domesticated no one will want him.

Is that fare?

[Aristotle]

Hey, Fiannan...is this the reason your mother-in-law gave up the cat? LOL