Lizzie
07-25-2006, 01:11 PM
I've mentioned Ginger, my 20-year-old cat, on a few other threads but now I really want to know what others would do in my place. You are all dedicated to the care of your cats and go to great lengths to make sure that are healthy and happy, so it would help me to get other PT'ers take on the situation.
I knew that Ginger had both peed and pooped on the sofa, bed and kitchen floor for some weeks but after I found urine markings by a cat that is now housed downstairs, I assumed Ginger had got confused by the odors. However, this weekend, with everything pretty much cleaned up, she peed on the bed several times and pooped once. I'm inclined to think that her bladder has weakened and that she wakes up from a deep sleep, moves to get off the bed and just loses control. I usually wake up as she pees on my feet, so she's probably on her way to the low chair that helps her get up and down. Even if I had a litter box right by the bed (I can't do that because the odor would keep me awake) she still wouldn't make it.
This morning it was about 3:30am and I'd pulled up the plastic sheet over the comforters that lie under my sheets as I moved during the night so the urine went through sheets and two comforters. That's a heavy load of laundry to start the day, and I couldn't go back to bed.
Ginger is in perfect health according to a very recent check-up, and in great shape. She enjoys her food, sitting out on the deck, and, most of all, cuddling beside me on the sofa or bed. Therein lies the problem. A bedroom has been set up for her as an isolation room, and I've used it in the recent past when I couldn't take being woken at 1am by the smell of poop under my bed. However, by placing her in isolation, I'm removing the thing she enjoys most in her life at this time.
Ginger and I do not have a close bond because she didn't want me near her for the first 17 years of her life, except for the occasional shoulder massage. I'm not going to be devastated by her death as I have been by most of my other cats. I do enjoy her company and work hard on making her life as enjoyable as possible simply because I would do that for any cat. On the nights when she has been in isolation, I haven't missed her company, though I did feel lots of guilt, and sadness for her.
The problem is mainly that I'm losing a lot of sleep and it makes things very difficult at work. I know that I'm forgetting to do things because I'm sleep deprived and I often feel wooly-headed.
So, what would you do? Live with it? Put her in isolation at night after an evening cuddle? Other? Any practical solutions? I'd sleep with a plastic bag over my feet but with the heat wave, that's out of the question. Thank you, in advance, for any input.
I knew that Ginger had both peed and pooped on the sofa, bed and kitchen floor for some weeks but after I found urine markings by a cat that is now housed downstairs, I assumed Ginger had got confused by the odors. However, this weekend, with everything pretty much cleaned up, she peed on the bed several times and pooped once. I'm inclined to think that her bladder has weakened and that she wakes up from a deep sleep, moves to get off the bed and just loses control. I usually wake up as she pees on my feet, so she's probably on her way to the low chair that helps her get up and down. Even if I had a litter box right by the bed (I can't do that because the odor would keep me awake) she still wouldn't make it.
This morning it was about 3:30am and I'd pulled up the plastic sheet over the comforters that lie under my sheets as I moved during the night so the urine went through sheets and two comforters. That's a heavy load of laundry to start the day, and I couldn't go back to bed.
Ginger is in perfect health according to a very recent check-up, and in great shape. She enjoys her food, sitting out on the deck, and, most of all, cuddling beside me on the sofa or bed. Therein lies the problem. A bedroom has been set up for her as an isolation room, and I've used it in the recent past when I couldn't take being woken at 1am by the smell of poop under my bed. However, by placing her in isolation, I'm removing the thing she enjoys most in her life at this time.
Ginger and I do not have a close bond because she didn't want me near her for the first 17 years of her life, except for the occasional shoulder massage. I'm not going to be devastated by her death as I have been by most of my other cats. I do enjoy her company and work hard on making her life as enjoyable as possible simply because I would do that for any cat. On the nights when she has been in isolation, I haven't missed her company, though I did feel lots of guilt, and sadness for her.
The problem is mainly that I'm losing a lot of sleep and it makes things very difficult at work. I know that I'm forgetting to do things because I'm sleep deprived and I often feel wooly-headed.
So, what would you do? Live with it? Put her in isolation at night after an evening cuddle? Other? Any practical solutions? I'd sleep with a plastic bag over my feet but with the heat wave, that's out of the question. Thank you, in advance, for any input.