To anyone who takes in rescues

[AdoreMyDogs]

This is a long shot, but it's worth trying. I need to either rehome my heart-cat, Minion, or get him euthanized. He will not stop peeing in my house and I am done cleaning up after him. We've had him vet checked multiple times, he just came off antibiotic for a possible UTI (which we don't think he really had, but decided to put him on them anyway just in case). I have had multiple sessions with a pet psychic about his behavior. We give him free roam, even though it kills me every time because he has taken a liking to jumping out of our wooden privacy backyard fence and making friends with the neighbors cats.

I don't want any mean comments. I refuse to dump Minion in any shelter, that's out of the question so please don't suggest it. If anyone takes in kitties and doesn't mind taking on another rescue I'll do all it takes to get him to you, regardless of where in the USA you might be located.

[catmandu]

No Mean Comments From Us.
You Mean The Best For You Minon, And We Pray That You Can Find Your Companion A Home.

[catnapper]

have you tried Cat Attract litter? It apparently has an additive to it that cats find irresistable and they use the box instead of pillows, carpet, etc. I just found out about it and am going to try it for Allen (he seems to think the litterbox is an optional thing) I too have gone the vet route and psychic route. He IS sick but we can't cure the infection because all the antibiotics we gave him made him sicker.... so the infection has to run its own course which is unknown. Anyhow,try the Cat Attract litter - it can;t hurt and it just might be the answer you're looking for.

[trezurdelites]

I hope you dont consider this as a mean comment..

and I understand your frustration.....really I do...
and it sounds like you've put much time into trying to help this dear cat and yourself as well..

but the fact is that ((( minion ))) is your furbaby..
he has a behavioral problem and you want to rehome him..
so then someone else will now have to deal and solve his problems...

do you really think with all the thousands of unwanted/thrown away catbabies out there, that someone will forever home a cat that pees all over.

pets are a lifetime commitment, same as children ......they deserve nothing less.....

the cat attract litter sounds like a great idea !
and there are also many natural agents on the market that not only clean urine but eat them up , leaving no residue of urine or odor..
there are many pet repellents also on the market...
many natural things repell cats, like lemons and eucalyptus
you could put them around to help deter minion from peeing and they add a nice aroma to the house....

I hope that you give him more time and keep trying to solve the problem..
rehoming him will just be passing the buck...
and his chances of a good home are very slim if he has a peeing problem...

sorry thats how I see it...

only alternative would be to keep him as an outside cat only, and I really dont think that would be fair to him.

[Catty1]

Perhaps Minion COULD be an outside kitty, as long as there was a cat house that was large and warm.

But try the Cat Attract - you have nothing to lose, hon!

HUGS and PRAYERS!

[trezurdelites]

if ((( minion ))) is happy outside and is safe outside....and like last poster said, he has a cat house , than that to me would be a better option than rehoming him with his problem ....for someone else to deal with...

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear that he still has peeing issues.:( I hope that the cat attract will work and if not then I would also agree that maybe he should be kept outdoors with a nice warm comfy cat house. I sure hope that you won't have to give him up. Please continue to update us about him.

[AdoreMyDogs]

Unfortunately I've tried Cat Attract. Our vet (he's such a dear man) gave us a couple big bags as samples. We tried them, we tried different litters, we've tried non scented, we've tried all natural (that's what I like best). He, according to the pet psychic, hates the feel of the litter between his paws. She's had many talks with him, and told him how much it hurts his family that he goes pee outside his box. This has been an ongoing issue with Minion for over 2 years now. He started in my rental house, and he's been doing it ever since. He peed all over the carpet in our new house that we bought, but it wasn't a huge deal because we had plans to get the carpets ripped up and the hardwood treated, which we did, just sooner then we had planned because we couldn't stand the smell of cat pee in our living room.

I know it's not easy to rehome a cat that pees all over the place, that's why I said it was a long shot. I would never hide the fact that he doesn't like to pee in his box. From those of you who don't know the story of Minion, he was a declawed stray that I took in. I blame the declawing for his behavior, but it's not something I can take back. Some lazy person had his claws removed and then moved out of my old apartment complex without him. there's nothing we can do about it now, but his behavior problems are here to stay and I've tried everything imaginable to fix it and it's just not going away.

I love him more then anything. He's my soul-mate. I am well aware that a pet is a lifetime committment, if anyone knows this, I do. I am a wonderful doggie and kitty mom, always have been, always will be. I took him in and worked with him and figured that with the right tools, we could fix the problem. It's not working. I have emailed the pet psychic again and asked her for any help. The pet psychic is in love with Minion. She said he has the most precious temeperment she's ever seen in a cat. She loves how easy-going he is and how happy he is. He has no 'catatude'. He simply does it because he hates the way the litter feels between his toes, regardless of the type of litter we provide him. He's not angry. He's not spiteful. He's not trying to 'tell me anything' by doing it. He simply should not have been declawed, which, in my opinion, no cat should be.

So....longshot, but if anyone wants to work with him, they'd be getting a very, very precious cat. If not, then we will set up a nice bed outside and he'll come in only when we're home and awake. He seems to do the majority of peeing in our bathroom on the rug when we're asleep. If the rug is in the wash from him peeing on it the previous night, and there's a towel on the ground, he'll pee on the towel. Sofar he's done the majority of his peeing in the bathroom only since we've had the carpets removed.

Here's a recent pic of him. Not the greatest pic, but it's a pic:
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j163/AdoreMyDogs/DSCN0163.jpg

[Freedom]

Hmm. What about just putting an old towel in the bottom of the litter box, rather than litter? Would he use that? Then you still have to clean up the towel and wash it regularly, but at least he is going in one place. Or even old crumpled up newspapers like folks used to use before litter was common? If you try the newspaper, you need to be sure to keep the current day's paper in a closet or somthing so he won't be going in 2 different places.

Just thinking out loud. I've not had to deal with this.

[Logan]

Leslie, I am a poor one for advice, I'm afraid. I'm so sorry for all the issues that you are dealing with, regarding Minion. :(

I only have one cat, right now, Butter, and he is an indoor/outdoor cat (many reasons for allowing him to be that way, as you know), but he is not declawed. I would be a bit nervous about allowing Minion to be outdoors, since he has been declawed, but if it means the difference in sending him to a shelter, where he faces a high risk of being euthanized and giving him some quality of life (should you not be able to find a suitable home for him), I vote for some outside time, closely monitored, especially at first. How about a cat enclosure of some kind where he could be outdoors, without the worry of him being attacked and unable to defend himself? I know there are expenses involved with that, but if that keeps him with you and provides him an outlet, maybe it would work.

I know with the baby coming in March, you are wanting to fix this in advance, and I can't blame you one bit. Please search out all alternatives before passing him on to someone else who might dump him in a shelter.

Love,
Logan

[Jessika]

You say he doesn't like the feel of litter on his feet... I like the suggestion above of the towel, but the whole time reading this thread I kept thinking, "what about newspaper?". Have you tried that yet??

[jenluckenbach]

I totally understand your frustration.

Other options, if you care to try, are:

An EMPTY litter box.
Newspaper, as suggested.
Puppy wee-wee pads at the bottom of the litter box.

And considering I am REALLY against outdoor ONLY kitties, even I think that having him outside would be better than putting him to sleep. As long as you feel he is still comfortable and loved. Do you have a garage or shed he could bunk in (maybe via a cat door).

[kimlovescats]

What a beautiful boy Minion is. I have to agree with the general consensus about preferring him being indoors since he is declawed, but rather than having him euthanized, attempting a "safe" outdoor life for him! I know it is frustrating having him pee on your bath mats, but I would try putting a towel or smaller bath mat inside a litterbox in your bathroom. MAYBE that will work for him! I have found toilet seat covers (same fabric as bathmats) on clearance some times for $1.00 or $2.00 ..... you could try to buy several of those so that they are easier to wash, dry and replace quickly!

I hope you can find something that will work for you and your Minion!

Kim

[trezurdelites]

wow he is truly gorgeous....

if the pet psychics and you think its just the litter itself..

why not put parts of the rug and towel he is peeing on , in the litterbox ??

wouldnt that solve the problem ???

he really is very beautiful ......I'd hate for you to have to part with your soulmate furbaby... :(

[critters]

Just a thought--have you tried other kinds of meds, like amitriptyline, Prozac, etc? http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_amitriptyline.html

[AbbyMom]

My little RB girl Quasar used to prefer the carpeting, presumably because she hated the litter feel on her paws. Eventually we just cut up carpet squares and put them in a separate litter box. Once we did that, she always used the litter box. She loved the feel of her paws on the carpeting while trying to cover it up.

So, old carpeting is a thought.

THe other suggestions about newspapers might work, too. There's a brand called Yesterday's News that might be helpful.

Good luck. He sounds very precious to you.

[ShylanHal]

Why not try paper products? Like... NOT litter. That would be a lot harder to clean, since you'd have to change it every couple of times he went to the bathroom (it's paper, think about it o.O) but it doesn't and wouldn't feel anythign like litter.
Do you think that would work?

[Karen]

If your yard is fenced, perhaps he could safely be an indoor/outdoor kitty? Or even outdoor-and-kitchen-only as now you are in Texas, the weather is milder in the winter than Chicago ever was ... would that work?

[AdoreMyDogs]

If your yard is fenced, perhaps he could safely be an indoor/outdoor kitty? Or even outdoor-and-kitchen-only as now you are in Texas, the weather is milder in the winter than Chicago ever was ... would that work?

Problem is, even though the entire back fence is privacy fenced in, he learned quite some time ago to jump it. He doesn't stay in the yard for long, as I stated before, he 'explores' the neighborhood and makes friends with the neighbor cats. And we have no way to keep him in the kitchen, and becides, I don't want him in there because that's the only room that's carpeted and we don't have enough $$ to get the carpet pulled. We are trying to save up some money to buy baby furniture, so home renovation is not on our list for now.

Minion's never peed on paper. He's only peed on carpet and rugs, and I'm not putting carpet in his litter box. I don't want to smell cat pee and poop throughout my house, and I have no idea how you'd hide the smell from a box of carpet pieces. I also have no idea how you'd clean something like that. For me that's not going to work but I really appreciate the suggestion. Please keep them coming, and please let me know if you know of anyone who takes in 'special needs' cats.

He's spending his first night outside tonight. He usually sleeps plastered next to me in bed becide my head. I'll miss him. I hope he is safe out there and I'm sure I'll be sleeping very little due to worrying about him. I'll let him in in the morning to spend a few hours with me before I have to leave for work.

I appreciate everyone's advice. Please keep the suggestions coming if you have any.

[Catty1]

The outdoor idea...would be like a dog run, only for cats. There are commercial ones available... he could get in and out by means of a cat door into the house. I would think he will pee and poop outside as opposed to inside?

Maybe some people here could post pics of theirs?

Or maybe just check out a dog run with a warm "house" inside it.

I wish the psychic could tell him about the trouble and pain he is causing, and what might happen to him...and tell him to just "suck it up". I mean - so what if he doesn't like the feel of the litter?

Maybe she could ask him WHAT would make him use the box.

Might be worth one more try with the psychic.

If you DO have to rehome him - how about a farm or rural place? They might have to keep him inside for a bit til he socializes, but he would have free roam.

My heart just aches for you. My Oscar plants his purring bod all against my ear in the morning...if I were in your shoes, I don't know what I would do.

PT Prayers headed your way!

hugs!

[shais_mom]

I'm so sorry to hear this Leslie - I know this isn't a decision you take lightly.
I probably wouldn't use the carpet or towels either - but the whole time I was reading this thread I was thinking of the puppy wee wee pads you might be able to layer them rather thickly and then just peel them off after he uses them. I can't imagine being in the position you are in.
Another thought - what about installing a kitty door so he can go outside - and maybe another conversation with Nancy - telling him to use the outside as his potty.
I'm not sure if you have used the Yesterday's news litter or not - I imagine you have or what about buying a paper shredder and letting him pee on your credit card statements!?!? ;) Make your own yesterday's news! ;)

My only other suggestion is teaching him to use the toilet like the cat on "Meet the Parents!" ;) :P

[shais_mom]

My only other suggestion is teaching him to use the toilet like the cat on "Meet the Parents!" ;) :P

http://www.karawynn.net/mishacat/toilet.html
http://www.birdbrainpress.com/
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/toilet.html
http://clhill.com/cats/toilet_training_cats.htm
http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/comments/3632/

[catnapper]

I know you said you've tried other litters, but have your tried Arm & Hammer? Its great for kitties who don't like the feel of regular litter because its very sandlike, with very fine grains of litter. Thats what the rescue recommends to people who have declaw litterbox issues. Have you tried sand? Maybe mix in some baking soda to help hide the odor.

And the wee-wee pads didn't work? If he's declawed he shouldn't be shredding them. They do a good job of soaking up urine so you don't smell it - Nature's Miracle makes one where they have odor protection in it.

As for the carpet, you wouldn't have to clean it. Just toss it after they use it. I can order you a TON of carpet samples and send them to your house (ahhh, the power of being an interior designer! bwahahahaha). Just toss them every day. You can also pick out remants from the dumpster at the local carpet store. They always have large remnants left over from jobs. Often big pieces you can take out as a roll! Just cut it up as needed.

[jenluckenbach]

does Minion go OVER your privacy fence? If so, check this out.
http://www.catfencein.com/
and look through the brocure links, better photos and explainations.

[wolflady]

Gosh, I'm sorry to hear about these problems with Minion. I am in the same boat. Our cat Scooter will pee all over the house if left to his own devices, and it's going on 10 years now! :eek:
We tried everything too, and nothing works. I have to agree with it being a declaw issue. Scooter is also declawed, and I really believe his peeing issue is a result of the declaw.

Scooter is my husband's cat, and he just loves that cat to pieces. The only solution we've found that works (most of the time), is to keep Scooter caged during the day when nobody is home to watch him. The cage forces him to use his litter box, and he has shelves to lay on, and his food and water are in there also. Sure, it's an eyesore taking up a huge chunk of our kitchen, but it does give us piece of mind that Scooter isn't peeing all over the house while we're gone.

It's not a very good picture, but you can kind of see Scooter's cage in this picture:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/mariussmom/Helpingwiththelaundry4.jpg

For the longest time, we felt so bad about shutting him in this cage, and I even asked my vet about it. Considering cats sleep 18+ hours a day, the vet said that it's not harming him at all keeping him in there when we can't watch him. Even when we open the cage door to let him out after work, he sometimes just opts to hang out in his cage (just like he is in this picture). It's his safe haven, which is a good thing.

Perhaps this is something you could try? Take it from someone who's had a peeing cat for 10 years!

**hugs**

[buttercup132]

The outdoor idea...would be like a dog run, only for cats. There are commercial ones available... he could get in and out by means of a cat door into the house. I would think he will pee and poop outside as opposed to inside?

Maybe some people here could post pics of theirs?

Or maybe just check out a dog run with a warm "house" inside it.

I wish the psychic could tell him about the trouble and pain he is causing, and what might happen to him...and tell him to just "suck it up". I mean - so what if he doesn't like the feel of the litter?

Maybe she could ask him WHAT would make him use the box.

Might be worth one more try with the psychic.

If you DO have to rehome him - how about a farm or rural place? They might have to keep him inside for a bit til he socializes, but he would have free roam.

My heart just aches for you. My Oscar plants his purring bod all against my ear in the morning...if I were in your shoes, I don't know what I would do.

PT Prayers headed your way!

hugs!I think a cat run sounds like it would be a good idea, but to but a top on it so he cant get out.

Also have you tried yestedays news?
Its a differnt form of litter but still helps block the odour and soak up the pee. And it looks like rabbit food

[Reachoutrescue]

I think the cage idea is smart. I also would try the outdoor housing too. Give him options....not a new home. He loves you as you love him too. Good luck.

[AdoreMyDogs]

does Minion go OVER your privacy fence? If so, check this out.
http://www.catfencein.com/
and look through the brocure links, better photos and explainations.

Thanks so much everyone. Sofar my sweet Minion has been sleeping outside for the past several nights and he's done OK. I miss him, and I know he misses me, but sofar it's working out.

This is very cool, Jenluckenbach! I have ordered a catalouge. That would certainlly work to keep him inside our yard! There's only one spot that he hops the fence, hopefully they don't charge a whole bunch, and you don't have to buy a huge amount since there's just a small area that he jumps.

Thanks everyone for the advice. And regarding the litter types, I've tried everything. I've tried Arm & Hammer, I've tried the bigger grain ones like Yesterdays News and that cedar stuff. We've tried all kinds of different textures and he just hates litter of every type it seems, but he has no problem pooping in it, he just won't pee in it.

Thanks so much everyone for the advice and for not being mean. This is not easy to go threw.

[jenluckenbach]

The next thing to consider are getting him used to diapers. Sure, 24/7 would be hard, especially when you will have a newborn soon. But for his visits inside! That way you would not have to watch him like a hawk, but he would still be able to join you in the house for the "daily visit". (or whatever you choose)