Having trouble with Bassett :(
Hi all. This problem is both heath and behaviour related, so I thought I would post it here. Last year when my grandma died Bassett was as traumatised as the rest of us, and she started peeing in the house. She has always done this - she has always peed on piles of clothes on the floor or in laundry baskets, however back then she started also peeing in boxes full of other belongings and much more frequently. I took her to the vet, and she was perscribed anti-depressants. She took them for about a month, and totally stopped messing in the house. She didn't even mess when I got Tilly.
When I got Nutmeg this last September, she peed in a box on the floor that I had put there for the cats to play in, but then stopped. It was her way of saying "Mom, this new kid is annoying" so I ignored it. However, in December she peed again in two boxes that had toys IN them (I ended up throwing away quite a few). I figured it had to do with my stress and anxiety about exams or something. While in the US for Christmas, she peed UNDER the Christmas tree on some of my parent's gifts. Luckily, some were washable and the pocketbook wasn't expensive and can be easily replaced. She also peed on a dog bed on the floor. The reason I know this is Bassett is because I have seen her do it before, and Tilly and Nutmeg both try to clean up after Bassett when she is done.
Today I noticed Tilly trying to cover a mess by the toys downstairs. I went to look and Bassett had peed IN the track of one of those blue round-a-bouts with the pink ball inside. The ball and the track was covered in dry urine. I bleached it all out and cleaned the carpet around the area, and now the toy is outside so some of the bleach smell can dissipate. I have to start giving Bassett antidepressants again, except that she refuses to pill. It takes AT LEAST three people to pill her, and the person in charge of opening her mouth has to wear gloves. I called the vet and am having her medication put into a liquid form that is flavoured, so that I can maybe just squirt it down her throat with less hassle. If that doesn't work, they can put it into a cream that I apply to the inside of her ear where there is no fur and it can absorb. I was warned that it is very expensive to have this done, but it's the only thing I can do. I can't have the cat peeing in the house all the time.
I've done everything I can think of to help her. I give her special one-on-one time, I defend her if the other two cats are bugging her. If these antidepressants don't work, I might have to have her put down. I really don't want to do that, but if I can't find a way to control this behaviour what else can I do? She is too attached to me to go live with someone else, and that's what makes this even harder. It is killing me to see her distressed in this way, and I don't know how to fix it. She is my "heart" cat - although I love all my girls more than anything Bassett and I have a real special bond. I'm using some of my tuition money to pay for this medication, and I sincerely hope it works so that I can help her feel better and stop the messing.
Anyway, if anyone has had experience with a problem like this, any advice would be appreciated. I have school tonight until pretty late, so if you have questions for me (like more details or something) I will get back to you when I get back from class. Please pray that this medication will work. I love Bassett so much and I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep her healthy. It makes me ill with stomach pains from the stress of her being upset.
Thanks for reading, and hopefully it will all work out.
Naomi
PS- the vet has ruled out a health problem; it is behaviour related. However, it's her mental health I'm concerned about.
