Why am I the bad guy?

[catnapper]

Long story short:
My son had the whole third floor as his bedroom. TECHNICALLY half was his room, the other half was the guest room. Allen considered the guest room as HIS room. When Tony went away to college a few weeks ago, we shut the door to the 3rd floor thinking we'd have less hassle and less electric bill if we closed that off while our son was in school. Allen reacted by peeing everywhere. We took a few weeks to finally understand WHY he'd suddenly decided to spray.

My oldest daughter has the smallest bedroom, and my youngest has the largest bedroom on the second floor. (when they got to choose rooms, the largest room was decorated for a boy and my oldest daughter didn't want a boy's room so she chose the more girly room.... never did she think we could paint the room and take down the football themed curtains! So her younger sister ended up with the larger room)

Today they all decided that since Tony was off to college and will not be home much anymore, that they'd move everything around - youngest daughter up to son's room because she'd be here the longest before heading off to college. My oldest daughter would take her sister's newly vacated room. My son would then end up with the smallest room, but it wouldn't matter since he's a college boy now.

Got all that?

Now, EVERYONE is mad at ME because I happened to bring up one little issue that would arise with this great room swap scheme. Minette would still go with Heather.... so she'd leave her little ivory castle and head up to the 3rd floor. Only she doesn't LIKE other cats, and if she goes up there, how is Allen going to have access to HIS room? He's going to start peeing everywhere again.

Ok, then I suggested they lock Minette in the one room on the 3rd floor and still let Allen access to the guest room, otherwise known as "Allen's room". No, hubby doesn't like that because then Minette would have a smaller room than she has now and he thinks she should have the entire floor to roam. She should - thats why I hope to some day find a home of her very own.

Ok, then why not leave her in the room she's already in, and still do the swap? No... Ash doesn't want to have a cat in her room, and Heather really wants to stay with Minette. URG!

So now I'm the big bad guy because I pointed out that we'd have a cat uproar over the move. Now nobody is moving and everyone thinks I'm out to spoil their fun. Why am I the bad guy? Its not as if I was opposed to the idea. They act like I was against it and made up this "crisis" to spoil their fun. GRRRRRrrrrrrrrr.

Ok, besides venting, I made this post to see if anyone has any ideas as to how this move could still work, making both the human and feline parties involved happy.

[Soapets]

Let the hoomans make the move, and let the fur-kids adjust to it and work things out themselves. They probably wouldn't go along with any of your plans, anyway, because they wouldn't understand any of the logic. It would be interesting to see what would happen if you just let them figure things out for themselves. They will anyway, won't they?

I may be totally wrong here, so ignore this message if you don't agree with it. I'd like to know how it all ends up!

[kittycats_delight]

What if Ashley took your Tony's room? Heather and Minette can stay where they are and just have Ashley move. It would be less moving around and Ashley could have a bigger room. And Allen then can have access to his room.

[catnapper]

I would agree if it was any other cat than Minette or Allen. Allen WILL pee if we shut the door. When we realized that he was peeing because of being locked out of the room, we thought back to other peeing episodes... and they always coincided with the third floor door being closed. We've had pee issues with him since he was a wee kitten and we've tried everything to change him, but he's more bullheaded than we are.

With regards to Allen and "his room" he's very territorial of it. He once bit a friend who slept on "his bed". Thank God it was through a thick quilt and didn't break skin. We simply cannot lock him out of the room.... its where he goes to get away from us, and the other cats. Mainly to get away from us humans. Getting away from us on the second floor isn't the same as heading up to the thrid floor.

Minette NEEDS to be locked in a room where the other cats cannot meet face to face with her. She will tear them to shreads. The boys get into the room she is in now, and when they do, they get their butts kicked by her. I notice that the more often they get into her room now, the worse the fights get. Things are not getting better with her in regards to accepting other cats.

If not for these two, I'd say "go ahead and move, the cats will figure it out". Even Mr. sensitive, Pouncer would be ok with the move. He'd just be touchy and hissy for a few weeks. But he'd handle the change. Allen will not handle being locked out of his room.

[jenluckenbach]

Originally posted by kittycats_delight
What if Ashley took your Tony's room? Heather and Minette can stay where they are and just have Ashley move. It would be less moving around and Ashley could have a bigger room. And Allen then can have access to his room.

I agree with this. This way the oldest (Tony) had the big room, then Ashley (2nd oldest) could have her turn at the big room and by the time it is Heather's turn, maybe Minette will have moved out.

[catnapper]

Good idea, and would work if my family didn't like to make things difficult.

Ash doesn't want the attic room. She HAD the attic room 4 years ago and moved out to go to the smallest bedroom. She claims to be cold up there. I don't think she's been up there since she moved into her current room

How about I just get rid of the hoomans?

I'll see if she's interested and expain the changes... because of course there have been many changes... like me having renovated everything up there with paint, new carpet, repacement windws. When I moved in, the windows were HORRENDOUS and they let in quite a draft. She probably has no clue how nice the third floor is now. *I'd* move up there in a heartbeat. Hmmmmm.... maybe hubby and I can move up there and the kids can fight over our room?

[catmandu]

I AM OLD,AND MIXED UP,BY ALL THIS ROOM AND PEOPLE TALK,BUT I PRAY,THAT YOU CAN WORK THIS OUT,SO THAT THE CATS,AND GUARDIANS,ARE HAPPY,AND ALLEN,DOESNT MARK,THE HOUSE.

[Corinna]

Funny you say get rid of the humans. My suggestion is get the girls an apt and Allen could have the whole house, Minntte could move with the girls. Seriously, I don't have a clue for you. I have a simular problem the 17 year old cat isn't allowed out side here at the new House (neaither cat is) so he just goes where he pleases so hes looked in my sons room (quarter of the upstairs. ) Ebony can't stand to be there so now I have inherited a bed compainon since I don't have Merlin any more . Good greif we went from no litter box to 2 of them . As a dog person this is getting really old. The newest wrinkle is Winky the old guy LOVES beating on his little sister so he doesn't get out of his room much now. Little girl on the other hand now thinks shes my alarm clock (but shes set a Half an hour fast 5:30 is not 6 am) How do you reset a cat alarm?

[Uabassoon]

Originally posted by Corinna
Little girl on the other hand now thinks shes my alarm clock (but shes set a Half an hour fast 5:30 is not 6 am) How do you reset a cat alarm?

You can't reset it, but there is a snooze option! Crawl out of bed, place food in the cat dish, then go back to bed. When the food is gone kitty will wake you up to let you know!

[catnapper]

Oy, the room swap has begun. I *think* we've come to a solution that might work....

during the day, when my daughter is in school, Minette will be shut in the smaller room of the 3rd floor. Allen will have access to "his" room up there. After my daughter come homes form school, she will evict Allen and let Minette have run of the 3rd floor. That way Minette gets more room, while Allen still has access to his.

It actually might work since he spends his day in "his" room, evenings are spent down in my bedroom or on the first floor where everyone else hangs out. He'll sleep in various spots based on his mood.

I'll definately be on the lookout for peeing.

[jenluckenbach]

I hope it works.

[CalliesMom]

I hope everything works out too. I know how hard it can be dealing with cat pee issues. Cats are quite strange and cannot deal well with change...especially if it is something that they view as "theirs."