Cats and kids and pee'ing-UPDATE #6

[Freedom]

He he, Kelly joined and started another thread, same issue. See here:

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=134449

[Freedom]

So this is the message I received today from Kelly:

Alright so I woke up this morning to find that the cats had pooped on my
living room chair and in the kitchen. They have access to the litter box at
night and the boys room is shut at night and during the day when we aren't
home now. So why would they be pooping on our furniture now.
My husband is all done with them and we don't have the money to bring them
to the vet to see if anything is wrong. What do we do now?
Kelly

[Catty1]

Question: When did the peeing problem start?

Following is a mixed bag of suggestions and thoughts.

Call the Humane Society and talk to them. They are reacting to the child, I am sure. Maybe they or a friend could foster them for a while.

Nancy Efrusy is a pet psychic that has done wonders for people here. She is in the USA, and very reasonable. [email protected]

At the very point where the cats need extra love and reassurance, they are behaving in a way that doesn't get them that.

Feliway is a relaxant for cats; it's expensive though a little lasts a long time.

Again - I think they have to have their own safe child-proof place. Basement?

Making them outdoor cats could result in an expensive vet visit -they are 10, and not accustomed to the outdoors. All you need is for one or both of them to be hit by a car or hurt by an animal, and to survive...and the vet costs associated with surgery or euthanasia.

The boy is only permitted to interact with the cats when supervised. He is a bit rough with them and parents stop him right away.

DON'T allow the youngster to interact with them at all. Question - how do you keep them apart when he is not supervised? If that works, do it constantly.

Otherwise - rehome them as a pair. Safest and best for them...especially if vet checkups are going to be a problem for a while.

[Medusa]

First and foremost, I'd shut off any rooms where the cat isn't allowed. So many times people try to humanize their animals and this causes problems. (I'm not saying that she's doing this but once a habit is begun, such as allowing pets to sleep w/their humans, it's difficult to break.)

After a cat has soiled an area, clean it w/an enzyme product such as Urine Gone and completely saturate the area w/it to remove all traces of odor. If you see the cat going near a previously soiled spot, in a firm, loud voice (don't shout), say "NO!" and shoo him/her away w/a squirt gun.

If all else fails, your vet can give you a prescription for Clomicalm. A few of my cats are on it and it's worked wonders. I haven't had an episode in months. Some PTers have had more success, however, w/Prozac, either a patch or pill. I wish I didn't have to medicate my cats but it's better than the alternative. Houses and furniture are expensive and, more importantly, our environment should be clean and healthy, not reeking of urine and feces.

Good luck w/this. I know how difficult it can be. If none of these suggestions work for you, then probably rehoming would be best, as long as you rehome them together. Please don't put them outdoors, though. Too much can happen to an outdoor cat. The average life span is only 2 years versus 17 1/2 years for an indoor cat. Hope this helps.

[catmandu]

If They Are Healthy Cats And Doing This Out Of Jaelousy Then Thats Going To Be Hard To Correct. Is There A Place Like The Cellar That They Can Go, Until They Relearn Hwat The Box Is For?
Prayers Are Coming For You All.

[Catty1]

PS: If you can't afford a vet, you can't afford the pet.

I think the best thing for all concerned is to rehome them together.

Please check with friends and maybe put them on PetFinder instead of taking them to a shelter.

When your youngest one is older, maybe you and hubby can save another furry life or two.

Take care.