Cats... Never Again

[Brando]

I am pretty sure that this is the last time I will own cats. Sitting outside the vet's office now to take the problem child in for a checkup and see wtf is wrong with him. For the past 2 months he's been pooping all around the apartment. We move and the first thing he does is $&@+ on the carpet. Whole condo stinks to high hell. Peeing and pooping on our stuff. Yeah, these are the last cats I will ever own. Wife doesn't understand how repulsive the smell is. I can barely breathe in the place and have to keep the windows open all the time.

It's terrible because they can be so well behaved at times. The other is being just fine.

/Rant

[Crowbob]

It's a cat. That's what's wrong with it.

[Evans, Marv]

I don't think that's normal behavior. I've been in peoples' places over time where they left the cat box unchanged. I understand the objection you have about the stench. Odd your wife doesn't take notice.

[Craig T]

That is the nastiest thing I've read in a long time.

I come from a dog family, and never owned a cat, but dated a girl once that owned one in an apartment. I could barely stand to step inside even to pick her up for a date it smelled so nasty. Oddly?, the crazy chick used to say the same thing about my house's dog smell. Go figure

[recycled sixtie]

It could be because the cat is old maybe? Or just likes to mark its territory...
My old black lab in her dotage let got little poopers in her final year. I don't miss that.

[Brando]

I am starting to think Crowbob is 100% right on this. Cats are neurologically messed up from the factory.

The vet thinks it could be a couple things. First is thyroid, second being behavioral. He suggested we try the "Feliway" pheromones you put in a diffuser. Humans can't smell it normally but it keeps the cats calm. He's going to call after the thyroid test and urinalysis comes through.

Totally accurate:

[creaturecat]

cats usually will not behave as such, unless there is something wrong with them.
moving around may introduce them to other animal "smells" which they do not like.
me glad you are seeing a vet.
do you have 2 litter boxes, as recommended?

[creaturecat]

oh, i see you have 2 cats. that requires 3 litter boxes.

[creaturecat]

no need to turn this into another one of those "i hate cats" threads. why bother?

[john walker's workshop]

It need to get out more, and have something to do.

[scottmandue]

We have three cats and no pooping/peeing inside.

I know multiple cat boxes are recomended but we just have one HUGE one (storage container) with a couple pounds of litter in it that I clean twice a day. Plus I fenced it a corner of the patio, we installed a pet door so they can go outside anytime they want, and we keep the catbox out on the patio.

Any pet needs a certain amount of maintenance.
If you get a dog better be prepared to taking for daily walk and pick up its poo, how many of us have a neighbor with a dog that sits crying in the back yard all day ignored? A yard littered with stinky land mines.

No judgement here... if you don't like cats don't get a cat.

[vash]

kudos for taking care of step one..thorough checkup with a vet.

pooping and peeing? damn, that is a lot to handle. cat pee is volatile. and cat poop is like all other poop, just concentrated. i like my cat, but agree..she is the last.

she acts all loving, but i am 99% sure she is just laying on me for warmth..not love.

sucks i married a woman that loves cats more than dogs.

[porsche930dude]

Male cats do like to mark their territory. Our cat is becoming a problem too. She is getting old. Pukes almost every day now. We had her checked out and tried different diets. She lives in the basement now and doesnt seem to mind. Peeing and pooping would quickly result in an outdoor cat. F that

[86 ssinit]

Last cat here too!!! Used to enjoy them not anymore. They ARE vengeful animals. No matter what the pros say they ARE vengeful. I've had them since I was a kid and I'm done. Nothing smells worse than kitty litter. I don't care if you have thirty litter boxes in the house leave it alone for the night there using the couch. I have one now that is 17 years old!! Last one was in his 20s. Long time to deal with their odors.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by vash

she acts all loving, but i am 99% sure she is just laying on me for warmth..not love.

Naw... it is the food... they love us because we feed them!

[Baz]

I'm down to the 2 brothers of an original 4 kitten litter that showed up in my side yard some 11 years ago.

They live outside....get fed twice a day....and a periodic flea combing - although it's rare that they have any fleas or other parasites.

Lots of habitat for them here including shelter when needed. They've only been to the vet one time.....at 1 year of age to get fixed. Never had anything to do with litter boxes....ugh!

They are my outdoor companions and we enjoy a wonderful dynamic.


Here are the 2 males from 2007...Banjo and Tucker:




They even have their own furniture!




Pic from last year.....I love the fact that the 2 brothers enjoy each other's company.....



I have 2 Blue Heelers as well but they don't stay outside without supervision so we never have conflicts.

[Mike80911]

Cats are normally very clean animals and only go outside the box if there is an issue. My cat started to do this at about 12 years old I knew immediately something was not right. After repeated vet visits and them telling me it was a psychological issue but I knew it was more than that. A few months later he was unfortunately properly diagnosed with cancer. They were only able to tell after doing x rays. We had to put him down shortly there after. I understand your frustration I dealt with it for almost a year but he truly was my best friend and I still miss him today. And I never was a cat person before I got him.

[Avanti]

Your cat is pissed you moved. Mine did some weird out of character things when I moved after 10 years in the same house. He settled down and had no issues soonafter but for whatever reason henever wanted to go outside again. Indoor cat after that, however I changed the litterbox daily so no smell.

Cats, dogs, all pets are a PITA.

[vash]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Naw... it is the food... they love us because we feed them!

i dunno..my HEATER doesnt feed her. and she does the same thing to it.. warmth.

[dafischer]

An old friend had a theory about cats' rationale. "Let's be nice to the big thing so it feeds us."