Anyone want a cat?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I can't believe you'd seriously kill an animal simply for a convenience issue. I realize you're upset/angry/irritated, but please take a step back and let's be rational. A pet has a personality and tries to communicate with us without words. I'm guessing your cat is trying to tell you that something's wrong - not just trying to deliberately anger you (animals know when you're angry and don't like being around such anger).

Please be patient and try to figure out what's really going on. Is the litter box changed/cleaned on a regular basis? Is the cat potentially injured or sick? As has been said, cats are very suceptable to urinary tract or kidney problems (I recently went through a serious kidney infection with one of mine that was making her very lethargic and irritable and puking a lot).

Up to you whether to have indoor or outdoor cats, but I consider my pets part of my family. They bring my wife and I unmeasurable happiness. We don't have kids or anything like that - our pets are the closest thing we'll ever have, and we take our responsibilities to care for them seriously. Statistically an indoor cat will live CONSIDERABLY longer than an indoor/outdoor cat or an outdoor cat. Even with shots, good care, etc. This is well-documented. Yes I occasionally let mine out, but only with direct supervision. Your call.

You're normally one of the most level-headed people on here; I'm just shocked to hear that you'd seriously take your frustration out on a defenseless animal by killing it, just because you can't be bothered with finding out what's really wrong. I really do hope you find a good home for that cat and it can go to someone with the patience and compassion to give it a good home.

I'd adopt myself but three is my limit - that's all I can take care of in my place reasonably (any more and I risk turning into one of those weird people with way too many cats who talks to plants and is a total social recluse).

[Sonic dB]

I lost my female 13 yr old diabetic cat in April to cancer etc.... now my 16 year old needs a friend. Animals are like us, they get lonely when they are alone alot. This cat peeing, usually they do not pee once they are fixed... so she is most likely reacting to something going on, maybe she is lonely or something.

before you put the cat down... PM me and maybe we can work something out... im still not sure on gettting another one yet, but would consider it maybe... also there a LOTS of shelters that will take them in and place them for you... please consider this before you just take her life.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Gee. Thanks for your empathy, Milt.

Ian

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Vets always said she was extremely healthy. Until she wasn't at 9 years.

Ian

I think you misread my thoughts. I find that the vets may not have been the ones with much empathy, much less skill in cat care. That's not that uncommon with certain vets, IMHO. Especially in rural areas. No generalities implied here, just that highly urbanized areas tend to attract vets that probably couldn't administer care to a horse. And vice-versa.

I do care about the loss of your cat.

[jyl]

I sympathize.

I once got a kitten from the pound, and then started waking up in the middle of the night with a warm spreading sensation on my chest. Yes, the cat would climb on the bed and pee ON ME. 3AM, yell, jump out of bed, strip the bed, shower, not happy. This kept happening. We then kept her out of our bedroom. She began peeing on the floor, which was all wall-to-wall carpet. Every weekend, rent a carpet steamer, clean the carpets, arrgh. We read books, that said to cover the pee'd on area with something that cats don't like to walk on. Soon the whole house was carpeted with newspaper, aluminium foil, etc. We confined the cat to the kitchen. As soon as she was let out, she'd walk straight to some other part of the house and pee. We stuck it out for a month or so this. The last straw was when our dog decided to copy the cat. An ounce of pee from a kitten is one thing, a pint from a 60-lb dog is another. We took the kitten back to the pound. "Here is your cat back, here is why, you should tell the next owner to make her an outdoor cat." "We can't give you your money back, you know". "That's okay, really."

In your shoes, I would have the vet check for the conditions that other posters have mentioned, and even consider making her an outdoor cat. But at the end of the day, I won't condemn you because I have done it myself (ok, maybe the kitten was adopted by a new family, but maybe not.)

[jeffgrant]

Originally Posted by jyl

Yes, the cat would climb on the bed and pee ON ME.

Sounds like the previous owner was a perv that wanted to try this "scat / watersports" fetish, but lost the "s" in "scat".

[imcarthur]

Understood, Milt. No problems.

Ian

[Jagshund]

Put in a pet door. I installed one in my basement for my Dachshunds and now they go outside on their own to do their business- we just leave the basement door open and they come and go as they please. Took all of 30 minutes to install in a steel foam-core door and doesn't leak or provide access for theives (placed it far from the lock/deadbolt). Think it was $90.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

They sell ones that require a magnetic thingy on the collar to open - I have one on an interior door right now so my one cat can take refuge from the other two (they like to torment her sometimes). If a cat tries to get in the door that doesn't have the magnet thing on their collar, the door doesn't open (on an exterior door this prevents strays from getting in), but it opens freely for the cat with the magnetic "key".

They're pretty cheap, as Scott mentions - might be a good thing to look into.

[stomachmonkey]

Noah, had the same peeing issue with one of my fav cats.

Almost like she was incontinent. She'd be lying on the table and just get up and pee right there. Tried, food, meds, different litters, in short EVERYTHING including a holistic vet.

We were building a new house with lots of wood and stone floors and if kept up she was not making it to the new house.

Out of desperation we crated her in the Mastiffs "condo". Figured she was better off alive and confined vs dead. We also put her on prozac for a couple of weeks.

Situation resolved in less than a month. She was completely cured.

When we moved into the new house we had 2 days of peeing in a corner, stuck her back in the crate for a week and gave her the meds. No more issues.

Turns out she was just really stressed.

Try the crate, put the litter box in there. Feed her in there. Let her out for 30 minutes of attention then back in.

[Noah930]

Hmm. Interesting solution, stomachmonkey. I don't know if it's PETA approved, but heck, it worked.

Thanks to all for their suggestions.

Since the Friday evening peeing incident, no more "accidents" in the house. The new plan is to let her out and in at night (pet door isn't so convenient in the house we're renting, as there is a screened-in porch so we'd need a series of two pet doors, to be placed into doors we don't own). Wife will have to deal with getting up in the middle of the night to let the cat in. I'll have to deal with having more stains on the carpet. Kids' doors are being kept closed, as much as possible and reasonable. Litter box is cleaned and topped off regularly. Vet claims clean bill of (physical) health, with good blood glucose levels and clean urine.

FWIW the grass-filled hairball vomit is a new phenomenon for our cat. She's been going outside at night for a year. She's been vomiting (mainly undigested cat food--which is the same stuff she's been eating all along) for as long as we've had her. But the grass is a new element to the vomitus over the last couple months. Which is why I tried to confine her indoors. Which is when she started peeing on beds and sitting areas (at least the ones where she never visits, except in times of urinary protest), even after her medical problems were sorted out by the vet.

If anyone (milt) wants her, they're free to have her. She's a bit aloof, even for a cat. But she's pretty affectionate, as well. Usually spends the first couple hours of the night curled up literally around my arm in bed, before she goes off to hunt crickets or spiders in the house.

[Tim Hancock]

Hell, just set her food and water bowl outside and kick her out of the house for good. Cats do fine outside.

[svandamme]

yeah, mine does great outside, only time he ever comes in, is for grub, and to lick his empty nutsack when it's to rainy to lick it outdoors

[9dreizig]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

Hell, just set her food and water bowl outside and kick her out of the house for good. Cats do fine outside.

Yeah they do fine if you're a coyote and have a few favorite "kitty recipe's" LOL
At least that's the case around here, not sure if Noah lives near them in S.Cal
T

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Indoor cats will live about 2-3 times as long as outdoor cats on average. This is pretty well documented.

[Noah930]

I was all for making her an outdoor cat. That's what I did Friday night; tossed her outside (or, rather for PETA monitors on this board, I opened the door and let her run outside by her own volition) and didn't open the door until morning when I woke up to watch Singapore GP qualifying. I don't think there are coyotes or other predators in my suburban neighborhood. Well, maybe raccoons, possum, other neighborhood cats, and cars. Those would be the risks (as well as disease) for an early demise. But the cat stands outside the back door and meows all night long. Keeps the wife up, and the wife claims it wakes up the kids, and she's concerned that the neighbors (who are nice people) will be similarly kept insomniac. So she caves in and lets the cat in around 1 in the morning, when she (my wife) can't stand it any longer.

Plus, it makes it a little bit more difficult to administer twice-a-day insulin shots when you're not able to locate the cat very readily.

[charleskieffner]

does he/she have any CREDIT??? is he/she self supporting?

[slodave]

Remove the cats vocal cords?

I mentioned this to a vet about my bird. The lady got this horrified look on her face. It's not like I was totally serious.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by slodave

Remove the cats vocal cords?

I mentioned this to a vet about my bird. The lady got this horrified look on her face. It's not like I was totally serious.

More than once my wife has sent me out with a shotgun in my underwear after being woken up by cats fighting in the side yard

[Sonic dB]

Originally Posted by slodave

Remove the cats vocal cords?

I mentioned this to a vet about my bird. The lady got this horrified look on her face. It's not like I was totally serious.

Dog Breeders do this. It is sick and terrible, but they do it anyway. gotta make a buck right?

[nynor]

this wouldn't fly at my house. i have two cats and i really like them. however, at the point where they are peeing in the house, let alone on the bed, i am done. or rather they are done. and give me any of that touchy feely crap. they are cats. my property. period. when did we get so anthropomorphic about our pets? they aren't people.