To want to get rid of our cat?

[mampam]

Basically the main problem is that she howls(more of a hideous gurgling really) outside all night. At first we thought it was because we have to lock the cat flap, so if she does go out at night she can't come back in. The reason we do this is because other cats were coming in at night and going through the kitchen bin and spraying.

Being locked out at night isn't the problem though because on several occasions DH has got up and let her in but by the time he gets back upstairs she is back outside and making the god awful noise again.

I worry about her too as she does not very often venture out of our garden or driveway. Even if it is raining she sits outside in the rain and doesn't find shelter. I worry that in the winter if she won't find shelter, especially at night then she might freeze to death in the wind and rain.

Is there any hope for her? Any cat behaviour experts out there to help me with this before DH murders her as he is shattered from not being able to sleep.

Cats are dirty, they carry germs from outside inside, they harbor massive amounts of germs and bacteria under there claws, they don't do anything other then eat and sleep. they kill local wildlife and crap in other peoples gardens.

in the case of the one next door, it kept shitting in my dads plant pots, falling off the bird box and smashing on to the greenhouse, it broke the bird box twice and he finally gave up with it when it eventually managed to kill all the baby Blue Tits.

Get rid of the cat and get something nice instead like Gerbils, cute, friendly and playful.

Gerbils piss on your hand and hide under the floorboards . Goldfish won't give you any trouble.

Ryoko

There are things you can buy to keep a cat of of a garden like granules which you sprinkle over your plant pots, a quick squirt of water works wonders as well cats are actually quite bright and will soon get the message.

Cats are actually wonderful little things
BTW my cat is scared witless by birds so I can have a bird table with no problem, he keeps away from it and runs if he sees one of the big blackbirds - its actually quite amusing, he will see of the big ginger cat next door but trembles when he hears a blackbird in the trees.

Goldfish are hard to keep (properly) they need a filter, 1/4 water change once a week and cleaning out once a month, tropical fish are easier to keep.

If they are pissing on your hand it means they want you to put em down, they are smart little things, they know what works. mine never hid, they where everywhere like hyper active monkeys up the curtains, falling off the kitchen worktops climbing inside the duvet covers, mental. and they loved boxing those little weeble like budgey toys.

Think i will stick with my cats. No cage or tank to clean. My cats would eat the gerbil (or fish) anyway. (at least that would save 1 meal)

Just another thought if you're a cat novice and the cat is constantly pestering for food - has she been wormed?

If you lock her in at night, you might want to try Feliway or something similar. It's a bit like a plug-in air freshener that you can get from your vet and it acts like a mild tranquiliser on the cat. Some people say it has transformed their relationship with a neurotic cat.

I'd also recommend you get a book on cat behaviour, as this will help you understand why your cat behaves in certain ways, and understanding why something happens in the first place is the first step towards overcoming a problem. Try 'Catwatching' by Desmond Morris - someone's selling that on Amazon for 9 pence!

Yes she is wormed, we put drops on the back of her neck that does fleas and worms all in one, forget what it's called now.

Yes we're sure we get invaded by other cats, have caught them trying to come in the catflap and when I was pregnant and DH was sleeping on the sofa he caught one in our kitchen bin. Our cat was curled up and fast asleep.

We've had her since June 2009 and she was fine up until January this year so I don't think it's a settling in problem.

I know how you feel OP, used to feel the same way about mine - whingy whiny old thing it was - like having a crying baby around. Who needs it.

the drops don't do worms... they do fleas and ticks.

Get some Drontal, they're cheap and work in one dose.

How much do you feed her? Sounds like she could be used to quite generous portions at her old house, maybe she thinks she's being starved a good way to find out a cats appetite is to put down way too much food and see how much they eat... cat's won't overeat, they'll leave what they don't want for later so you should be able to find out what she considers a normal portion.

Cat detective by Vicky Halls v good for trying to work out cat probs, can prob get cheap on amazon. But, hasn't helped us with our infuriating cat!! She's about 11, very weird and/or stupid, has always frequently 'missed' the litter tray, scratches furniture, doorways, v v annoying, but we put up with her

summerrain,
my cat over-eats to the point of throwing up if it is something she loves. Yep, she is mental.

If she is 10 years old and pestering for food a lot, there is a good chance she may have an overactive thyroid.

Please take her to the vets to be checked out.

Failing that, i would lock her in at night as it can't be great for her to be out in the cold all night if she's just sitting howling and not much good for you either

Advocate is a dropper that does fleas and worms.

Yes that's what it's called: Advocate. It's quite expensive too!

Cat has had her thyroid removed so has regular monitoring from the vets for it.

coraltoes maybe this cat's just mental too. Not much can be done if that's the case I suppose.

Cat eats a tin of food per day and I always put biscuits in a dish too just in case she's hungry. She tends to not eat the biscuits but still begs for food.

I have to say i wouldn't trust a drop to effectively kill worms. Even the tablets which put the worms in direct contact with poison can miss some, in bad cases with adopted ferals i've had to double and triple dose with Drontal to clear them. If it were my cat i'd dose her for worms properly... if she's going toilet outside you wouldn't really know if she has them, she could be utterly infested and you'd not know. They do act fairly weird when they're riddled with worms so it's got to be worth a try

I think it's possible that the cat is upset by having to share house with the baby, particularl after reading post by asouthwoldmummy, and asking for food may be demanding attention. Sorry I don't have any useful tips, but my sympathy is with your husband.