to have cats put to sleep

[WakeUpRosemary]

Hi

I haven't posted here much but have lurked a lot so please be gentle.

I have three cats at the moment, two of which I took in as kittens, socialised and have looked after for about six/seven years now. Since then I've had a son and as I live in a small house things are getting crowded. I wouldn't mind this so much if these two cats didn't urinate in various parts of the house. They have access to the outside and a litter tray. One in particular has been doing it for years and I've just had enough. It's stinking up the house, it's unhygienic and I'm sick of it. They have no physical problems, they don''t have UTIs: it's a behavioural problem. One of them doesn't get on well with the other two cats but I'm not prepared to play cat psychologist. I haven't the time or the energy. I'm beginning to think that I have to have them put to sleep. I feel there's no point putting them up for re-homing because who would want a six/seven-year-old cats with piss problems? It would also be upsetting to them if they were uprooted and probably brought back again. They're both skittish and not particularly fond of anyone but me and my DH.

So far this week I've found piss on a hand-towel in the kitchen, a chair and my son's toy garage. Fortunately, my son is particularly fond of the cat who doesn't pee everywhere and he's only three and a half so I doubt he'll be upset if the other two disappear. He may not even notice. I feel so bad though. I used to do quite of a lot of rescue work with cats and never dreamt I'd be considering this. I worry when people come to visit because I'm nervous a cat will piss on their bag, or they'll find a previously-undiscovered pool of piss or try to dry their hands on a pissy towel. It's gotten so I'm not that nice to any of the cats anymore and I think we'd be happier as a one-cat household.

sorry I've rambled. Am I being unreasonable?

Well, seeker, some of us consider that when we choose to bring a pet into our home, it's our responsibility to do the best by it, come what may. It's a family member after all.

The OP's title refers to killing the cats, not rehoming them or getting help for them. We have a 16 year old dog who pees a lot and vomits quite often but he's fit and well and happy and our solution is to clean up after him. No unsanitary conditions here. One day we will have to put him to sleep but that will be when he is not enjoying his life. He can rest assured that we want him and love him no matter what.

Selfish people put themselves first, they often say it's for their children but it isn't. There's a remedy to that too, it's called Karma, it's not time-limited and I hope it's brutal.

Fucking hysterical. The OP asks us to "please be gentle" in our responses to her then goes on to say that she's considering having her cats killed.

Not my gentleness there, is there OP? What happened? Did you lose your brain and not work out that rescue would be a better option for ALL THREE of your cats (because they clearly aren't safe with you, what will you do when the third displeases you?)? Or have you just had a humanity bypass?

I'm a rescuer and am sick to death of people who are happy to kill their pets rather than give them what they need or rehome them responsibly via reputable rescue if they can't be arsed to care for their pets..... and yes, that means you, OP.

I'm sure I could find a rescue space for them... yet you say that you used to work in rescue and yet you doubt if YOU could do so??? I wasn't the RSPCA by any chance, was it?

• "Not MUCH gentlenesss...", not "Not my gentleness...".

Must remember to preview. Last sentence should read, "It wasn't the RSPCA by any chance, was it?".

That's what happens when I post in anger... I spoil the sarcasm.

I am so glad to read the huge number of posts on here telling the OP she is unreasonable. I was horrified by the suggestion that you should just have animals you have kept as pets killed when they no longer suit your lifestyle. Seriously, what kind of person does this kind of thing? Yes, it is probably kinder than driving them somewhere and abandoning them, but just dreadful, dreadful. People like the OP should not get pets in the first place. They are not toys to be disposed of when bored with them. They are living souls.

When I was about 14, I used to help an older lady with her elderly pony, who was elderly. She got cancer, and the house was sold cheaply with the land on the proviso that the old pony was looked after until his natural demise. The minute the old lady died, the old pony was put down although he was still in good health, albeit needing medical care which she had provided for financially. I was so upset. Karma did hit her a few years later when her husband left her for another woman, she ended up homeless and an alcoholic and not much later in a nursing home, with no-one to visit her.

You remind me of that woman OP. If you really have no conscience, can you not at least make an attempt to rehome your pet cats to someone with one?

OK. It would be better if these cats were rehomed of course. But if the OP really can't cope with them any more, and it does not look to me like someone who's lightly considering getting rid of them (in whatever way), it does looks as if they would be hard to rehome. Would it really be better for them to spend ages in a rescue centre which, however wonderful, is hardly a home, where they would be lonely, sad and confused, not knowing what had happened to them? Is that really better than being painlessly pts? really?

Oh, and living ith a dog that pees where it shouldn't is very, very different to living with a cat that sprays.

Thanks, seeker.

I'm back and I've had a good think. I did post earlier in the heat of the moment. Things got on top of me and I'm glad they did because now I'm going to try and sort it out.

I'm thinking I'll rehome the friendlier one, Bo. I think she's more likely to settle in a new home. There are issues between her and the main peeing one. I think she's upset because my son is also getting noisier and more active and in a small house that's intimidating.

That leaves me with the main peeing one, whose name is Mulligan (so I don't have to call her 'peeing one' again). If she's not competing with two other cats she may calm down. My son doesn't seem to bother her as much, strangely enough, and the other cat is quite mellow these days. I'll give her more attention in the evenings too.

I'll also get a kennel for the yard so I can leave them outside a bit more during the summer and a Feliway plug-in for the room they spend most time in.

For those of you who think I'm cruel and shouldn't have cats, just to let you know that they're all very chilled out now, sharing the couch and washing themselves or sleeping after a big feed.

FGS nijinsky, don't give the OP ideas.

Ok, WakeUpRosemary, I can see that you posted with the worse case scenario. It happens, but you'll see from the responses you've had that people are angry with what you first posted.

You've had some really good advice from people who have cats (I don't), so if you're willing to try the various solutions, hopefully your problem will be solved or so much reduced that it's nothing more than an inconvenience.

Your last sentance makes me think that you do care for your cats. Hope it works out for you and them. :)

Ahve peopel actually read WakeUpRosemmary's posts, or have you just ceicded that she is a heartlyss cat killer who got her cats on a whim and is getting rid of them on a whim? Because that's not what she's said every anywhere.

Batty cat ladies to a person!

and seeker... Tomcat pee is something else entirely, normal cat pee isn't that different from dog pee, not from my previous experience anyway.

The actual pee isn;t that different - it's the way they use it...........

seeker - very, very many cat rescues are foster based - i.e. in a home environment no different to any other cat-owning household. Cattery based cat rescue is comparitively rare outside of the RSPCA/Blue Cross and a few other "big rescues".

I have two cats here whom I've rescued, had spayed, vaccinated, vet checked and so on and who are seeking a new home. They live in my house and sleep where they like alongside my own cats.

Maryz please see my post above. Many, many cat rescues do not place cats in "a concrete floor of a shelter" and there are no bars. A heck of a lot of rescues outside of the big ones (ie RSPCA/Blue Cross types) keep their cats in family homes. As I said, I'm such a rescuer. I and plenty of others like me, offer cats seeking a home my sofas, our own beds and a knee to sit on for a cuddle too.

I doubt any decent vet would do that. Yes yabu. I know how frustrating it is when animals don't behave how you want them to, but you must remember they are animals and need special care if you want them to behave in a certain way. You clearly don't have the time or the energy for them (hence your thoughts about wanting them dead!) so I would give them up for re-homing. Somebody who truly loves cats and who has the time and energy will no doubt take them on.

Maryz from what you are saying though, your cat is elderly and is at the end of his days anyway, yes?
You are not suggesting PTS just for his leaking or accidents. Thats not the same.

Anyway, OP has had alot of good advice. There are much crueler people out there beleive me. Twas only t'other day on here, I was arguing with some fucking moron who poisoned her neighbours cat. In comparison OP is Dr Dolittle.

i dont et it...

i had a kitten, her name is cat (2 yr olds insistance) when she was around one she had 4 kittens, i already had dd1 3 and dd2 2, 1 week after kittens i had ds 9mtnhs,

we kept the kittens all 4 kittens for around 3 mnths, in our 2 up 2 down terrace, it wasnt cramped? we kept the other 2 for at least 5 mnths, and one is still with us. the one we kept is called raja. the one we ave to my mum still comes when my mum visits us to visit his mum and brother... is that weird? the mum cat used to et a bit iffy with the kittens once they were a few months old but no major issues.

the kittens are now 9mnths, one i ave away is prenant and due anytime, any way the mum cat has iven birth aain a few weeks ao, raja is curious but doesnt harm the kittens.

anyway the point is, since they were toilet trained (i mean to o in the arden) there has been no issues, so how do these behavioural problems arise?

The place we rehomed our cat with has sent him to a foster family, (our other cat was bullying him) My aunties hoping to rehome a dog from them too, we even got one of our rabbits from them (R.I.P old man Fred) that's just our local animal rescue place ran by an army of cat litter rustling old dears, they have foster families all over the place tho and run background checks too.

nailak Seriously now, was that post a fucking joke?!

So what you just said is, you got a cat, didnt bother to give it a proper name, let it breed, then let its offspring breed, then let her breed a bit more......

Get the cats spayed now. How irresponsible of you.

Agrees with Nullius... I really wonder at the mentality of some people.

There is a huge difference between having an old and incontinent cat put to sleep and having a young, stressed and therefore urinating cat put to sleep. The former is ill and no doubt distressed, because cats are naturally very clean animals and don't like to just pee everywhere. It has a medical problem and so that stress cannot be prevented easily or at all. The cats mentioned in the OP do not have a medical prob lem and the OP clearly hasn't explored all avenues open to her at all, but considered PTS (even if it was in the heat of the moment) because it is convenient for her and not convenient to keep the cats and try and solve the problem. She can't be bothered 'to play cat phsycologist'.

No, animals aren't people, but if more people took the responsibility of pet ownership more seriously, instead of choosing to just 'get rid' when it no longer suited them, rescue centres would be nowhere near as full.

OP I think Alice the vet has some very good suggestions for you and I suspect there are just too many cats and they are stressed. You cannot just have them pts.

Nailak sorry but you are an irresponsible idiot. Get your bloody cats sprayed ffs!

Well, if you can be sure that the animals will go to foser homes like that then of course rehome. But otherwise - I genuinely think that being pts is preferable to a life of stress and fear.

And while we're being outraged by people's inhumanity, I also think that, because animals have no sense of the future, it is hugely inhumane and selfish to embark on long and invasive medical treatment for them. What gets humans through chemotherapy or other long and painful treatment is the knowledge/hope that one day they will be better. Animals do not have this - they only have "now". It is the owners needs that are being met by keeping an animal in such circumstances alive.

Phew. I've been wanting to say that for ages. I can;t say it to my friend, who's poor spaniel is now nearly blind, deaf and epileptic. She is so delighted when the poor dog "pulls through" another stroke...while the dog's life is becoming more amd more limited. A rabbit chasing, sea swimming, flying eared streamer tailed joyous creature reduced to a stumbling bundle of confusion - to fulfil a human's needs. Now that's cruelty.

Putting them to sleep would be extremely cruel. I can understand how bloody annoying it must be (we had a cat who shat everywhere) but surely you can see how unethical your idea is ffs??

If you decide to have a pet(s) then you agree to take on any costs / problems that may arise from it! Deal with it or have them homed elsewhere.