to get rid of the cat?

[ihatemycat]

I never thought I would be the sort of person who wanted to get rid of a pet but she is really pissing me off.

She is fed the best tins I can buy but insists on going out and eating grass. She has just been sick all over our (top loading) washing machine despite having access to go outside.

She's also started shitting next to the (large and regularly cleaned) litter tray or sometimes in the most awkward places I can hardly reach into, this is also despite having the opportunity to go outside.

She also like to wake DS1 (age 5) up in teh night by walking on his head and also wakes us up several times a night for no reason other than she sleeps all day so wants to arse around all night.

I'm pregnant and frankly the smell and aggro of cleaning it up after her is just making me utterly fed up. I am just so fed up and feel she probably deserves better than a family who are all pissed off with her...

babies is babies and cats is cats

It is not normal for a cat to poo like this. Take her to the vet. Try getting rid of the litter tray and see if she'll go outside. Try shutting her downstairs at night so she can't come upstairs and hassle you at night.

And be prepared for a flaming. There are mumsnetters who think that animals come before people. They are bonkers and in a minority but vociferous.

Our 'antique' moggy (17yo when we had to have her PTS) got a very sensitive stomach as she got older.She became very milk intolerant ,whereas in her younger days she'd eat Philidelphia and have the dregs from our Alpen in her bowl.(I know they are not meant to have milk, but it was only now and again.Cream cheese is very good for getting tablets in cats)

Grass eating-yes very common.
We used to leave the cat door open and all the inside doors.She couldn't abide a closed door.
But we did not when new,younger cats came on the scene she would withdraw a bit.Her patrol area became just her garden. Then even that got invaded but she could still defend her territory to the end.

Does your cat need a cat tray at all? Would she go outside if she had free access at all time (by cat door). Ours never used one.She always had one clean but went outside.

Can sympathise, my cat is really annoying, she's about 16 though so we would never re-home her. But she frequently pees/poos outside the tray, sick quite often. Has done so for ages now, got used to it.

What we have found good is to confine her to a smaller area of the house that isn't carpeted (some of her problems are stress-related, she's a nervy cat) and with less area, seems less likely to mess.

So she has utility/kitchen/dining area & we leave living room door open when we are in so she has company/part of family but overnight or when we are out she is confined to easy to clean areas. Has made life much easier.

I do love having a cat come to see me when I'm sleeping etc (our other, lovely, old cat, PTS just over a year ago, used to come & lie on my chest & purr to wake me up in the morning, was lovely) but with this one its too much hassle

Vicky Halls website is very good for cat-related advice.