To get rid of my fucking horrible cat? (long - sorry)

[ilovedarthmaul]

She is a house cat that goes in the garden sometimes and we got her from the cats protection league 8 years ago. She has NEVER wanted fuss/strokes etc - she wont come near anyone (well she does a bit with me but i suspect thats only cos i feed her!) At first we thought it was because she is settling in but she has never got any better. Over the last 8 years she has systematically DESTROYED our house.

She pisses EVERYWHERE - she wont go on a litter tray at all (we have tried everything we can think of) - she scratches the walls/lead off the doors - even when the doors are fucking open! and rips the carpet to bits. Ive come in today from work and she has pissed on the settee - ive washed the cushion covers but its sunk into the hard/foam bottom bits - im soooo fucking mad - i cant afford new cushions or settee but dont know what i can do to get it out. If there are DC teddies/soft toys on the floor she pisses on those so they have to be thrown away - if i have folded washing up and put it on the arm of the chair/bottom of the stairs she will piss on that too. She climbed onto our dining table the other day & pissed on that as well. - Where we eat!!!!!

i should point out that we have had her checked by the vets and she hasnt got anything wrong with her (cystitus/water infection etc) and her litter tray is ALWAYS clean. I try & put her out in the garden as much as possible but she was attacked by next doors dog last year so i daren't leaver her out whilst im at work.

i feel like crying - im terrified that our house STINKS and we are used to it.

Im not an animal hater - so please dont flame me - i just get no joy out of her & a shit-load of stress and work!

I dont even know if anyone will take an incontinent, grumpy, horrible cat anyway but if they would would i be being unreasonable?

thanks for listening - feel slightly better after my rant!

am off to pick DC up now & think about how i can get the smell of cat-piss out of my sofa!

Darth x

another vote for having her put down.I had mone put down when she started pissing everywhere.You really can't allow your Dc to live in this sort of environment

Glad I'm so famous for telling it how it is. About 90% of this site don't even deserve to have children.

PS, I had an elderly cat who when I started working longer hours reacted to the change by weeing/poohing it's not a pleasant thing to come home to and it does cause a lot of work. I managed to counter his issues by making a big, big fuss of him when I was at home... even getting up at 5 to let him out for his morning wee and waiting for him to come back in for his first breakfast of the day Bloody cats!!

Yeah send it to Aribura and FFS tell it to piss on her keyboard so she cant write any more SHITE!

It may be kinder to the cat to find it a new home. I am no expert but it seems like it finds living in your home stressful. If you can't make your home less stressful for the cat (give away your children maybe ) then possibly your cat needs a different sort of home.

YANBU.

Can she go and live in the garden with an outdoor cat house/ igloo for warmth and shelter? That's what my cat chose to do with a bit of encouragement when DS was a baby. She still got attention etc., and now prefers to be outside, coming only for a fuss or if it's freezing outside.

OP - I know what this can be like. You have my sympathy. Can you try Feliway, and Zylkene added to the cat's food before deciding to rehome/PTS? This worked for mine, made her much calmer and the pissing and shitting stopped.

I would have no hesitation with contacting the Cat's Protection League about rehoming.

After 8 years you have a sour, destructive cat who pisses everywhere, then it's time to call it quits. I adore cats and had a dear little cat who used to piss around the house - a few times even on me when I was asleep, that was a treat - but as he was lovely and sweet and affectionate I could cope with the extra cleaning. If he'd been destructive and unpleasant I'd have considered rehoming after 8 months, let alone 8 years.

It's not the same as a child. It sounds like the OP has tried to tackle the problem, and I wouldn't feel guilty about the decision. Or maybe a little bit, but not as much as many people on here would seem to like you to be.

Aribura
"innit"? If you are going to try and stir things up, could you at least use proper grammar or did a cat pee on your keyboard?

Aribura, it's always good to hear dissenting voices in debates like these. Sometimes people say a totally different opinion that make you see a discussion in a totally different way. But in this case you're a bit too strident sounding to make a good case. Any way you could give examples or advice which may help the OP?

We have three cats who are adorable. One was inherited from neighbours who moved abroad. They are all about five or six years old. There is no way I would be prepared to put up with what the OP is going through. The cat is unhappy, the OP is unhappy. This isn't working for anyone. I would be contacting the Cats Protection League to look at rehoming solutions but I might just try the semi indoor/outdoor solution first with a run and a warm shed/igloo at the end. That of course is dependent on the OP being able to afford such an arrangement.

With hugs and sympathy OP - this difficult and I sympathise.

I'd advocate against rehoming, adult cats are difficult to find new homes for and she's not an ideal candidate. The only reason I have old cat is because she was abandoned after her owner had a baby, she's sixteen years old, dying, has kitty dementia, dribbles everywhere and has pissed on the spare bed, all the bedlinen, all the throws on the sofa and on my stack of shopping bags. She wails all night and terrorizes young cat. I'm supposed to be fostering her until she finds a new home but who's going to take her in like this? The mess is playing havoc with my OCD and I have a bottle of bleach welded to my hands.

Maybe your cat would be happier as an outdoor cat. The dog is a problem but if she had somewhere high to get to, like a garden shed or a high wall she could avoid him. Cats like patrolling their territories. As for the smell, vinegar is great for nuetralizing the stench and discouraging them from using the same spot.

Oh god, that sounds like a nightmare. I have two cats that were my babies before my DDs were born but now I just have no time for them (not because I don't love them, it's just so full on with the kids). They have the run of the conservatory. One comes in to the rest of the house, the other won't.
The one that does come in has been caught spraying twice, but it hasn't happened for months now.

I couldn't cope with what you are going through and would have to get rid of the cat because you can't have a dirty house with kids around. What about a cats protection place that doesn't put a healthy cat down?

OP I sympathise - put yourself and your household first in this joyless relationship. It sounds as if you have done your utmost and do not need any advice on cleaning your home! Re home or have a very frank discussion with your vet (they do understand).

I really feel for you OP, I love my cats but if one of them had been peeing for 8 years then i would be at te end of my tether!
Seriously, I dont know how you managed to put up with it for so long, so hats off to you for not giving up sooner.

If it were me i would see if another home could be found and as already sugessted she may calm down in a new environment. I know it wont be easy but worth a shot at least.

Every time I start to have ideas about getting another cat, I read something like this snd it reminds me why I haven't.
Yanbu OP - it all sounds infuriating, upsetting and smelly.
I would call the Cats Protection League and have a chat about your options.

cats protection league have a massive waiting list, its about 4 months long. I would rehome, children and cat wee don't mix.

Yes but it depends which branch ihave

As the cat originally came from the CPL i would say they would be the first port of call.

Hello
Just popping in with a wee reminder of our talk guidelines thanks

Wow - so many replies! thank you!

i've calmed down a bit now (the house/sofa still stinks though!) although i will try all the suggestions given - a lot of people recommended the feliway diffuser & i will def give that ago. I do have young DC's so she might be stressed - although we didnt have any when we got her and she has always been like this (admittedly she has got worse which i thought might be due to her age - but may be because she is stressed).

Thanks to whoever gave me the tip about tin foil - hopefully it will rescue whats left of the lead on my doors!

I am in a quandry as to what to do - I dont think i could have her put to sleep - when she was attacked last year the vet said the operation would cost a fortune & may not work & he would understand if i wanted to have her put to sleep but i just couldnt do it!! ( for all my ranting about her i am a bit of a soft touch!) - DH thinks we missed our chance & would have her gone in an instant! - but things can't go on like this.

I will try all the tips given - the garden 'run' might work as we have room in the garden and at least i wont be worried about her while im out.

If not i think im almost decided to get in touch with the CPL & re-home her. I

Will give your tips/advice a try & see if it works first.

Thanks again
x

I don't like to generalise (or take off my jubilee tiara for that matter) but tHink MNHQ are pretty much dog-folk.