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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To lock my cats away from their food at night?

27 replies

Thankyouandgoodnight · 20/08/2008 07:34

We can set them up with water but food would be a hassle and it would be from 11pm to 6am ish.

The reason being - to get to their food, they have to pass through our sitting room and one or both KEEP PISSING ON OUR SOFA!!

We just don't know how to stop them and it's disgusting and vile.

OP posts:
iMum · 20/08/2008 07:36

why cant you put food with them?

We had an indoor cat (rspca, would go outside) but used to lock her in the loo at night with food water and bed etc as she would wee everywhere too.

iMum · 20/08/2008 07:36

wouldnt go outside rather!

CoteDAzur · 20/08/2008 08:15

Why do you think they need to eat throughout the night?

missingtheaction · 20/08/2008 08:24

depends how old they are - grown up cats should be ok but a young cat would definitely need something. cats are natural grazers but lots seem to be pretty happy with set mealtimes.

could you leave them some dry food?

isn't the p on sofa thing disgusting? we had that for a while. finally remedied by cleaning and thoroughly drenching sofa in febreze to completely disguise the smell + leaving a nice clean dry litter tray nearby as plesant alternative + encouraging them to use garden (put litter tray outside during daytime; just put lid of litter tray over nice fresh patch of earth). But I still wouldn't trust them in a pinch.

BecauseImWorthIt · 20/08/2008 08:29

Cats don't need to be fed during the night so don't bother (unless they're kittens, as MTA says).

vonsudenfed · 20/08/2008 08:47

You could always just leave some biscuits out where they are at night, that's not too much hassle.

Putting the litter tray by the sofa is also a good idea - and making sure that you clean all of the smell out with biological spray, otherwise they are attracted back to it.

And also, have you tried a Feliway diffuser? It's artificial cat hormones that relaxes them (I know!) that you get from the vets, it's not cheap but it does help.

As you may be able to tell from all of this, I had this problem for a while with my old cat, and she did eventually stop. I think the Feliway was the most help - she did it as she was stressed.

One final question, are you sure it's your cats - i.e. are they shut in, or could another cat be getting in at night (have also had this problem too!).

Original poster
Thankyouandgoodnight · 20/08/2008 09:27

Thanks everyone - I'm having such a bad day as it is!

The cushions are going to the dry cleaners and I've scrubbed the base with biological washing powder and bicarb of soda and still it stinks. I'm hoping it will fade over time???? Is there anything else I can do to get the smell out?

It could be other cats - we have a magnetic cat flap, so if another cat has a magnet on it's colar it could get in.

I don't want to start putting food elsewhere because even just biscuits gets spread around the place and it creates another cleaning job. Same goes for offering cat litter!!

How does Feliway work? Do you spray it in the room or on objects etc and do you think it's worth it? How much is it and how long do you use it for?

It could be stress - DS arrived 4 weeks ago....about as long as the wazzing has been going on.

OP posts:
penona · 20/08/2008 09:44

One of my cats did this when we moved house, and again when we changed the carpets, redecorated, etc. He weed on the kids changing mat this morning cos there was a fox in the garden and he was too scared to go out there (and I didn't see it and tipped it all over the carpet - yuk)! So I sympathise...

Feliway worked really well for us, we had it again when the kids were born as both cats got freaked out. You can either use a spray on the sofa area, or a diffuser thing which is a bit like one of those air fresheners you plug in. It doesn't smell (to me) but definitely improved things. You leave it plugged in all the time, it lasts about a month. Is quite expensive (about £30 I think?), but cheaper than a new sofa

The smell doesn't seem to fade I am afraid. I have tried Vanish/Febreze/special 'removing cat wee' products but without much success (ours is mostly on the carpet and rugs, duvets sometimes too but they can be dry cleaned which does work). Maybe one of those cleaning specialists? Will be intrigued to know as this mornings debacle has made the place stink!

Ripeberry · 20/08/2008 09:46

Are you sure it's your cats who are pissing on your sofa?
We have 2 cats and at night they are only allowed in the downstairs part of the house, but EVERY night another cat comes in and eats ALL our cat's food.
So basically i'm feeding someone else's cat.
Our cats have a shelter in the garden (kids wooden wendy house) and water is always available as they like to drink from the pond waterfall.
They are driving me nuts at the moment as they keep bringing in loads of mice and birds and it's not nice cleaning up guts first thing in the morning!
From now on, they are staying outside at night.
So to answer your question, YANBU.

mumeeee · 20/08/2008 09:46

Cats don't need food at night,

Ripeberry · 20/08/2008 09:49

No they don't, they get takeaways!

Bronze · 20/08/2008 09:51

vinegar/water helps balance the pee and so stops it smelling so bad.

TheProvincialLady · 20/08/2008 09:52

To get rid of the smell on your sofa base you could try scrubbing again with bio washing powder and then as soon as it is dry, spray with alcohol (gin, vokka etc). This works 100% for us when we have cat wee in the house - usually next door's tom

You could also put something over the sofa that they would not like to wee on, something like bacofoil would be ideal (also stops them scratching at the furniture).

Poor you, cats are grim sometimes aren't they ?

CarGirl · 20/08/2008 09:53

They don't need food.

Once you get them into the routine they will scoff their last meal down at 10ish as they will work out they won't get fed again until 6.

We fed ours last thing at night and the ate 95% in one go as soon as we put it down at 11pm!

widgypog · 20/08/2008 10:07

my cats think they are dogs and eat 2x a day and that is it. My mums cats have food 24/7 and it seems to be dried up most of the time because they won't eat it after an hour in the bowl anyway.
try giving them meals at a certain time and see if they respond by eating it, they will soon learn that food isn't on tap anymore

nailpolish · 20/08/2008 10:10

my cat is out every night all night - we dont have a catflap - so unlesss sheis scofing mice and birds she doesnt eat at night

hth

Original poster
Thankyouandgoodnight · 20/08/2008 10:13

Plady - does the smell come back after the gin/vodka smell has gone away??

OP posts:
TheProvincialLady · 20/08/2008 10:19

No the idea is that the alcohol doesn't smell at all, but it breaks down the last of the enzymes in the wee (that the bio powder has started to break down) that smell, and that linger so that the cat has marked its territory. I have never noticed a smell of alcohol - maybe if I used malt whiskey!

allbungedup · 20/08/2008 10:20

why not get a larg piece of plastic or tarpaulin and put it over the setee at night. also spray it with peppermint oil as cats hate it.put a litter tray beside the sofa
Gradually move the litter tray towards where you want it to be
i wouldn't deny the cats food as it may cause themto start wailing!

Original poster
Thankyouandgoodnight · 20/08/2008 10:26

I have just tried this from my 'vinegar book' and it's definitely helped alot!

Half white vinegar + sudsy water - scrub and blot dry

Pour on solution of half white vinegar + warm water.

Place towel over and weigh down with books until all soaked up. Replace towel and repeat.

OP posts:
Original poster
Thankyouandgoodnight · 20/08/2008 10:28

I have had a plastic sheet next to the sofa to cover it but DH flatly refuses and has used other household items instead. Very odd.

I will definitely try the vodka option - how great!!!

Where do I get peppermint oil from????

OP posts:
penona · 20/08/2008 10:40

Vodka sounds great idea although a terrible waste! Will try that on this mornings spillage. Dont use bio powder so will buy some of that.

nailpolish - the lady a few doors down from me locks her cat out at night as she has no catflap. her cat comes into our house and eats all the cat food, sleeps on the sofa and has been known to come up and sleep on our bed! despite regularly getting up at 3am and kicking him out he comes back every night. my cats sort of tolerate him now (although he did account for lots of the messing on the rug recently. pah).

peppermint oil from a health food shop.

Original poster
Thankyouandgoodnight · 20/08/2008 12:57

holland & barrett do you think??

OP posts:
Original poster
Thankyouandgoodnight · 20/08/2008 13:04

Does the vodka completely get rid of the smell?

The vinegar has done wonders but it still smells if you stick your nose near the patch!

OP posts:
TheProvincialLady · 20/08/2008 13:35

I have found it to get rid of the smell completely. Apparently the worst thing you can use is bleach as it has one of the same chemicals as cat urine and makes the cat go there even more!