to seriously consider getting rid of my cat? Yes I probably am but need to vent!

[spicemonster]

God I am furious. And fed up. I have two cats, they're about 14. One of them started pooing in the house since my DS started standing up. It was initially every few weeks, then every few days, now it's every day. This has been going on for 6 months now. And not just in one place - I have to do a shit sweep when I get home from work and every morning when I get up. Tonight I missed some and found my DS sitting with a huge poo in his hand. That's the second time that's happened

I'm not so worried about infection, it's just the utter grimness of him handling it (and possibly eating it - yuck!) and also having to clean up three lots of cat shit twice a day.

There is nothing wrong with her - she's been to the vets twice now, she's in perfect health and she walks past the litter tray to use one of her favourite shit spots. I've bought a new litter tray which I keep scrupulously clean and have spent (on top of £100 vet's fees) 50 quid on stuff to make her happier (pheromones and herbal remedies) but to no avail. Next step is a behaviouralist apparently but that's going to set me back £££.

AIBU to seriously consider getting rid of her? They'd put her down though wouldn't they? No one wants an old cat

It's such a shame - she's a lovely cat for a single person, she just hates small children.

Oh god I don't know what to do - I'm just so fed up

My mil's cat does this. They are at the end of their tether and can't work out how to stop it.

'Firstly make sure that you remove the initial threat that was making your cat feel insecure in the first place. '

Anyone want a small boy?

On a more serious note, thanks Dittany, some food for thought there. I could lock her in the bathroom I suppose because there's a stairgate on the door (that's where the food and litter tray are). There is nowhere else I can put her. My DS starts off in his bedroom but then comes into mine so both the bedrooms are out and we only have a 2 bedroom flat. Then if she poos, she only poos there. But it seems a bit mean.

I'm really trying to get the baby to sleep in his own cot through the night at the moment (but that's a whole other story) so moving him in with me and giving her his room isn't going to work. But also if I gave her his room, wouldn't she be furious if I chucked her out again after she'd stopped pooing everywhere?

We don't really have enough space

It's a nightmare. I have no advice but sympathy as our pushchair is currently soaking in the bath for the hundredth time as our cat keeps pissing in it, she also craps in doorways which means we often end up smearing poo across the floor when we enter the kitchen. It's something that over time makes you totally depressed so I know how you feel. I too would consider rehoming, cats protection do offer some fostering. We find if we put litter trays where she's pooing it usually helps. Can't seem to stop the peeing though and we've used feliway and cleaned with every product under the sun to no avail. Luckily our cat keeps it to the hallway and back door so it's managable if very depressing

Oh I feel for you all. I don't have much advice, but the book someone else was talking about may be 'Cat Confidential' by Vicki someone (sorry, book is in my DS'room, and he is asleep.) Once I read that book, my heart melted against every one of my poor old cat's faux paws (sorry, couldn't resist the pun).

It must be dreadful for you all.

i certainly will not get another cat ever after having these 2. Although I love them dearly it's just too depressing...

spicemonster,
Have you tried ringing the Cats Protection League for advice with on-phone-behaviourist?
Battersea also has a cats section with advisers. Although some MNs have said they would give a home to your cat/s I think you'd have a hard time re-homing them in a rescue of any kind at the moment they are over run with small kittens/young cats.
If you take in to account the fact that your cats are 1) elderly [more visits to the vet] 2) There are 2 of them, many peeps don't want 2 old cats or seperated they may pine for each other. 3)They soil indoors. I think the chances of them finding a new home via rescues is pretty slim i'm afraid. I too have had elderly pets [cats/dogs] and know that they do come with 'age related' problems BUT when I think of all the years of happiness and devotion they have given me over the years I could'nt get rid of them in their 'twilight' years but if your childs health is at risk I understand that you can see you have no choice. Good Luck

I have am 18 yo cat who does poo outside of the tray. The vets thinks it is the start of senility (he has other symptoms that point to that too) but he always does it one place. I have lots of sympathy.

People will give older cats homes it is true but also unusual. People prefer kittens and younger cats. If you give her up it is possible she may not get rehomed.

I would give a thought to doing as someone else suggested and getting onto a cat forum and asking for advice. They may be able to steer you in the direction of a suitable person to give advice. The only site I know about is www.catchat.org they are a rehoming site but have a forum - you may find someone who can help? Also have a look on feline advisory bureau website for their factsheets etc.

I hope you can resolve this.

Found it this book

Slightly different scenario but when my two kittens kept shitting on the front door mat (the one thats INSIDE the hall!) I put down a few drops of eucalyptus oil in their fave shit spot. The next time they came into the hall they froze, sniffed the air and ran in the opposite direction. My sis has also used the same oil with a cat the same age as yours spicemonster, and had great success with stopping her cat pissing all over the carpet.

sympathies spice monster.....it's not nice, haven't got any advice for you sorry, my 2 cats have just turned 1 and driving me mad...they wee in any basket/tub of washing i have, whether it dirty or clean....

They have stopped attatching themselve to my voiles and then ripping them to bits with their claws on their way down....excellent i thought...but they are doing it to anything hung up now...coats....things hung up in wardrobes...i guess they are too heavy for voiles now as they can't take their weight.

The only thing i have cracked is stopping them digging up the houseplants.

hope you find a cure!