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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

DP wants me to have cat put to sleep?

49 replies

claw3 · 21/09/2009 10:39

My 17 year old cat, has started crapping and urinating all round the house, i dont think she is incontinent as such.

She cant hear very well and i think this is putting her off of using the cat flap and going outside.

I thought i had found the solution and got her a litter tray, only problem is i have 2 other younger cats and they started to use it too and would get a bit carried away. We could hear cat litter hitting the walls and they would end up turning the whole litter tray upside down and scattering litter and crap all over the place.

If she were in pain i would have no problem with having her put to sleep, but she is not. What do you think?

OP posts:

alypaly · 21/09/2009 14:36

claw3 sorry....i am an animal lover ...but cats are not at the top of my list for hygiene.

Was always worried about cat and dog poo when my DS's were small as the bug in the poo can cause blindness in children who get it on their hands..

diddl · 21/09/2009 14:37

claw3-is it possible to take your cat outside at regular intervals to see if it´ll "go"?

Maybe just after feeding?

Might cut down on some of the mess inside?

Original poster

claw3 · 21/09/2009 14:39

Alypaly - Thats only unwormed dogs and cats.

I know exactly where you are coming from, my dp is an animal lover too and he thinks she should put to sleep too, so no offence taken.

OP posts:

Original poster

claw3 · 21/09/2009 14:45

Diddl - If i take her outside, she just cowers and tries to run back in, through the bloody cat flap too, she has no trouble using it to get in!

Ive always maintained that animals should be treated as such, and not fussed over like babies, im turning into a hypocrite now too, which dp keeps reminding me of!

OP posts:

diddl · 21/09/2009 14:46

Is there a way you can keep it to one area/corner?

Original poster

claw3 · 21/09/2009 14:54

Diddl - I cant think of any, other than putting a litter tray down again. If i give a hooded one a go, dp cant accuse me of going round in circles and trying to put off the inevitable.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

OP posts:

alypaly · 21/09/2009 14:55

cats carry toxoplasmosis which is really dangerous especially to pregnant or immunocompromised people. Even if they are wormed regularly...the oocytes(eggs) can be picked up from the ground or other animals,or if they eat a bird...the egggs last for months out of the cats body so it can re infect itself very easily

Original poster

claw3 · 21/09/2009 15:09

Alypaly - As far as i am aware, cats dont carry it, they have to be infected with it ie by eating something that is infected with it ie mice, birds etc.

The parasite needs one or more days after being passed to become infectious.

Most people over a certain age have already been exposed to it and are immune to it hence babies and pregent women

OP posts:

alypaly · 21/09/2009 15:14

claw 3 included a web page on toxo...cats are the major host...
www.cat-world.com.au/Toxoplasmosis.htm

Original poster

claw3 · 21/09/2009 15:19

Thanks for the link alypaly will have a read later, just off on the school run.

OP posts:

alypaly · 21/09/2009 15:23

claw3 ...not trying to be smart...but worry about hygiene things as i have been in pharmacy all my life

bodeniites · 21/09/2009 16:07

GoldenSnitch i have 5 cats they cover up thier mess and ive never came accross any in the garden and i not only have my own cats but there are loads of others in the neighbourhood do you actually see the cats doing it? a water pistol is a good non cruel deterrent or orange peel etc ive heard

questioneverything · 21/09/2009 16:15

I am sorry but you can't have a animal using your house like a toilet. 17 is a good age and if it was in the wild it would be long dead by now, its very sad when pets die, but there is also a need for reality.

Sparkletastic · 21/09/2009 16:19

I recently had our 17 year old cat put down for this reason. I'm a life-long cat owner but I couldn't deal with it any more and DD2 (also SN - similarities with you claw3) kept picking up the poo. Our middle-aged cat also started having a go at the oldie and the oldie seemed to have lost her mind along with her previously good toilet habits - just looked unhappy and confused. Vet advised that the time had come and TBH I haven't regretted it at all - cat had a peaceful end rather than crawling off somewhere to die alone.

2rebecca · 21/09/2009 16:26

Yuk, really glad I don't have a pet. Could not live with an incontinent animal, would really hate this so sympathise with your dp.
Glad blokes aren't into cats the way some women are as so far haven't been forced to accommodate anyones preexisting aged pet.

GoldenSnitch · 21/09/2009 16:50

Your cats are obviously nicer than the ones round here then bodeniites. I'm forever finding it when I'm weeding and it stinks!

I've tried keeping the ground covered, bottles full of water, wind chimes, those smelly plants theyre supposed to hate, running out there like a mad woman whenever I see one...

Just don't have the time to sit there with a water pistol 24/7.

One of the fuckers even sits underneath my sons trampoline watching me!!!

2rebecca · 21/09/2009 17:02

I've found the high pitched noise emitters good for keeping them away. Have to turn it off if anyone goes outside though so if kids always playing in garden not a good idea.

Dophus · 21/09/2009 17:02

Claw - I have just been here. My cat has been peeing (can't be bothered to go outside) and poohing (incontinent) all the round the house for months. It was such a contentious issue with DH insited she go and me insiting no (he go!). Both cats were locked out from all but the utility area but the litter tray there still made the house stink.

Two weeks ago she took a turn for the worst and it wasn't a hard decision to use this as the reason for euthanasia. She was very poorly but normally (if there wasn't the pissing) I would have asked the vet to stabilise her this time I just asked her to put her to sleep.

I must say it has been such a relief (guiltily). The other cat (her brother) is welcome in the house and I am not constantly checking around for turds and puddles before DH get home. I don't have to change litter every day and the house doesn't smell. DH and I aren't arguing daily about the cat.

ps I had a cat previously who peed everywhere - Feliway did nothing. Feliway only works for anxious animals or those keen to assert authority (it's pheromones). It won't work for the ill and/or lazy.

GoldenSnitch · 21/09/2009 17:08

I can't have one of those unfortuneately 2rebecca as I have 2 rabbits and the noise would hurt them too.

Also can't do sharp sticks in the beds because of DS

Can't put prinker strips on the fence as only 1 belongs to us and the one they use the most belings to the cats owners. The neighbours kids spent last summer bouncing on thier enormous trampoline calling me a "bitch" for "dissing" thier cat after I put fishing line up to try and keep the cats out!! Then the parents took the line down.

msrisotto · 21/09/2009 17:28

Thanks for recommending the feliway!

somewhathorrified · 21/09/2009 17:38

First of all you HAVE to clean out all the places she's weeed in the house...esp the plants (change the soil). If you have 3 cats (like me) then you need 3 litter trays sorry, it's just the way it is! The fact that your cat is choosing where to go toilet means it's not incontinence more like anxiety/stress, cats often do it to let owners know when they are ill . The flicking of litter everywhere is a pain, I have a cupboard under the stairs which is their litter room, they can flick away and I just sweep it up and put it back in the trays (a big cardboard box or covered trays can work too). Trays need cleaning out twice aday, don't wash the trays more than once a week as it confuses them, doedorize with a sprinkle of bicarb.

pranma · 21/09/2009 17:49

I had 3 cats-one 18 and two 8 for the last year of her life old cat slept in conservatory with hooded litter tray and the others in front porch with cat flap.During the day my lovely old girl spent most of the time in the conservatory and her food and water were there too.The other cats were kept away from her and if they tried to muscle in we shut the conservatory door.The old one liked a bit of company occasionally so when other two were out [crapping on our roses]and chasing bees we went and gave her a bit of a cuddle.she had a happy last year and had to be put to sleep aged nearly 20 for multiple health problems.

somethinganything · 08/10/2009 21:38

Just found this thread - i feel your pain, my cat kept doing protest wees and poos in DDs bedroom for months after she was born, was a complete nightmare soaking up gigantic puddles of cat wee every day while dealing with a newborn. She stopped for a few months but then started again up to twice a day.

I went to the vet, they suggested one of those feliway plug-ins, which I bought and duly plugged in. She v sadly died the next day. I was completely gutted and felt really bad about how grumpy I'd been with her after clearing up endless mess.

Anyway, not really offering any practical solution, just support. I'd have a crack at the plug-in thing and as other posters have said do your best to get rid of any traces of wee etc in your house and maybe try the hooded litter tray. Best of luck

catless · 08/10/2009 22:37

Try changing the position of the litter tray. My 17 year old (sadly no longer with us) didn't use a litter try most of his life (did his business outdoors) but then I changed the position from the kitchen to the hallway and he used it every time.

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