to put my healthy cat down

[chocolaterabbit]

I have a cat who is now about 17 years old but still in good health - glossy coat, all teeth etc.

DH's cat died recently of natural causes and the two animals had been living together for 12 years. Since DH's cat died, my cat has started crapping all over the house, particularly in hard to reach areas like under the kitchen units/ behind the sofa.

I've shut all the doors etc but the cat flap leads directly into the kitchen and her food is there so can't shut her out. Came down this morning to find a sloppy poo under the kitchen table and against the legs of DD's highchair. It is absolutely revolting and horrible to have to clean up, also not exactly healthy for the DCs.

So. Would I be unreasonable to ask the vet to put my cat down because of this?

Oh MP, our lovable but STUPID cats thwart all magnetic/microchipped cat flaps because they slip their tails through so slowly that the flap doesn't have ennough momentum to snap closed. .

You really can't put an otherwise healthy animal down just because you find it revolting having to clean up poo.

blimey I would put my mother in law down if she was doing this

sorry, I did not mean she should rehome her sick 17 year old cat! But get a new companion for the cat! Either by rehoming a new cat to ADD to their family (NOT get rid of old one!), or get a kitten!

Spawn - we had exactly the same problem. I called the CPL and they told me that if you can trap the animal they will come and take it away and neuter it which should stop the aggression.

I was

(dunno why I'm telling you this really)

Spawn: What about adding a fire-escape snapper to the flaps, so that if they aren't quick, the trap catflap simply removes the tails?

YABVU. do you have no emotional attachment to your cat?

Poor cat

A bit extreme to compare, but if your old parents or grandparents started pooing themselves, would you want them gone? I hate it when animals are treating as 'things' and then soon as a problem occurs, the owners don't want to know. Do you not feel a bond with the cat because I seriously could never consider having my pets put down because of that...in fact, we did have an incontinent kitty who rarely did her poopies outside, and also 2 dogs but we persevered til either they died of old age or got ill with something that warranted euthanasia.

oh FGS

She's had the cat for 17 years, I expect she loves it

she probably also loves her nice healthy children and doesn't want them playing in cat shit

there is a spectrum

A bit extreme to compare, but if your old parents or grandparents started pooing themselves, would you want them gone?

errrm yes

there aren't many people who act as full time carers to elderly relatives

generally they are rehomed

let's be honest

I'm going to confess here that I managed to find a refuge that took my elderly cat that started doing this after I had my first DC and I suspect they couldn't find anyone to take her and had her put down. She had a litter tray and I had her checked 3 times by the vet. I used very expensive calming air sprays and herbal relaxation remedies but nothing worked. She would walk straight past the litter tray to crap on the rug.

It was when I came across my baby squishing cat shit in his hand that I decided enough was enough - and I'd put up with it for over a year at that point.

I think YABNU - certainly explore all the options but I suspect there may be nothing wrong with her.

Morningpaper

Of course there is something wrong with her. It might be emotional rather than physical though.

Sorry, went all German there - YANBU, rather than YABNU

Fabisgoingtobefab - Couldnt agree more there HAS to be something wrong, cats dont just start poo-ing everywhere for the fun of it

Why not take her to the vet first to see if she is ill?

It could be dementia also.

I would be tempted too, but I think it is important to establish the cause then do what is reasonable and feasible in the light of that

then you can give up iyswim. 17 is a pretty good innings but the balance has to ip for me, in terms of the extremeness of their requirements and if that means clearing up poo every few minutes with no way of avoiding this, then yes it would go - but I think maybe there are ways to avoid it unless the illness is serious in which case she'll be put down anyway.

LOLing all round at MP

at WhoIsAsking

Really????!!!

Oh god I'm so tempted. I don't even care asbout the benefit for my cats. It would be VENGEANCE for the rank pissy spray I've had clean off my walls, work-tops, kids, my freshly baked bread, my basket of clean laundry...

LadyBiscuit - do you think in retrospect that you should have had the cat put down instead of rehoming? I am not having a go, just wondered as you think it was put down anyway.

It is too easy to take animals to 'sanctuaries' and let them make the decision instead of looking realistically at the problem.

I used to have my horses at a yard that was technically a pony sanctuary and people would bring their animals (cats, pigs, donkeys, goats as well as ponies) there when the animal was old and knackered and expected the owner to keep the animal alive (for free btw)

I think being an animal owner means taking responsibilty for that animal, and know that animals may need to be put down sometimes.

Thanks MP. I would definitely rehome an elderly relative who started pooing all over the house although it seems to be one of the joys of potty training.

I like the cat, she is affectionate and very cuddly and loves the DCs. I don't particularly want another cat at the moment although am resigned to the fact that one day I'll get 'mummee, I neeed a kitten' when I'd consider it again.

Just to clarify, I didn't clean the piss off the bread, it went in the bin.

so i take it you haven't started potty training yet? if your dd starts crapping all over the hose (fairly normal at the start) are you going to put her into care?

Alice - believe me, I would have done if I'd been able but I had no choice in the matter. My vet wouldn't do it and I rang three other vets and they said they wouldn't either.
Was a fucking nightmare to be honest.

I rang loads and loads of different sanctuaries and this was the only one that would take her. I did give them a donation of £200 though so don't think they were out of pocket

Yes it is JUST the same: toilet training a toddler and clearing up after an incontinent depressed cat

Alice: Hmm it is interesting isn't it? My cat is very feral and attacks everyone except for me. She is getting old now and I haven't taken her to the vets for nearly 5 years for boosters or anything because she is very wild and it is too distressing for her (and the vet has to wear massive gauntlets). I would far rather put her down when the time comes than re-home her becasue the latter would distress her too much and who would want a semi-feral cat?!

In the meantime I spoil her rotten and love her to bits because, as I point out to DH (who she regularly attacks and who is massively allergic to her) I have had for longer than both my husbands put together .

YABU.

And heartless. Let's hope that when you get old and incontinent, your DC don't feel the same way. I know it's unpleasant but so what?

Spawn: I don't want that toast, actually, I'm not very hungry, but thanks