Would it be really bad of me to rehome my cat?

[Hopeysgirlwasntbig]

We have had her for 14 years. She isn't particularly affectionate, she comes in for food then goes out hunting for birds .

The past couple of years we have had increasing problems with her fouling inside the house, despite us buying a litter tray. We used to have a cat flap but she refused to use it, so we're often woken at 5am by her miaows to be let out.

We have to keep all the bedroom doors shut in case she fouls the carpets, she's 'christened' most of the rooms.

This morning DH came down to a nice turd on our cream rug in the lounge. Bless him, he cleaned it up and he's got a paralysed arm.

It is concerning me her pooing on the rug because my DD plays there, she's 10 months old.

Would it be bad of me to rehome her? Also how would I go about it?

[Lovesdogsandcats]

i agree with pinky.
my 2 old cats weed in strange places when I had dd. After a few months it all settled down and thay never did it again.

I would take cat to vet to eliminate any physical probs first.

[PInkyminkyohnooo]

Hopey, she may just be feeling some anxiety, with your baby etc. THey get a bit like that. I would try a tray and a nice safe bolt hole for her and see how you get on.

[Hopeysgirlwasntbig]

OMG! Just popped on to check messages, haven;t been on all weekend.

My OP was asking for advise and opinions which I received thank you. I wrongly thought that cats lived A LOT longer than they seem to, therefore agree that it would be unkind to rehome her. Equally, I wouldn't dream of having her put down.

I did write a massive long message but having re-read it, some could take it as defensive, so this is all.

[wotulookinat]

you need to put hypens between each word. Took me a while to get the hang of it.

Sounds like the cat is getting old. It's what happens.

[PInkyminkyohnooo]

Hamsters do tricks too! They are very entertaining.

[expatinscotland]

it'd be more honest to have her put down.

'rehoming' her is the coward's way out because you know damn well what's going ot happen to a cat that old who gets put up for adoption/put in a shelter.

[expatinscotland]

it'd be more honest to have her put down.

'rehoming' her is the coward's way out because you know damn well what's going ot happen to a cat that old who gets put up for adoption/put in a shelter.

[cutekids]

I have x 2 ALMOST 14 yr old cats and I wouldn't dream of "rehoming"either of them.please think seriously before you do anything."rehoming"could be quite cruel unless you can find a devoted owner.

[LuckySalem]

Please don't get rid of your cat.

She's an old lady and just needs some more lovin' than usual. It's not her fault that she's lost the ability to hold her pee in.

Don't leave her outside either. That's a death sentence. Especially if she's used to living indoors.

[CarGirl]

Hmmm everything else lives too long!

[expatinscotland]

DD1 doesn't like guinea pigs for some reason.

I quite like them, especially their squeak.

[CarGirl]

rats are much nicer pets than hamsters, how about a guinea pig?

[expatinscotland]

DH had a rat. Before I met him.

I draw the line right there.

We are not having a rat.

Hamster, yes.

Fish, cool.

Rat, no.

Short term commitment, though.

Cats, dogs, they're long term or nowt.

Our 8-year-old moggie likes to sit on the radiators in winter - we have those old bulky ones with vents at the top.

Or on top of the gas fireplace.

Her fav spot, however, is DD1's bed.

There's no animal yet that hasn't taken a shine to DD1.

[Qally]

Expat - good point, and I'm not familiar with old cats in towns or cities, tbh, as we're mainly dog people. My early childhood cat was rehomed to my Granny when we moved to a city, as she was so settled as a rural animal it would have been cruel to move her elsewhere - but she was a youngster, relatively (6) and familiar with the area. And she was happiest on the boiler, from that age till she died a decade later - but she always liked to have a little hunt, afair.

Hear you on the cruelty taken seriously due to links to human-on-human violence; sadly the law here lags behind a great deal, and animals are legally just property with no rights except the avoidance of actual cruelty. I read horrible, horrible stuff in local papers regularly, and often the punishments are derisory fines.

(OT, but rats are wonderful pets - clever, affectionate, sociable, live about two years. Mine were a blast and ideal pets for a uni student! We have a dog now we have time/space/money, but a pair of hand-reared rats are wonderfully responsive, funny little guys.)

[bethoo]

chances are she would not be rehomed as she is in her twilight years. most people only want kittens/young cats rather than elderly cats with expensive vet bills on the horizon.

[expatinscotland]

DD1 keeps saying she wants one as she wants to watch it 'spin round and round on a wheel.'

[PInkyminkyohnooo]

Expat Hamsters are fab. I had hamsters when I was a student as I missed the menagerie at home desperately, but I knew I could not give any long term commitment to a pet at that time, so my hamsters filled the gap wonderfully!
I had three all together- two degrees and then our first flat.

After that the cat came along. It seems so long ago- but it does bring home what a long term commitment cats and dogs are.

[expatinscotland]

Well, Quattro, I could've told you long ago, karma's a bitch .

Mew mew.

[CarGirl]

ah yes! Thanks!

[CarGirl]

I have no idea why my hyphens aren't working....

[CarGirl]

Quattro they came into your DH/DC lives you're just being a mug lovely doing all the day to day looking after them.

[Quattrocento]

"when the time is right, the right cat will come into our lives"

I love the fatalistic attitude Expat but how do you account for the fact that five entirely unwanted cats have come into my life? Did I do something wrong?

[expatinscotland]

DH had Smokey, the Persian found as a stray in Berwick upon Tweed, when I met him.

After a few months, we thought he'd like a companion.

We casually mentioned this to someone he knew, and next thing you knew, his brother was chapping on our door with Pepsi, our black and white female, in a carrier.

They had 5 kids in a two-bed flat and one had been mistreating her.

So DH and I just looked at each other and said, 'Guess we're getting a black and white female!'

That was 6 years ago.

Smoke passed away last October. Still haven't scattered his ashes. I'm sure when the time is right we'll know.