After months of trying to ease the anxieties of a very stressed cat, I have very reluctantly and sadly decided to re-home her.
Background: She has been diagnosed with idiopathic cystitis - which the vet says is most likely stress-related; and her condition has deteriorated substantially over the past six months or so due to the arrival of two very aggressive cats who have decided our property is their own. They even staked it out from a lookout in a tree for some weeks, until I tracked down their hidey-hole and shooed them off. But there are points where she is terrified to go outside, and she has taken to weeing around the house - in fireplaces, on carpets, curtains, under cupboards, in the bath - in spite of my putting down three separate litter trays and encouraging her to use them, and showing how proud we are when she does.
She is obviously suffering. My husband and I discussed keeping her out of the house and letting her use the laundry on the side of the house, which has a cat flap outside ... but given that she is being terrorised by other cats, we would essentially be throwing her to the lions.
I can't think of anything else but to re-home her somewhere where the neighbourhood is less heavily contended, or with someone who is familiar with idiopathic cystitis and who knows how do manage it.
So, if we were to re-home, do we go privately? Or are their organisations who can help us ensure she goes to the best place possible?
Or, if someone has any suggestions as to how we can avoid re-homing but deal with this ourselves, I am all ears. I love her dearly and I am at my wits' end.
Thank you.