I really had no idea that cats were quite so disgusting....

[paisleyII]

i took in a cat recently, felt i had no choice as stray and desperate (the cat not me) but can't say that i am thrilled about it although i wouldn't get rid off her. all she does is eat, sleep, shit and not much imbetween, gets in the way and demands attention when i am busy working plus goes for us for no particular reason which isn't ideal as she scratches dd sometimes for no real reason but to add insult to injury she likes to be sick reasonably regularly, this evening in my dd's bedroom whilst dd is fast asleep. i have had to clear it up in the dark as don't want to wake her, the cat is however tucking into more food downstairs watching me trapes up and down the stairs with a bucket. i was right all these years to not want a cat, can't believe i bloody am stuck with one now (sometimes i quite like having her but i feel the clearing up of her stinking shit etc outweighs the enjoyment i get from her, at least dd loves her, when she is not being scratched....)

Paisley and Nursenic, some of the behaviour you are describing can possibly be explained by stress symptoms due to the change in environment. My cats were stray when we adopted them and we control the random acts of violence, scratching etc with a pheromone plug in. They aren't particularly cheap but one plug in lasts a month, covers the whole house and we know it has run out instantly when their behaviour changes. Our male cat, for example, heads out immediately and savages a bird or rat and dismembers it all over the lounge or tries to systematically rip all of the fur out of our female cat or any other cat in the neighbourhood. New plugin goes in, calms down immediately. Bit of magic, I thought. We started using them when our babies were born, I thought to provide a bit of emotional stability. But I've been amazed at the effect it has had on their behaviour.

we have just got back with a HUGE tree but the cat is upstairs, she hasn't seen it yet, this should be interesting....i wanted to get a smaller one as our house is really small but dh likes a big one because he grew up with a large one (although our house could fit about 5 times into the one he grew up in..). our cat sometimes rolls onto her back implying hat she wants me to rub her tummy but as much as i would love to i am too scared...i don't trust her. jux - were the undies on the floor clean?...if not, how terribly embarassing..

hi fluffball - thanks for your kind words. we don't have a shower but it's ok, i am good spirited most of the time she uses it, i was on a 'bad trip' the other day when moaning on here as it was the sudden sight of her sick that put me on a downer. i am already more than fond of her but i do have moments of doubt but they are 'moments' as opposed to a permanent feelings. she is very sweet and has brought alot of fun and cheer to our household already :)

blimey bea, i can't believe how your cat behaves without the plug ins,i would be totally freaked. I know of a few people who could do with a couple of those plug ins, i wonder if they help with human behaviour?.....:D

Hi paisley, you sound a bit like I was when the realities of cathood hit home.
I agree they can be pretty gross... my old girl Cat 2 eats and sleeps all of the time but she's 16 and in mid-stage renal failure.

Have you thought about trying a stairgate for your DDs room? Cat may be able to jump it, maybe not, but worth a go.
If the poo/sick smells are bad, you could try a dust mask, stick a bit of lavender oil on it (the mask not the poo!). And ariel actilift takes out stains beautifully.
Cat 2 also lashes out suddenly. With time you will get to recognise the signs and ease off any interactions - we always stop when the tail flicks. Even the kids know what to look for now.
It will get easier as time goes on. Go easy on yourself, admire you for taking on a cat with all the lovely jobs that it involves.

thanks cambridge - she's a sweetie tbh nearly all of the time, i was just on a downer the other day and feeling lazy as i am a busy person (workwise) and had been finding the extra work a pain ie getting up to go to work at 4am and greeted with a large smelly poo :) or going to bed early and finding sick all over your bed covers but i am being more gracious about it. i actually do really like her being around. she is a lazy, slightly tubby puss (not our fault, she likes her food, was over weight when we first got her according to vet) and has the sweetest face. i have kept her out of dd's room the last few nights but she (the cat) has been happy to sleep on the sofa downstairs. she is quite bemused this evening as just put up a huge christmas tree in the lounge, not quite sure what she makes of it. i have left off all the glass baubles incase she takes to climbing it :D

You need a carpet cleaner really, nothing posh just a basic model that means you don't have to faff round with buckets everytime she's sick. We have hard floors so we are ok on that front.

A cheap fleece from asda could cover the sofa overnight.

One day she'll come home a little bit later than usual and you'll be worrying, praying she comes back and rooting through drawers looking for her microchip details so you can ring the database and report her lost and she'll come back in like nothing happened. Mine does it at least once a year. I'm usually in tears. Then you'll know how much you love her.

Plus as your dd gets older she can help more, feeding her and changing her water bowl. It's only me and dh and there's no way he's going to start cleaning up poohy litter trays.

Paisley, I have really enjoyed your refreshing posts. We got our kitties a couple of months ago and I am the 'sole carer'. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to clean out their poop and remember that they are living , breathing creatures. But I do love them more and more! They are part of our little family and the positives far outweigh the negatives. We love them more and more (and hopefully the poopy litter tray will be less frequent as they go out more). I an sure your cat loves her new home.

You could even set up a "shit kit" with disposable gloves, nappy sacks, kitchen roll, Flash wipes for the carpet, air freshener and a face mask.
And chocolate as a reward for you when the cleaning up's done.

hi left - thanks for that! actually, i just got in from work (I am a market trader on a sunday) and she had buried a few poos but there was no smell!!! dh of course left well alone although tbh i don't care really, i was always the one to clear up poo ie left by fox etc, mind you, he did his fair share changing dd's nappy when she was a baby so he ain't that bad. fluffy - that's a great idea re a carpet cleaner, i am going to look on ebay and see if they have anything small and john lewish next time i am near one!! as for the cat, there is something very snug having a cat living with you when it is the winter/christmas. i have barely seen her since i got in, she is snug upstairs lying on the landing as there is a hot pipe that goes underneath the floorboards there. when i look at her and then look outside it really is hard to imagine a cat as sweet as her (most of the time) living rough outside, i still get quite upset by it. hard to imagine anyone living rough outside when it is this cold, awful to imagine

See you do get the cat thing!! I knew it. Thats it about cats, they're not usefull like dogs not MY dogs but some dogs they're just nice to have around!

You are a good cat owner, you just lack confidence with her, but that will come. An animal's needs are simple, food, shelter, love and entertainment. You provide them all, you just need to relax and enjoy her! (And you get used to the poo thing eventually)

You mentioned in an earlier post about being frightened to rub her tummy, I'm presuming its because she grabs you with her claws and bites you? Thats play. A cats reaction if she didn't like you is to stay away, they don't go picking fights . Like all animals they bond through play and she is just developing your relationship further. Thats not to say it doesn't hurt though. How about you don an oven glove and have a good old wrestle with her? My cat loves it, I don't use a glove as I'm rock hard used to it now, and through regular play he has learned when is too far. If you feel she is getting carried away or just when you want to stop, then slowly and gently remove your hand and stand up and walk away.

It will be interesting to know in the future how many cats you end up with...My money is that this one will not be your last

oreo, thank you! you are spot on, i don't have confidence. you are a genius, re ovenglove, what a bloody good idea. funnily enough dd and dh were just talking about daring to tickle/rub her tummy. she gives me the vibe that she wants me to touch her there, invites me too but i am too scared, dh says he will try in 6 months (!). so tempting, she has such a soft tubby tum but still too nervous, they are so FAST. you have given me some confidence in your post, many thanks. she doesn't seem interested in the tree, she has a snooty air about her, until i show her a small cat nip cushion, then she goes a bit mental, thanks again (looking forward to having a rare lie in tomorrow), happy hols :)

Enjoy your lie in and enjoy your cat! Before you know it you will forget these worries and be a happy mad cat lady