Please help

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Tonight my cat has pissed on a tea towel which fell out of the dryer next to her food. I shouted at her and she ran off. And pissed on the sofa. Yesterday she pissed on a tablecloth near the washing machine that was waiting to be washed. She has also pissed on all of our beds (she will sleep at one end, stretch and walk up to the other end, piss on the pillows and go back to sleep where she was). She has also pissed on a bag of mine that was left on the dining table, clothes that the kids leave on the floor, she pulls towels off the rails in the bathroom to piss on. She is, and always has been, an indoor cat. We have another indoor cat, who has always been very clean. They get on well.

We have tried feliway and zylkene (for the past year). We have taken her to the vet, who said it is not an infection, but behavioural, and told us to carry on with the feliway and zylkene.

I am at the end of my tether. I love her, but see no way round this. Is it possible to rehome a cat who is "dirty" or would they put her to sleep? She might be better as a cat who could go outside (we live in a flat on a busy road - tonight, I have been very tempted to chuck her out there and say "get on with it"). I cannot stand it any longer. I also can't stand the thought of her being alone and frightened in a cage at a rescue. I feel I have failed.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Ffallada - I take your point, but my elder cat had been in rescue for many months before we adopted him, and the other was destined for rescue if we hadn't taken her in. I think it is better for them to have a nice,large apartment for them to run about in than to be left in rescue for years, in a cage. They have lots of toys, and a huge cat tree to climb, so it's not as if they have no entertainment.

[ffallada]

I read y9ur posts and I can see that you love your cats dearly. And that you want the best for them.....but......cats are outside animals. Just cause you live on a busy road/have never let them outside/think the area you love in isn't safe for cats (delete as appropriate) if you don't let them roam they will,generally (not all the time but mostly) become ill and show signs of stress. No vet will tell you this as they don't want to lose business, but similarly no vet keeps an inside cat!
It's a very popular thing to do in this country but will, II think over the next few years, be seen as a bad way to care for a loved pet. If you can't let it outside, and it's suffering stress, perhaps the best think is to give it to someone who can give it a fuller life?

As I said, it's clear that you love your cats and are doing the best you can for them, given their limited lifestyles.
I wish you and your cats all the best.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

No unpleasant surprises this morning, and she is sleeping sweetly at my feet, together with the other cat. She seems happier - less miaowy, and is being very affectionate.

[msrisotto]

I'm glad you took her to the vet. Lets hope things resolve as she feels better. If not, there are loads more things to try.

[RandomMess]

I hope there is a significant improvement very quickly.

[chemenger]

Good to hear you have a diagnosis. She's probably been upset and stressed about having accidents which might well have made things worse. Here's hoping she makes a quick recovery.

[BerylStreep]

Oh, glad it is something that can be sorted.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Vet has given her antibiotics and anti-inflammatories and said it is a UTI that is causing the problems. He tested her wee, and also squeezed her anal glands and gave her fluffy bum a quick trim. She was a bit stressed by it all - she jumped into my arms, but he said he thought things should improve over the next few days. Fingers crossed, she is such a sweet natured kitty.

[BerylStreep]

We have a scooter. It is a bit gross. The vet squeezes her anal glands, which isn't pleasant for anyone involved, but tbh it doesn't make a lot of difference.

Hope you get sorted with the vet.

[chemenger]

I really think it sounds like she is ill rather than a behaviour problem, you are doing absolutely the right thing taking her to the vet. Best of luck there.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Went out for a couple of hours (I decided to work from home today to keep an eye on her) and came back to an elimination-fest. We had poop in the sitting room, hall and bath, and she had weed on a towel that she had pulled onto the floor. The other one had honked up a hairball. She is curled up in a cool place, feeling very sorry for herself, and I will be popping her in her box shortly to take her to the vet. Oh and she was also "scooting" across the carpet on her bum this morning, which is a first, so I am glad we have an appointment with the vet. Poor pussy.

[chemenger]

My elderly cat was spraying everywhere and the only thing that worked was multiple litter trays (six or seven at one point). We are down to four now including one behind the sofa in the livingroom which is very much less than ideal but better than paying £120+ to have the curtains cleaned. My last cat went through a period of inappropriate pooing which turned out to be because she suddenly could not tolerate cat food in jelly of any kind - it went straight through her. She was very distressed about it but clearly just could not control her bowels, could it be something like that? The cat who sprays was not distressed about it, more defiant really.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

She is VERY fluffy, Fluffy, and it's not unusual for her to get a bit of poo stuck on her "trousers" and to try and get rid of it. We had a poo in the box this morning, but also a poo in the sitting room. Helpful Boy Cat had found a pair of DD1's cast off pants and had tidily covered the poo for her. Wees were in the tray. Will see what the vet says when we see him later.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Are her anal glands blocked? Wiping the bums not really normal for them is it?.

[springbabydays]

Could this possibly be urine crystals? One of my cats had accidents everywhere and it was because he was desperate to go but couldn't go properly, so just squatted wherever he was. When we got him to the vets he was almost critical. Now we manage it with a special diet, and his urine is tested twice a year.

I hope your kitty is ok.

[tootiredtothink]

Do you have a garden? I'd definitely try her outside before rehousing.

I kept my 2 cats indoors for 2 years due to busy road, hoping they'd have more sense if let out when they're older (they don't). They are so much happier cats now....and they very rarely use their litter tray choosing to go outside instead.

[RandomMess]

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

I'm glaring at my cat wondering just how much I would tolerate of that. I am now dreading moving in case it stresses them!

It took them about 9 months to settle when we took them on as just 2 year olds and that was difficult enough but we didn't have any toilet issues thankfully.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

I've let her out of the bathroom and have cleaned it thoroughly... There was poo in the bath, up the sides of the bath, on the floor and bathmat (where she had wiped her bum). She is now curled up asleep in "her" corner in the sitting room. She had, at least, weed in the litter tray.

[tiggyhop]

So sorry to hear this - we had the messing on the beds thing a while ago, so bad that I thought I was going to have to give up work to spend more time with my cat (joke). It was purely stress-related caused I think by us going away on holiday. I did end up spending lots of time with her and she eventually stopped (then escaped out and was, we think, eaten by coyotes so not a happy ending). Just wanted to say you have been so stoical about all this I hope it sorts itself out.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Thank you all for your help. I'll see what the vet says tomorrow and report back. She is still shut in the bathroom.

[RandomMess]

X-posts, such a tough situation

[RandomMess]

how has it been this week?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

I don't think it's the food. She has a small helping of Butcher's Classic in the morning, and can snack on a small mixed bowl of Purina and Encore dry food during the day. She is not wildly keen on Encore, so I have mixed it in with the last of the Purina and she has been eating this quite happily.

I wonder if she would be happier being an outdoor cat, but I am not sure anyone would rehome a dirty cat. I can't bear the thought of her ending up in a rehoming centre - she would be so confused and frightened. I also have my other cat to consider - he is a rescue cat, and according to the rescue, suffered mental trauma as he was separated from his "wife". So we thought DCat2 would be company for him. SHe is - they are great friends, sleep together, wash each other, play together. I am not sure I would want her to be removed from him, to cause him further upset.