Animal lovers..need your help

[KAMKIM]

We have a tabby cat that is 7 years old...she is ......special...I guess you could put it....this is kind of a long story but I'm really at my wits end with this cat and we are seriously considering having her put to sleep but we love her so much I just cant bring myself to do it....

About 4 years ago she started peeing on our rug, she would do it right in front of us - we checked all the obvious reasons, took her to the vet to rule out any medical problems she got a clean bill of health, always had fresh clean litter etc....it got to the point where we had no choice but to rip up the rug by the front door, the smell was just awful and no amount of cleaner was helping...this went on for a few months, once we ripped up the rug she stopped.

About a year after this, she started attacking people that would come into our home...any one that didn't live here, she went after them...like stalking crazy hissing growling biting scratching attack mode.

We called the vet and she said it sounded neurological but without hundreds of dollars worth of tests she couldn't be sure - and if it was neurological there was nothing they could do.

She is still this way to this day, when we have company we have to put her in the bathroom with her food/water and litter box. Which isn't really that big of a deal because we dont get guests too often....probably because of my crazy cat. Also, let me point out she has never shown any type of aggression towards us or our kids...I of course would not tolerate that.

Well 2 days ago, she found a new spot to pee on the rug again. She did it twice yesterday.

We have not switched her litter, have no other pets (other than hermit crabs which she doesn't pay any mind to anyways)

I love this cat so much, but I really dont know what to do with her any more. She is healthy, well loved, well fed....I dont know what is wrong with her. I cannot keep her if she keeps doing this. I HATE that my house smells like cat pee. We had people over today and i know they can smell it, because I can smell it. I consider myself a neat freak but even if your house is sparkling.....cat urine is an obvious smell and so hard to get rid of.

Would you put this cat to sleep?

We did call our local SPCA and they said there is no way you can put this cat up for adoption because of her behavior and if we surrendered her she would be put to sleep the same day.

 

[KAMKIM]

I should also mention she is still urinating in her litter box as well.

 

[KAMKIM]

and I have to say I disagree with the vet about her problem being neurological because she does not attach us...if this was something she couldnt control I think she would not just be attacking "intruders"

 

[Scurvy]

I don't have any experience with this, but I have heard of people whose cats were on something that is essentially like kitty prozac for similar issues. I'd talk to the vet again and see if there's anything you could give the cat that might help. I did have a cat that would occasionally pee outside of his litter box, but we finally figured out that he always peed on certain types of plastic and so we just stopped leaving it out where he could get to it. Carpet would be much harder to deal with. I do hope someone can suggest something that will help!

 

[jwhtewolfd]

A few suggestions:

Second opinion from a cat specialist.

Some cats do need to go on mood altering drugs. Sounds like this is a seriously stressed out cat. They can take several weeks to start working though, and it can take several tries to find the right drug and dose that keep her at a good temperment but not gorked out.

Litter preference. Have you tried offering a variety of litters to find her favorite? Several boxes, no scents, no hood, different textures. If she prefers carpeting there are tricks to get her back to the box. Especially try Cat Attract litter (just google it). In the meantime, enzymatic cleaners and food and water sources in the places she is urinating inappropriately.

I know how frustrating this can be. It's especially hard to wait to see if drugs/litters will work when you feel like you are at your wit's end. Good luck with her and I hope you are able to find a solution.

As a last resort (as much as I'd hate it, but if absolutely nothing else will work), you have the option of making her an outdoor cat (if spayed and not declawed), or constructing an outdoor pen. It's not ideal, but, as I said, a last resort, and even though it lowers her life expectancy, at least it wouldn't be a death sentence.

 

[JohnsPrincess]

Yes - kitty drugs - - one of my moms cats is...special...too. I call him "Devil Cat". He would be super nice...and then seriously FLIP OUT and bite/claw/etc. So they finally had to get him on kitty drugs and he's doing much better.

As for the urinating...ugh. I FEEL YOUR PAIN. I have read Tons of different things. I'm not sure how big your house is, but if possible - try getting another litter box. Maybe kitty is lazy and if she has to "travel" to the box, she'd just rather go. If you have a 2 story - def one on each floor.

Cats HATE tin foil. Another of my moms cats was peeing on their couch (thank god it was the leather one...) and I told her to line it with tin foil for a while. They kept it on there for a couple weeks and since they've taken it off, she hasn't gone outside her box again. Maybe you could put some in her "spot" for a while??

Um...I heard not to put anything "smelly" by the box...no air fresheners. They like it to smell like THEM. And not to put their food near their box. Just like we don't want to eat in the bathroom, neither do they.

What else...I know that there's supposed to be some sort of smell they don't like...vinegar? Lemon?? I'm not sure...

Good luck with your kitty!! If nothing else...maybe you can find a kitty rescue place, a no-kill shelter, or even someone with a farm or lots of land (if she's still got her claws...)...

 

[jobhunter]

Ditto the itty prozac suggestion. There are SEVERAL options out there, so don't lose hope yet. I would ask about Valium--it's great for inappropriate behavior like peeing outside the box and for aggression. But she has to have a healthy liver. Definitely explain your furstration with your vet.

 

[jenm2878]

They make a great product called Feliway. It's like a glade plug in, but it emits calming cat pheramones. We can't smell the plug in at all, but it did wonders for my neurotic, inappropriately peeing cat.

 

[DizBelle]

Wow. You're considering putting a healthy cat to sleep? Well, if you do, please don't get another pet.

ETA: If you do "really love the cat", you wouldn't even consider putting it to sleep.

 

[npmommie]

We have a tabby cat that is 7 years old...she is ......special...I guess you could put it....this is kind of a long story but I'm really at my wits end with this cat and we are seriously considering having her put to sleep but we love her so much I just cant bring myself to do it....

About 4 years ago she started peeing on our rug, she would do it right in front of us - we checked all the obvious reasons, took her to the vet to rule out any medical problems she got a clean bill of health, always had fresh clean litter etc....it got to the point where we had no choice but to rip up the rug by the front door, the smell was just awful and no amount of cleaner was helping...this went on for a few months, once we ripped up the rug she stopped.

About a year after this, she started attacking people that would come into our home...any one that didn't live here, she went after them...like stalking crazy hissing growling biting scratching attack mode.

We called the vet and she said it sounded neurological but without hundreds of dollars worth of tests she couldn't be sure - and if it was neurological there was nothing they could do.

She is still this way to this day, when we have company we have to put her in the bathroom with her food/water and litter box. Which isn't really that big of a deal because we dont get guests too often....probably because of my crazy cat. Also, let me point out she has never shown any type of aggression towards us or our kids...I of course would not tolerate that.

Well 2 days ago, she found a new spot to pee on the rug again. She did it twice yesterday.

We have not switched her litter, have no other pets (other than hermit crabs which she doesn't pay any mind to anyways)

I love this cat so much, but I really dont know what to do with her any more. She is healthy, well loved, well fed....I dont know what is wrong with her. I cannot keep her if she keeps doing this. I HATE that my house smells like cat pee. We had people over today and i know they can smell it, because I can smell it. I consider myself a neat freak but even if your house is sparkling.....cat urine is an obvious smell and so hard to get rid of.

Would you put this cat to sleep?

We did call our local SPCA and they said there is no way you can put this cat up for adoption because of her behavior and if we surrendered her she would be put to sleep the same day.

I agree with the kitty medications. I would have the vet run some blood work to be sure everything is in working order and go from there, it may take a few trys as someone else said, but its worth the effort, since you love the cat and she is healthy,
i personally would not put her to sleep.
something is causing this behavior and you should really try to find out how you can correct it.

i would also try the litter suggestions.

we had a cat that liked to pee in my laundry pile, and not the dirty pile, if I left the bucket of clean laundry sit too long for some reason he would pee on it
it used to get me moving to put the laundry away! so yes I feel your pain, its not fun having cat pee smell around.

there is an enzymatic cleaner called Out, its at walmart and it works good

 

[ma2jr]

If she's peeing near the door it maybe territorial... do you have stray cats in the area? Is she spayed? I'd do 3 things ~ bring her to the vet for a culture, spay her if she's not, put a litter box on that rug for awhile to deter her...

Good luck

 

[robinb]

Wow. You're considering putting a healty cat to sleep? Well, if you do, please don't get another pet.

I don't think that a cat that neurotically pees everywhere and stalks and attacks strangers is "healthy".

 

[DizBelle]

There's an herbal product called "Rescue Remedy" that may help chill the cat out.

 

[DizBelle]

I don't think that a cat that neurotically pees everywhere and stalks and attacks strangers is "healthy".

If only we could "put to sleep" the people that have behaviors we don't like....

 

[inaminute]

I'm no expert, but it does sound territorial. Is she marking the door where "strangers" would enter? She may be trying to let them know they're not welcome in "her" home. I have no idea what to do about it, though. I would try to find a vet who specializes in felines.

 

[robinb]

If only we could "put to sleep" the people that have behaviors we don't like....

What do you mean? I'm confused.

 

[KAMKIM]

Wow. You're considering putting a healthy cat to sleep? Well, if you do, please don't get another pet.

ETA: If you do "really love the cat", you wouldn't even consider putting it to sleep.

Instead of offering advice like everyone else on here did - you accuse me of being a bad pet owner? Productive

If we dont solve her problems, putting her to sleep is the only option.

Adoption is not an option - she would kill her next owner

Outdoor cat isn't an option either - she is declawed

Physically she is healthy...mentally...not so much.

We've had these problems on and off again for years, I am not willing to live with cat urine all over my house - especially with children!

 

[KAMKIM]

kitty drugs,...never thought about it - I will follow up with her vet and see if we can try it for a few weeks. Aside from holy water not sure where else to turn.

thank you all for your suggesions - well, the ones that made suggestions

 

[robinb]

You can also try to add a cat box right where your cat is peeing (after you clean up the pee) and then slowly move the box to somewhere more appropriate.

 

[KAMKIM]

You can also try to add a cat box right where your cat is peeing (after you clean up the pee) and then slowly move the box to somewhere more appropriate.

Right now its under my computer - I could easily put a litter box under it...thank you!