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Christi Diggs
on May 23 2013 - 06:00 AM
A drop of spin, a cup of deception and tsp. politics=Apathy
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Lindsay Metcalf
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mara williams
on May 21 2013 - 06:00 AM
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Niko is not my first baby… I had two others before him. My first two babies are cats.
Yes…. I am one of those people that call their pets their “babies” because they had no children of their own.
I adopted Tangent (my grey cat) over 16 years ago from Wayside Waifs. It was love at first sight. She has helped me through bad boyfriends, robberies, heartbreak, job interviews and lonely holidays.
She has been through my wedding, Niko’s birth and 5 apartment/house moves with me. Tangent has been my rock and my constant companion. She has always been the one thing I could count on.
I am having a hard time with her aging. I knew this day would come, but I didn’t think it would be so soon. (I know – it’s been 16 years!! I am lucky – stop complaining!)
In the last 3 weeks, Tangent has started peeing everywhere… I took her to the doctor and nothing is physically wrong with her. She is very thin, but she has no cancer or disorder that would cause her peeing in corners. The vet put her on a high-calorie diet and said that the peeing is probably caused from her becoming senile.
Oh dear. Senile.
This…. situation has been very challenging. Her peeing everywhere has been a tough thing to justify to myself. How long do I let this go on? How much pee do I have to clean or how many rooms are going to be ruined by cat pee smell?
It’s tough because for the first time, I have a really nice house. Then there is the Niko factor. I REALLY don’t like the thought of him playing in a room that may or may not have cat pee in it.
It’s also causing some stress in the house. Mentioning something negative about my sacred Tangent is the fastest way to make me grumpy. When my husband tells me about Tangent peeing on the carpet, I get defensive and upset. It’s going to get worse before it gets better….
For the time being, I have moved the litter boxes that were in the basement into the kitchen hoping that will help. Maybe if the boxes are in the open, she will use them instead of peeing in the corner.
The real problem is that she is getting older and my time with her is becoming visibly limited… and right now it smells like pee. Ugh.
Any suggestions on either the pee or how to deal with an aging pet?
I feel for you. We are cat people, too, and it's tough when they get older. We also had some cats in the past who peed on the carpet, the bath mat, etc. Those kitties are no longer with us, but their behavior didn't prevent me from loving them. As for a solution to your specific problem, could you limit which rooms the cat is allowed into? Close the doors to bedrooms, etc., and keep her confined to specific rooms, ones without carpet? I know that wouldn't be easy, but at least it could help. Good luck.I had the same problem with an aging cat. I tried EVERYTHING--moving the boxes, confining her to certain rooms, etc. It never got better. I finally had to accept that. Taking her to the vet that last time was among the hardest things I ever did, but I have to say I felt a lot better about it afterward, rather than denying her parts of the house she had become accustomed to frequenting. She didn't understand why she could no longer get on the furniture or go into the kids' rooms or whatever. It frustrated her and made the situation worse. You might try changing litter and see if that helps--it might. Good luck--I know how hard this is!I'm sorry your beloved Tangent is getting toward the end of her time with you. I've got no advice for you on that part of your ordeal but I do for the smell issue. Hit up Petsmart and get a bottle of Natures Miracle. It eliminates pet odors by breaking down the enzymes. It really is a miracle. It costs between $25 and $32 for a gallon depending on sales. Well worth the cost.Sorry to hear of your difficulty. I have a cat for 20 years. The last 4 he was diabetic with kidney function problems. Did the same thing. Started peeing everywhere. He was pretty thin and fragile the last fee years so we confined he to our bedroom and my adjoining office after we got another cat from Wayside Waifs. (one of the best things we ever did). When we adopted 2 Shelties last summer to replace him we had some peeing problems. They boys, go figure. Before we solved the problem by confining them to rooms we are in and not letting them roam the house, we got a Bissell Spot Bot. It comes with a pet odor cleaner. You can use it two ways. One way is to use the wand and scrub. The other is to put the round brush thingy over the spot and turn it on. It does it all for you. And beeps when the cycle is done. The only thing it is will leave the carpet wet, so when it beeps go put a towel over the wet spot and soak it up. Good Luck!
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