I am Norman

Saturday, October 06, 2007

CAT-tastrophe

Heydi-ho neighbors! As promised, here's pictures of our new family additions!

This would be Olivia. She's a little snooty. She also refuses to stay still for pictures, so this is the best I could do. She's a sweet fuzzy little critter, with the fluffiest tail ever.

And introducing....Sere. (rhymes with Cherry). I put the name 'Callie' out to my kiddos, since that was the most suggested name given, but the kid's decided that since their grandmother's dog is named Callie, that she should be named "Sere", because that's what they'd started calling her. She moved around a lot too while I was trying to take pictures, so that's why part of her ear is missing from the picture. What can I say? I suck at taking animal pictures.

So here's the Cat-tastrophe. We love Sere, but she keeps taking shits where she shouldn't. She gets along GREAT with Olivia, and at first, I thought the dumper was Olivia being pissed off that we brought home a new cat. But nope. I was in my bathroom getting ready for work this last week when I saw Sere digging around on my bed. I thought she looked like she was digging for a poop spot, but didn't believe it until I saw her assume the position.

I had no idea I could run that fast.

I grabbed Sere by the scruff of the neck and launched her towards the litter box. Now - typically, I do not grab animals by the neck and throw them, but then again, I typically do not have cats taking a squat on my bed. Also, the animal shelter had spayed her, and I didn't want to pick her up where her incision is and hurt her. Also, she was taking a shit on my bed and I didn't want her to shit on my bed. Ergo, I grabbed her by the neck. So there.

Anyway, I figured it was a fluke and she was nervous in a new house. Besides, the turds didn't get on my bed, they fell on the floor on her way to the cat box. I cleaned it all up, sprayed some odor eliminator on it, and forbade her access to my room. I also showed her where the downstairs cat box was. She jumped right in and peed. Such a good kitty.

But then last night, she crapped in the game room on the couch. Our NEW couch. The one that (thankfully) has a stain treatment 3 year warranty. But it still pissed me off. So does anyone have any suggestions now for making her use a catbox? Because if this keeps up, she has to go. And Ashton has become extremely attached to Sere. Look at her happy little face:

If anyone has any thoughts or advice, it'd be greatly GREATLY appreciated, because this cat is now on borrowed time. Here are the steps we are currently taking:

We changing the litter. Because we were using the crysal litter in the scoopfree box that scoops automatically. We think maybe she's frightened of the automatic box. So we're reverting to the classic litter box where I can not allow lazyness to take over and will have to manually scoop turds. Face it. I either scoop turds out of a litter box or on my bed. Guess which one I opt for.

Spraying past dump spots with odor eliminator. Don't want her getting any ideas to revisit a makeshift toilet area.

Taking away the two-catbox locations. We did have a catbox upstairs, and then one downstairs. We are closing off the upstairs so they can't use it anymore and making them use the one in the garage. If I have to shut them in the garage for the next week, so be it. They need to get into the habit of using it.

Anyone have anything else to offer?

~SAVE OUR KITTY!!

posted by Norman at 8:23 AM

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7 Comments:

At Saturday, October 06, 2007 6:53:00 PM, Christine

AAAAHHHHHHH CCCCCHHHHHHHHOOOOOOO. Cute but sorry about all the spittle on your post.
At Sunday, October 07, 2007 12:18:00 AM, Pumpkin

Having never had a kitty myself (although have had friends lucky enough) the only advice I can offer is to get yourself a wee water pistol. It sounds cruel, but it is supposedly very effective: You fill the pistol with cold water and every time the kitten does something you don't want her to do....like take a crap on your bed...ewwwwwwwww......you squirt her with the water pistol. The idea is that it acts as a strong deterrant and teaches her that when she does this stuff, she gets squirted, which she won't like and then will avoid doing the stuff that gets her squirted....hopefully.
My friend, an owner of cats for a VERY long time, swears by this method.....call it aversion therapy.

That's all I got, but I have to say that those are INCREDIBLY cute cats....incredibly.......infact let me go get husband to show him just how cute they are........and beg him for one of my very own........

*sigh* he says they are gorgeous but I still can't have one.......maybe I should use the water pistol on him everytime he says no???????????
x
At Sunday, October 07, 2007 7:57:00 AM, tazzie

Lock Sere in the room with the box. Let Olivia still have run of the house since she's not the one having the problem. Some cats do not like to share litterboxes. Or it could be the new home, the recent surgery, or something else all together could be upsetting her. Keep her locked up in the litter box area for a few days and she should calm down and start to use that. Then it'll become a habit.
At Sunday, October 07, 2007 8:47:00 PM, Nicki

I can't talk - my 16 year old cat hocked up a hairball on my bed, then pooped on it a couple of days later, then peed all over it the next day. I took her to the vet and no one knows. Cats are fickly creatures. I vote for locking her in a room, though. They normally go in the same spot once they figure out where that spot is.
At Monday, October 08, 2007 2:56:00 AM, HotDudi

We used to put the cats nose right up close to where the poo/pee was & give it a little smack on the nose, then show them where they were supposed to do it! Worked on ours...but I'm not sure you're even allowed to do that anymore!!! What with animal rights an' all!
At Monday, October 08, 2007 8:30:00 AM, Anonymous

Many cats won't share a litter box. It's a good sign that she pees in the communal box but you might consider getting her her very own box and putting her in the room with it for a few days. That should do the trick. And also it could be that her spaying incision has caused a few issues. I'd talk to the vet and ask their opinion. Don't give her away until you've tried to sort it all out, please? -Jenn
At Monday, October 08, 2007 1:41:00 PM, Anonymous

Maybe she thinks it's HER house and she'll go where she wants. :) I'm lucky my cats still allow me live with them. They insist on their own box and have difference preferences on litter. :( Picky, I know.