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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / June 2006KFC's peeing habits
My back door is open 24/7 so the cats can go outside to perform toilet duties. It works well most of the time. For the last few months Kitty has decided she can pee behind the woodburner. The door was open only a few feet away from where she was in the kitchen but she came into the lounge to go behind the woodburner. I noticed her and rattled a stick on the stove to get her out from behind there which worked. She shot out from there but must have been sitting down to wee as she only managed to get into the kitchen before she let it all go. I have no idea why she suddenly thinks it's ok to pee behind the woodburner. She's done it for about a year now. There is plenty of loose soil (dirt) in the garden which she has always used and does for her poos still, so she hasn't forgotten. I suppose she could be going a bit senile. She's really old. Any ideas? Tweed Block the burner off spray some cat repellent spray back their. we have to deal with them how they come when they get that old > My back door is open 24/7 so the cats can go outside to perform toilet > duties. It works well most of the time. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Tweed > Block the burner off. I can't. It's in an inglenook fireplace which has just enough room around to let the fire function properly and it's my main source of heating. >spray some cat repellent spray back their. Cat repellent? Please clue me in about what this is and how I can get it. > we have to deal with them how they come when they get that old Absolutely. I am not in the least cross with her. I would just like any tips to stop her peeing behind the woodburner if possible as it's very difficult for me to clean behind it. She knows she shouldn't do it. If I spot her going behind the woodburner I say "Oy, Kitty, get OUTSIDE" and she does. If I don't notice her in time it's too late and she has wee'ed. She hasn't got a UTI. She is extraordinarally (sp? I know this isn't right) well for such an old cat. I guess she is just too lazy to take herself outside if she doesn't have to and why wouldn't she as she is getting on for 20. It isn't a problem. When I had ancient dogs they used to pee on the carpet all the time, so I stopped inviting people round who wouldn't understand. They just forgot about their housetraining when they got really old, in their late teens. Tweed >> Block the burner off. > > I can't. It's in an inglenook fireplace which has just enough room around > to let the fire function properly and it's my main source of heating. Yes you can try something like the screening you have on the front of a fireplace think outside the box there is always a way to do something >>spray some cat repellent spray back their. > > Cat repellent? Please clue me in about what this is and how I can get it. Any pet store has the repellent spray I use it on my christmas tree to keep them off we have to deal with them how they come when they get that old > Absolutely. I am not in the least cross with her. I would just like any > tips to stop her peeing behind the woodburner if possible as it's very > difficult for me to clean behind it. Try urine gone www.urinegone.com it comes in a spray bottle you can adjust the spray it works and it is cheap > She knows she shouldn't do it. If I spot her going behind the woodburner > I say "Oy, Kitty, get OUTSIDE" and she does. If I don't notice her in [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Tweed People age differently so do cats haven't you ever met some one in the 20's who looked and acted like their 50's "Matthew" <Iamacatslave@proudtoserve.com> > Try urine gone www.urinegone.com it comes in a spray bottle you can > adjust the spray it works and it is cheap Cheaper on ebay. >> Block the burner off. > [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > understand. They just forgot about their housetraining when they got > really old, in their late teens. How about putting some wadded up aluminum foil back there. That would sort of block it off and maybe remind her it isn't as great a place as she remembers. We are working with a mule headed pup that we'd like to give free run of the house now, but when we take her gate down she'd like us to believe the living room carpet looks like the back yard. I feel like I'm babysitting a toddler 14 hours a day. Jo >>> Block the burner off. >> [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > sort of block it off and maybe remind her it isn't as great a place as she > remembers. That's a great idea. I hadn't thought about that. I'll try it. > We are working with a mule headed pup that we'd like to give free run of > the house now, but when we take her gate down she'd like us to believe the > living room carpet looks like the back yard. > > I feel like I'm babysitting a toddler 14 hours a day. > Jo Housetraining not going well, then? :-( By her age she should be perfectly clean and dry in the house. Hmmm. I'll give it some thought. Tell me how you've tried to housetrain her up to now. I know you are a very experienced dog owner and I'm not trying to teach my grandmother to suck eggs, but I am an experienced dog owner too and it's just possible that I could suggest something that you haven't tried yet. Tweed >>>> Block the burner off. >>> [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > suck eggs, but I am an experienced dog owner too and it's just possible > that I could suggest something that you haven't tried yet. She was fine from early on, but we've had a gate up that restricts her to the kitchen, family room, and dinning area as well as her crate. There is a sliding glass door into the back yard that is open if the weather is good and that she asks us to open when she needs out otherwise. Usually if we are up we are there with her. When we go to bed she goes in her crate and if we leave she is either out in the yard or in the crate. But we are getting tired of putting the gate up and down. Besides I like her to come in where the computer is with me. I never dreamed she would start to poop on the carpet. I caught her the third time so maybe we've put a stop to it. I know kids will test limits. But this dog puts every child I've ever met to shame as far as limit testing goes. This is a Border Collie. She knows exactly what she is doing. Jo > >>>> Block the burner off. > >>> [quoted text clipped - 62 lines] > > Jo It's a border collie, so it's a *will* thing. She does know exactly what she's doing; she's an incredibly intelligent dog. She's just testing you. Good luck! kili >> Tell me how you've tried to housetrain her up to now. I know you are a >> very experienced dog owner and I'm not trying to teach my grandmother to [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > This is a Border Collie. She knows exactly what she is doing. Oh, yes, they certainly do, I had one myself once, a red & white dog with one blue eye. My mother had a border collie bitch until 2002. Is it just this one room, the computer room that she poos in? In any case as a first step I would like you to start "toileting" her again as you did when she was small. For now do NOT let her go into this room until she has emptied herself just beforehand under supervision. We'll take it from there. My first thoughts are: 1. She's bored. BC's like to have a lot to do and exercise their brains, after all they are bred to work all day. I used to take mine to obedience classes 1x7, do obedience exercises every day with him and enter him in obedience competitions. He really loved it. 2. She doesn't like to go into that room because then you ignore her while you're on the computer. Sort of an "Ignore me? okay, now ignore THAT!" Ensuring there is no poo inside her that she can decorate with before she's allowed in there might even be enough to stop this behaviour in it's tracks. Try it for now, if it doesn't work, we'll think again. I'm sure it can be sorted out. Tweed >> I know kids will test limits. But this dog puts every child I've ever >> met to shame as far as limit testing goes. [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > Tweed She managed to get in there again this morning while I was working out the coffee kitchen gate routine. The back door was open but I hadn't yet got the gate up. I think you are right. She resents the room where I go to be away from her. So I'll have to go back to making sure she goes out and "goes" before anything else in the morning. She is thoroughly spoiled and always wants to be in the same room with me. If she is outside she wants me out too. We are having a break today while she sorts out just who is supposed to be trying to please whom. She normally goes to the park and runs for an hour every day, two or three ball chasing sessions in the yard of twenty minutes or so and a half hour walk on a lead while we work on her obedience. She goes with me in the car if I won't have to leave her in it in the heat. And we play catch while I watch TV. She also plays with the boys and we have the next door BC over for play dates. Which of course does not mean she isn't bored. Its been unbearable hot and I can't handle being outside past noon. Jo >> How about putting some wadded up aluminum foil back there. That would >> sort of block it off and maybe remind her it isn't as great a place as she >> remembers. > >That's a great idea. I hadn't thought about that. I'll try it. Brilliant idea. The weather is warmer now, so maybe she'll find the out more attractive than the stove now. At least until autumn. :) >>> How about putting some wadded up aluminum foil back there. That would >>> sort of block it off and maybe remind her it isn't as great a place as [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Brilliant idea. The weather is warmer now, so maybe she'll find the > out more attractive than the stove now. At least until autumn. :) Lets hope so! She does go out occasionally now the weather is warmer. I just wish she'd remember to pee while she was out there! > My back door is open 24/7 so the cats can go outside to perform toilet > duties. It works well most of the time. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Tweed well, she *is* old. Bladder just probably isn't what it once was. It's just too bad there isn't someway to put a box near the burner. Honestly, the age the vet thinks she is is like 100 to us. Poor KFC. I hope her dignity is OK. Sometimes, that is very mortifying for a cat. >> My back door is open 24/7 so the cats can go outside to perform toilet >> duties. It works well most of the time. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > well, she *is* old. Bladder just probably isn't what it once was. Quite true. I appreciate that this is the case. It doesn't explain why she didn't just nip outside - which was nearer - rather than going into another room to find the woodburner option. It's > just too bad there isn't someway to put a box near the burner. She wouldn't use it anyway even if there was a way to do it. She has never used a litterbox in her life. > Honestly, the age the vet thinks she is is like 100 to us. Poor KFC. I > > hope her dignity is OK. Sometimes, that is very mortifying for a cat. Poor KFC? Her dignity is fine. She has huge self-esteem, she believes she is the best cat in the whole world. Having a slight accident, toilet wise, would not bother her in the slightest. She would probably point to it and say "would you just clean that up, slave!" Boyfie would be totally different, he would definitely be mortified. Tweed How about putting a small litter box with real dirt in it right by the stove? An older kitty may be getting bit a bit senile, and a bit arthritic, so going outside is extra trouble and work for her(?) Long shot: a low grade UTI? ~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Life without cats would be only marginally worth living." -TC, and the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico kitty, Kenzie. How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven. - Robert Heinlein Life is very difficult. Once you understand that, life becomes easier. -Buddha >My back door is open 24/7 so the cats can go outside to perform toilet >duties. It works well most of the time. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > >Tweed > How about putting a small litter box with real dirt in it right by the > stove? I would hope to avoid that if I can. It is my living room and it's only 12x12 and the woodburner is my whole heating system. The last thing I want is warmed up cat piddle and poo scenting the house. >An older kitty may be getting bit a bit senile, and a bit > arthritic, so going outside is extra trouble and work for her(?) Maybe. I'm closely monitoring her at the moment. > Long shot: a low grade UTI? I don't think so. She was just hoping to get away with peeing behind the woodburner without stirring herself to go out! That's the top and bottom of it really. She is a very old lady who thinks she can do exactly what she wants. She has another think coming as she is absolutely not going to be allowed to pee behind the woodburner when the door is open to the outside. No way at all. Tweed > I have no idea why she suddenly thinks it's ok to pee behind the woodburner. > She's done it for about a year now. There is plenty of loose soil (dirt) in [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Any ideas? Can you put a load of citrus behind there - several strong-smelling citrus candles or room fresheners, and spray with a strong citrus spray, as a deterrent and to overwhelm the wee smells which will make her think it's an OK toilet place? Also would it be possible to use some zinc mesh to block her access to the space - non-flammable, not too obtrusive and you can cut and bend it to fit in the space? The foil idea is a very good one as well. HTH Deb.  Signaturehttp://www.scientific-art.com "He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would; He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield > Can you put a load of citrus behind there - several strong-smelling > citrus candles or room fresheners, and spray with a strong citrus [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > not too obtrusive and you can cut and bend it to fit in the space? > The foil idea is a very good one as well. Supposedly most cats don't like citrus. I did see some very strong-smelling room deodorizers at Home Depot (local hardware store) -- they had a citrus-smelling one I used for the hockey bags in the basement. I didn't notice Oscar having a particular aversion, but maybe she would have if I'd put it right in her litter box! Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >> I have no idea why she suddenly thinks it's ok to pee behind the >> woodburner. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > citrus candles or room fresheners, and spray with a strong citrus spray, > as a deterrent I've sprayed behind there today with a cleaner with orange extract in. > and to overwhelm the wee smells which will make her think > it's an OK toilet place? I can't notice any smell at all from it. I know your nose gets used to a smell and ignores it if you are in it all the time, but even when I come in from work with a fresh nose - so to speak - there isn't any cat smell in my house. >Also would it be possible to use some zinc mesh > to block her access to the space - non-flammable, not too obtrusive and > you can cut and bend it to fit in the space? I can't block off the sides as it is a free standing stove on legs and I have to put my arm round the back to control the main damper. Thanks for your thoughts to help my dear old lady. I'm going for the foil option, but I have to go shopping to get enough. Tweed > My back door is open 24/7 so the cats can go outside to perform toilet > duties. It works well most of the time. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Tweed Misty was around 14 when she decided to pee where she shouldn't. She would do it right in front of us as if it was ok. All her health tests were fine so I was a mental problem. As a last resort, we put her on a low dose of amitryptyline (also called Elavil) every day and that solved the problem until she was 18 and started doing it again. So we put a litter box there (dining room!) and that was where she wanted to pee. Once she died at 19, we ripped up all the carpets, neutralized the area, painted it, and put new carpet down. Our present cat, Sonny, hasn't noticed any smell so I guess we got rid of it. Bobble >> My back door is open 24/7 so the cats can go outside to perform toilet >> duties. It works well most of the time. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > low dose of amitryptyline (also called Elavil) every day and that solved > the problem until she was 18 and started doing it again. Well, Kitty certainly will not just squat down and pee right in front of me. She sneaks and hopes I don't see her. She hasn't entirely lost her marbles. I feel sure that is just the tiredness of extreme age that is the problem. She doesn't go out much and hasn't hunted since..I dunno..maybe she caught something last year. Mainly she relies on Boyfie bringing her favourite collared doves but he hasn't been successful in his dove hunting for a few weeks now.. > So we put a > litter box there (dining room!) and that was where she wanted to pee. > Once she died at 19, we ripped up all the carpets, neutralized the area, > painted it, and put new carpet down. Our present cat, Sonny, hasn't > noticed any smell so I guess we got rid of it. Putting a litter box next to my woodburner - which I sit only a few feet from in the heating season - would be a last resort for me. Can you imagine the smell when it got warm? Tweed >>> My back door is open 24/7 so the cats can go outside to perform toilet >>> duties. It works well most of the time. [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > > Tweed Well here is a thought. If you had soil in it, you could just pitch that outside and put fresh in fairly frequently. It's a sad thought, but it isn't as though this will go on for 10 years or anything. Just a thought though. > My back door is open 24/7 so the cats can go outside to perform toilet > duties. It works well most of the time. For the last few months Kitty [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > hasn't forgotten. I suppose she could be going a bit senile. She's > really old. > Any ideas? > Tweed Sweep started to pee in a couple of odd places when she was about nine years, and when we took her to the vet's due to weight loss it was found she had hyperthyriodism. After two days on medication she stopped peeing in the odd places. Just a thought. Judith SignatureJudith Latham Stourbridge, West Midlands. UK. >> My back door is open 24/7 so the cats can go outside to perform toilet >> duties. It works well most of the time. For the last few months Kitty [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > she had hyperthyriodism. After two days on medication she stopped peeing > in the odd places. Just a thought. I will keep my eye on her for anything else unusual in case she has a health problem but at the moment I don't think she has. Thanks very much for the suggestion, I'll keep it in mind. Tweed . There is plenty of loose soil (dirt) in > the garden which she has always used and does for her poos still, so she > hasn't forgotten. > I suppose she could be going a bit senile. She's really old. > > Any ideas?//// Try putting a litter box just in front of the woodburner with some dirt in so that it's easier to use that than go behind the woodburner. I had a similar problem with Cleo - she kept pooping in front of the kitchen sink - exact same spot *every* time, because she didn't like the position of the other box and she's afraid to go outside to poo. Eventually I got the hint and put a litter box right next to the sink. Solved the problem. The litter box is a pain in the arse where it is, but it's easier to shove it out of the way with my foot and then put it back than it is to keep cleaning up poo and perhaps have a cat with an ingrained poor litterbox habit. Helen M > . There is plenty of loose soil (dirt) in >> the garden which she has always used and does for her poos still, so she [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Helen M Having a litter box right under my nose as I cuddle up to the woodburner in the winter would be an absolutely last resort for me ;-) Tweed Duh. I took me until just now to think "hang on a minute, I have a child fireguard stored away in the spare bedroom!" I got it when my beloved Minnie whippet got frail and tottery in her old age and once nearly fell against the stove when it was blasting out heat. I bought a guard straight away. This will solve the problem. There is no way KFC will be able to get behind the fire and it has a sort of roof on that I can open so I can get to the damper. Why didn't I think of it before? Tweed <feeling stupid> Did I not tell you to think outside the box I knew something would come to you > Duh. I took me until just now to think "hang on a minute, I have a child > fireguard stored away in the spare bedroom!" [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Tweed <feeling stupid> > Duh. I took me until just now to think "hang on a minute, I have a > child fireguard stored away in the spare bedroom!" [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Tweed <feeling stupid> I'm glad you have come up with a solution, it's amazing how many times we miss the obvious answer. :-) SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk |
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