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Cat Forum / General Topics / October 2003Litterbox Training a Senior Cat
I'm rescuing an old stray (Old George). When I first started with him he was almost feral. He wouldn't let anyone get near him and, if anyone did he would scratch, bite and hiss. It has taken me a couple months but I've gotten him to the point where he actually enjoys being petted. I let him in the house, but in the morning I frequently find cat poop, and sometimes wet spots. Most of the time he goes outside -- I have a cat flap door that at the moment is taped open, so he can come and go as he pleases -- but sometimes he does it inside. I placed a litter box in the area, but he seems indifferent to it. I don't think he was ever brought up indoors and has no idea what a litter box is. Someone in one of the cat newsgroups mentioned a kind of litter that is supposedly really attractive to cats, but I can't remember the name of it and I can't find the post. Can someone tell me again what the brand is? Someone also suggested placing some dirt on top of the litter, but that had no effect. Nevertheless, any other suggestions are welcome. He's so old I'd hate to have to make him an outdoors only cat, especially as he really likes being in the house with me. Here's a pic I took of him lying on the floor in the computer room with me -- http://home.comcast.net/~johnxj/index.html The pic may be too big. I'm not very smart about web things. -- Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here. >I'm rescuing an old stray (Old George). >When I first started with him he was [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >think he was ever brought up indoors and >has no idea what a litter box is. George REALLY needs to be seen by a vet ASAP. There could be some medical issues such as worms or illness that are behind this problem, plus the fact that he has been living outside and is older make it very important to get him seen immediately. IIRC you had some concerns about stressing him, but having worked with ferals for many years I can tell you that waiting to take him to he vet will do George NO favors. Yes, the vet visit can be stressful, but the cats get over it quickly and don't lose their trust in you. If anything they are grateful to you for taking them back home. :-) It is imperative that George gets a full blood workup and stool analysis done. Once you get him home, close the cat door for a day and give him some time to settle down. He'll be fine. I would also recommend you only let him outside supervised. The lady down the street is feeding him toxic foods (the onions are one example) that could really hurt George if they haven't already. >Someone in one of the cat newsgroups >mentioned a kind of litter that is >supposedly really attractive to cats, but I >can't remember the name of it and I can't >find the post. Can someone tell me again >what the brand is? It's called Cat Attract. Please don't rely on this until you have George checked out. >Someone also suggested placing some >dirt on top of the litter, but that had no [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >in the computer room with me -- >http://home.comcast.net/~johnxj/index.html This cat looks in very poor condition. He may not be so old and is just sick. He really needs to be seen by a vet. Please don't wait any longer. Megan  Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray Try putting one of his poops in the litter box. Plunk him down in front of the box, and scratch the litter. Perhaps he'll get the idea. George is a handsome old beast, but his eyes don't look very healthy. As a feral cat, he probably has eaten rodents and has worms. It's possible that he could also have feline aids or leukemia. Poor George probably isn't up to a vet visit--so ask a local vet if he/she can make a house call. He really needs to be seen and treated. > I'm rescuing an old stray (Old George). When I first started with him > he was almost feral. He wouldn't let anyone get near him and, if [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > -- > Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here. > Try putting one of his poops in the litter box. Plunk him down in front > of the box, and scratch the litter. Perhaps he'll get the idea. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > probably isn't up to a vet visit--so ask a local vet if he/she can make > a house call. He really needs to be seen and treated. Heh heh. I thought he could use a good brushing then I recalled the poster saying he was just now allowing petting so I suppose George is as handsome and healthy as George wants to be :-) . Some times you have to accept you have done all you can to this point. Good for you Marek for making room in your life for this old tom. (hey, that sounds like a premise for a TV show... "This Old Tom") AG >> George is a handsome old beast, but his eyes don't look very healthy. >> As a feral cat, he probably has eaten rodents and has worms. It's [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >this old tom. (hey, that sounds like a premise for a TV show... >"This Old Tom") There is a new vet only a few blocks away (new practice). She's the one who sold me the Revolution. Next time I get a chance I'll stop in and ask her what she'd charge to stop by. Problem is ensuring that George is handy when she arrives. He's an independent old boy. As for his appearance, you should have seen him when I started a couple months ago. His eyes are clear most of the time now, and the horribly matted hair on the rear of his back (over an inch above the rest of his hair) is now gone and the underlying hair is evening out and looking pretty good. He still has matted hair on his sides, especially in the back, but it doesn't seem to bother him. The matted hair is not a sign of disease. As you noted, George is as handsome as he wants to be. He doesn't wash himself much, but that is by habit, not because he can't. I do see him washing himself a little sometimes. As for worms and other stuff, according to the vet the Revolution will take care of that. Unfortunately, I still haven't figured out how to get into the tube. I called Pfizer and they were pretty useless. I'm just going to take a knife to the tube. For those who think there is something evil about me because I don't instantly haul him off to the vet, well, I don't take myself to a doctor for every little thing either, and I'm even older than George, relatively speaking. He is still improving on his own, so I think most of what is wrong with him is due to horrible nutrition and age. And if he has something serious, well, there are no other cats here and none of the neighbor cats go near him. From reports in the neighborhood he's been around for at least eight years, probably longer. For a stray, that is pretty old. I doubt that a vet could do anything for him, but I will see if the new lady vet will stop by. In the meantime, the major issue is litterbox training. I'll call around and see where I can get some Cat Attract and try that next. I bet it has no impact on the problem, but I'll give it a shot. He's like a child still in diapers -- doesn't have a clue about what a toilet is for, and wouldn't be interested if he did. I think what will eventually work is catching him in the act so I can apply the hand of knowledge to the furry seat of learning, right at the precise moment. -- Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here. Bless you for taking him in. You are an angel! What are you feeding George? Some high quality food will definitely help reverse some of the aging. A vet could also tell you his approximate age. You will need to give George a pill in his food for worming. I don't believe that Revolution can kill tapeworms. Please keep us posted on this old boy. How about an attached outside enclosure? > >> George is a handsome old beast, but his eyes don't look very healthy. > >> As a feral cat, he probably has eaten rodents and has worms. It's [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] > -- > Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here. >Bless you for taking him in. You are an angel! What are you feeding George? >Some high quality food will definitely help reverse some of the aging. A vet >could also tell you his approximate age. I've been feeding him Friskies canned from the store, but only the ones marked "special diet" or "senior." I'm discovering some funny things about him. Yesterday I spent half of the day in the kitchen because I was preparing and freezing the last of this year's tomato crop. George hung around expectantly the whole time. He knows exactly what happens in a kitchen, and was hoping for a handout. All the time he had plenty of food in his dish within sight. He has a lifetime habit of begging for handouts, so he can't stop even though he has plenty in his dish. Once I dropped a tomato on the floor. I've never seen him move so fast. He zoomed right over, expecting it to be some prime morsel. And such a disgusted look on his face after he finished sniffing it. As for the vet estimating his age, I suppose she could, at least better than I can. But you know, George doesn't seem to care how old he is. Isn't that great? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we humans never paid attention to our age? >You will need to give George a pill in his food for worming. I don't believe >that Revolution can kill tapeworms. Please keep us posted on this old boy. >How about an attached outside enclosure? From the info sheet that came with the Revolution: "Revolution kills adult fleas and prevents flea eggs from hatching for one month and is indicated for the prevention and control of flea infestations (ctenocephalides felis), prevention of heartworm disease caused by dirofilaria immitis, and the treatment and control of ear mite (otodectes cynotis) infestations. Revolution is also indicated for the treatment and control of roundworm (toxocara cati) and intestinal hookworm (ancylostoma tubaeforme) infections in cats." So you're right. Tapeworm not on the list. But aren't tapeworms pretty visible? I've seen a lot of his poop (!) and it looks totally normal. Also, if you have a tapeworm, don't you have to eat a lot? (He eats a normal amount for his size.) Not that a treatment is a bad idea, I'm just thinking that tapeworms are probably unlikely. As for an outside enclosure, that is possible. In fact, it would be easy, because it already exists. The garage is attached to the right side of the house, and has a door into the kitchen. Behind the garage is an attached greenhouse. The greenhouse stays about 10°C above the normal outside temperature, and it never freezes. Last winter I had a tomato plant that wintered over out there. He could live in the garage and greenhouse. But I kind of enjoy having him indoors with me, at least in the evening. And he likes to be near me too. And he would be much more comfortable in the coming winter. So I guess I need to keep after the litterbox training. I'm going to get some of the Cat Attract as soon as I figure where to buy it. -- Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here. >>Bless you for taking him in. You are an angel! What are you feeding George? >>Some high quality food will definitely help reverse some of the aging. A vet [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >prime morsel. And such a disgusted look on his face after he finished >sniffing it. I've been doing some figuring and calculating about Old George's meals. I still feed him the Friskies canned "Senior" and "Special Diet" food from the store, but I'm discovering he really, really likes real meat. Today I made some chicken for myself. I like to buy the frozen boneless, skinless thighs. I cut them up into tiny pieces and use them in everything from casseroles to tacos. Today I made an extra quantity, because I knew George really likes the chicken bits. When he came in I had saved a whole dish of juice from the frying pan. He licked the bowl clean. Then I gave him several ounces of the bits and he wolfed them down. In the past I have noticed that he also loves hamburger. Whenever I cook meat for myself I always leave the salt off and use it just on my portion. I'm beginning to think that I should serve Old George more of the real meat and less of the canned. His eyes have cleared up completely now, and his coat is starting to look shiny. His coat feels good when I pet him now, too. He's still kind of shaggy, but he keeps improving. I did some financial calculations. The chicken thighs cost $3.98 for three lbs. The Friskies cost about 30-35 cents per 5.5 oz. can, which comes to about a dollar a lb. The chicken costs $1.33 a lb. Since it's not that much more expensive, I'm just going to cook up some chicken bits periodically and let him have lots of it. Hamburger is more expensive, but next time I go to the store I'm going to prowl the meat section and see if I can find some other meats that are cheap -- real meats, not preserved stuff like sausages and such. I can't help but think that this is better for him than canned food. After all, it's what cats were designed to eat. The only thing that bothers me about it is that the canned foods have lots of added vitamins and minerals and stuff. Since he's an old boy he might need that too. Does anyone know if you can buy cat multivitamins and minerals in powder form or something? Does anyone think I'm nuts to cook real meat for the old guy? Also, he had been pooping and peeing only on one rug. After the last time I cleaned up after him, I just rolled the rug up and leaned it against the wall. That was three days ago, and there has been no pooping or peeing in the house since. *Keeping fingers crossed.* He still has never used any of the litterboxes I've set out, however. And that includes the ones with Cat Attract. But I'm wondering if somewhere deep inside his furry little head he was thinking the rug was grass. He has never once pooped or peed on a hard surface in the house. Here's a pic I took of him a couple weeks ago. He's looking better now. http://home.comcast.net/~johnxj/index.html -- Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here. > I can't help but think that this is better for him than canned food. > After all, it's what cats were designed to eat. The only thing that > bothers me about it is that the canned foods have lots of added > vitamins and minerals and stuff. Since he's an old boy he might need > that too. Does anyone know if you can buy cat multivitamins and > minerals in powder form or something? Try "The Missing Link." A small bag lasts a long time. > Does anyone think I'm nuts to cook real meat for the old guy? Nope, the only thing better would be raw meats, although the cat does have other needs and won't do well on a diet on meat alone. Friskies is crap by the way, you can do much better than that. Dee | I can't help but think that this is better for him than canned food. | After all, it's what cats were designed to eat. The only thing that | bothers me about it is that the canned foods have lots of added | vitamins and minerals and stuff. Since he's an old boy he might need | that too. Does anyone know if you can buy cat multivitamins and | minerals in powder form or something? I guess that if you give him some real meat at times and some canned food too, that will be enough. Btw My pets *love* vegs and the cat even takes salad, so you can try that... | Does anyone think I'm nuts to cook real meat for the old guy? Sure we all do, but pet lovers *are* nuts. Today I saved on our food while being in the shops, but I made sure that Tom Cat got what he likes...;-) | Also, he had been pooping and peeing only on one rug. After the last | time I cleaned up after him, I just rolled the rug up and leaned it [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] | was grass. He has never once pooped or peed on a hard surface in the | house. He just doesn't like the colour of the carpet then! No, but honestly, some things have a smell that encourages cats and dogs to mark it. I would clean it and leave it aside for the time being. | Here's a pic I took of him a couple weeks ago. He's looking better | now. | | http://home.comcast.net/~johnxj/index.html It's a lovely picture. He looks cuddly, is he? Carola |
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