i am so lost

weesiepoo · 07-12-2005, 12:39 AM

i am in the middle of throwing away two 35 gallon bags of my belongings, ripping out carpet, and throwing out a waist high bamboo basket that have all been ruined by dusty's pooping and peeing outside of her litterbox. i was not aware she had moved her attentions to this corner and i literally have been gagging and puking as i clean, as well as sobbing. i also walked around to see where else i may have to "clean" and i have found an entire stack of prized childrens books that she has climbed up on and pooped along the back of the shleves. the shelves are of bamboo and will also have to go. and possibly the carpet there as well. i found a place where the back two legs on my great grandmother's sewing machine are ruined from feces and will have to be refinished.

the thing is, she has these horrible allergies. some of you may remember the horrible ulcers that she got on her belly and the sabby sores that she gets on her neck and back and tail area as if from fleas, even when there are no fleas in the house. other than that, there are no health problmes that two different vets can find. i am at wits end. it stinks. my things are getting ruined. (things really do not mean that much to me, nothing i own is much monetarily-just in sentiment) i do rent. i am ashamed to have people over. there is a health risk to me and my family-alex and i both have asthma. health risk to the other animals-amonia is bad and i noticed it attracts beetles and other bugs.

i have never ever considered just giving away an animal. i mean, i have fostered-taken in an animal, knowing i ws going to keep it for a short time while i found a home for it. but i have never in my life said, "i don't want this animal any more, here, it can be someone else's problem." and i am not saying that now. someone, please, tell me what to do. i love her, i love her so much, but, lord help me, i am at the end of my rope. i have vetted her and vetted her, gotten the best food, a billion litter boxes, fresh water, standing water, running water, hidey holes, tons of toys, i am home almost 24/7, flea medicine, shots up to date, worming done bi-annually(more if needed), treats, spoiled rotten, researched and read and everythinhg is for my animals and my children. i don't know what else to do. i cry every day over this. every day.

najiwench · 07-12-2005, 12:52 AM

oh honey, i hope somebody can give you some advice..i really don't know what to do...except

i wonder if maybe you can do a version of crating, like with a dog, and confine her to one room..a bathroom or something, with her litter box...do you have other cats? could she have a problem with them?

Mollymitten · 07-12-2005, 06:40 AM

My heart goes out to you. How old is Dusty?

Naji has a good suggestion - perhaps a big doggie sized crate might help.

One of my previous cats, Cleo developed a similar problem - she was 14. She had always been a nervous cat, and suddenly started to poo anywhere she felt like it. Long story short, she ended up on some kind of kitty valium, but since she was so nervous that ended up with me having a cat that was clean but terrified to come near me, or affectionate with poo all over the place. I ended up making one of the hardest decisions of my life, and she went to the bridge. I'm sorry that this might not seem like a sympathetic story, but I'm trying to say that if you have to make a decision (not necessarily the one I made) then I would understand.

jennawing · 07-12-2005, 09:20 AM

Sounds like she is having some serious behavioral issues- probably choking on the chian of kitty command, so to speak. I agree about trying the 'crating' idea. You alsomight wantt o devote a couple of days to following her around with a spray bottle and giving her a squirt when she even LOOKS like she's gonna go outside the litterbox.

In her defense- didn't you just move into a new place? Could the previous tenants have had pets? She might be trying to mask their smell with her own.

consumercity · 07-12-2005, 05:21 PM

I agree that the crate idea is worth a try. I hope that Dusty will adjust and stop using the whole place as a litterbox. If you do decide you just can't keep her anymore, please take her to a no kill shelter.

weesiepoo · 07-13-2005, 08:59 PM

a quick note.

dusty is about 3 and a half.

i have had her a year and a half.

i have lived here 3 years.

i will try the huge dog crate idea, i really don't have a room i can seperate her into.

velvetrabbit · 07-14-2005, 01:28 PM

Awww, hun, I know how much you love Dusty! I hope you can help her work through all this!

Banshee · 07-14-2005, 09:20 PM

What a horrible time you're going through! My heart absolutely goes out to you - it's a horrible feeling when you do and try everything, and yet nothing seems to work and it seems hopeless

Has Dusty always gone outside her litterbox since you've had her, or has she started this recently? How does she interact with the other cats? Was she an only cat before? Have you looked into pyschological problems that might be causing her to do this? I'm sure you've already looked into that, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to suggest it anyway.

I hope you and Dusty can make your way through this.