Waterproof (OK pee proof) covers

Mollymitten · 10-04-2007, 12:32 PM

As some of you now, my cat Sadie will sometimes pee on my furniture. It's a habit I cannot break her of - I think it's either a stress thing or she's a bit incontinent. the vet tests I have had are now up to performing biopsies etc, and I don't want to put her through that - she eats well, plays well and is in good health. Her urine is not bloodied, and other than being a very strong yellow colour is clear.

All that being said, it might not be Sadie - I have never caught whoever is responsible for doing this!! I am also resigned to the fact that I can't have nice furniture for the next few years.

I have a futon that I use as a couch, and I have had it covered with a plastic/vinyl mattress cover since I had it. I went to flip it the other day, and it seems to be soaked through, which surprised me given the plastic cover, and also it didn't seem to smell.

Long story short, what can I use for a waterproof cover for my futon? Are there special mattress covers that parents use for chronic bedwetters, or anything like that you can think of?

Ally · 10-04-2007, 12:42 PM

There are a few mattress protectors around MM. Here is a link to one company who makes them, I would think that many housewears shops would stock them in their bedding sections....

http://www.snugnights.co.uk/Incon.htm

Mollymitten · 10-17-2007, 01:25 PM

Thanks - I have found a cover,but the problem still needs to be addressed. It is Sadie - I have now caught her a couple of times. For example, when I went to bed last night, she had peed on the bed already, and proceeded to squat on my housecoat at the foot of the bed and pee again.

I have 4 cats and 2 catboxes, which are dug through daily, and changed out completely every 5 days or so. She pees on the couch and my bed, and on the bathroom mat if I leave it on the floor. She has also been known to go on my leather couch. She's been doing it since I got her about 2.5 years ago, but at least the pooing on the floor has stopped! I don't mind doing laundry every day, but it's getting a bit much. As I said previously she seems to be in good health, so it's either incontinence, stress, or she's just plain not right in the head.

Anyone got any ideas or suggestions as to what I might be able to do to stop this? She's had a rough start in life from what I have observed, and I don't want to yell at her - she's nervous enough. If she was doing this after some roughhousing with the others, or something appeared to have upset her, I could understand it more, but it seems indiscriminate. The only thing I can see that forms any kind of pattern is that she likes to pee on soft stuff.

Ally · 10-17-2007, 01:32 PM

Sounds like a daft question, I know, but was she ever housetrained properly?

She seems to be acting like she has never really been properly housetrained as a kitten and taking that on as an adult will be quite difficult. I also get the feeling she was also an outdoor cat/semi-feral perhaps, so the need to use a box or even knowing what a box was is something she hasn't been taught.

The peeing on soft stuff does appear to indicate a lack of basic training when little....she is doing it on things that feel, to her at least, like soft soil.

I can only imagine how frustrating her behaviour would be for you MM. Maybe a chat to the nurse in your local vet's surgery might be an idea, or perhaps a chat to the cat person in a nearby shelter - as they come into contact with cats with a variety of behavioral problems - and they might be able to either shed light on why she is doing this and a few ideas on how to combat it.

Mollymitten · 10-17-2007, 04:25 PM

Yes, apparently she was a rescued barn cat (I wish they wouldn't do that - barn cats are quite happy being barn cats - catch them fix them and release them I say) Then she was adopted apparently by a couple of gentlemen who returned her to the shelter because she reportedly scratched a $3000 dollar piece of furniture. As she has never scratched anything since she's been with me then I feel that her bathroom habits were to blame and they just came up with some story to ditch her. She has very obviously been yelled at a lot, and had things thrown at her if her body language is anything to go by. At least I don't think she had ever been hit. It has taken me 2.5 years to get her confidence up to where she will sometimes jump up on my lap or on the bed for a quick cuddle (not too close though!). Unfortunately one of the other cats doesn't like her too much, and although the bullying seems to have stopped, poor Sadie is forever on her guard.

I had hoped that living with 3 other cats would help teach her proper litter box etiquette. It may have had some effect - like I said she doesn't poop on the floor any more (thank god). Also it's not every day that the "accidents" occur, but I haven't been able to put the puzzle pieces together yet to figure out what does/does not happen on the days that she behaves herself.

Ally · 10-17-2007, 04:30 PM

Are you at home when she behaves, or are you out and about somewhere, MM?

Barn cats are semi feral, so the use of soft furnishings etc around the house does look like she is representing the hay & straw with the next available thing. I agree that chances are the previous adoptees gave up on her...and possibly screamed at her...for messing in the house, rather than there being any major furniture damage with scratching.

Had they been honest, perhaps the shelter might have been able to train the toileting problem out of her before passing her onto you.

Ally · 10-17-2007, 04:32 PM

Thinking here....

What do you use in her litter tray?

Have you considered using rabbit hay or shredded paper instead?

It might fool her into thinking it is barn hay or straw. Has to be worth a try maybe?

Mollymitten · 10-17-2007, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ally

Are you at home when she behaves, or are you out and about somewhere, MM?

Either one, that doesn't seem to matter.

I don't want to used hay/straw - with 4 cats the potential for odour is large!! I will however splurge on some of the paper litter and try that instead of the standard clay, and let you know how that goes.

If I could catch her when she misbehaves and put her in the litter box and praise her it would help, but she knows she has done wrong and is too fast, plus I don't want to scare her by lunging at her and undo all the progress she has made.

Ally · 10-17-2007, 05:12 PM

It must be so frustrating MM.

I know when I had my GSD, he was constantly messing everywhere for the first 2-3 years I had him. He had been badly abused and he messed if he felt insecure or fearful...even seeing his own shadow would trigger it.

Took me so long to get him out of it, but with a dog you can put on a leash and take it out and gradually build up the confidence that way. Completely different with a cat, especially an ex barn cat who, although knows she did wrong, doesn't entirely understand why she did wrong.

I do hope that someone can come up with answers for you. And tbh, I am wondering if it was the ex adoptees who gave the furniture scratching as an excuse or whether the shelter were a little economical with the truth just so they could offload a troublesome moggie.

My ex landlady was in her 80's and she took on a couple of cats from a local shelter. They told her that they had been there for over a year, knowing full well that my landlady would take pity on them and take them home. Sadly less than a year later the cats were taken off her as she wasn't capable of looking after herself, let alone two elderly cats with health problems of their own. The shelter 'forgot' to mention both cats had medical issues, they just wanted them off their hands.

Mollymitten · 10-17-2007, 06:08 PM

At least Sadie has a home with me for life, no matter how frustrating it is. How could I give up this beauty?

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t...ten/Sadie2.jpg
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t...ten/Sadie1.jpg