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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:	Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:	FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:	MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO

Created:	Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:	Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	5089
Total number of notes:	60366

3883.0. "LITTERBOX SHOES(BLUES)" by BUSY::CIOFFI () Wed Aug 08 1990 10:12

    Jasper has developed a behavioral problem....peeing around the house.
    He's been to the vet, and there is no physical problem.  He's always
    been an indoor cat, and is 2.5 years old.  He started this Spring
    (when we began openning the windows) spraying the closet in my bedroom.
    I kept treating the rug, and he kept spraying the area next to the
    treated area.  He has since been banned from the room completely.
    Then about 6 weeks ago, he peed in my daughter's shoe, which got
    on another rug, that got ruined more from the cleaning solution
    than the cat.  Then he picked on an area in my daughter's room and
    we just realized that he has been using it as a litter box....it's
    soaked with urine.  In the past week he has wiped out two more pairs
    of my daughter's shoes (she's a teenager and doesn't know how to
    keep her shoes put away), and my bathroom scale.  We think he has
    a fetish for the shoes, as he LOVES smelly feet.  But after I get
    the latest rug cleaned up, we're afraid he'll either keep going
    back to it or picking another spot.  This behavioral problem is
    getting VERY expense.  He has won himself the cellar every night
    now because we don't want to wake up to more destruction (smell).
    
    Does anyone know anything about kitty psychology?  We are considering
    transitioning him to an outdoor cat if we can't find a cure.  But,
    we can't keep him with things as they are.  The vet put him on
    hormores.  There's a chance they might change his thought process.
    Any suggestions would be extremely appreciated.  The house is in
    an uproar over this.
    
    Karen

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
3883.1		CRUISE::NDC	Putiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313	`Wed Aug 08 1990 10:49`	6
	Karen - I entered a whole big note about eliminative problems. Its a basenote. That contains the sum total of what I know about these problems. I'm still having some trouble with Dundee, but he's confining his indiscressions to areas easily cleanned - like the mat in front of one of the litterboxes.
3883.2		CRUISE::NDC	Putiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313	`Wed Aug 08 1990 10:54`	1
	See note 3598
3883.3		CIRCUS::KOLLING	Karen/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca.	`Wed Aug 08 1990 15:09`	3
	Is there an unaltered neighbor cat coming around, so Jasper is spraying because he feels his territory is threatened?
3883.4	new litter?	TYGON::WILDE	Ask yourself..am I a happy cow?	`Wed Aug 08 1990 16:21`	3
	have u changed the litter recently? If a cat doesn't like the brand, this is one way of expressing the problem...a very unpleasant way, I might add..
3883.5		CIRCUS::KOLLING	Karen/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca.	`Wed Aug 08 1990 16:42`	3
	Or has anything else changed in the "psychological environment"? A new baby, another pet, longer working hours....
3883.6		CRUISE::NDC	Putiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313	`Thu Aug 09 1990 09:18`	5
	Actually, if you review note 3598 you'll see that nothing has to change for a cat to suddenly decide he doesn't want to use the box. That's just to keep us humans off guard, you know. Can't have us figuring out feline psychology. 'Twould make them too predictable. Good luck.
3883.7	Fingers/toes crossed!	BUSY::CIOFFI		`Wed Aug 15 1990 11:53`	18
	Thanks for all the responses. I haven't been able to log back in since I wrote the note.....work, yuck! Anyway, nothing changed in environment, litter, etc. I wish I could get inside his head but I can't. I am presently treating the rug in my daughter's room but because of the humidity it is taking forever to dry. So, that spot is not available to him. I put him in the unfinished side of the cellar for 5 nights in a row, while we slept. He used his box every time. So, the last few nights he's been out of prison and has used the box every time. We have also been keeping shoes out of sight. He has been on hormone pills for the past week, so all things combined, he has been doing better. I hope it lasts because if it doesn't he may be transitioned to an outside cat, although we don't want to do this, but we don't want to replace rugs and shoes all the time either. Have my fingers crossed. I wishe I could understand kitty psychology, but if I could I'd be rich and replacing the rugs for changes in color! Karen