- Joined
- Dec 5, 2016
- Messages
- 103
- Purraise
- 17
Okay I've not asked for help here in a while because Reiko has been pretty good in the last few months (she's 7 months now).. until recently.
Whenever we are home, she interacts with us, naps with her belly up around us (trust) and plays like any other time. We feed her on schedule, change her water frequently and she uses the litter box beautifully. Everything is pretty much great. Except when she's left alone.
8 out of 10 times when I come home after going out for a few hours, I find something destroyed. First she started pulling out the thumbtacks from my cork board. I had to take down all 3 boards for fear of her swallowing or poking herself with pins the next time. Soon after, she would pull sticky notes off my desk and scatter the floor with bits. I tried the aluminium foil but nope, she shredded them like the paper. It was a HUGE MESS! And today, she shredded my work notes and left scratches over my journals which is starting to really annoy me as I have my work stuff organised that way and she has never touched them until the recent 3 weeks.
I always:
- leave her new toys, tunnels, puzzles and interactive stuff to play with before I leave (swapping them out each day/time) but as I work from home, I rarely leave for too long (just to buy groceries or short meetings or dinners outside)
- she has fresh food and water 3 times a day
- she has 2 hiding spots with blankets
- she gets play time in the morning and before bed
The only change was that she got spayed last week, but her destructive behaviour has been going on way before that so I don't think it's related to the surgery and she has not even come into heat before. She never acts like that when we are around.
I spoke to my vet and his answer was "keep her in a separate room or a large cage whenever you go out" - because it could be a mild separation anxiety which causes her to act out. However he gave her a clean bill of health with good blood work and aside from this she is a gem most of the time and doesn't even scratch furniture. She even plays fetch and loves lap cuddling at least once a day. We video recorded her and she would meow for a bit 5 mins after we leave but then she does about to nap and do normal cat things (which sometimes includes destroying things on my desk).
I just want a cat that I can trust to roam free and not cage up each time I go out. Has anyone here dealt with this problem before? Please advice.
P/s We do not have space (i.e. Extra litter boxes or territory) for another cat so please leave this suggestion out.
Whenever we are home, she interacts with us, naps with her belly up around us (trust) and plays like any other time. We feed her on schedule, change her water frequently and she uses the litter box beautifully. Everything is pretty much great. Except when she's left alone.
8 out of 10 times when I come home after going out for a few hours, I find something destroyed. First she started pulling out the thumbtacks from my cork board. I had to take down all 3 boards for fear of her swallowing or poking herself with pins the next time. Soon after, she would pull sticky notes off my desk and scatter the floor with bits. I tried the aluminium foil but nope, she shredded them like the paper. It was a HUGE MESS! And today, she shredded my work notes and left scratches over my journals which is starting to really annoy me as I have my work stuff organised that way and she has never touched them until the recent 3 weeks.
I always:
- leave her new toys, tunnels, puzzles and interactive stuff to play with before I leave (swapping them out each day/time) but as I work from home, I rarely leave for too long (just to buy groceries or short meetings or dinners outside)
- she has fresh food and water 3 times a day
- she has 2 hiding spots with blankets
- she gets play time in the morning and before bed
The only change was that she got spayed last week, but her destructive behaviour has been going on way before that so I don't think it's related to the surgery and she has not even come into heat before. She never acts like that when we are around.
I spoke to my vet and his answer was "keep her in a separate room or a large cage whenever you go out" - because it could be a mild separation anxiety which causes her to act out. However he gave her a clean bill of health with good blood work and aside from this she is a gem most of the time and doesn't even scratch furniture. She even plays fetch and loves lap cuddling at least once a day. We video recorded her and she would meow for a bit 5 mins after we leave but then she does about to nap and do normal cat things (which sometimes includes destroying things on my desk).
I just want a cat that I can trust to roam free and not cage up each time I go out. Has anyone here dealt with this problem before? Please advice.
P/s We do not have space (i.e. Extra litter boxes or territory) for another cat so please leave this suggestion out.