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- Mar 24, 2005
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Been quite some time since I was here. Got busy. I'm having a little behavior problem and want to see if anyone might have ideas.
My oldest daughter graduated college, got a job. For 4 months. Sigh. Things happened and she had to move back home. Along with her, she brought her now 6 month old kitten into the house. Wasn't thrilled when she got the cat- but she was making money and she paid for ALL of the cat's care. Vet visits, her spay (which I think she paid too much for IMHO) food, litter. We couldn't make her give it up- it is kind of cute- but is really a pain at times.
She wants to be alpha and isn't. My 7 year old cat put a stop to that. She bugs the heck out of Sam- he's 3. I think it's to the point where it's more play than her trying to be higher in the "cat hierarcy" here.
The problem is poop. Someone is pooping outside the box on occasion. I think it's DD's cat- ours eat pumpkin with their wet food (Sam has anal gland issues), the poop isn't orange. But there's a lot, and DD's cat really isn't that big. Yet. So IDK. I should probably set up one of the old phones we have laying around the house to see who's doing it. It's not happening during the day b/c I'd see it (right now I have no job)
I close our door at night. Holly will sleep with us and occasionally Sam will. Dd's cat sleeps with her (it's kind of helped her through this rough patch of her life ) So I don't know if that's the issue. Everyone has a clean bill of health (except Sam and his anal glands- but he's ALWAYS had that problem) and we had never had a poop problem until a month and a half ago when Sabrina came to live with us.
Today I had an idea. Maybe someone isn't pooping in their box because they don't want the other cats pooping in THEIR box. Sigh. I have 4 boxes scattered all over the house, I put a Feliaway diffuser in the room they all hang out with b/c sometimes there were very loud and angry arguments. If that's it- the idea I had today is to scoop the thing out the minute I see poop in there. Yes, I am cleaning it out on a daily basis- this particular box is in a room that I'm not fond of- but that's where the poop was showing up so I figured maybe a box needed to be in there.
There are separate feeding stations. They do share 1 fountain, maybe we should get another cat fountain. Don't want to add another food bowl- as it is Sam is sneaking kitten food when Sabrina is done with it- and he really doesn't need kitten food.
Tried to give her wet food (my 2 adore it) but she wants nothing to do with it. Maybe try wet food by the same manufacturer that her dry stuff comes from?
Thanks for listening to my ramble. This is driving me NUTS. I have a feeling this is only going to be temporary- my daughter's looking at going to grad school (not here) and if she moves the cat will probably go with her.
My oldest daughter graduated college, got a job. For 4 months. Sigh. Things happened and she had to move back home. Along with her, she brought her now 6 month old kitten into the house. Wasn't thrilled when she got the cat- but she was making money and she paid for ALL of the cat's care. Vet visits, her spay (which I think she paid too much for IMHO) food, litter. We couldn't make her give it up- it is kind of cute- but is really a pain at times.
She wants to be alpha and isn't. My 7 year old cat put a stop to that. She bugs the heck out of Sam- he's 3. I think it's to the point where it's more play than her trying to be higher in the "cat hierarcy" here.
The problem is poop. Someone is pooping outside the box on occasion. I think it's DD's cat- ours eat pumpkin with their wet food (Sam has anal gland issues), the poop isn't orange. But there's a lot, and DD's cat really isn't that big. Yet. So IDK. I should probably set up one of the old phones we have laying around the house to see who's doing it. It's not happening during the day b/c I'd see it (right now I have no job)
I close our door at night. Holly will sleep with us and occasionally Sam will. Dd's cat sleeps with her (it's kind of helped her through this rough patch of her life ) So I don't know if that's the issue. Everyone has a clean bill of health (except Sam and his anal glands- but he's ALWAYS had that problem) and we had never had a poop problem until a month and a half ago when Sabrina came to live with us.
Today I had an idea. Maybe someone isn't pooping in their box because they don't want the other cats pooping in THEIR box. Sigh. I have 4 boxes scattered all over the house, I put a Feliaway diffuser in the room they all hang out with b/c sometimes there were very loud and angry arguments. If that's it- the idea I had today is to scoop the thing out the minute I see poop in there. Yes, I am cleaning it out on a daily basis- this particular box is in a room that I'm not fond of- but that's where the poop was showing up so I figured maybe a box needed to be in there.
There are separate feeding stations. They do share 1 fountain, maybe we should get another cat fountain. Don't want to add another food bowl- as it is Sam is sneaking kitten food when Sabrina is done with it- and he really doesn't need kitten food.
Tried to give her wet food (my 2 adore it) but she wants nothing to do with it. Maybe try wet food by the same manufacturer that her dry stuff comes from?
Thanks for listening to my ramble. This is driving me NUTS. I have a feeling this is only going to be temporary- my daughter's looking at going to grad school (not here) and if she moves the cat will probably go with her.