Struggling With Play Time

[calicosrspecial]

Ahhhhhhhh. That makes sense.

:/ Yes, one or two times can happen. I do think the vet is good so it will be figured out. Poor guy though. :/

I know, We do get impatient.............. The fact the vet says it will take a bit then it will. But let's hope it works.

Absolutely!!!

Well, it makes sense (a mask falls and a cat goes on it). Make sure you clean it with an enzymatic cleaner to get the scent out. DO you think he feels a little insecure in your room? Try to play with him in there if possible, or feed him in there. Try to build his confidence and get him feeling more secure if possible. If you can give Love safely that can help build his security and confidence.

What medicine?

Yes, when selling it is important. :/ Try not to be stressed so he doesn't get stressed (I know easier said than done). Just try to clean it up without anger, etc (again I know it is hard).

Selling and going through change can cause cats to get insecure so really try to help him through it. Try play, use food, spend some time loving (safely), reassuring.

Make sure you change clothes from the shelter because the scents can cause insecurity.

Let's figure out a way to help him get more confident and therefore more secure. Poor guy. :/

 

[Animal Freak]

Osiris threw up again. About the same time and same way as yesterday. Just laying on the couch and then gets up and starts heaving. There was grass in it which I've been trying to get him to quit eating, but that's not a new issue.

Yes, I might be a little impatient. I didn't expect her to be back to normal, gaining weight, etc., but just hoping she'd act a little less desperate.

We just ordered Nature's Miracle, so hoping that does it. The room doesn't matter for him, it's the object on the floor that attracts him. He pees on the litter mats every now and then too, but those are easy enough to clean. He doesn't go looking for places to pee outside the box, but takes advantage when there is something there. Anxiety wasn't my first guess, but we can't really take the time to try a bunch of things and them not work. One of my coworkers had a similar issue with a cat she said seemed very chill and calm, and the peeing stopped once her other cat was gone. I don't want to keep him on medication long-term, but if it works then at least until we get into a new house. And if it works then we know what the issue is. I could try increasing his confidence for years and not make any progress if it's not that issue.

I'm terrible with medication names. Some anti-anxiety. Fluxotine or something like that. I think I remember a flux in there.

I can't do much about that, unfortunately. I've mostly accepted his tendency to pee outside the box, but my mom has not and she's not exactly happy about it.

Unfortunately, he's difficult to get to play. I think he's getting a little heavy, so don't really want to give him a lot of extra food. And this is a busy week for me because I'm working every day and my other two classes just started. If he has a problem with the smell of other cats then that's difficult to fix because there's lots of cats around here. We've seen a few different ones on the porch on the camera we have set up. I would definitely like to work on his confidence through means other than medication, but right now that's difficult. I doubt it helps that Ember has been crabby and adding stress for everyone, but that's another problem I'm trying to get fixed.

 

[calicosrspecial]

How long after eating? How long since he was last out? Since he ate grass?

:/ Yes. Sadly it does tend to take time. Let's hope that is all it is.....................

Good. Yes, that will do it. Ahhhhh, he wants to "own" the item on the floor maybe?

Yes, that is what I thought (I am not sure of the exact name either).

Yes. Understandably since no one wants a cat or animal o go where they shouldn't. The only issue is the more anxious, angry we get the more the cat gets and the likelihood of that stress leading to more incidents increases. It is hard to explain that to people though. :/

:/ Yes. And you not being around as much could be an issue. BUT the fact that he likes to go on something would be a good starting place. Try not to have anything on the floor then see if he doesn't do it. Maybe it is that simple? Hopefully. Yeah, it is hard and it does build. As one animal/cat gets unsettled it leads to the others then it builds then bad behavior etc. :/ Just do your best. Hang in there.

 

[Animal Freak]

I took him to the park around 8 and got home around 9-ish I think. That would've been the last time he could've eaten a significant amount of grass and food. He threw up around 1:30. There were bits of food and bits of grass, but mostly fluid. He's back on Prednisone now and will be on that for 10 days. Then just the Pepcid and we'll keep him on that.

I'm not sure if it's a matter of owning it or just preferring it over the litter honestly. He seems rather proud of himself though. He's hanging out in my room more all of a sudden and discovered he could get on my bookshelf. He honestly seems like he's in a pretty good mood. I carried him out of my room and closed the door so I wouldn't have to worry about him peeing in there. He purred the whole time I carried him and didn't try to get away.

Yes. It's definitely frustrating, but I know being upset doesn't help matters. Not much I can do about my mom though.

We try to keep things picked up. He'll pee on the litter mats occasionally, but doesn't go looking for places to pee. But things happen. Stuff falls. That's what happened with the mask. Unfortunately, it only takes that one time to end up with pee-soaked carpet. And he apparently peed on a cat toy also in my room, so now there's another spot.

 

[calicosrspecial]

:/ Hmmmmmm, not obvious. Ughhhhhhh, poor guy. :/

Hmmmmmm. Does he have any paw issues or leg issues? Yes, on a bookshelf is wonderful to a cat. Did he go on it after you closed him out of your room at all? Sometimes cats when territory is "taken away" can get insecure. Maybe it is as simple as if something is on the ground it is "fair game"???? :/

Absolutely. People have enough stresses in life. :/ And that just increases it. Yes, nothing we can do with others.

Yes, but like you said things happen. :/ Exactly. With the enzymatic cleaner that should help limit it. Arghhhhhhhh. On the cat toy. Any chance anyone else is going as well?

Usually it is medical (pain, infection, etc) or behavioral (stress, territorial insecurity, etc) so just keep watching, looking for any changes, etc. Do you have a litter box in your room? Do you have only covered or a mixture of covered, uncovered, etc. Some cats do not like covered. BUT it is so rare and random that he goes outside of the box..................................

 

[Animal Freak]

No vomiting since being put on the steroid.

Ash has arthritis, but he gets glucosamine for it and it doesn't seem to bother him. Didn't bother him when he jumped 6 feet from the top of the bookshelf to the floor. He didn't have access to my room after I closed him out. He was in there the other night and I took him out after he came down from my bookshelf. He didn't go back in there until last night I had the door open while I was in there and he got back on the bookshelf. I don't have a problem with him being up there. It's just interesting that he'd never bothered before. He didn't have any territory taken away until he started peeing all over the place.

I don't know. He seems fine. Peeing on the cat toy is a bit drastic though. But he is peeing. Hard to tell how much though.

I'm watching, but he honestly seems to be in a better mood now than he was before. There's a litterbox in the bathroom attached to my room. It's enclosed, so not his favorite, but there's three open ones in the storage room. We've tried all sorts of things to keep him from peeing outside the boxes in the past.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Oh good!!! GREAT to hear!!!

Yes. Sometimes pain or discomfort can come about when they are in the litter box BUT the peeing would then be rather often as the association would persistent. Doesn't seem to be the case with Ash. I know, sometimes cats find a new place and love it AND cats love height as it gives them confidence and security. So maybe him going up there is a confidence/security issue but too difficult to know AND he would be walking differently, acting differently, etc if that was the case and it isn't. So I am guessing he just found it and liked it. Yes, I didn't think it was a "territory being taken away issue". I am guessing it was an isolated event but let's watch him.

Yes. :/ Nothing obvious. Yes, it is drastic. And it could be a sign of dominance, insecurity etc. But again, it isn't like it is happening all the time (which is good but makes it less obvious as to the cause).

Keep watching, good that he is in a better mood. Yeah, a closed one can be an issue for some cats and one area can be an issue as there could have been an incident in that area, or a fear of getting to it, etc. I spread them out but it is not always possible for many households.

I have a feeling it is just "oh, something on the floor - bamm". But let's keep watching to see if there is other evidence to suggest something else. Wish I had a better answer/solution.

 

[Animal Freak]

Yes, so far so good.

That was what I figured too. He's still very obsessed with my room. I'm keeping the door shut when I'm not in there, but he tries to get in there every time I open the door. He's never been so interested in my room before.

We had another litter box in the main bathroom too, but that was a closed one as well. We're trying to keep the boxes to a minimum until we move and we don't have very many rooms to keep them in. It's a small house with a lot of stuff in it.

Yes, I do think that's probably going to be at least most of the issue, but it does seem worse lately so it seems like there's something triggering that. He peed on a rug in the hall maybe a week or so before peeing in my room. That rug had been there for years without him peeing on it. That cat toy has been around for over a year and he's never peed on it before. So something is different.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Fingers crossed but great to hear.

Interesting. They can get that way but any changes can be a "tell". Is he going and hanging out in the same places as before or is he avoiding certain places he would go before? SOMETIMES, a cat will get more interested the more we want them to stay out as well. It is really tricky to figure out often. :/

Does he use the closed ones often or as a last resort? Understandable on the number. I wonder if he didn't feel comfortable getting to the other ones on those few occasions.

Ok. Well, it could be the change with you working, more busy, maybe new scents, etc. .Cats are so sensitive to change. Is there a chance anyone else went on something and he responded?

I always try to build that confidence and therefore the territorial security to help a cat handle whatever change is going on. But it can be a challenge. :/

Hang in there and just do your best and try to help him feel more secure, etc.

 

[Animal Freak]

Yes, looking good.

He's not avoiding anywhere that I've noticed. Nothing strange. Just wanting in my room more.

He doesn't use the closed ones very often, but I wouldn't say they're only a last resort. He went in and used the one in my bathroom while I had the bedroom door open just earlier today.

I haven't changed jobs yet. One more week. And volunteering at the shelter has never bothered him before. None of the others have ever peed outside the box before, so it would be even weirder if they had.

There's just too much going on right now. What with us trying to get ready to move, me switching jobs, and Ember being crabby, there's a lot going on to combat.

 

[Animal Freak]

Osiris has an Instagram page now!

Osiris (@osiris_gsdx) • Instagram photos and videos

 

[calicosrspecial]

Great!!!

Well, that is good other than trying to figure out why.............................. It may be as simple as just wanting to be in there. They do go through phases. :/

:/ Well, doesn't seem like that is the issue. I am leaning more and more to "it was there and I did it". :/ Surely nothing else is obvious. :/

:/ Not that. Maybe just general stress? Yes, well, things can change with stress, new animal, new scents, animals outside, etc. There is always a first but usually you can see changes in behavior in them.

Yes. And cats can pick up on that and then they can do bad things. :/ But what can you do? Other than try to handle the stress and change.

Oh my, I LOVE that pic!!! SO COOL!!!!

 

[Animal Freak]

Someone pooped on a towel. That's new. Ash's medicine has been ordered, so hopefully that'll be here in a few days and we'll get to see if it works. It's pretty expensive though.

I do think he tends to prefer towels and the like over the litter boxes, but it doesn't really explain why he's gotten worse lately. He doesn't act like anything is wrong, but it wouldn't be difficult for him to hide any stress or pain. He tends to hang out on cat stands and stay out of the way.

We'll see how well I keep up with posting on Instagram. So far I'm doing well.

My neighbor showed up yesterday morning with a great Pyrenees she found wandering around to see if I knew the owner. I'm always the go-to when people find dogs. Lol. Fortunately, I was familiar with the owner because I see her walking at the park in the morning, but didn't know where she lived. Just knew what car she drove. So I drove around a bit to look for the car. Did not expect to find it at all, but I actually did pretty quickly and we got the dog back home. Apparently the lady just adopted the dog and left her outside to go to the grocery store, but didn't know how she got out.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Oh my. Was it normal or a little "different"? Could be discomfort. I wonder why.................

Good on the medicine. Yes, it can be expensive. Hopefully it works.

Sometimes it is the type of litter, the smell, the texture. Sometimes it is a leg or paw issue. AND cats tolerate pain pretty well so that makes it difficult. It is so hard to really find the issue if it is not obvious. :/

Awwwwwwww, yes, you do get busy. I am not really familiar with instagram but need to keep checking it out. Oh wow, is he wearing socks on that one? And look at that face!!!! GORGEOUS!!! I see others are liking him as well!!

Hahahaha, yep. People know you know all about dogs. They are smart to go to the efficient person. Cool dog!! Wow, good for you for finding the dog's home so quickly!!

 

[Animal Freak]

Seemed like a normal poo. Maybe a tiny bit hard considering it must have been fresh, but not extremely so. He's pooped on the rug in the kitchen once before and it was a hard poo, so we thought he must've been constipated.

We've had different litters, different boxes... It can be hard because it's so inconsistent that it's difficult to tell if it lines up with certain litters. We try to stick with a litter and he'll be fine for a while, but then he'll go on something outside of the box.

Me either. I created a personal account just so I could follow some artists, but honestly don't even usually log in. You can create an account and follow him so you'll get updates when I post. Or you can just click that link every so often and check. I'm posting every day right now, but will cut back. Yes, he was wearing socks. I posted some more earlier.

I'm not really sure how I found her so quickly. I had no idea where she lived. It was mostly luck that the car wasn't in a garage and I located it so quickly. Very sweet dog though. Probably a good thing I found her owner so quick. I might've kept her myself.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Tiny bit hard could be the cause as you mention. Discomfort. Poor guy.

Yes, it is very hard sadly. So many moving pieces so tough to isolate. And then when it is spotty and not always outside the box it makes it even more difficult. Sounds like you are doing everything you can.

Cool. Hahaha, too funny. Socks. WOW!!! Cool update pics!!! I especially LOVE how you got him and Stella to pose!!! That pic is priceless!!!! Gorgeous/handsome dogs!!! I love the pic next to it with him and his socks as well. That face!!!!!!!!!

Impressive. Sometimes we need luck. Awwwwwwwwww, she sounds awesome!!

 

[Animal Freak]

Possibly.

Indeed. Well, with the medicine we'll at least be able to narrow it down. If it works, it's a stress/anxiety thing. If it doesn't, then we know it's not and we have to try something else.

Yes, he's very tolerant. I think he might end up being more my model dog than my sport dog. Lol. He let me put socks on him, arrange his feet, and lift his head. He's too good sometimes. Then I tell him what a good boy he is and he starts chewing on me...

Very sweet. Glad it all worked out. I've seen them at the park the last couple of mornings.

 

[calicosrspecial]

So difficult to know. Hopefully it hasn't happened since.

Exactly.

He is amazing. I am amazed at how good he is with you. Really impressive. He has an amazing personality and intelligence. Awwwwwww, of course he has to chew to respond to your praise!!!

Wonderful. Yes, it is great it worked out so quickly. Awwwwwwww, really cool.

 

[Animal Freak]

Not so far. Meds should be here today or Monday. If not by Monday, then I'm supposed to let the vet know.

Osiris really is too good though sometimes I swear he has something against doing something well. He can be like a teenager who does the exact opposite of what his mom wants just for the sake of it. But then he's so naturally good that he ends up being good without trying. So then he has to gnaw on me to make up for being good.

Thursday was my last day at my job. Monday will be my first day at the shelter.

 

[calicosrspecial]

That is good!!! Fingers crossed. Oh good. Hopefully they come and help.

Hahahaha, EXACTLY!!! He is amazingly good!! I have never had a dog as good as he is. I keep believing it is down to his intelligence. Only thing I can think of as to why he is so good.

BUT CONGRATULATIONS for Monday!! It might start off a bit slow but will be fun to see how you like it when you get settled in there. Exciting!!!