Please help me save Piper

lucky47 · 09-02-2007

Piper is a 5 year old female tortoise shell cat. Piper has had litter box problems since I got her when she was 6 weeks old. I have tried everything to help her and nothing seems to solve this problem. I've tried a pet communicator, energy consultant and a healing touch therapist. I used Feliway for about 6 months and that did nothing. After I discipline her when she uses the carpet as her litter box, she retaliates and the next time it is worse.
I lock her in the basement every night, but last week Piper urinated on the carpet while I was in the other room. When she's locked in the basement, she has the full run of the basement and her litter boxes are down there. I have 2 litter boxes for 1 cat. They are cleaned out everyday.
When it gets right down to it, I think she is too lazy to go down and use the litter box, it is more convenient for her to urinate on the carpet.
It did not help to have a litter box upstairs either.
I do not want to have a healthy cat put to sleep because she won't use her litter box. Please help me!!!

marble · 09-03-2007

If you have had her for 5 years there is probably little you can do now.

Have you tried changing the litter you are using? Maybe she is unhappy that she is away from you in the basement.

Maybe just keep her outside and let her come in for feeds, whatever you do please dont get her put down for this if she is healthy in other respects.

If you cant cope with her take her to a rescue centre where she may have the chance of a new life.

Salem · 09-03-2007

Marble has a good idea maybe it is the litter you are using. Try the sand or if you are already using that then try clay. One thing keeps bothering the hell out of me. You say you got her when she was 6 weeks old and she's had this problem the whole time and now she's 5. Why didn't you find another home for her as soon as you realized she wasn't going to stop urinating on the floor? As it stands now she's got 5 years with you of security and familiarity. She's been your loyal loving friend for 5 years, no matter what kind of problem she has and you are willing to throw that away even considering death by lethal injection for her?How can you even think that? Someone will be glad to take her I'm sure.I'm sorry if I seem harsh but I've had cats my whole life and some have had the same problem and some have had worse. Not once have I gotten rid of one after years of having them and I would never even think of putting one to death for it. It's Unthinkable. These Beautiful creatures allow us into there lives and hearts for just a spell we should feel honored when we are chosen to be in there life. If one of them is gravely ill and cannot be cured that is the ONLY time death should be considered,certainly not for superficial reasons.The laws have changed concerning animal welfare And I'm pretty sure that is against the law.Here's a possibility unless you have been the only one ever to have lived in the house you are living in maybe the people before you had cats and they urinated on the floor in the same spots Piper does and Piper does it because she can smell it from them.Because they have such a keen sense of smell she could no matter how well it was cleaned.In which case replacing the carpets after cleaning the floor with clorox and water would stop that.In any event I hope you work it out and what ever you do Don't have her put to death. The karma from that alone would be disastrous.

lucky47 · 09-03-2007

Thanks Marble and Salem.
I have tried different cat litter and that didn't work. What she has now she likes.
Piper does not do this all the time. I have been trying to stop this problem since I got her. Piper can go 3 or 4 months using her litter box, then something will set her off and she will use the carpet for a litter box.
We have already tore out the dining room carpet, treated the floor where she urinated and then put tile down. After that she started going on the living room carpet.
I have a friend with 3 cats and maybe if Piper went to her place without me for awhile that would help Piper decide what she wants. Do you think that is a good idea?
And nobody lived in this house before me, but I had other cats.
I'm a cat lover and have had cats all of my life.
I love Piper and she does not want another home, she wants to stay here.
I'm looking for help from someone going through this same problem to see what they did to solve the problem and to give me ideas of what I can do to help Piper.

I DO NOT want to put Piper to sleep, I love her.

marble · 09-05-2007

Is there any particular times when she does this? Maybe something is triggering her off during these times.

Is she allowed outside? I would try and let her out if its safe, it might just make all the difference.

Hope you get things sorted out with her maybe your vet can give you some advice.

lucky47 · 09-05-2007

Thanks so much for the advice.
There is no particular time when Piper does it. Sometimes she does in when I'm in the room and other times she does it when I'm in bed.
It is not safe for her to be outside here, but I have put a harness on her and taken her outside. That does not seem to make a difference.
The vet has no help for me.
Last night I talked with a lady who said to try the Feliway that you plug in. I used the spray before and that didn't work. So I'll give the plug-in Feliway a try and I sure hope it works.

Salem · 09-05-2007

Hi Lucky, that Feliway might work then again it might not. I've tried one for another reason and my babies decided to rip it out of the wall and then break it. I have a very different group of cats. They have their opinions and they will tell you all about them and if you don't listen to them your going to find a surprise somewhere just for you and not necessarily a steaming pile if you know what I mean. I get presents from a couple of my babies, presents like a half eaten potato bug or a headless mouse.That can give you a shock at 2 am going the the restroom and you step on it. Yuck!
My mom had a cat through my youth that would urinate anywhere she wanted. She never stopped her whole life of 23 years. She had a rough kittenhood. We found her in a parking lot under a car and a stupid man was going let his Doberman Pincher eat her. We rescued her and the poor thing had ringworm which we all got. She just loved my mom but didn't really care for anyone else. My mom used to say it was her tormented youth that made her urinate anywhere. But I wanted to ask you Does Piper get along with the other cats? And Is there any competition for your affection?

lucky47 · 09-05-2007

Hi Salem,
Thanks for your help and great stories.
When I tried the Feliway, I used the spray. So I will try the stuff you plug in. I hope Piper don't break it and pull it out of the wall.
That was so great of you and your Mom to rescue that kitten. I can't believe that guy was going to let his dog eat her. Some people are so very cruel.
Piper is an only cat and that's the way she wants it.
I have some health problems and I think that Piper is jealous when someone comes and pays attention to me and pushes Piper away. But that only happened once and she let me know about it. So everyone that comes to see me now has to pay attention to Piper first. Then Piper goes and lays down.
I love your cat stories and that would be gross to step on a headless mouse in the middle of the night. I don't think Piper would know what a mouse is.
I'm going to see if I can find out what Piper wants and what she wants, she will get. The thing is that Piper changes her mind every other week.
Any other ideas that you can think of, please let me know.

Tonkinese and Siamese luv · 09-06-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucky47

Piper is a 5 year old female tortoise shell cat. Piper has had litter box problems since I got her when she was 6 weeks old. I have tried everything to help her and nothing seems to solve this problem. I've tried a pet communicator, energy consultant and a healing touch therapist. I used Feliway for about 6 months and that did nothing. After I discipline her when she uses the carpet as her litter box, she retaliates and the next time it is worse.
I lock her in the basement every night, but last week Piper urinated on the carpet while I was in the other room. When she's locked in the basement, she has the full run of the basement and her litter boxes are down there. I have 2 litter boxes for 1 cat. They are cleaned out everyday.
When it gets right down to it, I think she is too lazy to go down and use the litter box, it is more convenient for her to urinate on the carpet.
It did not help to have a litter box upstairs either.
I do not want to have a healthy cat put to sleep because she won't use her litter box. Please help me!!!

Ha ha! That sounds like my old cat Beans. Well, I'd suggest you put papers out and when Piper does it on the carpet, scold gently and then place her on the paper.
My cat Beans used to do that all the time. After a few days, they let on and start to do what you say. Try my advice and see how it works.

lucky47 · 09-06-2007

Thanks for the advice. That is an option I will have to try.
But first I do have to ask you, what's the object of placing her on paper?
I want her to use the litter box.