Adopted Cat - Afraid of Bathtub/Bathroom

I have an adopted 1 1/2 year old persian neutered male.

I brought him home just this past weekend and placed his litter box in
the bathroom next to the bathtub/shower stall and toilet (it's the only
location in my apartment for this litterbox).

He is adjusting slowly to his surroundings however, is very skittish
about sounds, loud sounds or cars rolling down the street

He had not used the litterbox for 4 days! Nothing wet or solid was in
that litterbox. So, last night I decided to see if the cat had a
problem with the location of the box.

I put him into the shower stall/bathtub and he lost his little mind and
went Ba-na-nas!! Apparently someone had given him baths in the bathtub
where he came from and was scarred from this experience, and now he's
terrified of the bathroom PERIOD. He hates the bathroom or anything to
do with the sound of running water.

I put the litterbox in an out of the way area of my apartment away from
the bathroom, and overnight he left a deposit in the bank. So, that's
how I figured out it isn't that he won't use the box, but simply the
location of the box.

I'm desperate for any advice anyone can give me about slowly
desensitizing him to the bathroom, and bathtub so I can get the
litterbox back in the bathroom where it should be.

I don't plan on (bathing) grooming him myself, he's got a groomer
appointment this weekend.

"VelvetVellocet" wrote :

I'm desperate for any advice anyone can give me about slowly
desensitizing him to the bathroom, and bathtub so I can get the
litterbox back in the bathroom where it should be.


Why is the bathroom the only place it can be? Take the easy road.
Put it behind a screen (like a fireplace screen) in your bedroom or
living room or wherever.

You will find that it never pays to get into a ****ing match with
a cat. They always win.

cybercat wrote:
"VelvetVellocet" wrote :

I'm desperate for any advice anyone can give me about slowly
desensitizing him to the bathroom, and bathtub so I can get the
litterbox back in the bathroom where it should be.


Why is the bathroom the only place it can be? Take the easy road.
Put it behind a screen (like a fireplace screen) in your bedroom or
living room or wherever.

You will find that it never pays to get into a ****ing match with
a cat. They always win.

If I don't take a dump in my bedroom why should my cat? None of my
previous cats ever pooed anywhere except in the bathroom, however, they
were never traumatized by the bathtub or bathroom either.

I love cats, however, I don't like the smell of cat crap wafting
through the air anymore than I like the scent of gaseous human
elimination wafting through the air, why isn't the bathroom the logical
place for a litterbox.

It's not my fault the previous owners terrorized him by bathing him in
the bathtub.

Your entire house probably smells like cat poo.

As far as winning any ****ing matches, that will always be me.

"VelvetVellocet" wrote in message
oups.com...
cybercat wrote:
"VelvetVellocet" wrote :

I'm desperate for any advice anyone can give me about slowly
desensitizing him to the bathroom, and bathtub so I can get the
litterbox back in the bathroom where it should be.


Why is the bathroom the only place it can be? Take the easy road.
Put it behind a screen (like a fireplace screen) in your bedroom or
living room or wherever.

You will find that it never pays to get into a ****ing match with
a cat. They always win.

If I don't take a dump in my bedroom why should my cat? None of my
previous cats ever pooed anywhere except in the bathroom, however, they
were never traumatized by the bathtub or bathroom either.

I love cats, however, I don't like the smell of cat crap wafting
through the air anymore than I like the scent of gaseous human
elimination wafting through the air, why isn't the bathroom the logical
place for a litterbox.

It's not my fault the previous owners terrorized him by bathing him in
the bathtub.

Your entire house probably smells like cat poo.


As far as winning any ****ing matches, that will always be me.


lol! Good luck with that.

VV,

I don't know how to desensitize him, it seems like that would be a lot
of stress on both of you.

You have to have that box wherever he will use it. If he holds it, and
I've been through this, they end up with nasty urinary infections that
are life-threatening in males. And the fun part is they then dribble
everywhere.

As for holding their poo, we now have a cat who just lost her colon. We
don't know if she started out holding it and then eventually could not
go, but that is one of the ways they get megacolon.

There are lots of decent litters out there and if you scoop and flush
enough, having a litter box somewhere other than the bathroom really
isn't a big deal.

If neither you or the cat will budge, it would be best to find him
another home. For him, it's a potential health crisis if he starts
holding it.

Hope you can work something out.

Rhonda

VelvetVellocet wrote:
I have an adopted 1 1/2 year old persian neutered male.

I brought him home just this past weekend and placed his litter box in
the bathroom next to the bathtub/shower stall and toilet (it's the only
location in my apartment for this litterbox).

He is adjusting slowly to his surroundings however, is very skittish
about sounds, loud sounds or cars rolling down the street

He had not used the litterbox for 4 days! Nothing wet or solid was in
that litterbox. So, last night I decided to see if the cat had a
problem with the location of the box.

I put him into the shower stall/bathtub and he lost his little mind and
went Ba-na-nas!! Apparently someone had given him baths in the bathtub
where he came from and was scarred from this experience, and now he's
terrified of the bathroom PERIOD. He hates the bathroom or anything to
do with the sound of running water.

I put the litterbox in an out of the way area of my apartment away from
the bathroom, and overnight he left a deposit in the bank. So, that's
how I figured out it isn't that he won't use the box, but simply the
location of the box.

I'm desperate for any advice anyone can give me about slowly
desensitizing him to the bathroom, and bathtub so I can get the
litterbox back in the bathroom where it should be.

I don't plan on (bathing) grooming him myself, he's got a groomer
appointment this weekend.

If I were in your shoes I would keep a second litter box in the bathroom just
so he knows it is there.

If you can pick up your cat you can start by just bringing her in the
bathroom and then out right away and then offer praise and maybe treats. When
that stops freaking him out, take him in and put him on the floor, let him
run out and more praise.
Then you can try to keep him in there longer with more praise and treats. Go
slowly over many weeks. If you go to fast you can do more harm then good.

If you need to bath him try the kitchen sink. Atleast he'll stay off the
counters after that.

Good luck
Brian

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"VelvetVellocet" wrote in message
As far as winning any ****ing matches, that will always be me.


last words spoke before a surprise is left on your pillow

ROFLMAO we shall see I will always lay odds on the cat

You could always try feliway dispensers to calm the furball it is used for
anxiety

Matthew wrote:
"VelvetVellocet" wrote in message
As far as winning any ****ing matches, that will always be me.


last words spoke before a surprise is left on your pillow

ROFLMAO we shall see I will always lay odds on the cat


Yep.

My coworker was telling me a few days ago that he didn't think his cat
liked the new litter box. I told him how my cat peed on the bed when I
changed to a pellet litter. I didn't fight. I changed right back the
next day. He made it very clear he didn't like that litter.

My coworker assured me his cat would never do that. He told me today
that his cat peed on the bed. So, he took the cover off the new box.

Unless you want a cat peeing and pooping everywhere, it is best to
concede on litterbox issues. You gotta pick your battles to fight, and
arguing over the kitty litter is not a good idea when you are the one
stuck cleaning the mess, especially if your cat is smart enough to know
where it hurts you the most (your bed).

Look - it's not the cat's fault that he's afraid of the bathroom
either. He's reacting perfectly logically to the seto of experiences
that he's had and HE DOESN'T WANT TO GO IN THERE. You're the one who'd
not being logical. it doesn't matter what you would prefer -
he's afraid of the bathroom and there's nothing he can do about it.

Don't get into a power struggle over something he can't help and that
isn't his fault - just adjust. That's what living things do for each
other - pay attention to his each other needs. He needs to have the
litterbox somewhere other than the bathroom. Put it in a closet that
you leave open. Put it near the washing machine. Put it in the kitchen.
Put it in the living room behind a shelf or a another piece off
furniture. You can buy litterbox screens. Scoop it twice a day and use
an air freshener. or buy one of those fancy automatic litterboxes. But
listen to him and find a way to accomodate his needs.

wrote:
Look - it's not the cat's fault that he's afraid of the bathroom
either. He's reacting perfectly logically to the seto of experiences
that he's had and HE DOESN'T WANT TO GO IN THERE. You're the one who'd
not being logical. it doesn't matter what you would prefer -
he's afraid of the bathroom and there's nothing he can do about it.


When I got my current dog, she was terrified of linoleum floors,
doorways, and stairways. People thought I was babying the dog by
feeding her in the dining room, but they didn't see how horrible it was
for her to deal with linoleum. If you put her on it, even a step from
the rug, she would go stiff and tremble. There is no way she could
learn anything or deal with it. She simply couldn't cope with that
fear.

We fed her in the dining room on the rug, and we set up a new water
bowl there as well. people said she would get over it if we showed her
the food, but she would have starved to death if food meant crossing
the linoleum.

Why stress them so badly if we can solve it by moving the needed item
away from the fear? She did eventually master those things. After a
few months of carrying her in and out to do bathroom duty, she started
to relax, and we were
slowly able to work with her. But it took months, and a lot of
patience. Only after she had mastered going in and out across the
linoleum floro did we even attempt to bring her toward the kitchen. And
we used a small rug so that she had a safe place. I've had her 9 years,
and she does linoleum fine now. She still backs out of the kitchen
instead of turning and going forward. No idea why.

To deal with a fear like this, you have to have a lot of patience, and
you can't even begin to have the cat do something near the scary object
until you can successfully hold the cat near it with no reaction. With
Jenny, I could feel her muscles stiffen and her heart race EVERY time
we went near linoleum, a doorway, or stairway. It was terror for her.
If life for a dog didn't involve going outside multiple times a day or
up and down to my bedroom, I would not have even worked on this fear.
As it is, I just carried her for months because that was the only way
to get things done.

There is no requirement for a cat to use the litter box in the
bathroom. And kitty litter issues are the worst if you start up a
problem. I wouldn't even bother to put a box where a cat isn't happy
to go normally. They need a secure spot.

I keep my main litter box in my bedroom. Not near my bed, but out of
the way with a small privacy door in front in of it. I scoop it every
day, so it only smells bad if somebody is not feeling well, and then
the smell is a good sign that I need to pay attention.