Cat ****s on floor! Help!

"Harley" wrote in message
...

Have you tried punishment such as pulling its tail or twisting its ears?


I seriously hope you ignore this advice.

Here's my two cents:
First, is the shelter you got him from no-kill or a municipal type shelter
that would put him down? If it is no-kill, and you really don't feel up to
handling this type of behavior, then I would return him, explaining what the
problem is, and select another cat.* If it is a regular open admission
shelter, this is a death sentence for him. Please try to work with him on
this. You may want to try a Feliway diffuser in the bathroom he likes to
poop in. In fact, it might help to try them all over the house. Also, even
though you don't like the clay litter, if that's what he prefers, use it.
Are you using scented or unscented? From your description, it sounds like
scented, which most cats don't like. If you would like to switch to a more
environmentally friendly litter in the future, it is best to mix it in
gradually. Two others you might want to try are World's Best Cat Litter,
which is made from corn, and Swheat Scoop, a wheat litter. Both are closer
to the texture of clay clumping litter, so your cat may adapt to those more
readily. A lot of cats like to pee in one box and poop in another, so you
are probably stuck with two boxes. Good luck. Please keep us posted.

* I know I might catch hell for even suggesting that she return the cat to a
no-kill shelter. They are crowded too and if this cat comes back, that
usually means one has to wait to be admitted. However, speaking as a
shelter volunteer, I would want the cat back so a more experienced person in
cat behavior has him and is able to work with him on the problem, rather
than someone who may get frustrated and dump him at an open admission
shelter or outside.

--
-Kelly
kelly at farringtons dot net
Check out www.snittens.com

"Harley" wrote in message
...

Have you tried punishment such as pulling its tail or twisting its ears?


I seriously hope you ignore this advice.

Here's my two cents:
First, is the shelter you got him from no-kill or a municipal type shelter
that would put him down? If it is no-kill, and you really don't feel up to
handling this type of behavior, then I would return him, explaining what the
problem is, and select another cat.* If it is a regular open admission
shelter, this is a death sentence for him. Please try to work with him on
this. You may want to try a Feliway diffuser in the bathroom he likes to
poop in. In fact, it might help to try them all over the house. Also, even
though you don't like the clay litter, if that's what he prefers, use it.
Are you using scented or unscented? From your description, it sounds like
scented, which most cats don't like. If you would like to switch to a more
environmentally friendly litter in the future, it is best to mix it in
gradually. Two others you might want to try are World's Best Cat Litter,
which is made from corn, and Swheat Scoop, a wheat litter. Both are closer
to the texture of clay clumping litter, so your cat may adapt to those more
readily. A lot of cats like to pee in one box and poop in another, so you
are probably stuck with two boxes. Good luck. Please keep us posted.

* I know I might catch hell for even suggesting that she return the cat to a
no-kill shelter. They are crowded too and if this cat comes back, that
usually means one has to wait to be admitted. However, speaking as a
shelter volunteer, I would want the cat back so a more experienced person in
cat behavior has him and is able to work with him on the problem, rather
than someone who may get frustrated and dump him at an open admission
shelter or outside.

--
-Kelly
kelly at farringtons dot net
Check out www.snittens.com

Like Sherry said, returning the cat to the shelter would probably be a death
sentence.

If it's a no-kill shelter, as others have mentioned, I suppose I might take him
back. I would certainly try the other suggestions that people have made here
first and, if all else failed, I would consider making him an outdoor
kitty...if death is the alternative. While I certainly do not personally think
outdoors is a good place for cats to be--and one of my outdoor ferals was just
poisoned last week (we think but we don't know if it was intentional or
otherwise) so I understand firsthand the dangers of outdoor life--if you are in
a reasonably safe neighborhood, traffic-wise and people-wise, there is a chance
the cat could survive for several years as long as you care for him and provide
him food, shelter, vet care, and affection. It certainly is not ideal, please
understand, but there are times when it has to be attempted. My neighbor
across the street has 2 outdoor cats who he has had the whole 10 years we have
lived here. Yes, bad things definitely can happen but a kill shelter is also
bad and turning a cat in with this sort of problem and chancing someone
irresponsible getting him next time is far worse. He could wind up dumped or
abused, as Sherry said.

Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human." (Loren Eisely)

Like Sherry said, returning the cat to the shelter would probably be a death
sentence.

If it's a no-kill shelter, as others have mentioned, I suppose I might take him
back. I would certainly try the other suggestions that people have made here
first and, if all else failed, I would consider making him an outdoor
kitty...if death is the alternative. While I certainly do not personally think
outdoors is a good place for cats to be--and one of my outdoor ferals was just
poisoned last week (we think but we don't know if it was intentional or
otherwise) so I understand firsthand the dangers of outdoor life--if you are in
a reasonably safe neighborhood, traffic-wise and people-wise, there is a chance
the cat could survive for several years as long as you care for him and provide
him food, shelter, vet care, and affection. It certainly is not ideal, please
understand, but there are times when it has to be attempted. My neighbor
across the street has 2 outdoor cats who he has had the whole 10 years we have
lived here. Yes, bad things definitely can happen but a kill shelter is also
bad and turning a cat in with this sort of problem and chancing someone
irresponsible getting him next time is far worse. He could wind up dumped or
abused, as Sherry said.

Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human." (Loren Eisely)

Like Sherry said, returning the cat to the shelter would probably be a death
sentence.

If it's a no-kill shelter, as others have mentioned, I suppose I might take him
back. I would certainly try the other suggestions that people have made here
first and, if all else failed, I would consider making him an outdoor
kitty...if death is the alternative. While I certainly do not personally think
outdoors is a good place for cats to be--and one of my outdoor ferals was just
poisoned last week (we think but we don't know if it was intentional or
otherwise) so I understand firsthand the dangers of outdoor life--if you are in
a reasonably safe neighborhood, traffic-wise and people-wise, there is a chance
the cat could survive for several years as long as you care for him and provide
him food, shelter, vet care, and affection. It certainly is not ideal, please
understand, but there are times when it has to be attempted. My neighbor
across the street has 2 outdoor cats who he has had the whole 10 years we have
lived here. Yes, bad things definitely can happen but a kill shelter is also
bad and turning a cat in with this sort of problem and chancing someone
irresponsible getting him next time is far worse. He could wind up dumped or
abused, as Sherry said.

Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human." (Loren Eisely)

"Laura R." wrote in message
.. .
circa Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:24:10 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Harley ) said,
Have you tried punishment such as pulling its tail or twisting its ears?

Please tell me that you're just a troll and not really this ignorant.


No, I am not a troll, and no, I am not ignorant. I have raised cats for over
30 years and I have found twisting/pinching their ears to be a tried and
true method of teaching cats right from wrong. This method has never failed
me, no not once.

Once a cat associates pain with bad behavior they will stop misbehaving to
stop the pain from recurring. hth

"Laura R." wrote in message
.. .
circa Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:24:10 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Harley ) said,
Have you tried punishment such as pulling its tail or twisting its ears?

Please tell me that you're just a troll and not really this ignorant.


No, I am not a troll, and no, I am not ignorant. I have raised cats for over
30 years and I have found twisting/pinching their ears to be a tried and
true method of teaching cats right from wrong. This method has never failed
me, no not once.

Once a cat associates pain with bad behavior they will stop misbehaving to
stop the pain from recurring. hth

"Laura R." wrote in message
.. .
circa Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:24:10 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Harley ) said,
Have you tried punishment such as pulling its tail or twisting its ears?

Please tell me that you're just a troll and not really this ignorant.


No, I am not a troll, and no, I am not ignorant. I have raised cats for over
30 years and I have found twisting/pinching their ears to be a tried and
true method of teaching cats right from wrong. This method has never failed
me, no not once.

Once a cat associates pain with bad behavior they will stop misbehaving to
stop the pain from recurring. hth

"MadHatter" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:24:10 -0400, "Harley"
wrote:


"Dally" wrote in message
...
Male cat born 1/10/04 (so he's five months old now.) I got him about 6
weeks ago from a shelter. He had been an indoor cat and had lived with
his mother and siblings.

From the very first day he would go into one particular corner of our
downstairs powderroom and **** on the floor. With two exceptions, he
has **** on that same place every single day since.

He is our only cat. Our former cat (a female) never used that
bathroom.
The construction is new. It's an inside corner. He was not
constipated when we first got him - on the contrary, his first few
poops
on that floor were runny.

Here's what I've done to try to stop this.

I wiped everything down with the enzyme solution. (I do this every
time.)

He had a litterbox upstairs, but I put added a litter box in that room.
It doesn't fit in the corner he prefers, but it's about three feet
away. He pees in it, but still goes to his favorite corner to ****.

I bought a little litter box and put it in that corner. He **** in it
once but then started ****ting in front of it.

Figuring it was too little, I squeezed the big litter box into that
corner (it really doesn't fit there) and the cat went in there once but
then the next day went behind the toilet to **** as close to that
corner
(outside the box) as he could.

I blocked it with a waste basket. He ****s in front of the waste
basket.

[...]

Can anyone tell me something else to try?

Would I be a horrible person for returning this cat to the shelter? I
run a business from my home and the constant waifing of cat **** from
my
powder-room is making me sick.

Dally



Have you tried punishment such as pulling its tail or twisting its ears?


is that what they did to you during your childhood incontinence
problems?

-L

I see my cats as my children and this is what I believe:


Proverbs 13
24He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

"MadHatter" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:24:10 -0400, "Harley"
wrote:


"Dally" wrote in message
...
Male cat born 1/10/04 (so he's five months old now.) I got him about 6
weeks ago from a shelter. He had been an indoor cat and had lived with
his mother and siblings.

From the very first day he would go into one particular corner of our
downstairs powderroom and **** on the floor. With two exceptions, he
has **** on that same place every single day since.

He is our only cat. Our former cat (a female) never used that
bathroom.
The construction is new. It's an inside corner. He was not
constipated when we first got him - on the contrary, his first few
poops
on that floor were runny.

Here's what I've done to try to stop this.

I wiped everything down with the enzyme solution. (I do this every
time.)

He had a litterbox upstairs, but I put added a litter box in that room.
It doesn't fit in the corner he prefers, but it's about three feet
away. He pees in it, but still goes to his favorite corner to ****.

I bought a little litter box and put it in that corner. He **** in it
once but then started ****ting in front of it.

Figuring it was too little, I squeezed the big litter box into that
corner (it really doesn't fit there) and the cat went in there once but
then the next day went behind the toilet to **** as close to that
corner
(outside the box) as he could.

I blocked it with a waste basket. He ****s in front of the waste
basket.

[...]

Can anyone tell me something else to try?

Would I be a horrible person for returning this cat to the shelter? I
run a business from my home and the constant waifing of cat **** from
my
powder-room is making me sick.

Dally



Have you tried punishment such as pulling its tail or twisting its ears?


is that what they did to you during your childhood incontinence
problems?

-L

I see my cats as my children and this is what I believe:


Proverbs 13
24He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.