Mom's elderly cat refuses to use litter box

[travelingtypist]

This girl Mina is 15. All of a sudden she's refusing to use the litter box. Pees on the bed, defacates in the chair. It's a hunt to find the gifts she's leaving and frankly Mom has about had it. I can't take her because of my boy Peanut and she's definitely a one-cat-per-household cat.

Any solutions for the litter box malfunction? I'm afraid if we can't find a solution to this, we'll have to put Mina to sleep and that would break my heart. (She was my cat for the first 11 years of her life.)


Mina


Peanut

[alstephenson]

1. Sounds like a trip to the vet is in order.

To rule out any obvious physical problems. Perhaps its time to confine kitty in a smaller area so everything she needs is close - food, bed, litter box. My 15 year old sometimes "misses" the box, my 6 year old is the one that leaves "gifts" here and there! But that's a whole other story...

I hope your Mom doesn't have to put Mina down. Older pets sometimes take more patience (just like older people). Let us know the outcome and good luck.

[travelingtypist]

2. It was about the same time Mom took her to the vet that she started this.

Could she be still pissed off about that? All he said was wrong with her was "she's old."

I was thinking about maybe starting with a litter box with shorter sides and getting some of that stuff that eats uric acid to get the piss smell out of everything.

My mom is dealing with her own set of "older people" issues with fibromyalgia and panic attacks. If we can get this behavior things fixed they'll be fine.

Thanks.

[Why Syzygy]

3. Does she use the box at all?

What kind of litter is being used?

[travelingtypist]

4. Nope, not using the box all.

Litter is the sandy clumping kind, Special Kitty generic we've been using
for about six years.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

5. If it's "all of a sudden" your cat may have a physical ailment and needs to see the vet.

If the vet can't find a physical problem then:

Buy Cat Attract Litter. it has 100 % guarantee, and I swear by it.

Or: Do you think that it is possible that your mother is not cleaning the cat box as much as she thinks she is? ( I hope I phrased that diplomatically. Perhaps she's letting it slide and the cat is protesting)

[travelingtypist]

6. Well, she went to the vet yesterday.

The vet pronounced her healthy and said she was a mental patient.

Cat Attract Litter, huh? I didn't see that at Petco yesterday. Where do you find it?

[emilyg]

7. PetSmart carries it.

[travelingtypist]

8. Thank you.

I will give that a try. For right now, mom has moved the little box to her
favorite alternate bathroom site. We're going to outsmart this little bitch
of a cat if it kills us.

Bitch is not a pejorative in our family. We consider it a high compliment.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. One thing that might work (it worked on my old cat, Charles)

is to put the kitty, her litter box, her bed and her food all in one small room, like a bathroom, and keep her there for at least a week (with frequent visits, of course). The theory is that cats don't like to make a mess near their food, so, being all cooped up in a small area with no place else to poop, they will remember to use the litter box to keep their food clean. The vet recommended this process when Charles started "forgetting," for reasons best known to him, to use his box. And it worked, although he howled like the proverbial banshee at first. Afterwards, though, he never went outside the box again, and he lived to be 21.

[travelingtypist]

10. I wish we could do this. It sounds like a great trick.

Unfortunately mom lives in a 5th wheel trailer, which is 12 ft by 34 ft.
The bathroom is 3-by-3 and the hallway only has one door. The bedroom
is only curtained off and Mina can slip under that when closed and do her
business on the bed if she chooses.

I'm going to try, I found some "professional" pet odor remover. I'm going
to use that on all of the spots and then put Greenies around in all of the
inappropriate places. We'll see how that grabs her.

Dang mental patients.

[ginnyinWI]

11. maybe Kitty has stiff arthritic legs?

Could it be hurting her to climb into the box? The way to test it would be to find something with low sides, like a plastic tray maybe, and test it out.

Or maybe she has taken a sudden dislike of her litter. Switching brands might fix it. Or she might be scared by something near it like a loud washer or furnace?

[travelingtypist]

12. We took the lip off of the litter pan so that it's not quite so tall.

We give her glucosamine/chondroitin when she seems to be walking gimpy like her hips are hurting her.

We're hoping that blocking her off from the inappropriate places -- stacking boxes on her favorite new bathroom chair and so forth -- well hekp. It's a process of elimination at this point.

[Why Syzygy]

13. I'm really glad

you all are working with her. That Cat Attract litter sounds like a good option too. Is Mina strictly an indoor cat? Everything was so much easier when mine could go outside. He only used the box if it was raining.

I looked around at eHow.com for some solutions. Most don't seem to apply in your situation. The mental issues are referred to professionals! I have been moving Boogie's box around a lot lately. He hasn't had any problem with it, for which it appears I should be grateful. I did change from the silica litter to Feline Pine. It's a good product, but so messy! I changed because the Shih Tzu puppy likes to dig around in it. I find the little 'treasures' she has pulled out on the floor. I found she had buried one of her cookies in the pine! Most recently, I put the box up on a storage bin, covered with a towel in an attempt to reduce the awful tracking. Woke this morning to find it turned upside down on the floor. The puppy. That site, eHow, did give advice which has enabled me to stop her biting, though. Maybe I should go see if they have any advice for keeping her out of my kitty box!

Good luck to Mina! (cute name)

[travelingtypist]

14. That's not a bad idea, getting a referral from the vet for a cat psychologist

Mina is an inside cat now. She was an inside/outside when she lived with me before I moved in with Mom so we could travel in her 5th wheel -- hence my nickname. When I moved out, Mina decided she liked living with Mom better than living with me, so I left her where she was happy. She still hates me for that.

I got her name out of my favorite Anne Rice book, Queen of the Damned.

Good luck with the puppy. Puppies grow out of being puppies, thank God.

:hi:

[travelingtypist]

15. Looks like white old lady and gray pretty boy are going to be roommates.

Putting mina's food in her inappropriate elimation places did not do the trick. I get a call from mom this morning yelling and screaming that I must come and get the cat, she can not handle it any more.

A side bit of snark -- I moved in with mom about four years ago so she and I could travel around the country. Mina was pissed off at me because I took Mina away from the only home she'd ever known, a quiet urban street with lots of trees and stuff for Mina to do and put her in the 35-foot trailer. And my mom never let me forget that Mina liked mom better than she liked me. Now I get my beautiful white cat back. :ppbbtt:

I have a 5-by-5 bathroom area that is big enough for the old lady and a new litter box with the attract a cat litter. I hope that does the trick. Otherwise she gets to live in the bathroom for the rest of her life, poor thing.

[Why Syzygy]

16. Well, cat soiling

in a 35 ft trailer has got to be an endurance test. I did read on eHow to use an enzyme cleaner. Hope your mom recovers.
And Mina! And Peanut! Good vibes to you too for taking on the problem elder. :hug:

ps. I've decided to go back to the silica litter. The pine isn't doing a good job of odor control, there are four times as many scoops because silica absorbs liquids and doesn't have to be scooped out. And it is an ungawdly MESS! I'm not digging saw dust all over my rug, bed, dresser, floor, socks ...

[travelingtypist]

17. I liked the silica, but mom said it's hard on Mina's paws.

I'm back with Scoop Away until I can get to PetSmart.

Well, so far so good. Mina is in the bathroom, has a small litter pan, the perpetual water and
food dishes, and one of those cube beds that totally encloses her. I had to dump her out of the
travel box and show it to her, but once I did that, she went in and stayed.

So the easy part is done. I have no idea what to do when white gets a good look at gray. I know
what will happen, though. He will want to be her bestest best friend in the whole wide world and
do his best to be completely adorable, and she will hiss and spit and tell him to fuck off.

I'm happy to have my girl back, though.

[travelingtypist]

18. Well, guess who used her litter box?

Half the dump ended up outside of the box, but there was a clump of crap covered by cat litter.

I'm not declaring victory yet, but this is such a good sign!

[alstephenson]

19. Oh, hurray!

I'm so glad you took the old girl in. Good luck!

[travelingtypist]

20. Thank you.

It really was the last thing I wanted to do, but when it became apparent that Mina could no longer stay at Mom's and the alternative of putting her to sleep was too ghastly to contemplate, well, here we are. She comes out of her cube when I'm not in the room and immediately retreats to her safe spot when I open the bathroom door, but we'll work on that as we go.

[Hawkowl]

45. I think she is crazy like a fox

Obviously she missed you and concocted this "I'm so crazy I won't pee in my box, so I must go home to Mommy" scheme. It looks like it worked! I sympathize though, my Mr. Kitty is an expert practitioner of tactical peeing. He will periodically express his displeasure with whatever by peeing right in front of me (twice he peed directly on me while I was trying to sleep!)

[travelingtypist]

21. Day two update --

Peanut all of a sudden has become a lap cat again, must sit with me while I'm working, making it very hard for me to work the foot control for my audio. He hasn't wanted this in ages. He puts my legs to sleep and then cries when I put him down.

Mina is still locked in the bathroom. For the first day, she would not look up or make eye contact with me. Today she is looking at me. When I went in to sit with her this afternoon, she was kind of stretched out and she did that paw thing where they just kind of stretch the one paw out. It was a very content-looking gesture.

She is using the litter box. When she uses the box, she dumps half of the litter in it onto the pad I bought to control tracking. I think she's making a statement. "Yes, I know what a litter box is. Yes, I know how to use it."

When I'm leaving her now, her eyes are following me out the door. I don't think it will be very much longer before she decides she is safe enough to want to explore the apartment. I'm so dreading the first face-to-face interaction between gray and white.

[travelingtypist]

22. Day four update --

After spending the first three days firmly inside of her cube bed, she would be on the little carpet in front of the toilet when I opened the door and then race into her cube, this morning when I went to the bathroom, she made the rub-rub circle around my legs twice as I was sitting there, then went into the cube. This is the first time she's consented to be in the space with me other than me feeding her.

Then later when I went to feed her and check on her litter pan, which I have had to clean, I stood on the steps outside the bathroom talking to her, and she came toward me and actually stuck her head outside of the door and sniffed around. She stayed for a couple of minutes, but then went back to the cube. Gray boy was outside at the time.

Progress!!!

[travelingtypist]

23. Day six update --

Well, finally, Mina did more than poke her head out of the bathroom. She ventured into the living room, saw Peanut asleep in the den by my desk, scampered back into the bathroom. But she didn't growl or hiss and she purred at me when I went to check on her. So right now Peanut is outside, so I've left the bathroom door opoen to see if she'll come and check on me.

Cats!

[ginnyinWI]

24. good for Mina!

She'll come around eventually. I moved two cats into our house added to the one cat we had year ago, and they spent the summer upstairs, including having a litter box in the upstairs hallway! I started out feeding them upstairs but eventually got them to the foot of the stairs and finally into the kitchen for their meals. They eventually decided that the "monster" cat they imagined living on the main floor was really only an ordinary matronly calico, and in fact one of the two new ones is now the Alpha kitty. Funny what a difference one year makes.

As a rule of thumb I'd say four months to complete normalcy.

[travelingtypist]

25. Four months, huh?

Okay. I think we can do that.

I'm being extra careful, letting them take things at their own pace, a little each day. They smell each other on me. I always make sure when I pet her, I pet him, and vice versa, so they're getting to know each other that way. And every day, she's giving me more of her time outside the cube not related to food.

Peanut is such a beautiful kitty, so sweet and loving. I'm sure he'd be a great little brother to her. Even though he's twice her size, he's half her age and he's completely willing to be bossed around.

My problem -- and what a great problem -- is going to be I only have one hip to sleep on during the winter and they're both used to having it.

[ginnyinWI]

26. you're doing it the right way--

nice and easy, little by little. If you had a way for them to see each other with a barrier in between, that would probably be the next step.

[travelingtypist]

27. Maybe a baby gate?

She used to be able to jump the baby gate I had in the front doorway at the old house, but she was a young thing then. There are steps leaning up to the bathroom, so he wouldn't really be able to judge the jump into the bathroom. He could do it if he put his mind to it, though.

That's an excellent idea. I'll do that.

[ginnyinWI]

28. and if possible,

maybe even trick them by hanging a towel or something over the rest of the doorway. Then each kitty feels safe on their own side. It might not be that crucial--just an idea.

[travelingtypist]

29. Yeah, I have these enormous bath sheets I use.

I like it when a towel wraps all the way around my body more than once, absolutely hate hotel towels kind of thing that leave the opening, you know? One of the bath sheets should go almost to the floor, enough for an eye-level view just for them.

I was wondering how I was going to let them see each other. The articles have suggested a two-inch opening, but I can't close the door like that from the inside and not get out again myself. It was a head scratcher.

Just another excellent idea.

:yourock:

[travelingtypist]

30. Setback --

I didn't close the bathroom door tight enough and she came out exploring. I wake up the cat scream shrieking from hell, I chase her back into the bathroom, he's looking at me like what the fuck was that?

SHIT!

[travelingtypist]

31. Update -- no reaction

So she's been in the bathroom this whole time. When he's inside, I close the door, when he's out I open the door. She still stays in the bathroom, although every once in a while I catch her sitting in the bathroom doorway scoping the scene.

When I let him in this afternoon, I was holding him and her door was open. She was out of her cube and laying on the little carpet that's in front of the commode. She was looking right at me. He was in my arms looking right at her.

Neither one reacted to the other. She didn't hiss and growl, he didn't cower.

Does this have any meaning? Or am I delusional for hoping this is progress?

[Why Syzygy]

32. Sounds like progress.

When I moved into our current location in January '09, my cat had never been around other people, except for a very meek and quiet roommate for a year, and a house full of turmoil for one month last summer. There were two (senior) dogs here, and a new person. Boogie stayed in my room for a couple of months. When I tried to carry him out, he ran back in. Finally I started taking him out after everyone else had gone to bed. Showed him around. So then he would venture out during those times. Slowly he started going out more; at first hiding behind the sofa. He found there was a BIG window in there. Now, he's just one of the family. He goes outside with the dogs; plays with the newest one; one of the older dogs exchanges sniffs sometimes. Just no big deal. They adapt.

[travelingtypist]

33. I guess she feels safe.

But I don't understand why she's not bored out of her mind.

I understand it has to be her idea. Given our history, the most I'm hoping for is an uneventful armistice. But now that summer is over and it will start raining here in Oregon, Gray Boy will want to be inside more, so I'm running out of time.

I'm glad your boy adapted, and to even more eventful surroundings than my old girl.

[Why Syzygy]

34. They may end up being best of friends.

I worried about the boredom too, those two months. He was used to being an outdoors cat. Just give her enough space and freedom to retreat when she wants to.

[travelingtypist]

35. I hope you're right.

When she and I lived on the quiet urban street, the boy cats would always try to be her friend and she'd end up yelling and screaming at them. They'd end up trying to beat her up because she rejected them.

Peanut is passive. He ignores her. It adds to her sense of safety I think.

I love them both to pieces. He's such a sweet boy. He's so willing to be bossed around.

[Why Syzygy]

36. Well she is sure to love that!

Let us know...

[travelingtypist]

37. Took matters into my own hands.

Leaving her door open while he goes in and out.

Tonight he expressed curiousity of this open bathroom space, so I shooed him in. All she did was growl a little bit. So then I picked him up, sat down on the commode with him in my lap, and let them see each other. He didn't react, she didn't react. So I put him on the floor in front of her cube. They were less than a foot from each other. There was a little slapping and she continued to growl, but they existed in each other's presence that close for several minutes.

He's such a sweet boy. I let him go and put him outside when he was ready. She purred later when I petted her.

We're a family, us three. I can't believe how individual they are and how much I want them to be friends.

Yikes.

[spooky3]

38. this is great news - my advice: don't rush them

sounds as if she really likes being with you!

[travelingtypist]

39. That's good advice.

I haven't done anything else except leave her door open when he's in. So far no more screaming fits, and there seems to be more curiosity from both cats. I'm impatient, but I'm trying not to be stupid. And yeah, she loves me. I got her in August of 1994 when she was about six months old. That imprint is forever.

[travelingtypist]

40. Happy happy happy.

Peanut was outside this morning, I'm finishing off a long day/night of work in the den. I look down to my right and who is sitting at my feet but little white cat. She came out of the bathroom all on her own and spent some time with me.

:bounce::wow::bounce::wow::bounce:

[travelingtypist]

41. Update --

Old kitty, Ghost, has finally moved out of the bathroom into my den where I work. She only hisses at Peanut a couple of times a day.

Last night was the first time I've woken up and I'm in a kitteh sandwich. I sleep on the couch on my side. Peanut was on my hip and Ghost was nestled firmly in the crook of my arm on the couch in front of me. They've decided that they're willing to share couch time with me, at least for the winter.

:wow:

[Lisa0825]

42. Awww, great news :-) nt

[japple]

43. It's always so nice to read these updates. Being a kitteh sandwich

myself most nights, I'm happy to hear that your cats have worked it out.

[roody]

44. My old kitty does not use the litter box well.

Even if he is in it, his excretions fall outside of the box. He prefers to poop and pee on a towel beside the box and then leave the towel in a bunch. It works out okay. I just leave him a clean towel every night.

[travelingtypist]

46. Sad potential update.

Mina has been noticeably losing weight, enough to concern me. I took her to the vet today. Three possible diagnoses -- thyroid, diabetes, or kidney failure. Mina was dehydrated and lethargic, but she was a little champ through the exam and the blood work.

Taken about a year ago.


This is her when she was a baby.


They said they would have the results for me tomorrow. I'm preparing myself for the worst. She's been so wonderful lately. It's almost like we were both treasuring each other, knowing it was almost time for me to let her go.

[Withywindle]

47. Thyroid and diabetes are both treatable in cats, just like they are in people.

Kidney failure usually is not good news, but it also can be managed to give her better quality of life.

Don't give up yet. I've really enjoyed reading this whole story and I'm rooting for all of you. :hug:

[travelingtypist]

48. It's been a fun ride and a kind of fun story to tell.

I'm afraid to hope that this is all manageable without breaking the bank and without diminishing her quality of life. Those will be the words I'll be listening for when they call me tomorrow, her quality of life.

There goes my German class...

[Withywindle]

49. I had a diabetic cat.

He was a cantankerous bastard. I never thought he'd tolerate the insulin shots. But he did! And it wasn't even that expensive; the vet prescribed human-grade Lantus, but the dosage for cats is so small that one vial could last a year.

You never know. Wait and see.

[travelingtypist]

50. Aye aye, sir.

:salute:

You are, of course, right. I'm just scared.

Thank you.

[Withywindle]

51. Ma'am, actually. Or Miss, or Baby Girl, or Bitch.

I'm all woman. But that's not the issue. The issue is your furbabies. I know that care for the elderly kitties is expensive and difficult...

The oldest cat I ever knew lived to 24. She was incontinent and had painful joints and, er, thought "outside the box" all the time. But how many humans are like that in very old age? Lots.

[travelingtypist]

52. Oops. That was kinda dumb. Apologies.

:blush:

It's weird. I let her outside tonight when we got home from the vet. She ventured farther away from the apartment than she has in a long time. I'm afraid to let her out of my sight when she's out there because it just feels like she wants to leave me. I've heard of dogs doing that, but cats? (I live out in the country, so I'd never find her.)

Anyway, thanks for talking to me. I'm going to be a basket case until they call tomorrow.

[travelingtypist]

53. She has liver cancer.

How much palliative care versus letting her go while she still feels relatively good. And all I can do is cry.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

54. I'm very sorry to hear that.

I lost my cat Alice to liver cancer about 10 years ago. About all you can do is keep her comfortable as long as you can, and try to think of the good life she had with you. :hug:

[emilyg]

55. I am so very sorry. Don't let her

suffer pain.

[travelingtypist]

56. Yeah, I don't want her to suffer at all.

She felt good enough to fight me and growl when I tried to give her the steroids and antibiotics the vet prescribed for her, so that gave me a little bit of solace.

[travelingtypist]

57. I was going to let her go today.

When I gave her her meds last night, she seemed to puke them up with what looked like bile. I thought okay, that's it, we're done, I can't take your suffering anymore.

I had to finish work, built the cardboard pet carrier, took a shower, put my sweatshirt in to make her feel comfortable. And then what did the little girl do? She gave me real face time for the first time in weeks. Then she moved out of her bed a few feet, movement, something else she hasn't done in days. Now she's sleeping with her face in the food bowl, something she hasn't expressed interest in also in days and days.

I was ready to let her go, thinking she's so miserable she doesn't want to be with me anymore. Now she's flipping her tail at me saying wait a minute, who the hell do you think you are?

I love this girl. She's the best.

[travelingtypist]

58. She died today.

:cry:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

59. I'm sorry. R.I.P., Mina.

:hug:

[ceile]

60. Very sorry.....

[travelingtypist]

61. I have her ashes.

They gave me a clay paw imprint. I feel like an idiot paying $150 for the private cremation, but I'm glad I have her. And I found a video we took of her when I first moved in with mom. It's Quicktime and I have to figure out how to convert it and then upload it to YouTube, but when I do, I want you guys to see her. She was a happy girl.