My sister's friend moved about ten years ago and gave my sister her cat. At first the cat was a joy but now it is a problem. It is about 13 years old and is ornery, possessive, greedy and unfriendly. If my sister leaves for an extended period of time (2 days) the cat poops all over her bed (or wherever she can) and trashes the house. My sister has a new niece that she wants to spend time with and so wants to be free to leave her home for extended periods of time. My sister has considered euthanizing the cat. What does one do in a situation like this?
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Posted 1 year ago #
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does she just leave the cat alone for two days? and go?
Posted 1 year ago # -
It sounds to me like your sister's cat could be lonely and seeking attention. If she hasn't had problems in the past, maybe the cat is due for a check-up at the vet given his/her age. Behavior changes are common in older cats. I had a cat who lived to 19 and there were times when he had trouble using his box. He had diabetes and we gave him an insulin shot twice a day for the last 3 years of his life. Knowing that he was sick & old helped me deal mentally with some of his "issues". Please consider giving the cat to someone who will love him/her or taking the cat to a local shelter. Older cats do get adopted there. Another idea is to take the cat to the vet and have him boarded whenever she is away. Of course, this could cause additional stress to the kitty too. Maybe if she has someone come into the house and take care of the cat in her absence, that would help with some of the behaviors. Good luck.
Posted 1 year ago # -
yeah, cats will go crazy if you leave them alone.
we have six cats and if we go anywhere for any length of time over 12 hours....the house sitters are called in.
cats don't like to be moved and i would only consider a cattery for mine in an extreme dire emergency situation.
your sister's cat sounds bored and lonely and seeking attention.
and yes, he needs a vet check too.Posted 1 year ago # -
Euthanize it. A cat that's defecating anywhere it pleases is not worth the trouble.
Posted 1 year ago # -
To answer the questions posed. Yes, she leaves it alone for 2 days. She puts out food and water for that time. This became a problem for the cat about 5 years ago. Before then, the cat wouldn't mess anything up. I think it has been awhile since the cat went to the vet, like a few years.
I will definitely tell my sister the option of sending it to a shelter to be adopted out. I think she is leaning toward euthanizing it because she did not know that older cats would be adopted out. She is a very sensitive sort so my parents and I worry that she will regret euthanizing it. But she has given herself a deadline of Christmas because she really is becoming miserable dealing with the cat.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Try to get her to put an ad on Craigslist and in the newspaper and try to find a home for it. It will almost certainly be killed at a shelter. HUGE numbers of cats are killed in shelters.
Just ensure that it's not going to a home where it will be used to bait fighting dogs. Ask to see i.d., for example. Ask if they have other pets -- if they do, find out who their vet is and CALL them to verify -- get the buyer to call the vet for permission, if necessary.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Rozzie, we considered doing this but we thought writing an add that a 13 year old grumpy, greedy cat needed a new home wouldn't yield much interest. My sister feels bad not fully disclosing the cat's bad manners. Are there really people that love cats so much that would be willing to take a cat like this?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Good Heavens, don't euthanize the poor cat. When we get pets we are responsible for them and it sounds like your cat is acting out for a reason. Take him/her to a vet! There may be a medical problem. Yes, people will take a 13 year old cat.
Jude2004, you're an ass.
Posted 1 year ago # -
jude2004....uncool.
let's hope you don't ever wind up incontinent, with equally compassionate folks looking out for you.Posted 1 year ago # -
Maybe it is just me but it really sounds like your sister is not the best cat owner. Her cat is acting out for a reason and has been continually acting out for 5 years trying to get your sister's attention. My cat, who is 16, is very shy and most people would not consider her social (many think she is unfriendly). However my husband & I are her family and when we go away for a weekend we know she is going to act out since she is all alone. No one is there to cuddle her, talk to her, sleep with her, and fulfill her social needs; she is left all alone with no explanation. I would be angry as well! We do our best to make her more comfortable leaving out clothing for her to lay on, leaving music on, turning up the heat or leaving the AC on. Your sister either needs to develop a new routine and rapport with her cat or start looking for a new home for the cat, euthanizing the cat is not the only option. Personally, I think her sister coming to the conclusion of killing her pet before exhausting all other options simply because she wants more free time is selfish, cold, and brutal.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'm sorry for calling Jude2004 an ugly name. Bandicoot said it much better.
It just makes me so mad for animals to be mistreated.Posted 1 year ago # -
This past weekend we interviewed a new housesitter. We were very pleased when both our cats showed up to be admired. One usually hides from anyone who visits for at least a half hour. They will do fine alone for about 18 hours - so longer than overnight after a long event is about the limit. We have euthanized only one animal who was very Ill. It about did us in. Please urge your sister to try to find another solution.
Posted 1 year ago # -
First, any cat no matter what age should not be left alone for 2 days. When ever we leave for more then a day (that means we come back in the evening of the same day, not the next day) we have a catsitter come round. So first let her try that. This especially applies if the cat cannot go outside and is locked inside the house. Also, if her cat is a single cat it will need company even more then if she had several cats. In my home country it is bascially forbidden now to have a single cat (unless it can go outside) as they are social animals and need to be around other cats. If there are no other cats they will depend even more on the company of humans.
Yes, older cats (just like humans) can have health problems and/or change of personality. Is this a reason to put the cat to sleep? NO! If the cat is not suffering then I don't see any reason for this. Your sister has had the cat for a long time and is responsible for it. I can't understand (in general) how people can care for an animal this long and at the first sign of any trouble just have it killed.
I would also suggest that she take it to the vet as the cat might have some health problems.
That the cat poops outside of the litterbox is a clear sign of it not being happy with the situation. Our old cat (who lived to be 18) used to poop in the bathtub to show us he's not happy. Remember, this is their way of communicating with you.
Also - i have to say that pets are living, feeling animals - not clutter. A pet is not the same thing as those knick-knacks you don't need or the too many clothes you own. When you take a pet into your home you are responsible for it's well being.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I have an old cat too, who is the most annoying thing ever. She sheds constantly, throws up on the furniture and rug (but never the easily cleaned tile), has stinky breath and wakes me up at 4 am yowling for breakfast (she's part Siamese). But I would never put her to sleep, just like I would never suggest that my grandfather put my grandmother (who is in very bad health and suffering from Alzheimers) to sleep either. True, she was a lot cuter and nicer to be around when she was younger, but then again, so was I.
That your sister has had this cat for ten years and is thinking of putting it to sleep because it inconveniences her hardly speaks well upon her character.
Posted 1 year ago # -
To her sister's credit, she didn't go out and buy this cat -- she took it in when someone else couldn't keep it. And many people think that cats are relatively inexpensive and easy to care for, so they don't think about needing to pay for cat sitters and medication and all the complications of an older, needy pet. Ideally, every pet owner would be prepared for a significant, 18+ year responsibility, but unfortunately not everyone is.
My pets are part of my family and I would do everything in my power to take care of them. I've stayed up all night with an injured cat, and I've discovered the expensive way that there is such thing as a canine ophthalmologist. But I realize that not everyone feels that way about their pets. Some people are very kind and responsible towards other people, but to them a cat is just a cat. I don't think we can assume that someone who is willing to euthanize a pet would do the same to their grandfather!
tmichelle, there is good advice here. I agree that the very least your sister owes her cat is a trip to the vet for a check-up and some advice.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Tell your sister to close the bedroom door to keep the cat off the bed.
I have an old cat, too. I dread the day when she dies. She's old & cranky, too, but she's also very good company. She came to me from a friend who was moving overseas a few years ago. She used to have a name but I forgot what it was so I renamed her "Here, Kitty, Kitty" (HKK for short) because she always comes when I call her that.
Please don't let your sister kill her cat. There are lots of lonely people who would appreciate her company.
Posted 1 year ago # -
No advice from me, just chiming in to say that I'm sorry that your sister considers her cat clutter - especially your sentence "first the cat was a joy but now it is a problem" makes me a little uncomfortable, because it is easy to throw away a pen that doesn't work any more, but it is not that easy to throw away a pet that stopped being cute... As many have already said, when we let a pet into our lives (or any other thing for that matter, be it alive or not), we are responsible for it. Here is another forum discussion on this topic: Can a pet be clutter in your life? The OP took a dog in that had since become a burden to her - very good advice in there.
I think the bottom line is: Your sister needs to find a solution that fits both sides well - hers AND the cat's. :o)
Posted 1 year ago # -
I agree with everyone saying this kitty is due a visit to the vet. Also, is his litter box being cleaned regularly? Has the type of litter used been changed? Cats are sensitive to these sorts of things. We had a cat with similar behavior and discovered he was diabetic. Poor baby. Please let us know what the vet says.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I second everything Nina said.
If your sister is not able (or willing) to provide the appropriate level of care for this cat, then please make every effort to find her a good, loving home. Euthanizing a pet when caring for it stops being convenient is a horrendous thing to do.
Posted 1 year ago #
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