<p>Great to hear. Go Iggy!</p>
<p>Iām thinking about giving my new female kitty a middle name - Twiggy. She is very petite and so skinny, and she sashays around the house like a supermodel. 
Her brotherās middle name should be Pig or Bottomless Pit - he polishes off his kibble and then proceeds to eat everyone elseās food!</p>
<p>I love cats. I love dogs. Iāve grown to love rabbits since D has brought them into our lives. I volunteer at the animal shelter. I say this because I am now in a upsetting and heart wrenching situation. Thought Iād give it one last chance and post here. Maybe some cat savvy people have insights.</p>
<p>Back in November I brought home two rescue kitties. They enjoyed each other (they werenāt litter mates), thrived, and seemed to be adjusting nicely. We have two old dogs. One has mothered every creature either I or the kids have brought into the home. Within weeks the kittens were cuddling with this doggie. The other dog is a bit more crotchety but the kitties soon discovered sheās all bark with no bite and just give doggie a bit more of a wide berth. </p>
<p>The new kitties were confined to the house for a period of time but eventually discovered the dog door and became happy indoor/outdoor kitties. They stay(ed) in the back yard area. So, all seemed to be going well. They slept on our bed part of the night and then moved to their cat towers or elsewhere in the house.</p>
<p>One day orange kitty jumped on our bed and peed. He still used the litter box or the outdoors but would make it a point to jump on the bed, pee and then leave. To make a long story short, it became a several month long ordeal to break this habit. It involved installing a screen to the bedroom. Locking kitty into a room at night, and eventually giving him Prozac. Frankly, the whole household revolved around managing this catās behavior. </p>
<p>Finally, it seemed weād solved the problem. Everything was going just fine for about 4 months. Heās not the most affectionate cat but he is integrated into the household. Then 5 days ago he peed on the bed. Heād been sleeping on the bed and when H got up he simply peed on the vacant spot. </p>
<p>I went down the mental list of what could have set him off again and there are several possibilities. Most likely a semi feral cat has once again been hanging around the property. Iāve put him back on Prozac but he hates, hates, hates being pilled. (will not take the meds hidden in food, just simply wonāt eat it). This morning when I went to pill him he hissed at me. </p>
<p>Iāve never returned a pet. Iāve worked through dog issues and other cat issues. When H and I combined households 25 years ago we integrated 4 cats under one roof. There were some initial problems but it eventually work it self out. But, frankly I am at my wits end. H and I are sleeping under an old comforter which Iāve covered with water proof picnic blankets in order to avoid having to wash a down comforter. This morning I awoke to another puddle of pee. Orange kitty must have sneaked in during the brief moment H opened the screen door. The other kitty, who is very well behaved, is now locked out of our bedroom and being āpunishedā for peeing kitties behavior. It is no longer fair to the family or the other pets and I think Iām going to have to make the call and tell the rescue group I need to give him back. </p>
<p>Any ideasā¦??</p>
<p>^^^ Have you tried pill pockets? My cats like them. I generally have to give a pill pocket to each cat; only one cat gets the one with the pill tucked inside it.</p>
<p>I have no idea about the peeing problem. We briefly had a problem with a cat pooping by one wall in the kitchen - not often, only on occasion. I cleaned up and then wiped the floor area with white vinegar over a period of days. The cat quit; whether the white vinegar helped solve the problem, I have no idea.</p>
<p>Unless thereās an infection, peeing is territorial and that suggests a fear of going somewhere. Do the dogs have access to the litter box? Dogs are known to gulp down cat poop and some hang out near the litter box. Are there 2 litter boxes or one? Weāve found that cats sometimes want a space thatās more theirs.</p>
<p>Dietz, that is a tough problem and I feel your frustration. We had a cat who ruined two carpets and insisted on peeing in particular places outside the litter box. I agree with Lergnom that peeing is generally territorial and suggests insecurity. Unfortunately that doesnāt always make it easier to find the solution. If anyone can, I think itās you because youāve already done it once successfully. (I never was able to get our miscreant to stop.) Lergnomās questions are good starting points for the detective work youāll need to do: Are there enough litter boxes? Are there feral cats coming into your yard? Do the two cats get along? Has there been any change in the house?</p>
<p>Also, try the pill pockets and see if that helps. Thereās a product called Feliway that my vet recommended to calm cats. Thereās a plug in version and a spray. Since itās so area specific in your catās case, you might be able to use it in the bedroom to stop the territorial peeing.</p>
<p>I suggest first making sure that there is no medical issue (but youāve probably done that). Then Iād confine the cat to a smaller area like a laundry room or a basement for a while, away from the dogs and inside, with food, toys and litterbox available, not as a punishment but to calm him down. Maybe confine both cats, for company. See what happens then, when he has a secure territory.</p>
<p>Iāve only had cats act out like this when they were sick or in pain. One was elderly and had arthritis and had never had an accident outside the litter box in his life. He peed on the bed and we knew it was time for him to be put out of his pain. The other had cat cancer and started going on my husbandās clothes, then in the bathtub. We thought it was a cry for help. We took her to the vet, she ended up being put out of her pain eventually as well. Iād ask the vet for a thorough exam if you didnāt have one when you got the calming meds.</p>
<p>We have a dog door that is accessible, and must remain accessible, 24/7. The doggies are just too old, arthritic and frankly set in their ways to make them adjust. They are 13 and 14 (possibly 15). The catās arenāt afraid of the dogs. In fact, both will snuggle with one dog and play ātortureā the other one. Both cats now use the outdoors exclusively and the litter box has remained completely clean for 2 months or so. Neither dog has - thankfully - ever enjoyed ākitty roccaā (as my sister has named the litter encrusted kitty poos). </p>
<p>The very first time he peed on the bed I had just changed the comforter cover from a sateen cotton to flannel. Since heād been happily cuddling with us for the 4 weeks since we adopted him, I figured the flannel felt too much like litter and was the cause of the problem. Changing the cover back to sateen resolve the issue. Luckily, to this point the urine has not hit the mattress. He likes the cushy stuff. There also seems to be a correlation between H leaving the bed and the peeing. Not sure if he dislikes and is marking me as āhisā or if he is upset H left.</p>
<p>I had used the Feliway in the past, not sure if it contributed to the original success of not. What seemed to break the behavior 4-5 months ago, was the fact that orange kitty had an abscess which required a drain and of course the collar of shame. He was locked in a room for a week. We stopped giving him the Prozac after he healed because the whole process of medicating was so very very stressful for all involved. </p>
<p>D brought up an interesting point. The day he started his peeing on the bed was the same day Iād treated both cats with Frontline. In the past I have never used this on cats, and only very sporadically on our dogs. However, orange kitty had a tick attached to his ear so I decided to treat them. I wonder if this āpi$$edā him off. Weād also moved their food bowls into a different area, so Iām going to move these back to the original spot. </p>
<p>Over the course of 30 or so years of having (or being had) cats, Iāve lived with aloof ones, shy ones, ones who scratched and bit if you accidentally petted the wrong spot, ones who loved the dogs, ones who only tolerated them, ones who cuddled and ones who would just as soon be left alone. Weāve dealt with furniture scratching, fruits of the hunt placed on our beds at night, occasional short lived spraying behavior, and other wonders that cats bring with them. Weāve loved them all. Thatās what makes this so very hard, but rolling over in the morning onto/into a puddle of cat urine has crossed a line. </p>
<p>In two weeks I will be leaving for a much anticipated vacation. H, D and S will run the household. Iām giving it those two weeks to see if I can turn the tide. If not, I have asked D and/or H if they would be willing to work with the rescue agency and arrange a return. I just donāt think I could do it myself. Sigh
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<p>@dietz199, it took me a while to put it together. but now I realize you were allowed to adopt cats without the requirement that they be kept indoors. That surprises meāit wouldnāt fly with any rescue organization in the area where I live. Anyone wanting to use a doggie door would have to have the kind that requires a collar transmitter to unlock the door. </p>
<p>On the peeing issue, I know some cats hate the smell of citrus. If you can stand it yourselves, maybe try spraying a lemon or orange scented air freshener on your comforter? I really feel for you. There is no product of any pet or child that smells worse than cat pee. Iāve always through it should have a place in the the militaryās arsenal. One of our cats urinated on one of the the seat cushions of my very expensive living room sofa. (It was fortunately a one time thing; heās a nervous guy and I think he may have been startled by something.) Dry cleaning the cover took care of the odor on the fabric, but I had to have a new cushion fabricated, as there was no way to deodorize the foam.</p>
<p>^^^ I have a friend who volunteers weekly at the pet adoption center here. From what I understand, it dropped the requirement (though still encourages) that cats be kept indoors. They want cats to keep their claws and the two restrictions together (claws and indoor only) turned out to be a problem for too many adopters. I guess they decided to choose.</p>
<p>The indoor/out door issue is an emotional one on both sides. I will say this, between H and I we have lived with 10.5 cats. All were shelter rescues and all have been indoor/outdoor. Of the 10, 2 are with us now, and the other 7 lived happy, long and healthy lives enjoying the outdoors at will. The oldest lived to 18 and the youngest died at 12 - due to cancer of the intestinal lining. The 10th had been rescued from inner city streets and was a young male. This cat was determined to be outside, it went into any house where an open door could be found. It went on āwalkaboutsā which took it two canyons away and moved in with a youth camp. He was gone for a month until someone called in response to our ālost catā signs. If there was an open window heād push out the screen. If you went out a door, he got past you. He would come in several times a day to say āhiā and then be on his way. One day he he just never came back.</p>
<p>The .5er is a kitty that showed up on the property last July. She is ear tipped (trapped, neutered and released). She adopted us, it is her daily decision to remain on our property. Although I forcefully brought her in during a cold snap last winter, and she now will walk into our bathroom (has direct outdoor access), she does not want to be indoors. Our rescue organizations have a category called ābarn catsā. These are animals looking for outdoor homes. </p>
<p>I doubt a collar activated doggie door would keep a determined cat inside. My two current teenage boys will actually run between a dogās legs while doggie is going through the door. Itās part of their āplayā. And thinking back on the years we had a home filled with the daily loving chaos of small children which grew into eye rolling teens, I can not in my wildest imagination envision a scenario where doors and windows would be closed in a dependable fashion. Heck, I canāt get the Mr. to close a screen door when he goes to put something on the BBQ. Hence the occasional fly strip in the kitchen (ugh!).</p>
<p>Butā¦back to our peeing problem. I locked Mr. Orange into a room last night. It made it easier to pill him this morning and all the other critters had their normal run of the house. Iāll keep this up for two weeks. Iāve spoken with his rescue organization and will keep them posted.</p>
<p>Dietz, I agree with you. Iāve had outdoor, indoor, and indoor-outdoor cats. My two current cats are indoor cats but our girl cat has figured out how to open the sliding screen door. If anyone forgets to close the outdoor glass door or to lock the screen, she wastes no time in opening it and both cats go out to patrol the backyard. So far they havenāt ventured beyond that. If a cat takes it into his head to be outdoors, heās going to find a way. We tried our hardest to keep the old gray lady (the one who lived to 19) inside but she just wasnāt having any of it. Sheād had an early taste of the outdoors before being rescued and adopted and that was that. </p>
<p>We had one indoor-outdoor cat who adopted another cat. One day he showed up at the door with a feral kitten in tow. We took her in too but she was always an outdoor cat with a growing tolerance for indoors as she grew older. She outlived her adopter and stayed with us for years, eventually agreeing to come inside to spend the winter. But her heart and soul were outdoors always.</p>
<p>I really hope you figure out the pee issue with the orange cat. </p>
<p>Cats are impenetrably hard to understand and they cover up illness incredibly well. </p>
<p>Iām trying to figure out the stray I feed. She/he has developed a thing where I need to pet it before it will eat. Like 5 or 10 minutes of petting. And if it gets excited, I get a hiss or two. I havenāt tried to reach under to the belly, but there are no other boundaries - ears, neck, tail, etc. all get rubbed. Weird. And it doesnāt seem to drink. I have to add water to wet food to make it soupy - and sometimes add water because it will eat everything until the water is gone and will stop and wait or walk away. Watching it drink from a bowl is sad, like it barely knows how. Incredibly skittish but then settles down and eats while I rub its back. Gets up and walks away without a look back. Very hard to understand. </p>
<p>The closest Iāve come to a persistent pee problem was when one guy decided to start pooping and peeing in a corner of the basement. I sprayed the area with Boundary and other ācat be goneā stuff but nothing worked. I put a litter box in the corner and that, oddly, stopped it. Donāt understand at all.</p>
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<p>That is just too darned cute. I can just imagine the attempted conversationā¦hey mom, can I keep him, huh, huh, pleeeeeze mom, I promise Iāll take care of him and clean up after him and pleeeeeze can we keep him.</p>
<p>Lergnom, you are doing a wonderful thing for the stray kitty. These damaged creatures can develop weird behavioral tics, and rely on us to be patient and understanding, even when they are hard to figure out. Bless you!</p>
<p>My cat also has that odd thing where she desperately wants pets, and is deliriously happy ā until sheās not. She can then turn on me. When she was new, sheād actually strike out at me, luckily with claws sheathed. It was as if she knew she shouldnāt, but couldnāt help herself, or didnāt know any other way to communicate that she was done. I now know the signs when sheās getting to that point, and slowly withdraw as I speak gently. Sheās been with us for two years, and has become much more trusting and sure that Iām her friend. Iāll never know what happened to her during the two years before we had her, that makes her react that way. But I see it as my mission to do what I can to heal her emotional wounds. Consistent kindness is our best tool. Sheās come a very long way.</p>
<p>My first cat as an adult was a tiny kitten that fit in my palm. I rescued it from the middle of a busy street. He was thrown out of a car. Anyway he was a loveable guy and friendly with everyone but was very scared when my dad visited as he had a deep voice. I believe whoever threw him out had a deep of voice because my cat would run and hide when he heard a deep voice. My dad would bring treatsā¦but he took a long time to come out of hiding. So even at such a young age animals can be scarred for life.</p>
<p>What my house lacks now is leadership. The super intelligent guy died and that left his idiot brother and a cat thatās more like a dog in temperament. Thereās no one to say, āYouāre inā or āYouāre outā. I try to remind the one cat the only reason heās alive is because that other cat said āheās okay with me, let him in.ā </p>
<p>Iām not being facetious. Cats recognize what other cats do. One is more sociable. Another is more the hunter. </p>
<p>Iggy will not be with us for long. He went back to the vet Sunday and then again for the day Monday-Wednesday. He goes back this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon for fluids and some medication but after that no more. He seems in no pain and meanders through his daily routine but wonāt eat. He hasnāt been interested in more than a bite or two - if that - of food for over a week. Today marks the tenth day. Weāll keep a close watch and when he gets too weak or no longer has any interest in life, weāll take the next step - within the week, probably. Heās not been my favorite cat but he definitely is my husbandās; they have a strong bond. The next few days will be hard. Quite sad. </p>
<p>Iām so sorry! My favorite calico died in the same way. Whatever Iggy has is probably viral in nature, and there are no drugs to treat most viral feline diseases. Even if you get him tested (there is a molecular panel for most common viruses), it will not do any good. Hugs. </p>