My cats won't go out

Hi everyone

Because of the snow my cats won't go out...and unfortunatly one of them has soiled my bed!!

It's most unusual for him, he's had an accident in the house once before but it was on the floor and I think he had an upset tummy at the time.

Any advice greatly received as this isn't normal surely? and we do have a litter tray.

 

What a nuisance, Stingo! Short of physicaly putting him outside, and ignoring the plaintive miaows, I don't know there really is anything you can do.

Is there lino or something else easily cleanable in your kitchen or porch, or anywhere, that you could let him be in, and keep all doors to rooms with carpets and other soft furnishings closed?

I'm lucky, Tom'w pretty hardy, and is usually in a fight at the doorway with Charlie as I open the back door in the morning - and I have to avoid him sneaking out when I let the dogs out last thing at night......

 

Would you believe he has been out since about 5.00 and just come in so perhaps it wasn't because of the snow after all.

It is a nuisance dendy and I have just read that you are not supposed to tell them off (which I didn't anyway)and not supposed to clean it up in front of them!!(which I did) because he would see it as me overmarking his marking...and that he will probably do it again either under the cover of darkness or when we are out.

Cats are complex creatures that's for sure.

 

Our stray used my daughters bed as a litter tray at one point. She was in nappies at the time and I couldn't understand why her bed was wet and not her nappy or PJs until I caught the cat at it. I did tell the cat off and followed her round every time she went into daughters room. She didn't do it again, cats like privacy when using the loo. On the other hand when we took the fireplace out last year beloved stacked the blocks in the corner of the living room making a little enclosure and Pollycat thought we were being very nice to make her a loo in the living room! Soon talked her out of that one :D

 

You need to differentiate between urinating and marking, though the differences can be somewhat blurred which makes it a problem to know. But either way, a cat who urinates and/or marks in unaccustomed places is most probably exhibiting a stress related situation - in other words is either insecure, has been spooked by something or maybe unwell. This is why it should never be scolded because you could end up making a bad situation worse.

So - clean the area thouroughly with biological detergent (never use bleach or the usual household cleaners as they contain ammonia which, to the cat, will indicate that another cat has over-marked their spot and that will encourage them to repeat the performance!), give lots of praises when he/she goes outside and finally, if it conitnues, get him/her checked out by the vet. I've had cats do that out of the blue only to find they have a urinary tract infection.

If it's a stress thing, a product called Feliway is a great destressor. You can get it in many forms but the one I prefer is a little gizmo you pop in an electric socket like an air freshener. You can get them on line and even on Ebay!!

 

This reminds me of when we first got married and we had a coal fire and a coal scuttle. In the living room we had a bay window but the floor to ceiling curtain cut off the bay window from the living room.
It was cold and Tigger the cat had disappeared. Then I thought i heard the sound of peeing from the bay. I shouted " that damn cats having a pee behind the curtains".
I flung open the curtains and there stood the cat looking as though butter wouldn't melt in its mouth, standing alongside the coal scuttle.
"Oh dear" said my wife clutching the cat to her chest "Is horrible daddy saying nasty things about you?" of course the cat purred and rubbed its head along her snow white woollen jumper. She put the cat down and turned to me. There on her front were four lovely coal black paw prints!

 

I agree with MMD about it being a stress-related problem. No every time but most of the time.

Stingo, excuse me for using your thread to ask about a related problem. A neighbours cat often marks our front door, he did it again yesterday. There is some household stuff that you can use to repell cats but for the life of me I can't remember what it is - does anyone know? It might even be something that you could put in your bed Stingo to prevent the malheur happening again.