I know I don't have the results up. I've been a mental mess over our 2 cats since yesterday afternoon.
They both throw up all the time...everywhere. On the beds, rugs, floors...everywhere. One has easy to clean up puke, the other....not easy. They're brothers, so they have many of the same issues.
They both pee outside the litter box. They've ruined thousands of dollars of furniture and they've taken to peeing on our guest bed...rendering it unusable now for my mom (who was supposed to stay with us tonight) but now, she's going to be at a hotel because of this.
They both have kidney disease...but you wouldn't know it...aside from the peeing and puking. One has diabeties on top of the kidney issues. We're both at our wits end with these cats. The issues are both medical and behavorial and we've tried doing everything! We've had multiple litter boxes, we clean them daily. There's nothing we can do about the throwing up, it's just a symptom of the kidney disease. I can handle daily throw up, but I just can't do the peeing anymore. It's been happening for years...like 6-7 years....the cats will be 9yrs old in November.
We talked seriously for the first time last night about giving them to a no-kill shelter. I found one that's cage free. I can't just leave them in cages to die...can't do it. Part of me feels we should put them down, but I just don't know. I feel like you should only put animals down if they're really really bad, and our cats are for the most part normal kitties. They eat, drink, shit, cuddle...the don't seem at all like sick lethargic cats. I have no idea what to do. The only thing I want to do is keep them, but we just can't afford to keep buying furniture and matresses and stuff, not to mention the emotional strain it puts on us to find...yet again...that they've peed on the bed.
Scott is wanting to give them to a shelter. The shelter is literally a couple miles from my office. I pass it every day. Just can't imagine passing by every day thinking of my boys in there sad and without a home. Just seems so cruel!!! But I swear, every time I see vomit on our freshly cleaned sheets and duvet...runny brown liquid vomit, I want to kill the cat. Not really, but it's sooooo frustrating. Anyone who knows me well, knows I'm the craziest cat lady ever. I love cats so much. Sooooooo much. Which is why this is so difficult.
Do we put them down?
Do we give them away?
Or do we buy...ANOTHER mattress, lock them out of the bedrooms, and just hold out until they do it again...on the couches?
I've already sobbed this morning and it's only 8:00 am.
I know not everyone is a cat person...so if you're a dog lover, just pretend I'm talking about my dog. Non cat people tend to just say shit like, kill the cat.
I'm a mess
Holy Cow Katy...this is worse than Parenthood...when you have kids it will be a breeze....I would side with Scott on this one...it is a no-kill shelter, it is cage free...and Scott, you and the cats will be much happier...the throw up would be it for me...but, not only throw up, peeing on the bed (the smell has to get to everyone)..and you have tried 6-7 years...Potty trained kids are 2 or 3...I know you have a heart of gold...but, now it is even effecting your company staying at your place...the cost is out of control...I vote "No Kill Shelter....it is the best choice for all concerned!
ReplyDeleteI'm a dog person and I was going to say kill the cats until I read the last paragraph...
ReplyDeleteIt's a hard decision. My dog is like one of the family. She has her accidents (mostly our fault) and quirks, but she does not ruin anything so it's somewhat acceptable.
Once you get into the business of costing a lot of money...I would go with the on-kill - non-cage shelter as well.
What about keeping the cats secluded to one area of the house and closing the doors to the bedrooms?
ReplyDeleteMy sister had a cat that had very similar problems and they confined her to the kitchen where her messes could be easily wiped and cleaned up.
I will offer up the un-popular suggestion of putting them down, as sad as that would be. I would side with Scott about the shelter, but the cats are not healthy and how would you feel if a co-worker was coincidentally the new proud parents of these same two cats from the shelter? I guess it makes me sad to think of some other people getting these cats, not knowing that they are un-healthy and now they would have the same stress as you.
ReplyDeleteVery tough one. I'm sure whatever you decide will really be the best decision. Hang in there.
I like the idea of keeping them secluded. I'm not a fan of the no kill shelter in this case ( and I am a cat and dog lover). The cats go to the shelter.. After awhile they are adopted by a new family who isn't as in love with tem as you are as they immediately ruin their furniture and then decide to put them down.
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion would be to talk to your vet. If it's decided that it's the best thing for them they can go while you sit with them and pet them and love them. I had to do this with 3 cats in my life - not easy for me, but in this case, it was the best thing for them.
Xo
My wonderful Spooky had Urinary Tract Disease the last 4 years she was alive. I tried everything as well and finally had to keep her isolated in a room where I had put down a large section of vinyl flooring that I had bought in the as-is section of the local home improvement store. I hated this and towards the end finally tried a raw food diet. I had always fed her IAMs and it was quite a change to switch to raw turkey with supplementation powder. The few months that I had her on her that diet, she was like her old self and stopped urinating everywhere.. she had the energy and playfulness that she used to have. Unfortunately her other issues finally got her and I had to put her down for her own benefit. The supplementation that I used was http://www.felineinstincts.com/orderNow/orderNow-idx.php
ReplyDeleteIf you have any questions.. please feel free to ask. I don't think it will work for everyone but I was amazed as the difference.
I am so sorry about your kitty troubles (not that UTI that made you fondle yourself like a creep that one night in Home Depot, either). ;) Good luck figuring out what will work best for you and yours. Hugs, Kirsten
ReplyDeleteI do not envy you of this decision AT ALL! I am not a cat person but I have a dog and could not even contemplate the decision you are trying to make. It sounds like you might have tried everything already...if you could try secluding them to the kitchen then that could maybe work but I obviously dont know the details of your living arrangements etc. I hope you work it out.
ReplyDeleteps If you need any help with the challenge etc let me know and I would be happy to help out....hugs!
Katy, we had a similar problem with two cats last year. I'd love to say that we worked through it but we didn't. They started out peeing in the tubs which, while disgusting, was easy to clean. Then they started with the sinks. When they started going at the beds we had to let them go. We were able to find them a new home (yes, with full disclosure) but if we hadn't we probably would have taken them to the local shelter.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to come to a decision that you feel is right for your situation. It's okay to not live with all that, though. Don't beat yourself up if you are at your breaking point. A lot of us can't even get as far as you did.
hope you were able to come to a happy decision for everyone. so many different choices. and not everyone's would be the same. *hugs*
ReplyDelete