# Old Kitty driving us crazy



## Phillyfisher (Jan 9, 2008)

Seems our older cat, Tess, who is 16 is having a tough time adjusting to Tucker. She is not using her box like she used to and now pees and poops all over the basement. I am now going thru the process of shelves to get everything off of the floor, and get the saturated boxes out to the trash. Tucker has been great with her. He never chases her. She is limited to our kitchen, family room and basement, but she already was before we got Tucker, as she was having a hard time remembering her box was in the basement if she was upstairs. We are taking her to the vet to make sure she doesn't have a UTI. She used to spend a lot of time with us when we watch tv, but not so much anymore. We keep hoping she will come around, and we see some improvement, but she is definitely not like she was before we got Tucker. Tucker does not go down to the basement where her box is. Does anyone have suggestions on what to do next? I am tempted to board her for 1 week so she gets used to using her box again, as we do not have a small enough area to confine her. I have been cleaning all of her messes in the basement with Natures Miracle. We love to old girl, but she is really trying our patience. She is on Thyroid med's, but even so, she probably only weighs about 6 lbs. She is literally fur and bones, and not very pleasant to pet, but we fuss over her anyway. She still is spry enough to jump up on counters to surf dinner plates. We just wish she would come around, as she really is our 1st baby, we have had her since she was a kitten, before we had kids. Any ideas would be appreciated.


----------



## TheHooch (May 9, 2007)

I honestly think more is going on with her than a new pupper. Her age is way up there and she might just have some failings due to that. Good call on going to the vet


----------



## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Bringing her to the Vet to rule out things like diabetes, too much thyroid medication etc...is a good thing. They do get jealous sometimes. I have two GR's and two cats, but we've always had dogs so the only adjustment was when they were kittens. Oh yeah, and the time we had our Cocker groomed and they just couldn't figure out who the strange dog was!


----------



## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I think like Hooch said that there might be something more going on with her being elderly and already on thyroid meds. Hope that she is going to be ok and start using her litter box. My 14 yr old kitty started not liking the scented litter and stopped using the box, once I switched to unscented she started using it again.


----------



## Phillyfisher (Jan 9, 2008)

Tess is becoming real finicky. She used to gobble up her pill in a pill pocket, and then it went to she would not take it unless my hands were scrubbed surgically clean (I guess it smelled of Tucker?), to now, not taking it at all. I now have to jamb the pill down her throat, which I hate doing. I will try giving her another box in the back of the basement. She has always had issues with the litter box, and we have been thru multiple types, litters, etc. Usually it was just a poop or 2 outside the box, but it has progressed to worse. We have to be militant about keeping papers and clothes off the floor, otherwise she will pee on them, she has been this way for years. She gets a lot of slack because she is our resident senior citizen, but I am beginning to wonder if the end is not far off, and it makes me sad.


----------



## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Phillyfisher said:


> Tess is becoming real finicky. She used to gobble up her pill in a pill pocket, and then it went to she would not take it unless my hands were scrubbed surgically clean (I guess it smelled of Tucker?), to now, not taking it at all. I now have to jamb the pill down her throat, which I hate doing. I will try giving her another box in the back of the basement. She has always had issues with the litter box, and we have been thru multiple types, litters, etc. Usually it was just a poop or 2 outside the box, but it has progressed to worse. We have to be militant about keeping papers and clothes off the floor, otherwise she will pee on them, she has been this way for years. She gets a lot of slack because she is our resident senior citizen, but I am beginning to wonder if the end is not far off, and it makes me sad.


I wonder if you can use the doggie training pads for her? That might be a dumb idea, but...

I have two older cats. It's hard to think they won't be here someday. Hopefully she's just being stubborn. They can be that way!


----------



## Goldmom42 (Oct 17, 2007)

I would put hooded litter boxes in every room she's allowed in. Hopefully Tucker would not be interested in them and she wouldn't have to go all the way to the basement. It i so hard as our beloved pets get older. Good luck.


----------



## Phillyfisher (Jan 9, 2008)

Thanks for the support guys. I think part of it is stubborness, as she has been hanging out more and more in the basement away from the dog. Tucker cannot be any better with her- he really ignores her about 95% of the time. Only occasionally he cannot resist giving her tail a little tug.  It is hard to think she won't be around one day. She has always been eccentric, and used to communicate with all sorts of meows and chuckles (kind of a combination purr and meow). She really has not chuckled at us since we got Tucker. I know she blames me for bringing him into the house. For awhile I was dead to her- she wanted nothing to do with me and could not get away from me fast enough. This from the kitty who would fall asleep in my lap. I stopped trying to fawn over her, and finally after 4 months she is starting to come over to me. But I am sure with me jamming her pills down her throat 2x a day, that will stop shortly. Frustrating. We have probably spent about $500 getting the basement more organized to make fewer places for her to pee.

UPDATE! At least after getting the back part of our basement organized and off the floor, she has begun to use the new litterbox we placed back there! Keep your fingers crossed....hopefully this will continue!


----------



## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

Please don't board a 16 year old cat. It would probably make thinsg worse. Boarding her is not going to teach her to use the litter box. The puppy is a huge change in her life and going outside the litterbox is a sign of stress.


----------



## Phillyfisher (Jan 9, 2008)

Taz- don't worry she isn't being boarded. She has done this in the past as well prior to the puppy, and last time when she was boarded when we went on vacation, her litterbox habits improved. Believe me, she has been this way for years, and yet she is still here because we love her dearly. Just needed some support as this time was worse than usual.


----------



## FranH (May 8, 2005)

Our cat, Clampus, is old (around 17-18yrs old). We have a covered litter box that is kept in the laundry room. The few times he has blatantly gone outside of his box, I cleaned it up and placed his food bowl on top of the spot. It seems to work Hopefully you can find a fast solution to the litter box problem.

Clampus has become quite loving and cuddling in his older years. He and Holly have their dominance issues....but most of the time, everything is smooth. Since we already had a golden when he adopted us (in 1992), there were no issues with jealousy. Good luck and keep us posted on the progress!


----------

