What did I get myself into?
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| Tue, 11-02-2004 - 1:23pm |
I'm new to this board and I'm a new cat owner. A few days ago, my husband and I acquired two cats, a male and a female, Boots and Belle, they will be a year old in January. In the past we had spent time with them, Boots used to sneak out of his home and come and visit us and we'd keep him until his owner came home. Had no problems with him. We spent time at our neighbor's with the both of them, no problem.
Now, we have them...PROBLEM. The first day we had them, the Boots walked in like he owned the place, explored etc. Belle, hid under the chair and would very slowly come out and walk slowly like she was stalking something. Kind of walked in a crouched position. I took this to mean that she was just being cautious. That night, she seemed to warm up, started playing with her brother more. They are water bottle trained, and if they got up on the counter all we had to do was pick up the water bottle and off they'd go. If they started scratching the furniture, showed them the water bottle or gave a squirt and they'd quit. They even used the litter box right away.
It's been a few days and all hell has broken loose and it's not the male, Boots. Belle won't use the litter box if we tell her to get off the counter, she'll get off, look at my husband or I and pee in front of us on the rug, then go to the litter box. If her brother is sitting on me, she'll jump up on me and I'll go to pet her, she bites me and jumps off. She's being very destructive and I don't know what to do. She bit her brother so hard last night we had to take him to the ER vet because of a puncture wound. The vet told me to use the water bottle more and then said, "Well, if you can't handle two cats, you're not ready for children." Now, I just found out today that I am pregnant, which I'm happy about, but now I'm thinking. He also said that I'm not a cat person.
Right now, my home doesn't feel like my own. I'm constantly on guard listening and watching for the next thing to break that I put up high enough or put away. Belle ripped up the shades, the screen in the window, pictures are off the wall. We know it was her because we had her brother at the vet with us.
She was given a time out this morning, my husband put her in her carrying case so her poor brother could eat in peace. When he let her out, she looked right at him and peed again. He squirted her with the water bottle and she scratched his foot.
I don't know what else to do. I'm crying because I love them both already, despite what Belle has done. My husband wants to give them back, but if we do that their old owner is going to take them to the shelter who already said that they have so many cats already, they might be put down. The no kill shelter is filled too and they won't take them. I just don't know what to do with Belle. She was loving before we got her and I know my husband and I didn't hit or hurt her.
Thanks for any help.

^Dusty^,^Tiger^ ,Scooby and Ellie’s Mom
Rachael and Jordan‘s Mom
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Hi Halloweenbride02. *Welcome* to Cats.
If you find out that Belle does not have an infection, then I agree that having another litter box could help.
One thing that helped me when Bucky was peeing in the wrong places (including on our bed... twice)... When I got up in the morning, I'd pick him up and set him down in the litter box. If he needed to pee, he did. When I'd get home from work, same thing. Before going to bed, same thing.
Of course I'd praise him effusively when he peed in the box. I still praise him whenever I see him going in the box. We haven't had any troubles in a while.
Good luck and let us know how it's going!
B.J.
As for the cats: we have problems with our boy and girl cat fighting too, only it's the boy who beats up on the girl, and he won't respond to being squirted either. We break up the fights when the start (heavy sweatshirt=good idea, and trim their nails too), and put the aggressor in a crate for 20 mins.
The peeing is definaly her way of saying "i'm mad at you and not going to listen". If you can interrupt the behaviour, like clapping loudly or jangling a metal can with coins in it, the interruption may be enough to get them to stop. Our boy cat also has a biting problem for no reason. After they bite, the thing that has worked best for me has been to just ignore the cat for the evening, so they know it's not acceptable.
I would try two litter boxes, and when you feed them, place the bowls far apart so they don't feel like they are competing. Also, I would definaly get them spayed/neutered it they are not.
Congrats on your baby and recent anniversary, and good luck with the cats.