cat being dirty?

My kitten is inclined to leave big steaming dumps around the house, but always when I'm not home. She's owned by a committee really, there are 7 of us in the house and we all love her, but me and housemate Dan are the ones who own her. He feeds her, I do her litter tray. When I'm not home, Amelia is inclined to take big dirty dumps in the house. In the middle of the kitchen floor in front of several people, once on another housemate's bed, and in front of the bedroom door of another guy. Is she trying to be dominant? Or objecting to them when me and Dan are not here? My mother suggested she is probably objecting to her dirty litter tray, because I am the only one who cleans it, and if I go away for a day or two, no one else does it. But where and when she takes the dirty protests does seem to be calculated.

Other than that she is a total sweetheart, very well socialised, loves everyone, and very playful and gentle. She is spoiled rotten really. She just reached six months so we are going to get her spayed next week.

Gordon Minard

Get a Dog :-)

I am a Dog Lover . . .

Nody

First of all she's not trying to "dominate" nor does she poop somewhere as revenge to something. What she is telling you is that they don't find the toilet suitable for what ever reason. It could be because it's to far away/wrong size/location, because it's not clean or simply because you did not clean up the pee properly with a suitable cleaner (normal disinfectant is not enough). It could be down to the litter (esp. when declawed) etc. as well. Anyway, these two videos should get you started to what's going on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFphS8VMNZc

SillyMangoX

A change in routine can upset cats, so if you're away for a couple of days not only is the litter tray not changed but there's also a distuption in the routine and they can have unusual toilet behaviours around this. I know if we have someone staying in our spare bedroom then Cream will poop outside the door. The vet said it was because there was a new smell in the house and he wants to cover it with his own smell. Now that may nt be the case with your cat but it's just a theory!

Ambersky

My mother suggested she is probably objecting to her dirty litter tray, because I am the only one who cleans it, and if I go away for a day or two, no one else does it.

Listen to your mother you know shes right.:D Again.

What are you trying to do OP, your mother has already told you the reason, are you are you trying to find someone else to say "No its grand Kitty will be fine with a dirty litter tray for a few days and you shouldnt have any problems with her pooing and peeing outside the box. Dirty Kitty.".

There could be some other complications but a dirty litter tray is the most basic reason for not using a litter tray. Make sure the litter tray is cleaned every day and only then check for other reasons if it hasnt sorted itself out a few days after that.
I mean would you use a dirty toilet. If everyone else in the house didnt flush the toilet or wipe up around it, would you use it if you had any other alternative?

And the big steaming dumps! What are you feeding her. Is she also getting fed a lot of other stuff from the rest of the residents and visitors. You might also think about making sure she isnt over fed or fed the wrong stuff, kittys poo shouldnt be too soft or wet if thats what you mean as steaming. Making sure she doesnt get cows milk along with other table scraps on top of her usual cat food should help that.

boomerang

She's only a kitten so she needs to have a (clean) litter tray close-by or she can be caught short.

Gordon Minard

Can't you get sheets in the Pet Shop that they will be attracted to do their business on?

I remember getting them for pups - I can't recall whether they worked or not . . . .

Ambersky

Nooooo Gordon Minard a kitten is very different to a puppy in this regard. A cats instinct is to bury their poo, even tiny kittens will be stimulated to toilet by scratching sounds coming from gravel, litter or anything. They dont need to be house trained like a dog and most mother cats will teach their kittens to use a litter tray. A cat toileting out in the open is not a happy cat.

Hey guys, I'm probably right that she is leaving presents because her tray isn't clean, but she is usually clean and asks to go outside. She doesn't have a routine in a house as big and busy as ours. It does seem to be something of a dirty protest. Honestly, since she does it when I'm not home, my housemates deserve it - how difficult is it to clean the tray?! We all agreed it's OUR cat, so I don't see why she's mine when her tray is filthy! Thanks for the responses, happy to know other people also agree it's a dirty tray issue and she isn't having some sort of other behaviour issues. She's such a sweet, friendly cat. Cheers everyone.

Guess now I don't need to care when she dirtys up the house when I'm not home, because hey - their cat too.

Oh yeah, she doesn't do "big steaming dumps"! - I was just getting a giggle out of the phrase. Her poo is perfectly normal for a kitten her age. Probably better since we kept her on dry food! Once she is spayed she's getting house trained, no more litter tray, and is going to be an outside-at-night cat, with access to shelter. For her that will work out fine since "night" will be when my last housemate finishes work at 2am till first gets up for work at 6am. She's a spoiled little kitten.

ferretone

Deleted User wrote: »

Guess now I don't need to care when she dirtys up the house when I'm not home, because hey - their cat too.

Sorry, but you do honestly need to care about this, and get right after their lazy butts about it! From the human perspective, it may seem like the only issue is the "big steaming dumps" or whatever we want to call them, but honestly, from the cat's point of view, this is a seriously stressful issue.

Cats are naturally clean animals, and do not like to be forced to dirty up their territory in this way. It's starting with a few of those dumps in prominent places, but that is just the first step. If they continue to stress her out like that, it's likely it will lead to urinary tract infections, and other really serious issues, and believe me, once she has a UTI, nobody's laundry will be sacred. And nothing stinks quite like the wee from a sick cat, all over your stuff. I used to have a cat that would get struvite crystals in her urine when stressed, and oh, man are the wee dribbles those kitties leave all over your clothes and furniture acrid!

And believe me, this is exactly the territory you are cruising into if you let this ride! Please, please explain this in detail to your housemates. Scare them into doing their duty by this poor wee girl when you aren't home. Explain to them everything you have read here, and google will be your friend if you need any more graphic explanations about this.

They have really got to get their act together. Your cat could suffer horribly otherwise: I'm not kidding, these conditions are painful for the poor cat. I'd say that would be the worst of it from your point of view, but it could well be that it is the effect of living with the constant smell of highly acrid cat wee on everything that would have more persuasion power with the others.

All the best with that, I really hope I have been graphic enough to sway your lazy housemates!

devidwishap

I am impressed with the video here.

Pumpkinseeds

I think you need a rota of who does what for the kitten as in who feeds her and who cleans her litter tray. With 7 people in the house it would be all too easy to be over-feeding her and honestly, 1 person to clean the litter tray:eek:. It's not a big deal to clean the litter tray, put her on a decent high quality food and the smell isn't as bad.

The litter tray needs to be scooped at least twice a day, every day. Pooping/peeing outside the litter box is something to be taken very seriously, it's a cats way of shouting at you that there is something making them very uneasy.

boomerang

It's always a good idea to maintain a familiar litter tray in the home, even if your cat has access outside. Lots of good reasons: if the cat is afraid to go out because of a bully cat outside; if your cat is sick or injured and needs to be kept indoors; if it is a time - such as Halloween - when your cat needs to be inside anyways.

Outside-at-night is the most dangerous time for a cat - it is when they are most likely to be hit by a car as traffic moves faster when roads are quiet, and cats are dazzled by headlights.

Cats also need the security of knowing they can come back into the house if something frightens them or spooks them. Something they can't do if they are locked out. It's one reason a lot of cats stray from home.

Even if you wait to spay her until she's six months (and she can come in heat at four months) - it's still on the young side to be letting her out alone. She won't be mature enough to handle stand-offs with adult cats. And remember that she won't have grown up out of doors with a mother cat to guide her and steer her away from danger. Don't be in any rush for the sake of wanting to dispense with a litter tray. Ideally wait until the spring and introduce time outdoors gradually.

Ambersky

I appreciate you seem very fond of your kitty Op and you want to care for her properly. I was trying to be a bit funny with my first post to you too and Im glad there are no big steaming dumps.

Have to second what other posters are saying here cos your kitty is unhappy and you could be on the path to a lot of trouble as has been said if you dont sort out the litter tray issue.

Cheers guys! She's actually been a lot better since I've been home more often lately (I was away for some time due to family stuff). Not just in dirtying but in her behaviour. The others tend to treat her as a person, not a cat, we know how that works out. She's extremely naughty, due to having so many owners, and some let her away with stupid stuff like sitting on the counter tops and on the table. She tried to grab a lamb chop off my plate the other night which was a final straw! I know I'm making myself unpopular in the house by yelling at everyone to keep her on the floor, clean her tray, stop giving her treats all the time, but it's for the cat's best interest!

Off topic in my own thread, but I just discovered lactose free milk, Avanmore do it - is this ok for her as a special treat? I bought it for myself really, as I'm a milk addict and too much of it isn't nice for me either! She gets a chewy omega 3 and 6 treat every evening, and little treats (Dreamies - or as I call them, Crack Cocaine for Cats) we use to bribe her into the house if she's refusing to come in, maybe three a day. Otherwise she has a bowl of dry food which is always available to her, and topped up as needs be. She's still tiny so weight problems aren't yet an issue.

boomerang

Just watch her weight - I only give my guys cat milk very rarely - even a small amount given every day packs on the pounds in no time!

And you can't really be hard on a cat that gets up on furniture - it's in their nature to want to be up off the ground where they feel more safe and can survey their domain. Give her an alternative - look into getting one or two tall cat trees on Zooplus. They often put a big discount on them.

She's on the counters and table though because she knows it's naughty! I have given her a little lactose free milk but she isn't sold on it. Your loss Amelia! I love drinking milk and the 1% lactose free stuff is great!

I was away for the weekend and her tray was an absolute mess when I got back. Mad as hell about that. It's "our" cat, after all! She's going to be spending Christmas with me at my parents' house, with an adult Springer, a Lab puppy, and two adult cats. This is gonna be awesome.

ferretone

Deleted User wrote: »

She's on the counters and table though because she knows it's naughty! I have given her a little lactose free milk but she isn't sold on it. Your loss Amelia! I love drinking milk and the 1% lactose free stuff is great!

I was away for the weekend and her tray was an absolute mess when I got back. Mad as hell about that. It's "our" cat, after all! She's going to be spending Christmas with me at my parents' house, with an adult Springer, a Lab puppy, and two adult cats. This is gonna be awesome.

I absolutely disagree that she's jumping up there because "she knows it's naughty." She does it because it's more comfortable to be up high, as Boomerang said, and also because she wants to be interacting with all of you, in the thick of things, and not away on the floor, on her own, while all of the rest of you have fun without her, at "human" level.

Even all of you getting annoyed with her for it is excitement and interaction, from her point of view, and heaps better than being bored on the floor, or wherever you guys think it's ok for her to be. So if you really want to keep her off there, maybe take turns to play around the other areas with her, so she is getting some fun and entertainment, rather than all of you interacting without her, and expecting her to stay away and be bored.

Glad to hear you will be keeping her with you at xmas, but you really need to think of some way to get the others helping with her box! Perhaps you should sit them down and ask them if they all really do want to keep the cat? I know that sounds harsh, and I am sorry you are having so much trouble with them, but if they really aren't on-side with it all, it just is not going to work long-term

ferretone

ferretone wrote: »

I absolutely disagree that she's jumping up there because "she knows it's naughty." She does it because it's more comfortable to be up high, as Boomerang said, and also because she wants to be interacting with all of you, in the thick of things, and not away on the floor, on her own, while all of the rest of you have fun without her, at "human" level.

Even all of you getting annoyed with her for it is excitement and interaction, from her point of view, and heaps better than being bored on the floor, or wherever you guys think it's ok for her to be. So if you really want to keep her off there, maybe take turns to play around the other areas with her, so she is getting some fun and entertainment, rather than all of you interacting without her, and expecting her to stay away and be bored.

Glad to hear you will be keeping her with you at xmas, but you really need to think of some way to get the others helping with her box! Perhaps you should sit them down and ask them if they all really do want to keep the cat? I know that sounds harsh, and I am sorry you are having so much trouble with them, but if they really aren't on-side with it all, it just is not going to work long-term

I sat them down and asked about the box, and they told me to take the cat and move out!

So me and another friend who has a HUGE dog (St Bernard/Mountain dog cross) are looking for a new place to rent. Everything falling into place!

ferretone

Deleted User wrote: »

I sat them down and asked about the box, and they told me to take the cat and move out!

So me and another friend who has a HUGE dog (St Bernard/Mountain dog cross) are looking for a new place to rent. Everything falling into place!

Sure does sound as though you and your kitten could do with better friends/housemates :rolleyes:

Edited to add: So glad to hear you are more concerned to keep the cat than the cr*ppy housemates

ferretone

ferretone wrote: »

Sure does sound as though you and your kitten could do with better friends/housemates :rolleyes:

Edited to add: So glad to hear you are more concerned to keep the cat than the cr*ppy housemates

Well, I'm staying put as long as it takes to find a decent place, neither me nor my friend need to find a new place immediately. It is useful to me, I have to admit, that when I'm in college, or when I have to go home to my ma for a weekend, that people are feeding the kitten. However, they thought I was out today so they let her outside! I know she's really, really annoying but she's about season time and I told them not to let her out! Also she was wailing all evening and eventually I followed her to see what she wanted, one of them had dumped her dry food into her waterbowl. Poor kitten was thirsty!

Seriously, I don't live in a playschool. I never understand how people think animals don't have needs!

sillysmiles

Deleted User wrote: »

Seriously, I don't live in a playschool. I never understand how people think animals don't have needs!

Playing devils advocate here, but your flatmates have said than they want nothing to do with the cat and have asked you to move out and take the cat.
They really can't be much clearer.
You need to step up and take sole responsibility for the cat. While they may not do stuff to her maliciously I would be afraid that they would harm her through negligence/spite to get at you. You can't expect them to fill the gap when you aren't around when they have already said they don't want that responsibility.

ferretone

sillysmiles wrote: »

Playing devils advocate here, but your flatmates have said than they want nothing to do with the cat and have asked you to move out and take the cat.
They really can't be much clearer.
You need to step up and take sole responsibility for the cat. While they may not do stuff to her maliciously I would be afraid that they would harm her through negligence/spite to get at you. You can't expect them to fill the gap when you aren't around when they have already said they don't want that responsibility.

I'm sorry, but I'd be inclined to agree with this. I'm afraid you'd be better off to try and find an alternative for when you aren't home, until you find the new house. Perhaps you could drop her over to the mate with the dog, who is looking for a house with you: might they take care of her for the couple of days?

Edited to add: I don't mean regarding the spite, or trying to get at you: that's a bit of an allegation to make, when the only impression I get is that they just couldn't be arsed, and now don't like the kitten soiling around the place. Just that they quite clearly could not be arsed. Therefore it would be much better not to be leaving her there with them, especially as they are likely to be just leaving her out to avoid hassle, when they clearly should not be.

Dubl07

Without anthropomorphising (much) would you leave your two-year-old child with these housemates for more than ten minutes? I know you're doing your best to bring them round but most college students are focused on fun and enjoyment, not on responsibility and chores. They've demonstrated time and again that they won't act in her best interests.

sillysmiles

sillysmiles wrote: »

Playing devils advocate here, but your flatmates have said than they want nothing to do with the cat and have asked you to move out and take the cat.
They really can't be much clearer.
You need to step up and take sole responsibility for the cat. While they may not do stuff to her maliciously I would be afraid that they would harm her through negligence/spite to get at you. You can't expect them to fill the gap when you aren't around when they have already said they don't want that responsibility.

No, they want ME to leave. I just make the terms clear that if I leave, cat comes too. They adore her.

My kitten is ok, I had words with the nasty petty girl who is shutting her outside hoping she gets pregnant - I told her Amelia is totally ok to get pregnant, but I will drown all of the kittens in the kitchen sink, one after the other. (I wouldn't. I would though bring them to a vet and have them put to sleep). But if people want her to get pregnant just to spite me, well, I'm putting horrible graphics in front of them. Told them tonight I'll drown Amelia in the bath while she's pregnant. Think that one got through. Obviously I would never, ever do such a thing, but I can be convincing. I adore Amelia and so do the housemates, they're just being irresponsible to try to get me upset.

Amelia jumped onto the table tonight and ate a load of raw chicken that the housemates had laid out. I'm supposed to pay for this - I wasn't even here!

Ok, there are housemate issues going on, but the most important thing is that kitty is safe, and fed. She is. If she does get let outside before her operation and gets pregnant, then I will bring her kittens to the vet and have them put to sleep at my own cost. There are too many cats in the city already. That's how I wound up with Amelia. I think petty housemate's boyfriend had a word with her though, because she hasn't been putting her outside in the last few days.

I've been here the longest and my landlord pretty much relies on me to run the gaff so I'd say we'll be fine. Just unfortunate for me and my kitten that my father decided to die a few weeks ago, and I started college too, so things have been a bit busy.

boomerang

You mentioned in your first post that she was going to be neutered in a week's time? I wouldn't be putting it off any longer. If you don't get her neutered now, it's an inevitability she will get pregnant. Someone is going to let her out of the house by accident or design.

There are lots of reasons you don't want her getting pregnant, regardless of what you decide happens to the kittens subsequently.

Needless pain and suffering of mating, pregnancy and labour - which can go wrong and require caesarian.

Unknown father cat could have FIV/FeLV (incurable, lethal cat viruses) that he will pass on to her.

At six months of age she is developmentally too young to be having a litter of kittens.


Up to you, OP.

DBB

OP, I am so sorry for the personal difficulties you've been going through.
However, I find myself trying to avoid this thread because it makes me feel frustrated and cross, so I thought it best to bite my tongue. Until now.
I find the resolution to your cat getting pregnant, in light of the opportunity still being available to get her spayed now, most upsetting and repugnant.
I'm not going into how unfair it is to both your cat and any kittens, but I will surmise that it's going to cost you every bit as much to get a litter of kittens put to sleep in a couple of months' time (if even), as it will to get your cat spayed now.
Stop putting it off. Do it this coming week.