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Our cat is 4 years old. We adopted her at 4 months, right after we got married.
Problem 1: Mei Mei has always been a very good girl. She never scratched things that weren't meant to be scratched, and most importantly, she never went outside her litter box. Even when we moved last year, she seemed to adjust pretty quickly. Her worst offense was being a whiny butt when she had to be in the car, and throwing a fit when we had to shove her in her carrier- though I suppose I can't blame her. Sometimes she puked on the carpet, but, you know...cats.
Recently, we've been having problems though. And if they continue I'm afraid Husband will insist on getting rid of her, which would break my heart. I know lots of people here have cats, so I hope someone can give me an idea on what direction to take.
She's defecated outside her litter box three times in the past two weeks. Never on the carpet, just on the tile beside the box. After the first time Husband started cleaning it every day, in case she thought it wasn't clean enough. After the second time he removed the cover, and she used it perfectly for several days after that. The third time was just today.
I can think of two explanations for this:
1. A medical problem of some kind. Although, today it seemed as if she had been holding it specifically to go in that one place, as there was far more than usual.
2. She's anxious because she senses things are going to change soon (having a baby in a couple weeks).
My plan is to buy some enzymatic cleaner on Wednesday and scrub down the utility room where the box is. Tomorrow I will call and get her a vet appointment, since it's nearly time to have her annual checkup anyway and will be easier to do now than post-baby.
Does this sound like a solid plan? Is there anything else I can try?
Problem 2: Mei Mei is fat. I'm ashamed to take her to the vet, because they'll be thinking what a terrible owner I am to let her get this way. She has a fat pouch under her tummy that hangs halfway down her legs. When she sits, it covers her feet.
She gets 1 cup of Iams Organic food (20% less fat, supposedly) and 1 tablespoon of wet food a day (wet food is a treat). She refuses to exercise. Her idea of play is to lie on her back while we throw twist ties at her so she can bat them without getting up. Laser pointers? She ignores them.
We could try cutting back her food, but here's the thing: when she wants food, she whines. Loud. Like an opera singer, only grating. And she can keep it up forever.
Any suggestions on getting her to lose weight? I plan to ask the vet that too (because what if she's not just fat, it's another medical issue?) but would like to have specific solutions to question him about.
Thanks cat people!
Problem 1: Mei Mei has always been a very good girl. She never scratched things that weren't meant to be scratched, and most importantly, she never went outside her litter box. Even when we moved last year, she seemed to adjust pretty quickly. Her worst offense was being a whiny butt when she had to be in the car, and throwing a fit when we had to shove her in her carrier- though I suppose I can't blame her. Sometimes she puked on the carpet, but, you know...cats.
Recently, we've been having problems though. And if they continue I'm afraid Husband will insist on getting rid of her, which would break my heart. I know lots of people here have cats, so I hope someone can give me an idea on what direction to take.
She's defecated outside her litter box three times in the past two weeks. Never on the carpet, just on the tile beside the box. After the first time Husband started cleaning it every day, in case she thought it wasn't clean enough. After the second time he removed the cover, and she used it perfectly for several days after that. The third time was just today.
I can think of two explanations for this:
1. A medical problem of some kind. Although, today it seemed as if she had been holding it specifically to go in that one place, as there was far more than usual.
2. She's anxious because she senses things are going to change soon (having a baby in a couple weeks).
My plan is to buy some enzymatic cleaner on Wednesday and scrub down the utility room where the box is. Tomorrow I will call and get her a vet appointment, since it's nearly time to have her annual checkup anyway and will be easier to do now than post-baby.
Does this sound like a solid plan? Is there anything else I can try?
Problem 2: Mei Mei is fat. I'm ashamed to take her to the vet, because they'll be thinking what a terrible owner I am to let her get this way. She has a fat pouch under her tummy that hangs halfway down her legs. When she sits, it covers her feet.
She gets 1 cup of Iams Organic food (20% less fat, supposedly) and 1 tablespoon of wet food a day (wet food is a treat). She refuses to exercise. Her idea of play is to lie on her back while we throw twist ties at her so she can bat them without getting up. Laser pointers? She ignores them.
We could try cutting back her food, but here's the thing: when she wants food, she whines. Loud. Like an opera singer, only grating. And she can keep it up forever.
Any suggestions on getting her to lose weight? I plan to ask the vet that too (because what if she's not just fat, it's another medical issue?) but would like to have specific solutions to question him about.
Thanks cat people!
You getting ready for the baby could be part of it; have you been setting up a nursery, rearranging furniture, etc? That could do it. If that's the case, then it might take a while for the cat to calm down; specifically, until after you have the baby and kitty gets used to him/her.
). My midwife says it's very unlikely Mei has toxoplasmosis, being an indoor cat who never gets outside, and you have to come into direct contact with cat feces to acquire it, so scrubbing the spot on the floor shouldn't be a big deal. I'll wear gloves though. 
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