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Post by Use Less on Oct 16, 2018 13:03:42 GMT
I've posted here and there about Boots, the young, amusing black cat that showed up here just days after my dear Blackie passed on suddenly. I put a collar on Boots, never had anyone make a claim or post any pics in the neighborhood, so now he's mine. He's had his shots and tested negative for those awful communicable cat diseases.
He suffered a nasty wound on his shoulder, probably an abscess that burst, so after the half-dozen stitches, I kept him in the garage, then the cellar, and am now letting him in the house for increasingly long spans.
There has been a little chasing, growling and wrestling, but no fights. He stays well away from old-lady Porky, 19 years of age.
The one bad thing is that he peed in the bathtub yesterday. Any thoughts on that? I have the door closed now, but would rather not keep it closed long term. Thanks!
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Post by LauraD on Oct 16, 2018 13:16:15 GMT
Can he get to a litter box? Some cats will purposely keep a newcomer away from the box, thus leading to the advice to have as many boxes as one has cats. I had that problem once, where the box was downstairs and the veteran cats weren't letting the new one down the steps. I ended up putting an additional box upstairs.
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Post by Use Less on Oct 16, 2018 13:52:01 GMT
I have three boxes: cellar, garage and back room. Boots may have thought the garage one was "his", and was kept from it by one of the other cats or by me. I'm trying to leave the stair doors open when I'm here. (Inside stairs: the garage and cellar are locked.) If I'm going out for any length of time, I leave either Boots or Hisser in garage or cellar. That doesn't mean what you suggest didn't happen. No spraying so far. A good thing. Hisser marked in the past, so I keep checking.
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Post by paquebot on Oct 16, 2018 23:45:59 GMT
Actually had a cat who insisted on using the bathtub as his urinal. Only did it on the drain. There must have been an odor there that told him that that was the place to go. I never faulted him for doing that.
Martin
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Post by Maura on Oct 17, 2018 13:54:27 GMT
Agree about the odor attracting the cat. Pour diluted bleach down the drain.
If the cat uses the outside toilet, you just need to let him out more often. I never kept a litter box, outside is much better if it is possible.
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Post by Use Less on Oct 17, 2018 14:02:10 GMT
Agree about the odor attracting the cat. Pour diluted bleach down the drain. If the cat uses the outside toilet, you just need to let him out more often. I never kept a litter box, outside is much better if it is possibleYes. Yes, bleach sounds like a good idea, and then separately, I was thinking a wash with vinegar. Outside is not a great idea while Boots is recovering from his wound. I would not like him out after dusk in October. He has white feet and neck splash, but he's mostly a black cat  Yesterday he stepped into the back room litter pan while I was scooping, so I moved right off. I've seen him their twice since. This AM, he waited under a table till Porky was done  |
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Post by gracielagata on Oct 18, 2018 11:56:10 GMT
Why not block him into that bathroom alone with food and a litterbox for a few days? He can settle into inner house life, with all the sounds and smells the door, and then his garage litterbox will be in there with him too. Even stick it in the tub if you want, then after a day or 2, put it on the bathroom floor.
Then after another couple of days, let him have the door open, box still in there... you get the idea.
...We rented a house that had 3 full bathrooms, but all small. We are a family of 3 who has no need for 3 showers/tubs. I taped over the drain of one tub put our cat's box in there. It worked great for all of us. It was out of sight, but in an easy to sweep up the niftily contained litter location. (I definitely did not let it go down the drain, hence taping over it!)
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Post by Use Less on Oct 18, 2018 13:26:14 GMT
Thank you for the ideas, gracielagata  I've already done the "behind a door" thing, since both the garage and the basement are just a door away from the main part of the house. I have one bathroom and a tiny powder room, so a litter box in either really isn't practical. I'd end up having to slide through the door to keep Boots in when I needed to get in there. I don't get up in the night every night, but often enough that that sounds challenging. |
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Yesterday he stepped into the back room litter pan while I was scooping, so I moved right off. I've seen him their twice since. This AM, he waited under a table till Porky was done 
I've already done the "behind a door" thing, since both the garage and the basement are just a door away from the main part of the house. I have one bathroom and a tiny powder room, so a litter box in either really isn't practical. I'd end up having to slide through the door to keep Boots in when I needed to get in there. I don't get up in the night every night, but often enough that that sounds challenging.