Thursday, October 15, 2009

VIOLETTE CAT


This is our old lady cat, Violette.  For months now we have been having trouble with her refusing /forgetting to use the litter box.  (We now have four boxes.) We took her to the vet and after all the blood tests and exams, they determined that she was a healthy old cat, especially since she is 16 years old.  Five oriental rugs have been ruined, hardwood is smelly and I am getting ready to have wall to wall carpet torn out in a bedroom.   I now have a complete arsenal of cleaning supplies and anti-cat urine products.  I finally had reached my breaking point and made an appointment to have her put down this week.  The vet had told me that even though there is no physical reason for her habits, if she can no longer fit into our lives, then we could have her "put down."  I made the appointment, but my husband and I were so upset that morning, that I cancelled it.  I continue with the numerous puppy training pads all over the house, cleaning up constantly and now trying to limit her territory.  And no, nothing has changed in the house over the last four or more months to cause this.  I researched it online and have made my own diagnosis (with no help from the vet, thank you) that she is suffering from senility.  Yes, cats can have this when they are old.

We are trying to be patient with Violette and give her love and attention since, of course, she is not doing this on purpose.  I remember when Beau was a puppy and all the accidents he had.  The difference is that we knew he would learn to go outside.  Violette is just old.  Wish me luck.

7 comments:

Jess said...

I do wish you luck...and i have seen cats that just do it for no reason....and they ruin everything....

my aunt had her kitty put down...but she always regretted it...

Praying for you and your kitty!

Karen said...

I wish I had some advice on this. How frustrating it must be! I think you'll know when it is time to do something. We have had to "make plans" for pets when life became miserable for them and for us. It's a hard thing to do, but the relief afterwards helped us know that we did the right thing.

BClark said...

Hi, I feel your pain. I have a 17 year old that has the same problem. What I have done is maker her own apartment. I have a large animal cage into which I have put her favorite bed, litter box, water and food. She now goes in there on her own and since she spends most of her time sleeping it works fine. I do let her out when I can watch her so she get exercise. It took a couple of days but then she settled right down, also the other animals cannot get her food. Hope this might help. Love Ya, Barbara

BClark said...

Hi it's me again,lol. They have large kennels that fold up when not in use. I got our for less then $50.00 at our local Farm and Fleet which is a sort of large hardware store. Check out Wal Mart on line or Petco something like that. These are big ones I use for my dogs. The one my cat is in came from a thrift store for about $10.00. Hope this helps some.

Karen said...

Barbara's advice was much kinder than mine! It makes a lot of sense. I hope you can find a way to work through all of this.

Mary said...

Violetlady,

Is it possible that she has crystals in her urine. Did the vet check for that? I know that when cats have it that they can't control their kidneys and bladder.

Senility is another possibility. Yes, she is old, but she is still near and dear to your heart. It's a hard decision to make. I've done it several times with dogs. Heartbreaking.

Blessings,
Mary

Flower said...

I will be thinking of you. These are not easy days for you or for Violette. Having an animal brings it's share of trials!