# My older adopted cat



## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

Hello everyone,

About four months ago I adopted an older make cat from a shelter. He's fixed, and his age was listed as nine years old. He was an owner surrender is all I know about his history.
At home he had had some issues with using the bathroom. Litter box gets cleaned at least every other day, and good and water are always refilled at night.
I have a son who is four, who does want to socialize with Hans(the cat), and I know this can cause stress for my cat.
One day I found poop and pee in on my trench coat which seemed odd. Another time when he was in my son's room, when my son walked into the doorway Hans stupid up and went poop right there in front of me. Twice I found poop under my son's bed, looked like it could be the type of poop from being dehydrated/constipated, and today he peed on the bathroom counter while sitting down, three feet away from the litter box.

He will hide under my son's bed all day, without coming out for food/water until my son is asleep at night, even if my son is not home.
At night when he comes out there is a lot of meowing, before he finally makes his way too where i am.

Do you think my cat is becoming incontinent or senile? I was raised around cats and never saw this happen, and have had several cats without these weird bathroom issues either.

Money is to right currently for a vet check up at the moment.
He is extremely affectionate to me and loves to curl up next to me in bed purring the night away.

I am willing to do and try what it takes to make this cat comfortable and happy, I'm not even considering giving him up, so don't worry about that.


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## Tsukiyomi (Nov 18, 2014)

Few questions...

1. What are you feeding him wet food or dry?
2. Try cleaning the litter box every day maybe even two times or more.
3. How many litter boxes/where are they?

I'm sure someone else would ask these so answering them now will get you a faster response


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

He gets dry food that was as close to what he got at the shelter. I feed him meow mix I think it is, that was what they had most at the shelter, they would just mix food.

His box is in the downstairs bathroom along with his good and water. He uses the box enough, never seems to be a shortage of gigantic pee bricks when I clean it.
It's just the one box also, he is only the only cat.
The litter will be tossed and refilled tonight, it doesn't yet smell of ammonia, but probably should have tossed and refilled it sooner.
Another thing, this could have been bothering him, was that there were still claw covers on a couple of his claws. One of them even had the new claw behind the old skin. So I decided not to put anymore on and just clip his nails instead.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi JT!
A couple of links for you!
These will explain why you need to get your boy off of the dry meow mix....
His health depends on it!
Sharon

http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth

http://www.catinfo.org/


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

Thank you for the links.
So on the food, would I feed him can feed every day, or every other while supplementing with dry food?
How often should I completely dump and then refill the box? Normally I would go 2-3 weeks but I'm guessing it should be before then.
I'll step up box cleaning to twice a day, versus every other day.
Money needs to be stretched at the moment, so the best, yet coat cost effective food would be helpful.


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## Mandy and Ellie (Oct 22, 2013)

If you're on a budget and want something as convenient as the Meow Mix, I would go with the "Classic" varieties of Fancy Feast. They are grain-free, wheat-gluten free, low carb, high in protein, high in moisture. Pretty much everything a cat needs. http://mybeaconvet.com/clients/10103/documents/FANCY_FEAST_VARIETIES.pdf 
Truthfully though, any wet food, even Meow Mix or Friskies is better than any dry food - especially cheap dry food like MM. 

The link Sharon linked is exactly what I would reference. In it, the vet stresses that ANY wet food is better than even the best dry foods.

My family cat, Cuddles, started looking horrible at around 10 years of age. Her coat was dry, she was eliminating outside of the litterbox, and just didn't look healthy. After I did some research and convinced my mom to switch her to wet, she began thriving. She is now 17 with a shiny, thick coat of fur, and is so healthy. The vet said she looks years younger, and I (and my vet) credit that to the wet food for sure.


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## Mandy and Ellie (Oct 22, 2013)

JTHMfreak said:


> How often should I completely dump and then refill the box?


How often you should dump the litter really depends on the quality of the litter, how deep you keep the litter, and how often you scoop. The litter should be as deep as possible, usually around 5" deep, to prevent the pee from reaching the bottom. That makes litter boxes stink quickly. It also depends on how good the litter is at clumping and odor control. I usually dump mine and start over every few months, but I keep my litter really deep, scoop once a day (or every other day if I'm being honest, luckily my cats are small so pee+poo are tiny lol), and I use Tractor Supply's litter which is the best I've found for clumping!


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

JT,
If you're wondering how 5 inch deep litter, will fit in a standard litter box...it won't! 
What a lot of people have done, is get a Rubbermaid tote container, cut a hole in the side, or end, and use it as a litter box!
One other thing you may find useful, is cat litter attractant, this is used with unscented, clay clumping litter, it works to draw the cat to the litter box!
Sharon


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

Hmm, if I were an older cat, I don't think I'd like going downstairs to the ONE litter box, every single time to eliminate. You've got an older cat, and it's going to be harder for him to be consistent if it's soooo out of the way. If you have two floors, get one for each floor, at minimum, and yes, the bigger the box, the better. Cats like big bathroom just as much as we do. What 10 cats mentioned is a good thing, many of us do use large storage totes. They're cheaper at home improvement stores, too. Make sure you cut a lower opening, as many older cats also develop arthritis, and jumping in and out will be painful if he has it or is beginning to feel it.

Another note, cats do not like to eliminate near their food/water sources, so you might reconsider the placing of his food and water bowls elsewhere. Many of us feed our cats in the kitchen, do scheduled meals, not free feed.

One last thing, make sure you invest in an enzyme cleaner to thoroughly clean spots of inappropriate eliminations, otherwise the cat will keep scenting previous soiled spots and continue to eliminating there.


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## DebS (Jun 14, 2015)

My Sabrina started eliminating outside of the box when she had kidney disease. She needed subcutaneous fluids to make her feel better, but I know you would need a vet for that possible diagnosis and treatment.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

We can guess all day long and make suggestions but nothing can replace a vet's diagnosis. You say money is "right" for a vet check. I'm guessing your auto correct is on and you may have meant to say money is "tight". If money is right then by all means get this old fellow (9 is not all that old btw) a blood panel and vet check. If money is tight then see if there are some things you can do to earn a couple hundred bucks like babysit, take in laundry, rake leaves, weed flower beds - whatever. Find some way to get this guy some professional care.


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## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

+1 to what Marcia said. Certainly the food can be better and that's a good recommendation. But for litter box issues in general, the very first stop (IMO) is the vet to rule out any medical reasons. Then if it's determined to be behavioral and not medical, it becomes much more subjective in the approaches you can take.


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Do you think wet food would help with the excessive shedding? He's a short hair, but he sheds like he's trying to make me a coat.
I can try moving the food to the kitchen. I just hope my son doesn't make a huge mess of it. Should I give him wet food at a specific time of day? Growing up our cats could free feed on dry food, and then in the evening they were fed wet food.
My wife won't go for multiple boxes though. She gets pissy just seeing litter end up on the tile, which I do my best to keep on top of.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

NebraskaCat said:


> +1 to what Marcia said. Certainly the food can be better and that's a good recommendation. But for litter box issues in general, the very first stop (IMO) is the vet to rule out any medical reasons. Then if it's determined to be behavioral and not medical, it becomes much more subjective in the approaches you can take.


NebraskaCat is Right! A vet check is in order, to rule out any health issues!
Urinary, and otherwise!

And at nine years old, he is approaching Senior status (ten years is the break over!) but a 'young' senior!
So the tests Marcia mentioned would be very good to do now, and if all is good, then these tests become his 'baseline', that any further tests, in the future, will be measured against, to determine how steady he's holding, or if something serious is going on.

Wet food, will indeed help with the condition of his coat, and urinary health!

Try and talk wifey into ONE extra litter box!  
You can put a small door mat type rug, right by the opening to help catch litter from paws, digging, etc!
After all, its easier to clean a box, than to try and deal with kitty 'accidents'! 
Sharon


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

I will start by checking out the wet food on Amazon tonight.
As soon as I get the extra money I'll give him a vet check up


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

How much wet food should he be given a day? I'm trying to gauge how much I should buy?


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi JT,
How much would you say he weighs now?
If you're standing over him, looking at him, can you see a 'waist' line, or does he look pudgy?!
This will help to determine how much food/calories, he should be getting per day!
Also his activity level is important to figure in!
Sharon


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

His activity level is virtually nonexistent. I would love for him to be more active, but it just doesn't seem to be his thing.
I would say he's a big cat, but doesn't seem to be overweight.
its hard to even get a decent picture because he just wants to sit there at the moment.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

JT,
I'm hoping one of our resident foodies, jumps in here, with some specifics for you! I'm still trying to find the right combo/equation, with all of mine!
Sharon


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

I'm wondering if your cat has been to the vet since his adoption 4 months ago? Might be a good idea just to save some money to get his check-up and (find out his real weight) as well as make sure he's ok to begin with if you haven't. I just hope you know, a regular vet bill is expected with owning a pet, so be prepared to set aside some considerable savings for the future, not just "when you can take him" when you have the funds. Owning any pet is similar to having children. You'll need to make sacrifices, unfortunately. I, for example, do not watch cable TV, or spend much time on entertainment these days. I'm also working an extra shift this week, despite how tired I am. :roll:

Um, the thing with changing over to wet food right away is, it may not work for your cat, especially if he's been fed mostly dry and prefers it. If you've got a kibble addict, you've got to implement slow changes. However, if your kitty is willing to eat canned food, all the better! 

The sudden change in cat food may not work so well in some cases, so I'd suggest you buy a few cans instead of buying a whole caseload online. You could try some grain-free brands like Merrick, they come in a whole bunch of flavors and textures like Pate to minced and flaked varieties. Merrick canned cat foods are sold in Petco. Try to buy a small assortment of canned foods in different brands, textures, and proteins to find out which ones he's willing to eat. Once you know that, we can go from there.


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

Well, since I removed those claw caps he has started coming out of the bathroom at night and into the kitchen, so that's a good start.
Thinking of trying catnip to see if it will make him more active.
Going to get wet food really soon here


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi JT,
That's good news with Hans! 
Glad he's venturing out now! 
Catnip, is definitely worth trying!
Sharon


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## Mandy and Ellie (Oct 22, 2013)

I'm glad to hear you're switching him to wet food!  Yes, wet food helps TREMENDOUSLY with coat quality! My family cat, Cuddles, had dry, dandery, gross fur before we put her on wet food years ago... ever since we did, her coat has been plush, shiny and gorgeous (and sheds less than it did when she was on dry) she's still a beauty at 17!

How much wet is difficult to gauge without knowing how much he weighs and how many calories he is currently consuming. Generally, I'd say most adult cats eat between 5-7oz of wet a day. Some less, some more, depending on their weight, activity levels, calories in the food (some, like Weruva, are very low in calories) etc. 

Do you have any idea how much dry food he has been eating? If you could estimate an amount, you could check how many calories that is and then feed him the calorie equivalent of wet food.

I'd agree with adding another litter box upstairs - litter on the floor drives me nuts too, but I've found using a doormat or small rug helps catch it so it doesn't go everywhere. Litter on the floor is better than poop on the floor anyday! 

I also recommend getting him to the vet when you can. Proper vet care is our commitment to our pets, and especially once they start reaching senior status more and more problems can develop and bloodwork, checkups, etc are more important than ever. I'm a college student so money is tight, but I have a few empty credit cards set aside specifically for vet emergencies.


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

Update on Hans.
His wet food came in last night and he ate about 2/3 of a can.
Also, when I got home there was poop on the bathroom counter in the spot where he lays.
Money for a vet checkup may be in the works soon though.
However, he is coming out of the bathroom a lot more top sell out attention from me, but refuses to venture upstairs, but I think that's because of the wife and kid


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## KsKatt (Jul 6, 2014)

Find out if your vet accepts payments, or better yet CareCredit. Six to twelve months interest free. I would hope if the vet took payments, he/she wouldn't charge interest.
The higher the quality food the better, but even cheap wet food seriously beats cheap dry.
Simply the stress of being in a shelter and then relocating could easily cause a bladder infection. Any illness can be easier and cheaper to treat if caught early. Some can become dangerous to the point of being terminal. 
Did you get any paperwork when you adopted him? They should have given you records of vaccinations and any vet treatments/exams. If they didn't or you aren't sure, ask for them.


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

They had no records, that I know of, but I'll try checking with them though


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

So, update.
Hans has been on wet food for about 21 days now. His accidents seem to be less frequent, but still happen.
He seems to get along with my son now as well, as he would come out of the bathroom, plop down in the front room, and even follow me around downstairs.
New issue though. About a month ago, my wife accidentally stepped on his tail. Ever since then his attitude towards her has become progressively worse. Started out by simply avoiding her. Escalated to growing, and just now when she came over to the bathroom while I was scooping the box her housed at the meter sight of her.
The last couple days he also stated to become reclusive during the daytime again, even while she is away at work.
Is there any way to get these two to get along?
The tension between the two causes her to complain and moan (trying to use more polite language) to me, and has stayed several fights about the cat.
I'm trying to do as much research and work on this, but I'm at wits end.
I guess it's time to find my wife a new home, lol, if only.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

JTHM,
The "Tension" you mention, between wifey, and Hans...and the fights, its started between the two of you...
Is certainly enough "Tension" in the air, to cause Hans to hide, and lay low...
Cats are emotional sponges, and pick up ANY vibes, Happy and calm vibes will have them feeling calm, happy, content, and trusting...
Loud, angry yelling, and such, will stress them out...

If your wife doesn't like Hans at all, you can bet he's picking up on that!
(Even if she isn't yelling at him!)
So of course, he's not going to trust her!

Somehow, you have to help her understand, that Hans needs HER help too...that he's scared, and reacting to her VIBES, the only way he knows, by growling, etc...
If she will open her heart to that...
There's a good chance, it can work out!

If she's open to it, she needs to be the one to feed him, to engage him in some kind of play, and even 'Gentle' talk...some special treats...

Keep the litter box VERY clean!
Minimum, once a day scooping! 
I hope you have found a good, unscented, clay litter, and maybe some Cat litter Attractant to sprinkle in!
Best of Luck!
Sharon


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

Ok, so I tHink I finally figured out the accident situation.
As far as I can tell he is only having them on days where I am gone all day, which is around 15-16 hours.
Would I be right in assuming this is an emotional issue?
If so, what can I do to help him out? Give him a stinky sock?


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi JTHM,
As crazy as that sounds, it might not be a bad idea!
The other thing, would be to sleep in a t-shirt, and leave it available for him!
Sharon


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

So Hans went outside the box in the bathroom again. The wife wants him outside now. She is far more concerned about done cheap wooden baseboards.
I really don't know what to do at this point. 
Should I just look into trying to find another home for him?
It just feels like the whole situation has become unfair for everyone involved. I have a cat that I take care of that I get nagged about constantly, Hans feels the need to secluded himself to the bathroom, and she claims that the cat does nothing but stress her out and "destroy" the house.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

I'm so sorry to hear this...
Have you tried puppy pee pads in an empty litter box?
Poor Hans...it sounds like he's picking up on all the stress in the house...
Wifey sure isn't helping the situation...
Such a rough spot for you to be in...
To try re-homing him...would be even more stressful on him...
I honestly can't help but wonder, if this isn't more about 'power & control' on her part...
(((HUGS)))
Sharon


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

So, Hans is now an outdoor cat. The funny thing is, I think he may be happier this way.
He always greets me when I go outside to smoke, and is no longer confined to a bathroom.
I made him a shelter box with a blanket if he needs it, and put it next to the front door where it can stay dry.
He eats a can of wet food every evening, and seems to be fairly happy, he actually lost the little bit of pudge he had, so he now has a visible waist.
Right now where I live, the weather isn't an issue either.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi JT,
Well at least Hans still has someone to care about him...even if he got banished to the outdoors...
Do you have a garage, you could put in a pet door for him, for the bad weather, winter time??
Sharon


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

I have a garage he can be put in when it gets cold enough. I still go outside every couple hours and pet him and such. He is eating good, and seems content.
I wish he could be inside, but it's not possible at the moment.
I'm going to get a pet door for the side of the garage soon.


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## JTHMfreak (Jun 30, 2015)

My son Aedan, and Hans. It took a lot of work to get this far, but they are finally getting along


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