Hi, my first time in the Forum. Sophie is a 13-month old male sterilised cat. I got him from the vet litter-trained and until two weeks ago he has always done his poo and pee in the (covered) litter box. The litter box has always been in the same area (the laundry room) and at night always stays in the kitchen which opens into the laundry room.
He now is not going as frequently to the litter and he is depositing half his poo outside the box. He also has on a couple of occasions deposited on the carpets in the house.
What can I do to help him go back to his previous super hygiene behaviour?
He is as adorable as ever and his charachter remains fabulous.
Comments would be most appreciated.
Alan
is he hanging his bum outside the entrance to the tray? if so, you could try removing the lid and see if that makes him reposition himself
the other possibility is that he does not have complete control of his bowels - not knowing when he's finished, and being caught short sometimes - in which case a vet visit would be in order
I note, by the way, that you do not comment on why he's called Sophie - someone presumably made a basic mistake somewhere along the line
Thanks. He positions himself correctly in the box but I shall try it without the top. AND - it worked! I took him to the room and he sniffed around the box and then he did his stuff.
Let's hope he keeps it up. If not, I shall take him to the vet.
It was the vet who screwed up on the male/ female part. Fortunately he is a pretty good vet on the ther things.
Let's hope so!!! Why not re-name him? - pick something simple, beginning with an "S" would probably make things easier, but it doesn't really matter, and use his new name HEAPS over a week or so and you'll find he'll respond. I re-named my darling Ruby at the age of about 18 months because I didn't like the name the rescue had given her, and she was responding to "Ruby" with gay abandon after a day or so.
You are a star. However, we cannot change the name as our 9-year old daughter would leave home. It is her cat and she has naming rights. We all did discuss a name change when we found out she was a he - but our daughter was adamant.
Alan
Sophie is a beautiful boy, Alan (how about just knocking the "E" off the end to make Sophi?)!
One trick I tried with my elderly pair (now both at Rainbow Bridge) was to put a shallow "normal" tray across the entrance to the primary tray, that way, if they "missed" it ended up in the other tray where it could be cleared up easier. Plus plenty of newspaper and kitchen roll too!
Helen, Sophie cannot read too well and in Spanish and French - we live in Spain - Sophi is pronounced as Sophie. But, it is a good try. I will make a lot of fuss over him.
Thanks also for your very practical tip, which we shall adopt if he fails to deposit 100% in the tray.
Keep well
Alan
Kids!! Oh well, let's hope Sophie lives to a grand old age and that there are pictures of him at your daughter's 21st birthday party and jokes about her stubbornness (your daughter's, not Sophie's). Take some pictures of Sophie wearing something really gay, with a sign that says "My name is Sophie and this is what happened when my person (daughter's name) wouldn't change my name to Bruce when the vet found my testicles". Think of something funnier of course, but you get my drift.
A friend had to change her Holly to a Harley and our Cassie became a Cassidy when we took 'her' in to be spayed! Even the vet was surprised! (no dangley bits, no lady bits and no scars )
Thomas is so big he stands outside the tray and sticks his bum over the edge. Then he gets in the tray and flirts everything out!
)