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Old June 24th, 2007, 07:21 PM
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JAB JAB is offline
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Help Help Help Salem

I just received this email from a lady that we have helped in the past. Salem has been neutered and vaccinated.

JAB


HELP HELP HELP!!!!!!

My cat Chanel has started stalking Salem the last 4 days .This has made Salem really nervous!!
So, So nervous that she has starting peeing on my sofa!!!! (a new thing! 3 days straight)
Denis has giving me an ultimadum "GET RID OF THE CAT OR I WILL LET HER OUTSIDE!!!!"
I certainly don't blame him because Salem has RUINED my $1800 suede couch.
So I have until Monday

Do you know of ANYONE who could take her? PLEASE
We have worked so so hard domesticating her and she is so sweet. She would make a wonderful pet.

HELP!!!!
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  #2  
Old June 24th, 2007, 11:46 PM
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I don't know if I would attribute your cat's problems to the other cat. There are so many variables and so many reasons a cat will urinate inappropriately - and it is really not the cat's fault. I have to admit I would never "get rid of" any animal for any problem like that and so am somewhat perplexed - I have to assume you are just upset about for your kitty and thus used such harsh sounding language.
A couch is an inanimate object - a cat is a member f your family who you love and care about - no matter what any of my cats did, they would never be searching for anew home!

There may very well be a medical reason for your cat's behaviour and you should start there- she needs to see a vet to rule out medical issues. Cats cannot tell us when they are ill and often a urinary tract infection or other problems, some more serious may cause a kitty to urinate somewhere outside the litter box. She has not been declawed has she? Declawed kitties sometimes are in so much pain and they associate the litter box with pain and search for something soft - thr laundry ,a bed, bedding, your couch...

with all due respect, If my husband (bf in my case) said what your husband said, he would be the one going out the door -and I would wonder what momentary bit of madness had come upon me to be with someone like that! . I hope he was just kidding!!!

If no medical issues are the reason, then you have to ascertain the behavioral cause ands it can be so many things. Honestly, I have my doubts it is the other cat unless they were not introduced properly. In that case, you have to start over and do it slowly - are they new to one another?

Also, is Salem spayed? did she have recent surgery? Is her litter box clean? Do you have the proper any of litter boxes - one per cat plus one - some cats like their own and she may want her own! Or 2 for each job. <g> What about the litter? Is it new? Have you introduced new food recently? If your husband is serious, he may be giving off vibrations to scare the poor cat and if the cat was rescued from a place where she was afraid of men, that could be an issue.

There is so much to look at and you have just begun.

In all frankness- I am astounded that you would give away your cat over a couch - regardless of how much the couch costs? I am sorry but that makes no sense to me. Would you give away your child if she urinated inappropriately in bed? Please do not take this the wrong way - but think about the way you worded this. I know you are under stress but so is your cat and she depends on you for her life and for her health - we are judged by how we treat those who are vulnerable and needy. Please be the best person you can be and help your cat!!

if you do not want her, I suggest you find a good rescue group (NOT the pound - because many just kill a cat after 72 hours especially if you tell them why you are giving her up.) But give her a chance - how long has this been going on?

I might add one of my Siamese urinated on an expensive computer monitor post her spay procedure- she should not have been there but she liked the heat. I was more concerned about her being on the monitor than I was about how it would turn out. I bought a new one - a flat one so now she cannot hurt herself by getting too hot or having her end up in the monitor and thus possibly burning something (hopefully not her!)

And I would try not to value your cat in terms of money - my cats are priceless!!! It does not matter if your cat is a purebred or a moggy - s/he is a living being who needs you to protect her!! PLEASE!!! THINK about what you are saying and please get her some help!!!!! And if you cannot do that, find her the best home possible - no free to good home ads (that means you do not value your cat and there are some nasty people out there who are not very nice to cats.)

There awe many ways to figure out why she is urinating inappropriately - throwing her out of the home as if she was yesterday's garbage is no solution,. In fact, it is too cruel for words! She has been protected inside all her life (I assume) so she would be totally defenseless outdoors and not have any idea how to care for herself- you might as well throw out a newborn baby with no clothes on!

I know I may come across as harsh but your husband's words send chills down my spine!!! I can't believe anyone who has cats would say that. It takes patience - just as it does with small children - and cats do NOT respond to punishment, They need positive reinforcement and they need our love and care! You yourself say she is a very nervous cat - she surely senses your own stress over this and this in and of itself can aggravate the situation. Yo will have to discuss this with your husband and make him understand he simply cannot throw out a cat!!!! She needs a vet first of all and if that does not help,- tho the vet can prescribe some meds for her anxiety if that is the diagnosis. There are also cat behaviourists who can help. But please try everything possible before giving up on your kitty! (I almost wish I had not read this - I am admittedly quite upset by your husband's remarks. We have people on this Board who move heaven and earth to help their pets so you have to take my concern in that context. We do not understand the kind of language used by your husband - but maybe this is a bad joke on his part.)

If you do think he is a danger to your cat, you could take steps to protect the cat! And as a pediatrician , I have to ask if he says that kind of thing about the cat - I hope to God he has never said that in front of any children!
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Old June 25th, 2007, 03:12 PM
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My toughts exactly CK. First of all , I don't think it's appropriate to get a $1800 couch when you have pets And for the BF , same here, he would be the one to take the highway, not the cat.

I think this woman should try to find a solution to take care of this. Good luck to her to find a rescue that will take the cat, they're are full right now and all the spca don't know where to put the unwanted cats anymore. This is not a good time for unwanted pets here in Quebec right now. I wouldn't suggest to anyone to get rid of their pets right now , but instead to work with them to fix the problem . It's too easy to dump pets with problems on to other people, it's really really sad.
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Old June 25th, 2007, 03:19 PM
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Sorry guys but this lady has been trying to help the strays in her neighbourhood. She has a neibourgh that has been threatening to poison them. She took Salem in because she was pregnant. The babies are now up for adoption through Steri-Animal. She is still a little to timid to come to an adoption day. Because of the lack of foster she has kept Salem but her other cats are resentful. She is trying to do a good thing. There has also been 4 more kittens dropped in her driveway that she can not take in. They have had their share of problems, her husband has just recovered from a broken back. It would be nice if someone would offer to foster Salem.
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Old June 26th, 2007, 01:01 AM
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I am glad she is a good Samaritan but her husband's attitude concerns me - With all due respect, how can she care for cats if she is worried about her couch and her husband is ready to literally throw cats out the door?

Ok, now that's out of the way, I do hope she finds a foster!! This is the worst possible time of the year as anyone who has anything to do with kitten season knows! Perhaps she can obtain a courtesy listing in some of the animal shelters but as was noted, they have cats and kittens everywhere.

I have 4 cats and do not live in Montreal and cannot foster this cat - frankly, this woman's attitude, even as a rescue worker, is unusual. I have never in my life heard a cat lover who rescues felines speak of "getting rid" of a cat - in either French or English! I have spent more nights that I can count or care to recall the many bottle babies and tiny kittens I have hand raised and I have lost suede jackets and furniture and venetian blinds and computer equipment (and more things thx to my bunny who loved to chew, lol - I have visions of him as the Chewy Monster al la Cookie Monster from sesame Street, 'He LOVED to chew, lol) but I do not care. The cats are more important and her husband either supports her or he does not. Even with a broken back - and I have actually had my back broken (I still have metal rods in my spine) and it did not prevent me from working and also caring for cats and my poodle. Even when I had cancer, I continued to volunteer for a cat rescue association - I also encourage my patients to be active and involved in anything they can do. (as does my orthopedic surgeon) He may not be able to lift but he can talk to the cats and if he is up and walking (and that is possible these days, more so than when I had my surgery tho I still suffer ill effects from a complicated chronic illness that affects my spine), he can help her prepare meals for them and even clean out litter boxes. (with help, granted.) I say that as someone who cared for 4 orphan kittens while in a body cast for 8 months and no, it was no special effort, just life. I do hope he is more helpful than he sounds - he WAS kidding about Salem, right? (That really bothered me last night - I thought about that cat when I went to bed, told my 4 cats who were sleeping with me about this poor kitty.)

I am not trying to sound as though I question her but I treat children with cancer every day and they do not call what they are experiencing a "bad time." I myself prefer to see my own trials and tribulations as an adventure- constant pain is no fun but I look at my young patients and marvel at their ability! Maybe her husband's attitude is a problem. I had one patient who blossomed when she was able to care for several cats. It was the best thing that could happen - and fortunately she did not need a bone marrow transplant so she was able to keep on looking after them. I would think they would see Salem as a gift and a challenge, not a problem. That to me is the essence of a rescue worker.

If he is a problem with the other cats, there are behaviourists who could help. Have they tried rescue remedy or Feliway? I wound only suggest that after they have consulted their vet of course. Even holistic meds are drugs and needs to be treated with the same respect - one would need to know what else Salem is taking and what his medical issues are. You are helping her which is a charitable thing on your part and I commend you! Perhaps you can foster him? Or find a neighbour or friend who can until a permanent adopter ca be found? Please remember that the SPCA in some places only keeps cats 72 hrs before euthanizing and in some instances - during busy times like this- they do not even wait that long if the cat has "problems." I think Salem may need a miracle. Could they not give Salem his own room?

Is she god at cat-cat introductions? One would think so if she is involved in rescue wok - does she belong to an organization? She may have to realize she cannot do this all by herself and join a group that can help her. Or if Salem is a one cat household feline - and there are cats who are like that - for whatever reason - perhaps they can find a small room in their home that can be his.

When I brought home 2 Sphynx cats home, they had their own room until they adjusted to my home and my own Siamese was able to communicate and play with them nicely and all 3 got along. Until then, they had separate quarters and that perhaps took 1 1/2 wks or so? Of course, now have 4, lol I could list other examples as I am sure others here could as well.

Good luck to Salem!!!!
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Last edited by CyberKitten; June 26th, 2007 at 01:06 AM.
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