Dear Dr. Forsythe: Our cat Zooba, a 4-year-old Siamese, has begun occasionally dropping his poop on my rug. Recently he started doing it two or three times a week. I have not seen him do it, so I don’t get a chance to spray him with water or scold him. He seems to do it at night time when we are asleep. Could it be because I close him out of the bedroom? Help. How can I train him if I don’t catch him? Last night I l locked him in the family room/kitchen area where his box is and he peed next to his box.
Berta in Sonoma Greens
Dear Berta: It sounds like Zooba is trying very hard to tell you what he thinks of the overall situation in your home. When cats who are normally well-potty trained suddenly start leaving you presents in unexpected places, I first recommend you make sure there is nothing physically wrong: get him checked out for a parasite, bladder infection or thyroid disease, as any or all of these could leave him with an uncomfortable tummy and stress that leads to messy poops in all the wrong places.
Most likely this is behavioral – so assuming that you are not cleaning the litter box with some ghastly solvent that repulses or repels him (cats dislike strong scents like pine sol), I’d think about what may be stressing Zooba out. Make sure he has the kitty litter he likes, and that it is changed frequently. Don’t clean out the box with a strong disinfectant – this could scare him away. Just clean the box out with warm water to wipe away the clumps. Also make sure he gets plenty of exercise and play time, and one-on-one time with you before bed time. And if this recent bedroom “lockout” is a new thing, remember, the cat owns the home, you simply sublet from him, so know your place. I’d recommend opening up the entire house to Zooba – the sooner the better. I’d also try placing some mothballs or repelling scents in the areas where he has pooped and peed to discourage him from repeating the offense in that location, and if all else fails, contact the veterinarian for some medication to calm his nerves. The medications available for cats range from “Feliway spray,” which is a pleasing pheromone that can relax a cat so they’ll stop doing this, all the way to medications that have a Xanax-like effect. They take away the angst that can cause some pussy cats to drop a bomb where they just should not.
Good luck, please let me know how things “fall.”
Dr. F
Dear Dr. Forsythe: My daughter’s boyfriend seems like a really nice boy in many ways, but there is one thing about him that grosses me out completely. He is constantly letting his dog (a pit bull no less) kiss him on the face and lick him until he is completely soaked. This would not be so bad, but he encourages it and goes along with it, then he kisses my daughter right after that. I’m worried he is going to give my daughter something, or they are both going to come down with something. I’ve told him it is gross how he kisses the dog, but he just rolls his eyes like I’m not even there and kisses the dog back. Isn’t this unsanitary or am I just being a prudish mother?
Mom of a beautiful daughter
Dear Mom: Thank goodness your daughter is dating a young man with great taste! I imagine your daughter likes the fact that the guy is nice to pets. Pit bulls are pretty amazing dogs, and his sounds pretty sweet and affectionate. Have you seen the T-shirt they sell down at Sonoma Dog Camp that says, “sleeps with dogs”? I think that would be a hoot to get for your daughter! I don’t mean to be facetious, but couldn’t it be that you are making more of this than you need to? I know that on any given day, I kiss many pets on the nose, all as part of a day’s work. Maybe this young man needs to channel this love and affection into a career with pets? It sounds like at the rate those two are going, they could come down with something quite soon: puppy love?
Dr. F
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