Rehoming ats - the day I prayed never arrived!

[wiggal]

Hey all,

Well the day I was always dreading has finally come, and we are to rehome 2 of our cats :-(

The last few years with them have all been fine, until a while back when a few of them started to get very protetive and dominant (well trying to be!). And recently it has turned into an all out spraying war, with 2 main culprits!
I had thought it, but hoped it would go away, until Mr Wiggal brought it up at the weekend, saying he knew I wouldnt want to talk about it, or think about it, but I said I knew he was right. :-(

I have already found a home for Smokie Jo, who is soon to go off and live on a farm with my boss, so he will be happy there atleast. Just now have to get past saying bye bye to him one evening next week when he is picked up!

As for Spinks, that will be a tough one - How do I rehome a cat with severe allergies to fleas who goes through phases of pulling all her fur out and needs steroid injections!?

Just well, sad really :-(

[wiggal]

And the Ats, as you may have guessed is meant to be cats!
So much for reading my title and question before pressing submit!

[carmalee]

how many cats have you got and are they all speyed/neutered?

[wiggal]

We have 7, 3 boys & 4 girls. All are speyed and neutered and have been for a couple of years now.

I have dreaded it so much, but on a couple of occasions I have been woken up in the middle of the night by Smokie Jo spraying me in the face. That kind of was when I started to think it would be for the best if he went.

[carmalee]

Have recently posted an answer but obviously my computer is in meltdown. If your kitties have been living together for a while without any probs - something has obviously changed - you may not be aware of it but they are.Could be something as mundane as a dog moving in four doors down or the fact that you've moved something the cats have always used to sleep on. Cats are very 'height' oriented. Maybe a new Tom has moved in or a new partner (sorry to be personal) - so many things upset cats but a lot of them are space related. Please keep me updated as I'm interested in the outcome but at the same time sympathise with your prediciment.

[wiggal]

Hey carmalee, thanks for your reply.

I cant think of anything that would of upset them, and dogs dont phase them as we have 2 of them!
Smokie has always fought with his sister Sammy, they are the only 2 that ever have a proper scrap really. It is Sammy who we have seen once spraying but she has always been top dog so to speak in the household!

They have all always lived with us (no new partner either!) Smokie and Sammy are around 6 and the youngest is 3 in 2 weeks, and were all born in our house and always lived with us.

Hmmm!

[carmalee]

Have to say I'm not an animal pschologist or anything like that but have worked in animal welfarre for a long time. You have seven cats plus dogs which is a lot of beasties to be contained in anything other than a large area. Is a lot of individual personalities to interact. I repeat -if all have been living together for a while without probs - something seems to have changed. Normally spraying occurs when either existing males re-mark their territory or new males stake a claim. If your chappies are neutered this shouldn't be a problem (unless they are recently done)I know I don't have access to all the info but it sounds as though an entire male is in the area.

[karenmac60]

I have 2 cats and 1 dog. The cats have always been fine with the dog, but a friend visited on 1 occasion, bringing his speyed female dog along. They were in the house for all of half an hour and it started months and months of problems with the cats wetting at the front door several times a day. One cat was female and one male and both had been done, but this small visit was enough to set them off. The only thing that seemed to work was a sonic cat deterrant, placed where they were weeing, but even that took a good while to have an effect on them. They did eventually get over it and stop, but it may be with yours that something seemingly small and unimportant has started this. I hope you can get it resolved and not have to get rid of them - it would break my heart to rehome any of mine.

[ruthann58]

wiggal can you hang on till the weather gets warmer once they are out and about outside and enjoying the summer,(dont know about yours but mine only nip out for a few mins at a time with this awful weather) they might stop also you will be able to have doors and windows open a lot more to hopefully get rid of the smell of what ever is upsetting them,

[wiggal]

Hey all, thanks for your replies.

With regards to Spinks, then maybe we can hold off as she may improve once Smokie goes, but Mr Wiggal and I both think its for the best that Smokie goes. It has just got so bad!
Like I say, being sprayed in the face in the middle of the night is not pleasant, and he has also jumped on our bed with us both in it, and peed, along with standing on my bedside table and spraying the wall next to my head. He also on a daily basis sprays the leather sofa and the cream floor length curtains by the back door!

I just think that atleast if he goes and lives on the farm with my boss, I know he will love it being a farm cat, and it will only be him so he does not need to compete with any other cats for his attention, and I will always know how he is.

[tamborine]

7 cats need lots of space to save your eyes watering from stench

[wiggal]

They do when some of them are in a spraying war thats for sure! I'm permanently walking round with a spray and clothe and freshener!