Friday, October 27, 2006
Angry Woman + I need HELP **Updated twice**
**Update the Second** 12:30 a.m.: Pip. Did. It. Again.
ARGH. Kill Pip. Kill kill kill. **/Update the Second**
**Update** Have uploaded pic of Doe's injury. He's uncharacteristically muted today. Pip must've really given it to him.
After the sandwich and the blogging, I ate two slices of chocolate rum cake just 'cos I was so pissed.
This is emotional eating at its worst, people. **/Update**
Woke up today to Pip tearing up and down the house looking particularly wild-eyed.
When Pip starts jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof, something's up.
So I followed her to the living room where I found her frantically pawing at her favourite corner of the carpet, which was already folded over in a most incriminating manner.
[Incriminating because this is how she wraps her "presents" for me.]
All the other cats sat in a broad semi-circle and watched Pip's desperate cover-up from a safe distance. You could sense the nervous smugness in their eyes as they watched silently.
Oh ho Pip, you's in some serrrious s**t now. The Woman gonna smack you.
I turned the corner over - et voila - PIP POOP.
I am so mad. I am so incredibly angry.
This is our favourite carpet.
And only Pip has the gall to do this OVER and OVER and OVER again.
Pun not really intended but only Pip gives this kind of crap.
No other cat tries this rubbish.
The other cats know their place.
We've disciplined her, sprayed her with the water bottle, yelled at her, steam-cleaned the carpet Idunnohowmany times, sprayed Idunnohowmuch Bitter Lemon on it...
[We're wary of using vinegar or other strong cleaning agents on this carpet because we don't want to end up spoiling it, after all, Pip's already doing such a friggin' good job.]
We've done everything we can to break Pip's pooping pattern, even hid the carpet for a couple months, but it seems to be a neverending battle of wills. Pip appears determined to stick to her schedule.
Right now I want to slap her and chuck her against the wall, I am that angry.
[Nah, I won't do it. I'm just venting. Don't call the AVA please, I don't need more trouble right now!]
Pip was perfectly okay with the carpet at first, she only started this pooping-in-chosen-corner ritual a couple months ago.
**********
This is exactly the same thing that happened with my favourite giant purple plush beanbag last year. Pip loved it, I loved it, we used to nap on the beanbag together.
[This was when we only had Pip and Doe, so Pip's motivation for her insanities isn't territorial.]
Then one day Pip decided that NO ONE NOT EVEN HERSELF could use it anymore, and she started peeing on it almost everyday.
The husband and I did everything we could. In the end we had to get rid of it.
**********
I don't want to be forced into giving up this carpet, it's too beautiful and too expensive.
I need help. Can anyone give advice on
- How to break an especially stubborn cat's habits
- A really good, experienced professional carpet cleaner
- How to stop me stress-nibbling because I instinctively inhaled a ham-and-cheese sandwich after Pip's latest shenanigan [hey, since we're on the topic]
[Slight digression. Earlier this morning Doe came up to me with a mysterious bloody gash over his right eye.
I just saw a hissy Pip cornering a frightened-looking Doe and waving a threatening paw at his face. So now we know whodunnit... and Doe, for the love of God. You are the top cat in this house, and you're frightened of your sister the resident loony?!]
You're never safe when there's a Pip in the house
Right now as I'm typing this Pip is running up and down the study, jumping up the desks, shoving pens off and slapping Chocolate, acting very high-strung. She's probably trying to get our reassurance that we still love her.
Well rest assured Pip.
I REALLY HATE YOUR GUTS RIGHT NOW.
CatDonna
As for stress nibbling, sorry, can't help u there.
Hugs and headbutts.
I don't think Feliway would help with your stress eating, except for making perfectly good food taste funny. Mom keeps the boy from eatin too many sweets by makin healthy foods available instead. But she'd love a piece of yur chocolate rum cake!
Poor Doe! Bonnie an I fight, but we've nefur hurt eachofur. Purrs!
FYI: In Americat, carpet is the wall-to-wall stuff that's nailed down an rugs rest on top of hard floors so they slip, wrinkle, fold, an can be hid unner by cats. :-) Purrs!
calsifer: Yuk. Cat pee is pretty bad too. But at least it's the bin, not a bloody silk-wool mix Persian carpet that took out a sizeable chunk of my pay back then. *weep in frustration*
cat_aunty: Thanks for offering to help, as always. :) I agree it's possibly a faint scent that draws Pip back. But I'm not gonna risk trying something too strong, so will probably take this to a professional now.
victor: Not sure, but I think Feliway is available here? Will check. Thx for the tip.
When Pip fights she screams like a demon, and depending on how mad [in every sense of the word] she is at the time, she can inflict considerable damage.
Interesting point about carpets and rugs. Will bear in mind if/when I go to the USA. :)
kattonic: I'm desperate. Will try that - cat psychology. Wow. Thx for the tip.
i really sympathise with u cos i too hv a cat that eliminates on the floor and i have been wrestling w a similar problem for 2 yrs. n my problem is worse cos it involves poop AND pee. i do not hv an expensive carpet, but my flooring is made of wood so u can imagine what cat pee soaking into it does. i hv tried everythg. nothg helps. not experimenting with different litter, or yelling at or shaking her, or putting the litter pan or a bowl of food where she likes to pee or spraying feliway. she will pee on the floor next to the litterbin, on the floor next to the food bowl (while there is food in it!) and over the feliway.
even Sia Ping has no suggestions, despite her extensive experience with cats. sigh...
You may want to consult the vet. Maybe Pip needs medication to calm her down?
*Hugs* to you & the rest.
CatDonna, do you fink she'll listen?
All the best.
u can put aluminum foil on it as cat do not like steppin into things that make any noises...i read that those fake mouse trap used specially to train cat also work..not sure if it can be bought in SG.
I am not sure if it work as i had never tried this method with my own cats...
Or the last resort is to send pip to the vet for some medi to calm her down....and also i read again that sometimes cat misbehave because they are ill.. it is better to check with the vet just in case...
poor doe, the wound looked painful.. poor boy...
Poor Queenie. UTI's are horrible things.
anon: Thx for sharing your experience. At least I don't feel like the only owner of a mad beast. btw, Pip also pees in the shower almost everyday, but that's easy to clean so I'm not that upset about it.
Sia Ping thinks Pip is crazy too. heh.
Sorry to hear about your flooring, would layering extra varnish help reduce absorbency? That's not cheap though.
Cat: Thx for the link! No darling, don't hug Pip. Just me *heh*. Am planning to bring Pip along during Polly's next liver review.
victor: Dear little thing, I know Pip reads this blog [when she's not destroying it] and I hope she takes your advice!
btw you and Doe look similar at some angles, did you know? Very similar tabby colour + markings. Except Doe's not half as sweet as you.
Bonnie: We've tried that before, and all we got was half an hour of spirited cussing. Pip doesn't mind it unfortunately. But thx for the suggestion.
cat_aunty: Thx for your research! Will check the link. Never heard of it, surprisingly.
jennifer: I'll try placing obstacles and food around the carpet area, thx. Vet visit coming up soon too. Doe's getting much better, almost his old self.
As for the pooping problem, I can't offer any suggestion as my XX is also having the same problem. Just that she does it just outside the litterbox. CC is terrorising her when she is in the litterbox so she is avoiding the box as much as possible.
Vinegar mixed with water may help remove the scent but when I used it, XX had runny poop. I think she licked the vinegar residue off the floor. Yucks!
Since it's a carpet, I would suggest aluminium foil or those soft spiky plastic mats which can be placed on the carpet - availabe at Daiso IMM.
After cleaning up, I will drop everything and go laze about in a comfy chair or bed and do something I enjoy - it's like time out for me to R & R and forget about everything for a while. Eating doesn't do it for me. I probably won't know what's in my mouth.
cat_aunty: You're a treasure trove of information! Thanks again for the extra research. :)
victor: Doe is doing much better and he says fank you! Now to get him NOT to scratch the itchy new scab...
kxbc: My trusty supplier stocks Feliway! Weehee! Am gonna run over soon. Sorry to hear about XX and CC... have you tried putting out another litter tray in a quiet corner for XX to do her thing in peace?
auntie p: There's another Daiso at Plaza Sing, I think I might try that branch first. Thanks for the heads up! And I wish I didn't eat under stress, like you can! :P
Anyway, we are resigned to cleaning up the chocolate cake after her for the rest of her life. No big deal anyway.
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