Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you taken your cat to the vet to discuss this at length? Sometimes this issue is a result of pain. At 15, euthanization is something any loving pet owner should be open to, as it is kinder to the animal. Just keeping him alive for your feelings is not kind. Really. Not saying this issue is that issue, but at some point soon it could be. I also have a 15 yo cat, and I sympathize greatly.

Omg, 15 is not old for a cat.
My 15 year old kitty still climbs trees.

15 is pretty old for a cat. Most in my experience live to be 15-17. My parents have a 20 year old Siamese right now, but he's been old for a long time.

I had a problem with my cat, and was advised by some on dcum to lock her in a room or the basement, rather than euthanize. That is just so strange to me!

OP, if your cat was the type who typically enjoys hanging out alone (some do), maybe locking him away would work. But for me, I think it's cruel to do that to a social cat. Cruel, plus my cat scratches at the door whenever he accidentally gets shut into a room. It'd drive me nuts.

Anonymous wrote:Have you taken your cat to the vet to discuss this at length? Sometimes this issue is a result of pain. At 15, euthanization is something any loving pet owner should be open to, as it is kinder to the animal. Just keeping him alive for your feelings is not kind. Really. Not saying this issue is that issue, but at some point soon it could be. I also have a 15 yo cat, and I sympathize greatly.

Omg, 15 is not old for a cat.
My 15 year old kitty still climbs trees.

Anonymous wrote:Space blanket (those aluminum foil type things) for the couch. Cats don't like to walk on them.

My friend put tin foil because it makes the crinkly noise that cats hate.

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is cruel. What kind of life will he have? What quality?

He is 15. I know it's hard to even consider. But, if you're going to make him live like that, IMO the most humane thing would be to put him down.

We had to do it with our 14 year old dog. It hurt like hell, it's been over a year and I still miss him. But he had no quality of life anymore.

IF you insist on one or the other, give him the laundry room with a small window. Alternatively, if he only does it when you're away..? Put him in there when you leave..?

That's crazy - quit stressing this poor woman out.
He's a cat, he'll be fine.

I'm a huge animal lover & foster & have numerous pets. I wouldn't banish an animal to a laundry room unless desperate, but that's not the end of the world.

OP has the kitty been tested for a UTI? Bladder irritation?
What about kidney function?

What do you feed kitty? Just dry kibble or wet food only? Be specific please.

How often do you change the litter box? Can you add an extra one next to it so one is always clean?

Also, if your family is not allergic you can spray the sofa or any other area you want to redirect kitty from with a scented spray.
Also, if you put scented sticks around the area kitty might stop confusing it with a potty as well. I use stuff like this:

http://m.target.com/p/glade-solid-red-honeysuckle-nectar-6oz/-/A-16762275

Space blanket (those aluminum foil type things) for the couch. Cats don't like to walk on them.

Have you tried Feliway cat pheromones?
My cat started popping right in front of me when she was 18. It was her way of saying, I'm in pain! Something is wrong!

We put our dog in a kennel when we go out because she goes to the bathroom on the floor.

I posted earlier. Personally I would vote for the laundry room when he is going to be alone. If he's doing it when you're home now, though he may be experiencing some issues. It's tough to say really.

Is there a way to keep him away from the sofa?

^..^
>o<

OP - can you gate off the sofa? We had a problem with our cat peeing on our sofa and we gated off the living room. Dreambaby gates - extra tall - come in varying widths (from very narrow to very wide) and we were able to completely keep the cat out of the living room with them.

Anonymous wrote:Have you taken your cat to the vet to discuss this at length? Sometimes this issue is a result of pain. At 15, euthanization is something any loving pet owner should be open to, as it is kinder to the animal. Just keeping him alive for your feelings is not kind. Really. Not saying this issue is that issue, but at some point soon it could be. I also have a 15 yo cat, and I sympathize greatly.

Thank you. He doesn't have an acute issue - though he definitely has some stuff going on that happens to elderly cats (arthritis, etc). The vet feels it's behavioral. He still has quality of life, but when that changes I will help him through.

Have you taken your cat to the vet to discuss this at length? Sometimes this issue is a result of pain. At 15, euthanization is something any loving pet owner should be open to, as it is kinder to the animal. Just keeping him alive for your feelings is not kind. Really. Not saying this issue is that issue, but at some point soon it could be. I also have a 15 yo cat, and I sympathize greatly.

Thank you all. I see that I'm definitely not alone, and I'm impressed with what people will do for their cats. I just talked to my mom, who told me my kids are getting a lesson in love - that made me feel better. My DH is also touched by how protective the kids are of the cat, which is partly why he has backed off a bit.

My mom suggested getting a tarp from Home Depot and throwing it over the sofa at night and when we're out. My cat is peeing when we're home now too, but I can keep an eye on him.

I'm grateful that my cat is 15 and not younger - I know this won't last forever. He's had a very good, happy life.

Thank you all, for the feedback.

A couple of ideas for you:
pet diapers when he's out in the house
kitty prozac (they make a topical)

When none of those work this is what we did with an extra bedroom that has a tv:
stripped the bed except for some pillows and a waterproof mattress pad. on top of that I have a bed-size plastic tarp (you can also use a plastic shower curtain liner) and on top of that I have one of two fleece blankets that rotate in that room. I put on a fresh blanket and spend an hour or so in that room every night. There are two cat boxes in that room too. There are also food, cat trees, toys and a big window. It's far from ideal but it's tolerable and the cat seems happy. Prozac did not work for us.

If he's mainly doing it at night, then I would definitely keep him in the laundry room while everyone is sleeping. And maybe hen you are out of the house. Also, I would make sure he is supervised at all times - meaning, he is not left alone in a room.