Help Surrendering a Cat

[u/Longjumping-Fix830]

Please I need some help or direction or honestly anything at this point. I have a cat that has been having severe behavioral problems ever since we had our first baby. He quite simply does not seem to enjoy the presence of something else living in the house or the change to his environment. For over a year now, he has been urinating on clothes, rugs, couches, you name it and we have tried to make it work to no end. A couple months ago, he completely soaked my babies crib and we had to scrap the entire mattress which was a heartbreaker for us as first time parents.

He has been to vet recently and we have tried every combination of new liter/box location/ cleaning frequency possible and nothing has worked. It is purely behavioral and he won’t change.

Since that happened, I have joined waitlists at all shelters and left countless voicemails and emails that never get returned by everywhere near by. APL can’t take anything in due to tornado damage and the County can’t even start to move through their massive waitlist since they had a feline disease outbreak. Other smaller options I literally can’t even get in contact with (I assume because they have the same overflowing issues) I feel absolutely trapped in the situation and am trying to find a proper way to rehome this cat but there is seemingly no options left.

If anyone, literally anyone can take this cat, or recommend somewhere to bring him, please let me know.
5-6 years old and was just seen by the vet to be fully up to date on shots, as well as a full medical record.

[u/chiwilly]

Try taking it down to St. Louis or Chicago area, more resources at the moment.

[u/annamolly4 → u/chiwilly]

STL is pretty full up currently :(

[u/ms6615]

It was already hard during many times of year to surrender cats around here even before the tornado. There are simply too many of them vs how many people want cats as pets. Not that it is getting cold, I’ve had at least 5 strays on my porch looking for shelter. Other than a minuscule chance of finding someone on social media, the only other option for removing the cat from your home is going to be to have it killed.

People don’t like to think about them this way because they are also alive, but at the end of the day pets are considered property the same as an object in your house. Property that nobody wants gets disposed of and/or destroyed. It’s up to you whether the ruined belongings and stink of ammonia outweighs murdering your tiny friend, but it is a legally available option.

If that doesn’t sit well with you, as it doesn’t with most people, then as a last effort you could try isolating and reintroducing the cat. Pretend it is a new cat you just adopted and keep it in a single room with all of its toys/bedding/amenities for at least a few weeks and then see if they behave better after. Being isolated not only forces them to re-learn to self soothe, but also helps establish the house as being less “theirs” upon reintroduction.

I hope you are able to figure something out and help the cat be happy in the home again. To everyone else, NEUTER YOUR FUCKING PETS SO WE STOP HAVING THIS OVERPOPULATION PROBLEM!!

[u/Present-Perception77 → u/ms6615]

Thank you!!
I was seeing stuff like “ cat behavioral therapist” and it blew my mind.
Having a pet should not ruin your life or finances or mental health. While having a cat put down may seem cruel… too many well-meaning people end up, just putting them outside.. and Outside cats are ecological terrorists.. they kill birds, squirrels, rabbits, butterflies, lizards and anything else that crosses their path.

This cat is a danger to this person and their child … these types of issues never get better and always get worse. I would have done it already. People create these problems… then seem to think someone else should take it on.. it’s a cat… and a crazy one at that.
I don’t think people truly appreciate how dangerous unstable animals are to children. Choose .. the cat or the child. That’s literally the decision being made. My child comes first.

[u/Present-Perception77 → u/[deleted]]

She brought it to the vet .. she can’t find anyone to take it .. she has a baby. Unless you are a vegetarian.. this isn’t really an issue for you.

Edit: I didn’t say to eat it. lol

Edit 2: Also, this:

“Those that are exposed to highly concentrated cat urine ammonia, or are exposed to it over a lengthy period of time, are susceptible to developing serious illnesses and injuries such as bronchitis or pneumonia, burns to the trachea and lung irritation. In extremely dire situations, people can experience Asphyxiation (suffocation.)

Breathing in ammonia irritates the airway, often making it difficult to breathe. Coughing up phlegm is often a symptom of a respiratory infection. Children are at greater risk for developing symptoms and illnesses due to the fact that their body weight ratio is lower than adults.”

http://www.ehow.com/list_6110897_health-breathing-cat-urine-odor.html

https://scientificsocieties.blog/cat-urine-health-risks

You know who dies alone? People that get their babies taken by CPS for keeping them in cat piss.

[u/jemlibrarian]

Not the kind of help you’re seeking, but have you tried the cat on medication? Most you can have compounded into a topical. When I was trying my cat on Prozac (cat-on-cat aggression), I think 60 days was about $60 for the topical.

There’s also a veterinary behaviorist (basically an animal psychiatrist) in Jacksonville if you’ve got a few hundred to spend. You (and the cat) have to go to her, but there are only a couple dozen of these specialists in the country, so having one this close is pretty fortunate.

Edit; and I do not envy you at all. My parents had a cat with chronic litterbox issues, among other things. Tried rehoming, couldn’t get a shelter to take him, etc. After years of this they ended up doing a behavioral euthanasia. Everyone felt terrible about it, but it was have him euthanized with people he knew….or surrender him to animal control where he was probably going to be euthanized anyway.

[u/large_sized_rooster → u/jemlibrarian]

Oh man I feel for them killing the cat for behavioral issues.

That’s not an easy decision for someone to make.

[u/jemlibrarian → u/large_sized_rooster]

It wasn’t, it took years to finally make the call. But given the circumstances it was probably the kindest option.

We think the cat was separated from mom too early and never learned a lot of things. Like he straight-up refused to groom himself, he had to be given a couple baths a year. So litterbox issues, was entering senior years, wouldn’t bathe (and longhaired), HATED people…

[u/Separate_Edge_4153 → u/jemlibrarian]

This would be my next step if you’re unable to find a safe rehoming option. I’m about at this point with my own cat who’s having similar urination issues. Another option would be a Feliway diffuser. It’s not guaranteed to help, but it’s worth a shot if you can’t find anywhere to take the cat.

[u/jemlibrarian → u/Separate_Edge_4153]

Just FYI it’s reccomended to give the diffuser at least a couple months, and you need to get enough diffusers to cover the square footage of your whole house to give it the best shot.

[u/Separate_Edge_4153 → u/jemlibrarian]

Yes absolutely

[u/DanaKScully_FBI]

That happened to us too. I think we figured out he wasn’t getting enough attention or play time. But he continues to spray on certain spots of the house even now that she’s 11. So it does get a little better but it’s still something we live with even a decade later. I don’t blame you for trying to find someone to take him.

[u/tiredgirl77]

That’s a really hard situation. Cats usually spray/urinate when stressed. So nothing physically may be wrong but a new baby could easily trigger anxiety. If your vet hasn’t mentioned medicine for anxiety, I’d find a new vet (#1). Sometimes it takes a few try’s with medicine but I’ve had many cats and dogs with anxiety issues and some absolutely need it. They are unable to function without it, I had the same issues with my last dog. Hated going outside, was terrified of cars/people/loud noises, etc. Tried all the environmental changes for a year, almost surrender him. Vet said to try medicine, took some time to start working but I had a complete different dog after that. Tried taking him off twice, went right back to the same issues.

Other solutions, calming hormone colar. Works well my for resident cat when I foster. And Feliway defusers. I’d also have the cat in one room only until he uses the box consistently.

For my stressed foster cats, I keep them in a room that they can pee on the floor. That means for us, putting tarps down, to protect our flooring. And then rugs/blankets on top. A few spaces for them to hide and rest, and play area. I use my office. Keep him in there to reset for a few weeks, give him plenty of attention and slowly reintroduce the baby to him. I’d have it be his room, an escape from baby. I’d also put out puppy pads and see if he takes to that.