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  #91  
Old May 19th, 2010, 09:58 PM
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Originally Posted by dollface View Post
Bf vacuumed when he got home and I was just unplugging the cord and Gizzy was hiding near the outlet and he hissed at me. That makes me even more PO'd. I feel like I'm at a dead end...
Then pm me.
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  #92  
Old May 20th, 2010, 08:08 AM
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Gizzy probably hissed as he feels your anger and doesn't like the fact you're ignoring him by not looking at him or even going near him, so he's saying he's po too. Cats sense tension and anger and he doesn't connect the reason it's because of his spraying or peeing on the bed and he's upset with you. Are you making a fuss over him and petting him up when he is showing good behaviour being a good cat? Do try and put your bad feelings toward him away and not take it out on him. Bengals are sensitive cats, and you don't want him to start reacting negatively to you by swatting, biting or attacking. His hissing is a warning of his displeasure. Tell him you love him, you're sorry, pet him up, play with him and offer him some treats.
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  #93  
Old May 20th, 2010, 11:59 AM
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When he was being a good cat, I would always call for him to come, and pet him. Now, I'm just soo mad that I don't pay attention to him. Would there be any other reason for him to pick MY stuff to pee on?

I'm bad for holding grudges so I'm thinking that cats will always have the upper hand in a situation like this, if they sense your grudge they can top it?

I can tell he wants some of my attention cuz he sees me playing with and petting Forest but then I get the hisses and it's just not a nice feeling. I am off tomorrow so I will use that time to re-bond with him, but I don't think I can let him near the bed again.
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  #94  
Old May 20th, 2010, 02:41 PM
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They say (whoever "they" are) that "dogs live in the moment". Cats do too, but also they do seem to hold grudges, and sometimes for a long time.

I remember an incident when my hubby inadvertently stepped on one of my girl's paws while going downstairs while she was coming up, and he yelled and swore at her as he almost tripped. After that one incident, she avoided him completely, even runnng out of the room if he came in. This went on for almost 13 years (and she lived to 17-1/2yrs.), and he would always make some kind of derogatory remark when she did that...like "stupid cat! what did I do?". I finally convinced him to pay attention to her and try and sweet talk her and pay her compliments. And you what? she started responding to him, talking to him, rubbing up against him, to the point that she became his lap cat within a short time. So I learned that if you do something to a cat like step on its tail or paw by accident, you have to apologize immediately. It's really amazing, because when you don't the cat thinks you hurt it on purpose, but seems to understand an apology (or maybe its the tone of voice?) and doesn't hold a grudge, but just forgets about the accident. At least, this has been my experience with cats.

Seems to me Gizzy is holding a grudge against you because Forest is getting attention, he's jealous and he's being shut out. Can he top it? Yes, he hissed at you and he can start peeing more places and up the ante by more hissing or worse. Then you'll have an even bigger problem with him than "marking" at times. I hope you can get in his "good books" soon. However, if your love for him has been replaced by hatred, perhaps a divorce would be better for all concerned and he should be rehomed. Maybe your'e not compatible--it happens. There's no point in keeping a pet where no one likes him, and he's miserable too---something to think about. Do you think he may be happier as an only cat for someone?
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  #95  
Old May 21st, 2010, 10:52 AM
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WOW 13 years?! That's insane. But they do say "you can't beat a cat at a staring contest" so that sounds about right lol.

No more grudge with Gizzy. I have petted him and picked him up, just don't have any words to say to him at the moment.

I have thought at times he might be better to be somewhere where he is the only cat, but at the same time being uprooted doesn't seem like the best idea either.

So I am going to try everything in my financial power to try and find a solution before I have to think about rehoming him.
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  #96  
Old May 26th, 2010, 03:49 PM
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Update: I was able to get a large dog crate this past weekend, and Gizzy seems to like it! He's using his litter box ok and I think he's missed his green bed. (I kept it in the bedroom so Forest wouldn't go near it until I could find a solution).

The only spraying has been on his bed, but it's his bed, so I don't care lol as long as it's not where I sit I'm happy! I'm not really sure when he did it though, cuz it was a faint smell, so I have no idea if it was done when he got the bedroom or if he only did it a little bit this weekend being in the crate and maybe Forest got too close while we were sleeping.

Anyways, I got him used to the crate by giving him treats when he was in it and he gets 2/3 of his meals in there. It's about 28" wide x 48" long and maybe 30" tall. I covered the top and side of the crate with a blanket, and the other side is against the wall. The door gets covered at night with a different blanket so there are no staring contests while we sleep.

I think I might get him one of these just for some added height and away from his water bowl that he manages to spill everyday lol and his bed gets moved around quite a bit somehow (maybe due to re-spraying) http://www.kittyhammocks.com/

The bf says he was dumb to spray his bed cuz now he's gonna smell like that all the time on his fur and then sit on our furniture and rub it off I tried explaining to him that if he does it on his bed in his "home" I don't think he will be tempted to do it on our stuff, but he doesn't wanna listen. And I don't think he will leave any "transfer". But correct me if I am wrong. Boys! Grr.

Last edited by dollface; May 26th, 2010 at 03:54 PM.
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  #97  
Old May 26th, 2010, 11:44 PM
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Cats like to be clean and groom themselves often to remove odours. They don't like the smell of urine on their fur. Cat saliva has quality of removing odours. I remember even if my stud cat got a couple of drops of urine on his breeches (he was longhair), you could really smell it, but he would lick himself....odour gone....problem solved. The only time a cat slacks off on grooming is because it is sick or in pain, very old, extremely distressed, frightened or obese.
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Old June 4th, 2010, 02:34 PM
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PITA of the year award goes to....

Just thought I would upload a pic of Gizzy in his new home. Even in a cage he is a master mischief maker.
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  #99  
Old June 5th, 2010, 06:18 AM
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Aaah...Gizzy looks very content on his beautiful plushy bed. See he's a paper shredder...."hey mom, gotta do something when you're not home!" Have you tried giving him a small size Kong toy, with a few treats in it before you and bf leave? That will keep him busy for while trying to get them out.

The important thing is....has this arrangement stopped his spraying when you are at home and he's out of his crate?
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  #100  
Old June 5th, 2010, 08:14 AM
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Aaah...Gizzy looks very content on his beautiful plushy bed. See he's a paper shredder...."hey mom, gotta do something when you're not home!" Have you tried giving him a small size Kong toy, with a few treats in it before you and bf leave? That will keep him busy for while trying to get them out.

The important thing is....has this arrangement stopped his spraying when you are at home and he's out of his crate?
Thank god I bought one that was washable! Forest has been having some puking episodes lately and I was a little late in getting him to the kitchen so when I whirled him there he puked in a circle (most of it went in the kitchen) and went thru the bars of Gizzy's cage onto his bed.

Anyways, the story of how the paper towels got shredded: Gizzy (aka PITA) spilt almost all the water in his bowl and a big puddle was formed on the carpet, so before I left for school I left some paper towels to sop it up and put the cleaner bottle on top so it would stay. Then I came home to the above mess shown. I did have a towel laying on the bottom of the pan for about 2 weeks but when I had to wash PITA's bed I decided to wash the towel too, and when I pulled it out it was all yellowish. So to answer your question about the spraying, I think he has stopped all spraying OUTSIDE of the crate, but spraying his bed 99% sure cuz it's "close" to forest, but why would he spray (or pee?) on the towel??

Also another question, ever since we got PITA he has always scratched the inside of the litter box, and I've read that it's because he doesn't like the litter on his feet, every brand of litter we've bought he does this so he must be a "dainty" cat lol. But since he's been in the cage, he still does it in his box and then when he gets out he scratches around his food bowls, his bed, and even the bars of the cage. I've heard of some cats scratching/pawing around their food bowls before eating but not after using the litter box. Do you know why this is?

And he also moves his bed no matter where I put it so I think I've just given up trying to keep it away from his litter box, cuz he keeps sliding it closer to it. He must like being a stinky PITA.

I'll be on the lookout for a Kitty Kong toy for him.

Last edited by dollface; June 5th, 2010 at 08:19 AM.
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  #101  
Old June 5th, 2010, 09:42 AM
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Y'know, your feelings for Gizzy are really showing. And it's not good.
No cat deserves to be called a pain in the ass four times in as many paragraphs. Tongue in cheek or not. The towel was most likely yellow because it was left in the bottom of the crate for two weeks. It may not be because he was spraying or peeing on it. If it had gotten damp or wet from his spilling his water then it would turn. He shredded the paper towel because the poor baby is bored. He needs some toys in there with him if he has to be in there constantly. I don't see any toys at all for him.
The offer has been made before.......... you know my pm. There's a space ready for him here.
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  #102  
Old June 5th, 2010, 12:45 PM
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I don't say pain in the ass every time, just pita, like the bread, and it's not to be mean, really.

He has lots of toys, but the way he moves everything around I don't know where to put them, I don't want it to be too crowded to the point where he just won't move from the bed. I am in the process of trying to order a hammock for him so he has a high up place to sleep in case he spills water all over the pan. I am thinking of putting the scratching post I got him a couple months ago in there between the bed and the litter box, attached below.

I had smelled the towel inadvertedly and it smelled like pee/spray. The dragging things through the bars has only been happening the last few days. In the beginning, I put a blanket covering the top and side and another blanket for the doorway so he had privacy. But then he began dragging the corners of the blankets inside the cage, I don't even know why. So I took the blankets off so he would stop that and because the blankets were keeping the smell of the litter box contained in there so we needed to let it air out.

I'm attaching a few pix of the crate for help in determining space issues.
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  #103  
Old June 5th, 2010, 04:25 PM
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I can venture a guess as to why Gizzy scratches in a more excessive way perhaps more than most DSH/DLH at the inside of his box and around the outside of it on the floor near his dishes. This is an instinctive behavior with most wild cats to bury their uneaten kill or feces, whereas spraying is territorial marking. Being a part Bengal half of Gizzy's genes aren't very many generations removed from the Asian Leopard cat which is one of their ancestors, so maybe it's a little more "wild" behaviour he's showing.

As far as dragging the blankets in his cage, probably just something to do out of boredom. Since he likes rearranging his bed and other stuff, just let him do it, but I definitely wouldn't leave a wet towel in the cage bottom (for 2 weeks?). You might try him with different things to play with. e.g. cardboard egg carton so he doesn't get bored with the same "toys". This is going to be a challenge because Bengals are active, curious, busy cats, so he's inherited some of those traits.
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  #104  
Old June 5th, 2010, 09:57 PM
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I have probably four or five cats that scratch the sides of the boxes instead of the litter to cover their stuff. I think it's amusing. Yes, they scratch a lot on the sides of the boxes. Oh well, they are kitties. Sometimes cats do things we mere mortals can't figure out. Maybe he is leaving the scent from the glands on his paws on the side of the box, therefore claiming the box as his, not Forests'.
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  #105  
Old June 5th, 2010, 10:15 PM
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My boy Bomber has always banged his paws on the litter box and its like he hates his paws to be dirty...cant offer and better advice than everyone has given but just wanted to say good luck with Gizzy...
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  #106  
Old June 6th, 2010, 08:09 AM
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I can venture a guess as to why Gizzy scratches in a more excessive way perhaps more than most DSH/DLH at the inside of his box and around the outside of it on the floor near his dishes. This is an instinctive behavior with most wild cats to bury their uneaten kill or feces, whereas spraying is territorial marking. Being a part Bengal half of Gizzy's genes aren't very many generations removed from the Asian Leopard cat which is one of their ancestors, so maybe it's a little more "wild" behaviour he's showing.

As far as dragging the blankets in his cage, probably just something to do out of boredom. Since he likes rearranging his bed and other stuff, just let him do it, but I definitely wouldn't leave a wet towel in the cage bottom (for 2 weeks?). You might try him with different things to play with. e.g. cardboard egg carton so he doesn't get bored with the same "toys". This is going to be a challenge because Bengals are active, curious, busy cats, so he's inherited some of those traits.
Interesting theory, makes total sense, and maybe because he is in an enclosed area he would think do to do that, cuz when he has free roam he never does it around his food or litter box, just the sides of the inside of the box.

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I have probably four or five cats that scratch the sides of the boxes instead of the litter to cover their stuff. I think it's amusing. Yes, they scratch a lot on the sides of the boxes. Oh well, they are kitties. Sometimes cats do things we mere mortals can't figure out. Maybe he is leaving the scent from the glands on his paws on the side of the box, therefore claiming the box as his, not Forests'.
When he first started doing it, my bf thought he was playing in there and would tell him to stop and then I found out he just doesn't like it on his paws, sometimes he even scratches the roof I think it's cute! If it was Gizzy trying to claim a box, Forest just doesn't care lol so his efforts are kinda futile.

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My boy Bomber has always banged his paws on the litter box and its like he hates his paws to be dirty...cant offer and better advice than everyone has given but just wanted to say good luck with Gizzy...
Ya that's what I thought concerning the box, showing his "dainty" side that he doesn't like his paws being dirty

Anyways, just want to thank everyone for their advice, it really does help!

Gizzy will be 3 tomorrow! The first time I have been home to be able to do something for him, but I don't know what.
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  #107  
Old June 27th, 2010, 06:10 PM
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Just a lil update: Everything is going well here. Gizzy never fights when it's time to go in his crate. He keeps re-spraying his bed and guess who gets mad lol the bf only cuz he doesn't understand. It kind of makes the house stink and today my bf sprayed Febreeze on his bed so while we went to the mall, we came back to a stinky environment. So his bed is in the wash again even though it's just gonna happen again. I have no problem with him doing it except for the smell it makes when it's fresh. The crate isn't covered anymore because it trapped in the smell of the litter box, so I doubt that will solve anything if we covered the crate back up.

I guess my only concern is when we move to a house, I had the vision of him having his own room, either in the basement or an enclosed space outside. I don't think it's fair for him to be in a crate for the rest of his life. Might be best to leave that topic until we cross that bridge.

If anyone has any comments please do not hesitate

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  #108  
Old June 28th, 2010, 12:47 AM
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Some male cats, fixed or not, just spray. I cannot emphasize enough the success I have had with the Feliway diffuser. I used to buy them by the crate and it cost 10 dollars a bottle (I used to have 2 girls that didn't get along) per month which I don't think is too bad. If you haven't tried it, please do. I have heard way more success stories than I have failures, and if it helps it may get your guy out of the crate for good. Another thing you can do is build an outdoor enclosure. My enclosure is 14 feet high, 15 feet long, and 8 feet wide. It of course does not have to be this large, but it will give your cat options other than hanging out in a crate all day. I would also replace the crate with an actual cat cage, they are usually built around 5 to 6 feet tall and are better for the cats mental health than a crate it. This way you can switch his scenery around, put more toys in there, and keep him happier. Also, you can have supervised outings. My stud cat gets a romp in the house with the others 2 times a day for about an hour, I just watch him the whole time to make sure no accidents happen. He goes in the cat cage in our room to sleep at night and in the outdoor enclosure during the day. You could do something similar so that he is included all the time and not so frustrated. If you want help or advice with the enclosure, I can help.
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Old June 28th, 2010, 08:24 AM
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Thanks laceyf53! We live in a high rise apartment right now so building anything outside won't be happening til we move to a house and I will for sure hit you up for advice when that time comes!

I've never tried Feliway, have only tried the sprays that were cheaper than feliway. They worked for when we took them to the vet in their carriers (forest used to pee thru the door as soon as we put him in there lol). Does it matter if the plug isn't anywhere near the crate? We have 2 open plugs; one is behind a couch and the other is under the dining room table, both which are across the room.

I have heard you have to wait a month for it to start working, so I'd need 2 right off the bat and that might be expensive. What if I got a spray type and used it on his bed right after being out of the wash? Or would the plug-in be better?
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Old June 28th, 2010, 04:57 PM
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Is there anything I can spray on his bed so that he won't spray it so heavily? Catnip spray? No mark spray? Equal parts of water and vinegar spray?
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Old June 28th, 2010, 11:36 PM
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Sorry to hear Gizzy's still spraying....unfortunately, I think he's an incorrigible sprayer and feels the need to keep marking, and it's become a ingrained habit with him. I think I would get a bunch of cheap towels, fold them so they're thick and pin them on his bed, to make it easier for you to manage, rather than having to wash his bed. Are you using scented laundry detergent and/or dryer sheets? It's possible he doesn't like the scent, so I would wash the towels in unscented detergent.
I do hope you will soon be able to move into a house to have some sort of outdoor enclosure for him.
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Old June 29th, 2010, 10:25 AM
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I know what set him off, his spraying is ok as long as he does it on his own bed but it just makes the place stink. And cuz my bf had sprayed it with febreeze, I just knew he would spray it again but had NO idea it would be so heavily. I had to wash it twice with Tide Cold water and it still stinks but not as bad so hopefully if he still smells it then he won't feel the need to re-spray soo heavily. The part where he lays you can't smell as bad but the bottom where it sits on the crate it stinks so it really went through. Prolly gonna hose down the tray part this week and give it a good scrub.

You and me both catlover2!! As soon as I get hired after finishing school, I'm gonna rebuild my credit and put everything away for a big down payment so I can move ASAP!
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Old June 30th, 2010, 07:03 AM
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So I spoke too soon, he re-sprayed his bed and i'm sure I will come home to a stinky house. My bf is saying he already wants to throw up because of it So gotta find a way to keep him from smelling up the house or the unthinkable happens or my bf's stupid suggestion of no bed or no scratching post. So all he will have is a litter box and food and I believe that will cause more problems than anything...

Last edited by dollface; June 30th, 2010 at 07:10 AM.
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Old June 30th, 2010, 12:17 PM
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Thanks laceyf53! We live in a high rise apartment right now so building anything outside won't be happening til we move to a house and I will for sure hit you up for advice when that time comes!

I've never tried Feliway, have only tried the sprays that were cheaper than feliway. They worked for when we took them to the vet in their carriers (forest used to pee thru the door as soon as we put him in there lol). Does it matter if the plug isn't anywhere near the crate? We have 2 open plugs; one is behind a couch and the other is under the dining room table, both which are across the room.

I have heard you have to wait a month for it to start working, so I'd need 2 right off the bat and that might be expensive. What if I got a spray type and used it on his bed right after being out of the wash? Or would the plug-in be better?
I had the plug in which you can find on E-bay or craigslist usually, and i did have 2 because the area that my cats roam is more than 1,000 square feet. Each plug in covers an area of about 500 square feet. I have never used the spray, but I figure they probably work about the same.

Where did you get this kittie from? It sounds better for all involved that he goes to a single cat owner, so that he doesn't feel so stressed out. Some cats are very sensitive to their people and this problem isn't going to stop when your boyfriend hates him. If you start searching now you can find someone before you are forced by your boyfriend to take the cat to the shelter.
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Old June 30th, 2010, 01:58 PM
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I had the plug in which you can find on E-bay or craigslist usually, and i did have 2 because the area that my cats roam is more than 1,000 square feet. Each plug in covers an area of about 500 square feet. I have never used the spray, but I figure they probably work about the same.

Where did you get this kittie from? It sounds better for all involved that he goes to a single cat owner, so that he doesn't feel so stressed out. Some cats are very sensitive to their people and this problem isn't going to stop when your boyfriend hates him. If you start searching now you can find someone before you are forced by your boyfriend to take the cat to the shelter.
Ok I'll get my bf to order 2 and a couple sprays cuz I really don't think it would be good for Gizzy if we uproot him. He is a very skittish cat.

When we first moved in (in 2008) to the place we live now, my bf brought his cat Forest (16 years old this year) with us. And since I was on my own away from my parents who didn't want any pets, I wanted my own lil ball of fur. So I searched on kijiji (mistake #1), I was originally looking for a Bengal. Then I saw how much a purebred with papers was and looked at the lower prices meaning no papers. Then I found an ad on kijiji that had a Bengal kitten for sale for $250 but by the time I got a response back they said the kitten was gone but they had one left that was 8 months. So I asked to see pictures, they weren't very clear but I agreed to see him in person anyways.

Here's the fishy part: The lady said they lived in Kitchener but said we could meet in at the Walmart in Orangeville. We live in the North End of Etobicoke. ()

So after work that day we went up to meet them and met Gizzy in the parking lot. I couldn't tell if anything was wrong with him just a little scared from being outside and being held by strangers. So we took him home. He came with a "guarantee/waranty" that stated if my vet found him to be ill we could return him, cuz he went to the vet before meeting us. When we took him to the vet he had tapeworms, and that was an indication of him being outside. When I asked her about it she said they took him for walks and therefore he chased everything that moved.

It took him several weeks to settle in, hid anytime we came near him, and he just warmed up to my bf like a year ago. He is just starting to realize that he likes to be near me all the time, lay next to wherever I am sitting and sometimes sits on my lap. And the other day he sat on my bf's chest. He usually doesn't like new ppl, but b/c he was in the crate on friday when I came home and had a friend with me he let her rub his cheek and chin through the bars. He has made a lot of progress in the last year, and as much as I don't want to give him away, being an only cat may be the best thing he needs or a place to spray to his content.

Anyways, my lesson is learned concerning kijiji pet ads. Next time I want a purebred, I will go to a breeder, but I think the next few will be from TCR/Petfinder.

This is the pic I took of Gizzy sitting on my bf's chest. He stayed there only for a minute but long enough for a picture!
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  #116  
Old July 1st, 2010, 02:26 PM
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Aww, nice pic----handsome bf and handsome cat!

I agree with laceyf53 when she says "this problem isn't going to stop when your bf hates him."
Try and convince your bf to talk nice nice to Gizzy and pet him up, give him treats. Cats are very sensitive to negative feelings/words/tone of voice, and know when someone is mad, frustrated or annoyed with them, and Gizzy seems to be especially sensitive. Hope with some more positive thoughts and actions, Gizzy will stop spraying his bed.
I think I mentioned that one of my cats refused to cover up her business after I changed to "Swheat Scoop" litter from clumping clay litter. Even after I switched back to the clumping clay litter, she continued not covering up for about 3 weeks. Last week I had a "talk" with her and told her I wasn't too happy that she was leaving it to me to cover her business and asked her to cover it up like she used to----besides saying the words to her, visualized the scenario in my mind. Guess what, a few days after that she started covering up and has been good, except for one time. I complimented her on her good behaviour if I saw her doing it. So progress is always possible---just visualize to Gizzy what you want him to do, and hope bf can do the same. Maybe Gizzy will turn out not to be an incorrigible sprayer after all.
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Last edited by catlover2; July 1st, 2010 at 02:51 PM.
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  #117  
Old July 1st, 2010, 06:42 PM
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Thanks catlover2! I think he's pretty cute, both are lol he's actually trying very hard not to laugh just so Gizzy would stay there

I actually had a "talk" with Gizzy when I came home on Wednesday, saying how I would like him to stop spraying his bed, and how forest will NEVER get anywhere near his bed/litter box and how I don't want to give him away. And not to listen when Daddy yells cuz he doesn't understand Gizzy's behaviour lol. But thank you for reminding me to visualize it also! They teach us Pacific Institute at school which is visualizing what you want to achieve in life, so I will definately do this . How 'bout everyone visualize with me lol Here's hoping only positive updates from now on !
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  #118  
Old July 11th, 2010, 09:51 AM
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So for about a week, we started covering the crate back up and we kept saying "Gizzy is not a sprayer anymore" and "Gizzy will not spray" and it worked for about a week. Last night we had a wedding to go to so we weren't home from 12pm to 12:30am, so being stuck in the crate all day, Gizzy thinks it is fun to pull the blankets through the bars therefore resulting in the blanket exposing himself to Forest and therefore he sprayed again. :| And when we pick him up he stinks like spray.

I know it's a lil early, but when we move to a house what would be the best way to let him live? Outdoor enclosure? Outdoor Shed?
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  #119  
Old July 12th, 2010, 09:57 AM
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This seems to be a pattern with Gizzy, if you're out for a fair amount of time that he gets anxious and sprays.

As far as a house, there are all kinds of outdoor enclosure one could use. Some even attach to windows. I think I would wait and see how he behaves. Just being in a bigger space with more rooms may solve his spraying problem. Certainly hope so, as I think you've tried everything.
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  #120  
Old July 12th, 2010, 10:50 AM
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Sounds like long absences make him bored and then he tugs at the blanket making it fall and then he sees Forest so he kinda does it to himself too, huh?

He will definately have his own room, that I know for sure. Am I selfish for still wanting more cats? Hopefully if they are introduced properly, maybe he can adjust better...
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