I don't care what Cindy says, He's a miserable Beast

**theworm**[$] · #1 09-03-2005, 01:21 PM

The Beast has been very very very bad today.
I'm not happy.

He and Birdie still hate each other, but they try to cohabitate. It's usually ok unless the Beast looks at her.

Anyway - he has this new habit that I don't like. He waits till she's in the covered litter box (which I had to put out in the den for her since she wont' leave the area) and then he sneaks up on her. Not nice.

Today, I was busy in the other room when I heard a LOT of cat screaming.

It's a bit gross so don't read further is you don't want.

By the time I got out there - it was over, but easy enough to figure out what happened.

The Beast snuck up on her while she was doing her business. She wasn't done. She screamed and jumped out of the box and pooped in front of the box. Then, he chased her around the kitchen table, but she wasn't done yet, so there are poopy skid marks swirled on the floor. When she finally got to the safety of under the table, she puked her guts out.

By the time I showed up, The Beast was hiding in the other room with his "I didn't do nothin" look on his face.

I was NOT happy cleaning that up!

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #2 09-03-2005, 01:25 PM

Astro did that to Princess for a while - he'd hear her in the litter and would come to investigate, would totally freak Princess out. Which then led to Princess avoiding the litter box again. We took the lid off the litterbox for a while - the litterbox is in a closet with the door ajar, and this way she could see what's coming and have privacy but also could run easier if she felt she had to. Now that Astro and Princess are at the "I'll sniff your butt and you can sniff mine, but stare at me too long and we'll be boxing" stage, we put the lid back on and all is well.

**lynnzop**[$] · #3 09-03-2005, 01:28 PM

Make Brian clean it up.

**theworm**[$] · #4 09-03-2005, 01:30 PM

Brian is at work today, and I didn't want to leave it there all afternoon.

MJ - the litter box is frighteningly close to the kitchen. I HATE that, but its better than pee and poop on the floor. At least she uses it. The idea of having it there with no lid is just too much for me to take. I may have to reposition it in a corner so she can see out, right now I have it facing away from where any humans can see it.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #5 09-03-2005, 01:35 PM

You might not have to take the lid off if she keeps using it despite today's scare.

**theworm**[$] · #6 09-03-2005, 02:15 PM

I'm hoping!
I told Brian that I'm going to start crating the Beast. He laughed and wondered if I would bleed to death before they could reattach my fingers.

*emeleel* · #7 09-03-2005, 02:15 PM

Aw, poor Birdie!

I think I'd take up a post in the room with a good book, or some crocheting, with a squirt bottle next to me.

**theworm**[$] · #8 09-03-2005, 02:19 PM

Yeah - we threaten him a lot.
If we don't have a water bottle handy, we just pick up windex or 409 or clorox spray and show it to him. He runs off. Little wimp.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #9 09-03-2005, 03:55 PM

If it makes you feel any better, I just went to do some laundry and discovered that one of our feline angels used Hubby's laundry basket for a #2. In the cat's defense, I'm sure the smell of Hubby's gym socks greatly added to the confusion between laundry basket and litter box.

**theworm**[$] · #10 09-03-2005, 03:59 PM

LOL
So - who cleaned it up?

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #11 09-03-2005, 04:12 PM

Hubby's not home and neither of the cats was willing to own up to being responsible, so it fell to me by default.

mj
who's gonna wash this load twice, with extra soap and super-hot hot water

**theworm**[$] · #12 09-03-2005, 04:14 PM

I hate that. Cats make a mess, but REFUSE to clean up. Each morning I give ours chores. They never get done, but then there is an awful lot of screaming for more food.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #13 09-03-2005, 04:20 PM

Chores? Hell, we come home from work, look at them sitting all comfy-cozy in the living room, and demand to know when they're going to get jobs. They blink at us and slowly turn their heads. Ingrates.

**theworm**[$] · #14 09-03-2005, 04:28 PM

and then they want food!

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #15 09-03-2005, 04:34 PM

Uber-ingrates!

murasaki · #16 09-03-2005, 09:12 PM

For a while there, the demi-goddess was peeing on everything in the closet--even the places she likes to sleep, which I didn't get. We threw away three gym bags, washed our Army duffle bags, washed several loads of laundry, and covered or emptied out the laundry basket she sleeps in and my gym clothes drawer (the top is not covered). I think she was acting out after Kushi disappeared because it seems to be over. Though she was also peeing in Rory's bouncy chair before I just sent that down to the basement.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #17 09-03-2005, 09:25 PM

You never heard anything about Kushi?

eris esoteric · #18 09-04-2005, 01:46 AM

Quote:

theworm said

I hate that.

Did I ever mention the fact that when Pixie gets sick, she ALWAYS does it on the linoleum floor, right next to the litter box? She's so sweet like that.

The only litterbox problem I've had was someone peeing over the side of the box. I couldn't figure out WHICH of the girls was doing it, but since it started after we got Stranger I was pretty sure it was her. But then, two weeks ago, I caught Pixie in the act, and she wasn't acting like it was something she had MEANT to do. She even jumped out of the box and started pawing the floor, trying to bury it. It took some thought, but I figured out what the problem was; I was putting too much litter into the box, so when she backed into the corner to pee, she wasn't terribly clear about where the edge was. I've been putting less litter in the box ever since, and I've had no problems whatsoever.

Which of course has nothing whatsoever to do with cats intimidating each other in the box. I just wanted to brag about how nice Pixie is.

**theworm**[$] · #19 09-04-2005, 03:19 PM

Well as long as we're bragging, my first cat Pepper, was SOOOO smart (how smart was she)
Well - that was back in the days before I knew of the dangers of cheap cat food and I fed her tender vittles - shame on me, that's probably why she died young, but I really didn't know it was bad.
Anyway, I went on vacation and my mom babysat. My mom had the litter box down in the basement. She would leave the pouch from the tender vittles next to the box, so that when Pepper went, she could scoop it, put it in the little pouch and throw it out right away.
After the first day, Pepper caught on. After she pooped, she would do her burying thing, then pick up the pouch and toss it on top.
She was so smart and so so so sweet. And beautiful! She was very beautiful!

murasaki · #20 09-04-2005, 09:08 PM

Eris - if she starts up again, just get a cover for the box. Even if her aim is off, the cover will stop it nicely. Besides, the covers help with the dust and debris that gets flung out of the box--despite their reputations, cats can be messy.

Edited to add: still no word about Kushi; it's been four months. That fat cat has either found a home where she can overeat to her heart's content or she died the first night after the prison-break.

eris esoteric · #21 09-04-2005, 11:32 PM

Naomi, I'm really sorry about Kushi. I know how much you love your demi-goddesses.

And I'm reluctant to get a cover, simply because I use the scooping litter liners, and I don't think I could get a cover that would fit over them.

But it's been two weeks and no more accidents. I think part of the problem is the extreme weight gain she's acquired, she's no longer the size she was and hasn't quite learned to compensate yet.