posted on Feb, 22 2020 @ 09:03 PM
Argh, the cat has been banished to the basement at least for tonight, but maybe until his vet appointment (hopefully we can be squeezed in early this
coming week) Don't fret, the basement's finished & heated-- though it can get pretty chilly down there, it can also be warmed up nicely by jacking up
the furnace temp upstairs. So the basement's fairly temperate right now, but the first floor is comparatively hot (in the mid-70's now instead of low
60's) That brings the basement up to the mid to upper 60's. Though later in the week, it's supposed to get colder and I might have to jack it up
further to compensate if he has to stay down there. Bottom line is, he's not going to freeze down there, our gas bill is just going to spike is
all.
Anyway, he's in there because he just cannot be trusted to not crap or pee where he isn't supposed to -- bathroom floor, kitchen floor, stairs, behind
the recliner by the fireplace, in front of the younger kid's door -- which is his favorite spot to foul up aside from IN her room. That doesn't happen
in there anymore, she keeps her door shut tight now. For some reason, that poor girl is public enemy number one and we cannot figure out why, she's
practically Dr Doolittle with animals, they flock to her (even the wild chickadees sit on her outside! Total Snow White imitation!) We're utterly
baffled as to this ill-tempered sudden change lately in his liking of her, it makes no sense. She's not mean to him or any other animal. Or
even bugs, the kid is gentle with BUGS, too. It just makes zero sense.
His messes elsewhere in the house I know full well were out of sheer "F you!" defiance, because he always did it immediately after yowling in the
kitchen for food well before mealtimes & getting told "no".
So instead of following him around like a chaperone all day anymore in the HOPES of catching him before he squats somewhere, hubs and I decided he's
staying in the basement tonight, and maybe until his vet visit if the attitude doesn't change. If he wants to crap or pee on the floor to make a
statement, it's a painted concrete floor, it can be cleaned very easily. The carpet, not so much, that's time consuming as hell to get the odor
totally out of.
He's not shut down there & ignored, the door is right next to the kitchen table, so he's constantly being talked to by one person or another at the
table through the door. And I'm running down there to do laundry often, hubs & the older kid go down to sit with him (younger one is still very upset
with being targeted) so he's getting his people time. But man, is he ever displeased with this arrangement, and being very vocal about it (he hates
the basement as it is)
We'll let him upstairs tomorrow and see if his pooping & peeing behavior continues. If it doesn't, he's good to go, maybe he just needed a "time out"
or put in his pecking order place or something. If it does continue, he's just going to have to learn to deal with it down there for the week until
the vet can check him out.