Rehoming 2 older cats - house training?

katini

blizeH wrote: »

Annoying cos we can't lock him out without locking out the other too, which would be a shame because he just lies at the bottom of the bed all night without even moving, out of the way just all curled up

This is the same with our cats. The mother is lovely and if we don't get her out of the room before we go to bed she sleeps at the end of the bed. Her son though is like the devil and spends the night leaping on us, biting our toes and biting our shoulders/arms. Therefore we now have to chase them out at night and keep the door shut!!

Flibertigibit

Am I being thick - why isn't it ok for one cat to be allowed in the bedroom because it behaves and another to be shut out? Cats don't see things as "favouritism" as we do and might even appreciate being apart overnight. Well - it's worth a try isn't it?

blizeH

Nah you're right flib - problem is what if the one wants some food or to go the toilet? Just don't know if it's a good idea to lock him in the room without easy access to his litter/food/water!

Flibertigibit

Not sure which one you mean when you talk about "Just don't know if it's a good idea to lock him in the room without easy access to his litter/food/water!" but if you mean the one that's in the bedroom, well you say he doesn't move all night until you get up, so that probably ok, certainly with regard to food and water, and if he is desperate for the litter box, I'm sure he'll let you know! If you're talking out the one shut out of the bedroom I guess all the facilites (except your girlfriend's head!) are available for him anyway?

Ms_Magnetite

The one wanting the comfort of clawing is more needing of company than the other one, if anything. Just pick him up and place him further down the bed each time. They do give up in the end. The alternative of shutting him out can lead to 3am howling sessions, with him going 'OOOOWWWOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'm lonely!' all night, or bashing his head repeatedly against the door and keeping you awake.

rita-rabbit

blizeH wrote: »

Thank you all so much for the replies! Only just had a chance to catch up on them

We went with the downstairs toilet in the end, girlfriend went with the cheap cat litter but lots of expensive and nice/tasty food option which we may reconsider and get them some nice cat litter in the mean time too, this stuff is far too gravelly! We let them explore (took a while, the one was very reserved at first!) and they quickly found their food (one bowl of IAMs and one bowl of turkey in jelly) and water and their cat litter wasn't far away in the downstairs toilet, which they've both used

The cats are so lovely. Even the more reserved one now follows us around, both slept on our bed for a little bit last night, and they were doing that pawing thing onto the bed (or rather onto my girlfriend!) that cats supposedly only do when they're really content - amazed they've settled in so nicely! Especially after a horrible 6 months in a cage.

One thing though, the one cat is *constantly* pawing at the carpets. When I say pawing I don't mean in a nice gentle soft way, more a "I'm going to rip your nice brand new £2k upstairs carpets to pieces" which could be a problem. I've just told him "no" in a calm manner and he does stop, but then starts again 10 minutes later. You'll be downstairs and suddenly you hear him tearing the carpets up!

Thinking of getting a scratching post and a nice big bed for them - any recommendations on something really nice but not too pricey?!

I use large toenail clippers

blizeH

So, a (cute as hell!) grey fluffy cat with white paws has started coming through the catflap, eating all of the other cats food and then making itself at home.

As adorable as it is, I don't want three cats, and it certainly isn't fair on our current too that he's coming into the house, eating their food and making them anxious.

Short of getting a microchip cat flap for £80+ the cost of fitting them (metal door, I haven't a clue) is there anything else we can do to prevent it from coming in?

Thanks

morg_monster

there are flaps that open with a collar "tag", they are more expensive than "normal" catflaps but cheaper than microchip ones. However if yours tend to lose their collars, it will work out more expensive, as the tags are usually £10ish a pop to replace.
are you in the house all day? Could spend a day by the flap spraying the invader whenever he comes in. But if you are out at work that will not work.

BTW how did you get them to stop scratching at the carpets, everything we've tried with ours over the past 9 months (sprays, both water & the P@H; tin foil; covering the spots they're scratching at) has just made them scratch somewhere else! They love their scratch posts and pads but love the carpet more!!

blizeH

So, at last the cat bed we paid £36 for has had some use! Unfortunately it's the grey cat that keeps coming around. It's definitely mad itself at home, went into the kitchen the other day and meow'd at my girlfriend to give it some food Our cats are quite weary of it though, so it has to go. Water pistol is the way forward I think.

@ morg, thanks, but this one already has a collar, which for all I know could be one of the cat flap ones anyway Maybe the microchip one as a last resort.

To get them to stop scratching at carpets, hm... well the first big step was the scratching post which Mo uses a lot now, I also tried to discourage scratching and covered up the carpet they scratched regularly with offcuts. I also covered the part of the stairs where Murphy scratched with a towel for a week or so and he's stopped now. Water pistol when they do scratch is also an option. Oh, and try not to keep doors closed as that's when they scratch the most!

blizeH

Me again! More problems, on top of the grey cat that's coming in occasionally (still, although it's far rarer now) Mo is occasionally getting into fights, and the other day there was blood on the carpet, and today there's blood on the bed, poor fella

It's also confusing because he's actually one of the biggest/strongest cats I've seen, and also incredibly quick and agile... I'm wondering if he's just a bit of a soft touch? I saw him chasing after the other cat the other day after a fight, but it was more was just pottering along without a care in the world, I think maybe he's just too friendly to look after himself? Either way it's not good... and I guess there's nothing really I can do about it, other than constantly be on the look out for the black and white cat and get a supersoaker or something?