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How on Earth do I convince my cat he can't sit down when he goes potty? When Courage uses the litterbox, he digs a hole, then sits in it and goes. I have to catch him and clean him up every time he uses the litterbox. It wouldn't so bad but he has long fur....and he hates having his butt wiped.
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Supreme Being
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Courage isn't that old, but it is possible he could have a mild case of arthritis or a joint or bone condition. When did this behavior start? I don't remember you ever mentioning it before. If it is somewhat recent or new, you may want to have him checked out by a vet, maybe even some x-rays.
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Courage isn't even 2 yrs yet...however I have always felt something was wrong with his hind legs.
when we first found him, he had a slight limp in his right hind leg. The limping got better after a couple days, so I thought maybe he sprained something when some scumbags were kicking at him to make him run.
When we got back home with Courage, I had a complete physical done on him and mentioned to the vet that he was limping when we found him and that he had a funny walk. If you remember, I mentioned it here last year that he walked like Charlie Chaplin...he throws his back legs outwards to the side. The vet felt that leg and moved it around to make sure everything was in place and look for any reaction to pain. Nothing. We tried to get Courage to walk for the vet, but the doctor scares Courage stiff...literally. The boy just sits there like a stone and growls.
It was some time around then that I was brushing Courage and discovered that scab with a plug of hair on the same leg that he was limping on...which I took a picture of and posted here The scab was perfectly round when it fell off and the fresh scar on him looked suspiciously like a bb gun pellet.
Other things I have noticed about Courage is he does not like it if his back legs are together when you carry him. I carry him by having his hind legs straddle one arm then my other arm crosses over his body and my hand is under his feet for support. When he lays down, his hind legs are always splayed out too. I know that is normal for kittens but they usually grow out of that when their bones are more mature, right?
I KNEW something wasn't quite right with his hind legs ALL this time...but my vet says he can't find anything wrong. Poor baby
Is there something I can do to make using his box easier? I do have his litter at least four inches deep because he is obsessive about making sure everything is covered up good. Do you think that is hard on his back legs?
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Supreme Being
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Personally I think you should get a second opinion. My Leo hated one dr but loved another. I really think he needs some xrays. If nothing comes back then you can talk to the dr about pain meds. You haven't been on in a while so I honestly forgot about all of courage's little incidents. I still say get him to a vet. Please keep us posted! Good luck.
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I've made an appointment with Goldmount; unfortunately, they are so good, the soonest I could get in without going in as an emergency is three weeks from now. The computer has been busy locating car parts for our latest project, restoring a 1960 Plymouth Valiant. I should have never taught Terry how to use the computer
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I think Courage will have the same reaction with any doctor I take him to; the only people he isn't scared of is me, Terry, and the neighbor who comes over every day. The only reason Courage doesn't run or fight at the clinic is because he is out of his element so to speak. If Courage is at home and a stranger gets within four feet of our place, he starts growling and hissing.
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Supreme Being
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I understand. I have a cat who is very similar. He was abused before we adopted him. It took him nearly a year before he would trust us, but we still can't hardly hold him (maybe once or twice a month for about 15 seconds at a time). However, when I took him to our first vet, he was trembling he was so scared. A few months later, we took him to another vet. He handled Aster WAY differently. They put a towel down on the table to make him feel more secure (the stainless steel tables can feel really slippery to animals), and the tech just cuddled him in the towel if the vet wasn't actively working with him. He was still a little scared, but he was more relaxed.
I would also push for xrays too. After hearing your recap of Courage's history, there is still a chance that if he was hit with a bb gun, the bb could still be in there, and because of the change in the weather as the season changes, he could be feeling the pain a little more. If the xrays reveal nothing, at least talk to the dr. about some kind of pain medicine. If it is joint related, I suggest Cosequin.
Good Luck! Please keep us posted! Hope Courage does better at the new vet!
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It still makes me mad to think about what Courage went through when he was just a baby. I know he was kicked and I know he was beaten for getting on furniture and I am pretty sure it was a man who did that because of how Courage used to watch "Dad's" feet and how he would take off in fear for his life if Terry so much as twitched a foot. He was abused when he was living in a house with his mom, then he was dumped at a public place, near some woods in an area that has a big problem with coyotes eating small pets, and abused even more by stupid people who thought it was funny to scare the snot out of him and chase him.
Knowing how horrible his life was before we found him makes me very protective of him and more determined than ever to make sure the life he has now is everything a cat could desire. Thank you for the reference for the medicine for joint pain...I am hoping to keep him away from medacam, which is what our vet likes to prescribe for pain. I take it you have experience with cats that have sore joints? I have rearranged everything so Courage can climb up to where he wants to go instead of jumping and the one thing that is nagging at me is probablly silly but would it be better for him if I used less litter in his box? His litterbox is actually a rubbermaid container made to store shoes under your bed and right now, I keep the litter about 4" deep. Is it harder for his legs to support him on the litter? I use Feline Pine Scoopable, which is sawdust, more or less. Would less litter be better for him (firmer support) or stay with the 4" deep for more cushion (plus he is obsessive about making sure everything is covered up good).
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| I honestly have no idea if less litter would be better or not. I do know that if you want to try it your cat will still be able to get things buried. My Ebony is a digger when it comes to litter, and I don't always keep 4 inches in the box. I scoop every day, but only add litter back in after about a week or so. With less litter you may notice it all piled on one side, but your cat will still scratch and bury to his heart's content.
 
Ebony and Minx rule my house
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Supreme Being
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I'm sorry I didn't notice your post earlier.
I don't think less litter would help. If anything, buy using a softer litter such as Feline Pine or World's Best Cat Litter, it would probably feel better and more cushy on his feet than having to stand on the bottom of the hard box. I'm really not sure though. I suppose it's worth a try!
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