I need to vent just for a few minutes. My animals are driving me crazy. Bruno: I bring him in to feed him at night in his crate and then to spend some time with him but once he eats and is out of his crate he will not sit down, lay down, and is unable to be content chewing on a toy. So, I take him outside and he runs to his doghouse and won't come out to play. I close up his kennel and come back inside and he starts barking/calling me to come back out. Oh and he decided he would chew through another leash. (but at least it wasn't my LB amish leash again) I just repainted and redone my bathroom; new shower curtain and bath mat sets etc.; my cat peed on my new bath rug. I've posted about this before prior. I do not believe he has a UTI because he does not have trouble peeing, does not make frequent trips to the litter box, his litter is clean, hasn't been changed, and no big life changing situation to stress him out, and when he pees outside the litter box he will go on my throw rugs. The one at the front door I've just taken up which did solve the problem but/so am I just not going to be able to have nice decorative throw rugs? I tried putting cayenne (sp?) pepper on the bath rugs because I suspected he might try it but it evidently did not deter him. Would the bitter apple spray work here? I'm not having a good day

I don't think bitter apple spray will work.

But if it makes you feel any better, my cat peed all over my clean clothes, for no good reason.

And I fought with Yote for about a half hour tonight to get him to lay quietly on his bed. But darn't I won that fight.

And Yote has chewed through 3 leashes and 15 feet of drag line in the last two weeks.

Oh and Loki is in the hallway whining his damn head off, but I can't let him into the living room until Chad gets home from work, because I'm not confident in my ability to break up a fight with my hand all gimp from falling on the ice.

So you are not alone!!!

Thanks! I do feel better even if it is at your expense What I want is to train him to lay down while I am working at my desk. Since he does well in his crate in the house, would it be worth trying to move that crate by my desk to get him used to laying quietly in this area? Is that just dumb thinking? His crate is currently in the walk in closet off my bathroom only because its obviously a low traffic area and quiet for him.

It might be worth a try to move his crate.

Oh and to top off the pain in the butt-ness of my animals, The kitten took a flying leap off the counter and into her water bowl, then shot out of the kitchen like a rocket all soaking wet.

 Quote: Lori Jacobs

So, I take him outside and he runs to his doghouse and won't come out to play. I close up his kennel and come back inside and he starts barking/calling me to come back out.

Who is leading who here? Can you have him on a long cloth line and make your self more interesting than a doghouse? Lol. Persistance with consistancy in your relationship with pup/dog pays off tenfold.

I do not think it is out of line to move the crate. I don't know how old your dog is, but I know around 4 to 5 months, is quite a spazzy time...

As for the kitten--LMAO! My kitten (now big fatcat) fell into a fish tank and did the sail across the room soaking wet thing once too! Gotta see it to believe it, but it was damn funny!

I would definately take the cat in for a work up if you haven't already--might just be behavioural (or stress--feeding off your stress--and the spazzy dog), but you must rule out health issues IMO.

Hi Lori,

How long after Bruno eats do you allow him to come out of the crate. Perhaps when he is done eating, leave him in there for an hour or so, and then let him out when he is calm. You may have to re-teach him that he can only come out when he is laying down in his crate calmly, and must walk out of the crate rather than dart out.

With the cat thing, I recall suggesting putting his food and water bowls on the areas he tends to pee. If this does not work, or there are too many places, you may have to treat him like a dog and micromanage his life. That is, when you're home, put a harness and leash on him and tether him to you. The moment he does that squat or starts to sniff the rug or whatever, take him to the litter box. When you're not home lock him in the room with the litter box.

Be warned though, this will likely take much longer to "train" than with a dog. The cat will likely hate your guts while leashed to you and will throw a bigger fit than when you first put a leash on your dog. Plus, the fit will be longer. The whole leashed to you thing with many cats will cause them to not even think about going at all since they are focused on being miserable at you, the leash, and the harness. Nonetheless, when you do leave him in the room with the litter box, he will likely go right away. Depending on your cat, this may take a few months.

I forgot to ask and do not recall if you indicated this on your previous thread - this cat is fixed right? He is not spraying, but peeing on the ground, correct?

Hey Lori,

My first thought concerning Bruno is exercise? How much is he getting a day? Some dogs, no matter how often you walk them they still need some rigourous play (fetch, hide & seek etc etc)to wear them out. With my dog, it wouldn't matter if i walked him 3 or 4 times a day, if he doesn't get his daily off leash hike (so he can run and wear himself out) or 1/2 hour game of full tilt fetch in the park he's very anxious and fidgety at home. Some nights its way way too cold to stand out in a field playing fetch with him and I know ahead of time to plan to do something with him inside instead. Even if it's some obedience work or marker training sessions.

I do recall you asking about the whole cat-box issue in another thread, did you try any of the suggestions that some of us suggested?

Wendy

 Quote: Michele McAtee

 Quote: Lori Jacobs

So, I take him outside and he runs to his doghouse and won't come out to play. I close up his kennel and come back inside and he starts barking/calling me to come back out.

Who is leading who here?

IIMO.

Exactly - I know. He is 5 years old. I think I am going to move the crate tonight and just see how he does.

 Quote: Siaty Mantak

Hi Lori,

How long after Bruno eats do you allow him to come out of the crate. Perhaps when he is done eating, leave him in there for an hour or so, and then let him out when he is calm. You may have to re-teach him that he can only come out when he is laying down in his crate calmly, and must walk out of the crate rather than dart out.

He waits until I give him the ok to come out of the crate and usually he is in crate eating about 20 minutes.

The cat is neutered. The other rug issue I just took it up for now. The tethering idea is interesting.

Normally, we walk about 30 minutes a day..its a brisk walk and he wears a weighted backpack. Due to weather its just been some play in the backyard, however, like yours I'm not sure its possible to tire him out?

As far as Turbo, I have not contacted the vet because I've watched and he doesn't seem to having trouble going or going often and its only on throw rugs. I'm going to try changing to a clumping litter and putting a little more litter in the box. I may not have had enough in there. I have read that some of the nonskid rugs have an amonnia smell that might attract cats but that would only be the bath rug as the rug by the front door did not have a backing on it. And the litter box is in the bathroom so I don't think I can really put the food/water in there as it will be right by the litterbox?