Not just a cat
Teeka has been in our family for over 10yrs. Lindsey was only 10 months old when she and I went to a small pet store in Richland Washington to look at kittens. Tani, our kitty we brought with us from Maui had an accident with cyototes. At that point our pets nidn't last much longer than a year. We had had a snake in Austin, it somehow got out of it's cage. Never found it, sigh. Some parents we were going to be huh?
Teeka was the only tri color kitten. The others seemed to be "boring" Tabby. Of course Lindsey liked her. I called Scott at work and he drove down to approve the newest member of our family. She was paid for and off we went home. She was definately one of a kind. She would play fetch! I had never seen a cat play fetch. I was in awe. She loved Lindsey and would curl up with her. Each child we had she would curl up to while they were teeny babies. We even have a picture of her curled up on a friends baby in his carrier. She loved people! Especially babies. She was fairly social and fun. She did not do well with other cats. We got her a "friend", she ignored us after that. That cat had an accident with cyototes too. (each time we heard they cyotoes howling, we lived on the edge of the dessert) She became herself after that...loving and playful.
We moved to Utah three years ago August and stayed with Scott's brother. They had a cat who we tried to keep her secluded from. We did pretty well, till he found away into our room. One of them PEED on our bed. NICE! I immediately blamed it on their cat. MY cat never peed on anything. That was only the begining. She is a tri color tortise shell...I have heard Calico cats don't play well with others. I think it is true. She seemed to adjust well to our new home when we moved. She did notlike going outside much. So she became pretty much became and indoor only cat. We had no problem with it. She was happy.
Two years ago we got Nala. Nala, is the perfect dog, besides her jumping fence ablities. Teeka, immediately changed! She was eight years old and set in her ways. Other than the hamsters she had been and only pet. Do hamsters count? THe changes were not good ones. She started peeing on things. You name it she would pee on. Most of the time it was dirty clothes in the girls rooms. At first I was happy it was on things that could be tossed in the washing machine. It was more and more frequent. I learned vinegar worked well in the rinse cycle. She peed on the couch pillows, luckily they were washable. She peed on clothes on the couch and it soaked THROUGH the clothes into the couch. Unfortunately the couch is NOT washable. Sprays only work for so long. The problem is she remarks everything. It isn't an one time job and she is done.
SO for two years she has peed on things about twice a week. I ahve been known to say "I'm going to kill myself a cat", "shes dead" and the most recent was "I'm ready to put her to sleep!". Well, last night, Scott, the most calm person about this (he doesn't do laundry) came in and said "I'm ready to put her to sleep". Immediately I started to bawl!
I have never had anyone REALLY close to me die. A friend in highschool, that was about it. I have lost pets, my two cats that I'd had for about a year, hamsters, and of course fish. Last night was so hard for me. It seemed to me like it would be murder. Of course I was all talk before, when Scott was all calm and didn't call my bluff. After talkign about it we have decided it would be better for her to be put down than to become an outside cat in below freezing temps. Since it is problems with peeing and jealousy (over the dog) it isn't like putting her in the the garage would be helpful. We have taken to tossing her outside (where she is now) when we find she has peed on something. She disapears for a while (24-48hrs). We worry about her while she is gone. We have NO clue where she goes to be safe from the dogs (some roam) and to stay warm. SO we have decided a quick painless death would be better than being scared, cold and hungry. If she was out permanantly we would not see her again. Her posh life would be over as she knows it.
She's 10 how many people would want to take on a 10yr old cat who has a peeing problem, even if it is because of a dog? I can't think of any? How can I not be honest about her issues? I don't want to lie and then the new family give her to someone else. I would prefer her to see us as her family as she passes. Not abandoned. I'm not sure if we will wait to have Scott's dad do it or if we will take her to someone here.
I feel so guilty, because she is so sweet and loves us. If we had not accepted Nala, I think she would be fine. Nala, has become as much or more part of our family as she has. It is hard to choose, but she is destroying things. She has lived a good life and I believe would be happier in another place. Maybe I'm trying to justify killing my cat.
I love you, Teeka!
Teeka was the only tri color kitten. The others seemed to be "boring" Tabby. Of course Lindsey liked her. I called Scott at work and he drove down to approve the newest member of our family. She was paid for and off we went home. She was definately one of a kind. She would play fetch! I had never seen a cat play fetch. I was in awe. She loved Lindsey and would curl up with her. Each child we had she would curl up to while they were teeny babies. We even have a picture of her curled up on a friends baby in his carrier. She loved people! Especially babies. She was fairly social and fun. She did not do well with other cats. We got her a "friend", she ignored us after that. That cat had an accident with cyototes too. (each time we heard they cyotoes howling, we lived on the edge of the dessert) She became herself after that...loving and playful.
We moved to Utah three years ago August and stayed with Scott's brother. They had a cat who we tried to keep her secluded from. We did pretty well, till he found away into our room. One of them PEED on our bed. NICE! I immediately blamed it on their cat. MY cat never peed on anything. That was only the begining. She is a tri color tortise shell...I have heard Calico cats don't play well with others. I think it is true. She seemed to adjust well to our new home when we moved. She did notlike going outside much. So she became pretty much became and indoor only cat. We had no problem with it. She was happy.
Two years ago we got Nala. Nala, is the perfect dog, besides her jumping fence ablities. Teeka, immediately changed! She was eight years old and set in her ways. Other than the hamsters she had been and only pet. Do hamsters count? THe changes were not good ones. She started peeing on things. You name it she would pee on. Most of the time it was dirty clothes in the girls rooms. At first I was happy it was on things that could be tossed in the washing machine. It was more and more frequent. I learned vinegar worked well in the rinse cycle. She peed on the couch pillows, luckily they were washable. She peed on clothes on the couch and it soaked THROUGH the clothes into the couch. Unfortunately the couch is NOT washable. Sprays only work for so long. The problem is she remarks everything. It isn't an one time job and she is done.
SO for two years she has peed on things about twice a week. I ahve been known to say "I'm going to kill myself a cat", "shes dead" and the most recent was "I'm ready to put her to sleep!". Well, last night, Scott, the most calm person about this (he doesn't do laundry) came in and said "I'm ready to put her to sleep". Immediately I started to bawl!
I have never had anyone REALLY close to me die. A friend in highschool, that was about it. I have lost pets, my two cats that I'd had for about a year, hamsters, and of course fish. Last night was so hard for me. It seemed to me like it would be murder. Of course I was all talk before, when Scott was all calm and didn't call my bluff. After talkign about it we have decided it would be better for her to be put down than to become an outside cat in below freezing temps. Since it is problems with peeing and jealousy (over the dog) it isn't like putting her in the the garage would be helpful. We have taken to tossing her outside (where she is now) when we find she has peed on something. She disapears for a while (24-48hrs). We worry about her while she is gone. We have NO clue where she goes to be safe from the dogs (some roam) and to stay warm. SO we have decided a quick painless death would be better than being scared, cold and hungry. If she was out permanantly we would not see her again. Her posh life would be over as she knows it.
She's 10 how many people would want to take on a 10yr old cat who has a peeing problem, even if it is because of a dog? I can't think of any? How can I not be honest about her issues? I don't want to lie and then the new family give her to someone else. I would prefer her to see us as her family as she passes. Not abandoned. I'm not sure if we will wait to have Scott's dad do it or if we will take her to someone here.
I feel so guilty, because she is so sweet and loves us. If we had not accepted Nala, I think she would be fine. Nala, has become as much or more part of our family as she has. It is hard to choose, but she is destroying things. She has lived a good life and I believe would be happier in another place. Maybe I'm trying to justify killing my cat.
I love you, Teeka!
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