Something has been happening in the La Costa household that has me frustrated, sad and angry. I don't know what to do. Well, I think I do but I don't want to do it.
My head knows the right decision, but my heart says otherwise. It will affect the whole family, particularly my son, who will be devastated. And I will forever be THE BAD GUY. The worst Mommy in the whole world.
I think I have to get rid of our cat. You can stop with the hate mail. I hear your pet loving fingers typing away. I mean I think we have to give Zoe away. I don't want to, but she's peeing all over the house and I've tried everything and we didn't mortgage ourselves to the hilt for her to use the house as a litterbox! Aghhhhhh!
She didn't start peeing until we'd already been in the house awhile, or maybe we were too busy with the kitchen remodel to notice. But now, I catch her pawing the carpet upstairs by the TV or on the landing and I just want to strangle her!
She knows she's done something wrong too. She'll freeze for half a second then hightail her little fatty ass down the stairs and under our bed where she knows I can't reach her.
I spend so much time trying to keep the carpet clean so our house doesn't reek (neighbors have told me they don't notice any pee smells so either my efforts are paying off or they're lying). My cleaning arsenal has grown over the months. Febreeze should give me stock or elect me to the board. And we rent a shampoo machine from the grocery store every other month.
I even bought puppy training pads. She uses them, and I give her a treat each time, but she still goes in the house. She has two litterboxes, the puppy pads and spends time outside, where she used to go all the time at our last place.
The advice I read online about cleaning the pee zone is so conflicting: use vinegar, don't use vinegar because it's acidic like the pee. Stand on the pee spot and use body weight to absorb as much as possible, don't stand on the spot because that only presses the pee further into the padding.
Other than the peeing, she's an awesome cat. I got her as a kitten as a present for hubby. Zoe is so sweet, loving and patient. My son smothers her but she's so good with him. She loves people, not like some cats who have no time for us besides the occasional leg rub. If I point out a spider or bug, she'll eat it. Even though she's 11, she's still really playful.
I'm embarrassed to have anyone over except our closest friends and family. And before they come I'm cleaning, spraying and lighting candles like crazy.
We could buy a cat tree and make her live in the garage, but Zoe hates it there and she's such a people cat I couldn't imagine forcing her to stay out there. I really don't know what to do. I think Zoe needs a new home but who's going to want a fat, 11 year old cat with litterbox issues?
