RootAnn Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 (edited) We are dog sitting a wiener dog for some friends. It is insanely hot here, so he is inside, in a crate when we aren't walking him or hanging out with him (on leash) outside. We are 2 days into a week long stay. The dog is doing fine.The problem is our resident queen - the cat. She is 13 years old and greatly dislikes other animals, which is why we've never added a kitten into the mix.Since the dog arrived, the cat won't come upstairs at all. Yesterday, she hid under the bed in the spare room in the basement and wouldn't come out. She has refused treats, water, and any attempts to make nice. She's eaten a small amount, but not a normal amount. We've moved her water bowl downstairs.Any tips other than get rid of the dog (which we can't do until Wed)? How long can she sulk and be mad at us? Will she starve/dehydrate herself to death in protest (dh is worried about this)? She's never acted this way before. ----------------------------------- ** UPDATE IN POST 10 ** [Turns out this made us aware of our cat's sickness] Edited July 6, 2016 by RootAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 She might. Cats are very sensitive creatures. Is she indoor only? Because if so you need to be monitoring that litter box every day. If she's peeing & pooping her normal daily amount, it's ok. If not, you might need to pop her into the vet & get an appetite stimulant. Unlike with dogs & humans who can go days without eating, cats can easily develop a condition called "feline hepatic lipidosis" which can be quickly fatal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 She is normally an indoor/outdoor cat, but her exit to outside is upstairs only, so she hasn't been going out. I'll have DH monitor the litter box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Is the litter box near her? She sounds very stressed. I'd consider containing her in a small room (bathroom) with a litter box, water, and food. I hope she is back to normal soon once the wiener dog goes home! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Also, you could try a Feliway pheromone plug in. Be prepared for her stress to continue even after the dog leaves. In addition to what zoobie said, I consider having her favourite person move into a room with her. Bring all her stuff in there, bring the computer, tv in there & sleep there & just hang out there with her as much as possible. She'll take comfort from it even if she doesn't come out at first. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Is there a backup dog sitter that can take the dog? Is the dog's home near enough that you can keep the dog there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 When your dog is inside, can you keep him downstairs in the basement with a door shut? At least for now, while everyone is getting used to each other. Then your cat can be back upstairs with you and not have to worry about the dog in her space, and could also exit outside freely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 She is normally an indoor/outdoor cat, but her exit to outside is upstairs only, so she hasn't been going out. I'll have DH monitor the litter box. I'm trying to picture your house, I'm guessing it is not a traditional two story home? Can the pets stay on different levels? Our dogs are only allowed downstairs, and if I were in your situation, I'd just put all things cat upstairs. Now, our master suite is downstairs and that is where our cats hang out/eat/litter boxes. (The dogs are not allowed in there because it is carpeted.) But can you just completely separate? Maybe put your cat, food, and litter box all in a farther room or different floor than the dog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 Is the litter box near her? She sounds very stressed. I'd consider containing her in a small room (bathroom) with a litter box, water, and food. I hope she is back to normal soon once the wiener dog goes home! Her litter box is in the basement with her. She's pi$$ed off. Now that we have her out of the spare bedroom in the basement, she's hanging out mostly in dd#1 & dd#3's (shared) bedroom, which is one of her usual napping places. Her food & litter box are down the hallway. Also, you could try a Feliway pheromone plug in. Be prepared for her stress to continue even after the dog leaves. In addition to what zoobie said, I consider having her favourite person move into a room with her. Bring all her stuff in there, bring the computer, tv in there & sleep there & just hang out there with her as much as possible. She'll take comfort from it even if she doesn't come out at first. Her favorite person would probably be my DH, so that won't work at all. She's the most upset with him, I'd say, as she's accepted hand-feeding & hand-watering from a couple of the rest of us, but completely ignores him when he brings her some of her favorite treats. Is there a backup dog sitter that can take the dog? Is the dog's home near enough that you can keep the dog there? Dog's owner house is out in the country & if they could have left him there, they would have. There is an emergency option, but it is with someone not very responsible, which is why we got him. When your dog is inside, can you keep him downstairs in the basement with a door shut? At least for now, while everyone is getting used to each other. Then your cat can be back upstairs with you and not have to worry about the dog in her space, and could also exit outside freely. The dog has to be taken out a lot (used to running freely on a farm) when not in his kennel. There is no exit point from the basement. We have him in his kennel right by a door that the cat doesn't use, which we thought was the best option to not have him track his scent all over when going in & out. I'm trying to picture your house, I'm guessing it is not a traditional two story home? Can the pets stay on different levels? Our dogs are only allowed downstairs, and if I were in your situation, I'd just put all things cat upstairs. Now, our master suite is downstairs and that is where our cats hang out/eat/litter boxes. (The dogs are not allowed in there because it is carpeted.) But can you just completely separate? Maybe put your cat, food, and litter box all in a farther room or different floor than the dog? We have a one story house with no-exit-full-basement. The pets are on different levels & the only thing of the cat's is her water - which was upstairs, but is temporarily relocated to the basement where she's hanging out. So, they are definitely on different levels & completely separated. The dog is used to cats from the farm, so he doesn't mind her at all. She took one look at him & has pretty much stayed in the basement since. However, DH has spotted her upstairs twice today (which is HUGE). She allowed me to give her water (from her favorite watering device) this afternoon and has taken some food from dd#3 today. We're trying to give her lots of extra attention & DH is monitoring the litter box. I'm pondering whether I should try to sneak her past the dog tonight to sleep w/DH. My only worry is that she'd have to pass the dog to get back down to her litter box. I could shut our door & when she asks to be let out, zoom her past the dog & back down into the basement. Not sure if that would be better or just to go with the status quo & leave her to sleep on dd#3's bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted July 6, 2016 Author Share Posted July 6, 2016 So, after doing better right before & after the dog left, our cat took a nose-dive again in terms of eating & drinking. A trip to the vet (the first time) showed she'd lost a lot of weight (almost 2 lbs) and possibly an infection. We gave her the antibiotics & hand fed & watered her. She didn't improve & has spent the last couple of weeks laying around & not being herself. We went back to the vet today & saw a different vet than the first time. This one thought she felt a mass in our cat's abdomen. We authorized further tests & were able to rule out thyroid problems, heart trouble, and a few other things. An ultrasound confirmed masses in her abdomen - probably blocking her GI track from processing much food. The vet suspects lymphoma and is doing surgery in the morning to cut out what she can & get a sample for a biopsy. We'll know more in just over a week. This has probably been going on for a few months - and the vomiting that we just figured was typical was probably an overlooked symptom. So, while the dog wasn't good for her, it probably sped us up finding this issue. Prognosis doesn't look good in the long term, but we are hoping to be able to have her for another few months to another couple of years, depending on what they find. Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 :grouphug: ah, that sucks :( Poor kitty. I hope the surgery is smooth. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 Aw, poor kitty. Glad you figured out what's causing her problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Oh, poor kitty. I'm sorry to hear that this is the cause! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.