24 March 2013

the cat

I think it's funny that everyone keeps asking me how Pumpkin handled the move. As I probably mentioned at some point earlier, Pumpkin has been adjusting remarkably well. We all thought she'd freak out. She did a little bit when we started moving all the stuff out of mom's house. She lurked nearby and watched it all happen. Once we got her to the new house, she wandered around and checked stuff out. She didn't hide for days, pee or poop anywhere, or refuse food. She even ventured outside within a few days of the move, which made me pretty hopeful.

There have been a few issues, though. I've caught her on the kitchen counters, and I can tell she's been up on the kitchen windowsill. A few days of cayenne pepper sprinkled on the counters should fix that.

By FAR the biggest problem is that she isn't going outside a lot. She's used to being able to go in and out as she pleases, because someone at mom's is usually home during the day. Not so much anymore. She's stuck inside all day, which leaves her with pent-up energy that she unleashes in cat crazies at night. While I'm trying to sleep.

When I wake up in the morning or come home at night I try to coax her outside, but she's resisting. If I throw her outside, more often than not she meows at the door until I let her back in. I've tried leaving the doors open on nice days so that she can choose to go outside, and I've also tried staying out there with her, sitting on the back porch or doing yard work. I've tried giving her butter when she's outside. She's not digging any of it.

The pent-up energy I can handle. It's the litter box that I can't handle.

Ughhh the litter box smells sooo bad. I can smell it even in the living room even after I've scooped it out and disposed of it. I abhor litter boxes.Which is why that I've always been very happy that Pumpkin is an outside cat who prefers to use the outside as a litterbox. In the past I've rarely had to clean the litter box. I only kept one just in case she was locked inside and had to go.

Now, the guest bathroom has been taken over by the box, the smell, and the inevitable litter tracked out of the box and onto the floor. Yuck. I'd be happy if the only time she went outside was for 5 minutes to use the bathroom. I could deal with that and we could work up to chasing squirrels and birds.

Anybody have any suggestions?

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