Need Help - Newark,DE

Updated on March 29, 2007
S.L. asks from Newark, DE
19 answers

I have two cats one I got when she was just a baby she isnt the problem we just got a new kitten a few months ago from a guy with drug problems whos girlfriend just had a baby the problem is the kittens mom was run over by a car a few months after she was born I got her when she was 8 or 9 months old we worked threw a few behavorial problems the guy who owned her fed her off the table after a few times of being tossed of the table at meal time she finally gave up but here is my problem she isnt fixed and we have no money to get her fixed she has been urinateing on everything she is litter trained I suspect she is in heat and is sent marking due to the other cat being in the house but I need to come up with an idea to get her to stop doing that I put her in a crate at night or when we go out that seems to be when she does it most but will do it when we are around as well she also is very vocal and meows alot its not so bad during the day when everyones up but at 4am and shes howling like a banshee its very annoying since I do pen her I get up to check to see if shes hungry or needs to go to the bathroom and put her in her crate but after 10 min she starts all over again getting rid of her isnt an opption the kids would be crushed most of her catterwalling is due to her being deaf some is due to being in heat and she has separation issues the other cat in the house wont let her near so any suggestions on how to quiet her down so the rest of the house can get some sleep would be great

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thanks for all the tips I was used to paying for the spaying I didnt relize that there were places I could get it done for free I will check the local shelters to see if they offer the free spay I also shampoo the carpets and furniture every two weeks to keep the smell down and make sure the kids dont become sick I'll have to keep her somewhere else until she becomes out of heat the gentleman next door to me has three cats and I belive at least one is a male she flirts with him everytime he's let out from the window since I dont allow her out anytime we go out she is placed in her crate before the door is opened

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C.B.

answers from Philadelphia on

I would go to the local shelter and find out how much it will cost to have her spayed. No matter what you do, until she is done her heat cycle she will continue to do all of this and will do this at least 2x/year. I know around here the local agency charges $50.

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R.T.

answers from Philadelphia on

Cats will go in and out of heat every few weeks until they are spayed. In addition, she is at increased risk for several types of cancer and other life threatening conditions later in life if she isn't spayed. She will take any opportunity to find a mate when she is in heat and then you may end up with kittens who need homes. If you can't afford to get her spayed, perhaps you should try to find an organization that can help with the cost or find a new home for her. If you can't afford to get her spayed, how will you be able to afford vet bills if she gets sick? I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but having a pet is a responsibility that you should accept only if you can do right by the pet.

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L.F.

answers from Philadelphia on

Wow! You have your hands full. The expense of Vet care is very high and understood. There are places that will take a donation however such as the SPCA or cat rescue centers as well that I believe or some vets hearing your situation may help a little. Voice your situation to many people as well as posting here, you'll find help that way. Regardless of where you may find the help, please for your cats sake, find it fast. A female cat in heat for too long can pose many dangers healthwise, namely infections. How long has she been in heat? The combination of her being deaf and being in heat is sooo sad! But most of that catterwalling as you call it will cease for the most part once she's spayed. It's understood why you don't want to get rid of her....I wouldn't either. I did that once because of financial reasons and regret it to this day! Hang in there...vent when you can! and best of luck to you! Look into as many resources as possible (try seeing what your SPCA might be able to do for you or cat rescue centers!) and even try going on line putting in cat spaying....maybe you'll be surprised at what you find!
Good luck with that kitty!

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C.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

they sell this spray at walmart the will make the cat stop spraying in certain spots....but since she started getting the cat fixed probally will not stop the behavior but it doesn't hurt to have her fixed call the animal welfare association in your area they do a low cost fixing and you can also check with friends of animals they do the same i have never heard of any where doing it for free but i have four cats and the most i ever payed was 40 dollars...but that was a few years ago. instead of crating the cat lock her in one room at a time and watch her if she goes to spray stop her and put her in the litter box do that in each room as for the screaming shoot her with a water gun or spray bottle....good luck

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M.L.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi S.! Nothing worse than a cat that sprays and I know first hand. Cats like to have their own areas to feel like they are safe and in control. I did a lot research on cats spraying when we bought our new house because I didn't want my cat ruining my new home. It is important to keep the cats food bowls and liter box near each other. Many people have these in different rooms and cat have to wonder for them. When you keep them together the cat has a sense of there own space and is less likely to spray marking their territory. I always had my cats stuff seperate. It is extremely important for you to clean the litter box often, especially when there is more than one cat. If a litter box is full cat are more likely to go somewhere else. On the topic of spaying a cat, I can't stress to you the importance of having that done. You wouldn't want to end up with more kittins than you can handle. Please call local vets in the area or humane societies for advice on how to get your cat spayed for little or no cost to you. I know when we saved our dog out vet offered half off of the spaying. I know there are options out there you just have to look into it. Cats are independent annimals but almost need more work than a dog. Good luck, I hope things go good for you.

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R.J.

answers from Allentown on

Check with your local ASPCA they help with things like this . They offer very very cheap spading/neutering. Also check with your local petco they also offer help. ASPCA may do it for free.. If you have more than one ASPCA close to you dont hesitate to call them as well someone will help. Hope things get better for you. Good luck

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Y.L.

answers from Philadelphia on

Other than getting the cat fixed, I'm not sure there is any other option. There are local pet groups that offer low-cost spay/neuter. It still cost quite a bit but less than if you take the cat to a vet. Look up online and see if there are ones in your area.

Sorry, this probably wasn't too helpful.

Y.

T.E.

answers from Reading on

I don't know much about cats, as I have never owned one myself. But I do know that if you call your vet's office and explain to them your situation and that you want to have her fixed you could work out some type of payment plan to get it done.
Good luck with it!

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J.T.

answers from Reading on

Hi S.,
I would call your local animal shelter and ask for information on spay/neuter clinics in the area. The clinics are usually done at little to no cost because local vets and vet tech offer their time for free.
After reading some of the responses always ask if they'll spay if your pet is in heat. The vet hospital I worked at would spay cats in heat but not dogs. The sooner you get her spayed the better chance that this won't become a habit for her.
Good luck.
J.

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J.B.

answers from Allentown on

Your going to have to get her neutered. Contact the ASPCA and ask them where you can go for free or low cost spaying. I believe they have a program. Also, some of the local animal rescue groups have these types of programs also. Go onto Craigslist.org and look in the pet section- theres alot of resuce groups that advertise in there. Also, Petfinder.org is a website exclusively for rescue groups and you might be able to hook up with a group that can help you out.

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K.S.

answers from Philadelphia on

I have had the same problem years ago. Thing is it's not urine. it's spraying. the cat is in heat. this is what u should do. put vinager in a spray bottle and spray everything that it has sprayed and could spray. the scent will keep the cat away. plus if u have time. take it outside as often as u can. this will give him or her a scense of not being traped inside all the time. for cleaning up what he or she already sprayed. the vinager should cover it up but take mr. clean. don't liute it, just pour it and then get a sponge and scrub. this may not take it all the way out but at least u disenfected it so it won't get anybody sick. any more questions let me know.

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J.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

Get her spayed to see if that helps also have her checked for a bladder infection or a UTI. Sometimes cat will spray because of one of those infections

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B.B.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi S.! It definitely sounds like your cat is in heat ( I used to work for a vet). If you call the SPCA, you can get a list of low cost vets that will spay her. You have to wait till she is NOT in heat though. They will not spay her if she is bleeding. Also, cats are spontaneous ovualtars(sp?). Basically, if there is a male cat anywhere in the area, even if she is an inside cat and there is one outside, they can make themselves ovualte. That might be why she is meowing all the time. She is trying to attract a mate. You definitely need to get her spayed or this will continue. Call the SPCA, they will help you! Good luck!!

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D.C.

answers from Harrisburg on

The only way to stop the problem is to get her spayed. If you don't do it soon you're going to have a bigger problem then just her yowling at night. I agreee with the other posters,the spca has programs to help.

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D.D.

answers from Philadelphia on

I rescently posted a story about my 10 month old miniture schaunzer who was hit by a car. She is still with us and is doing excellent. I can relate to you as far as the "being in heat" b/c Dasiy has been in heat for 14 days now. She is wearing doggy diapers to help with the mess. She is crated at night now b/c she is in heat. I have heard the the SPCA will spay for little cost, from my own experience vets are very expensive. As far as the whinning at night, maybe after she gets over her female trouble she can get back in her normal routine, maybe sleeping with you or your children after she is done might help. I know that my dogs are extremly horrible as far as whinning and yelping when we leave, animals can go thru seperation issues. Maybe a special toy that you give only when your going to leave might help as well. I don't know if I was any help. Good Luck

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M.P.

answers from Philadelphia on

I agree with the others. There should be programs that will spay/neuter your pets for free. I would definitely call your vet and get an opinion on how to handle the behavioral issues as well. It really could be a physical problem. Also, you could call your local animal shelter to see if they know of any free spay/neuter programs in your area.

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K.D.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi S.,
There are various organizations out there that do free spaying throughout the year. I am not sure where you are from but if you go to google or goodsearch and type in free spaying in (state you are from), a bunch of sites come up. You could also try www.petsandanimals.org. They have a spot on their site where you can select the state you live in and it will give you a list of organizations and fees. If you take her to a vet, they may also be able to recommend somewhere to get it done.

The urinating may not just be because she's not fixed. Our cat, who was spayed when she was young, also urinates all of the time. With her, it's behavior. We've had lots of tests done and nothing is wrong with her. Unfortunately, I don't know of a way to fix that. We haven't come up with anything. She gets lots of love and attention but still does it. I told my husband we are going to get cat diapers! LOL!

Good luck and I think it's great that you are exploring options and not getting rid of her. I know there are situations in which a pet must be removed from a home, but I've seen a lot of people (friends/family) simply get rid of them because they are no longer convenient. Again, good luck.

K.

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V.A.

answers from Allentown on

You can call your local spca and ask if they know of any low cost spay clinics in your area. Many organizations will provide low cost spays for people especially since you rescued the cat from an unfortunate situation. The only way to stop her from acting "in heat" is spaying her.

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K.B.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I am not sure where you live but here in Pittsburgh in the Pennysaver they run an ad about once a month for cats that need fixed (mostly the loose ones) i dont think it costs anything since they want to keep the cat popluation down. Maybe you could call your vet or the Local humane socitey and maybe they could work out some kind of deal with you.

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