Cat Quandry

My dear cat, Meg and I are at a crossroads of sorts. A big decision needs to be made and well, her life depends upon it. Literally.

Little Miss Meg came into our lives 14 years ago as a tiny bundle of white fluff, along with her "twin" brother, Sydney. Technically they were 2 of 4 "quads" but lost touch with their other brothers at adoption. Poor things!

Meg and Sydney have been great companions but if truth be told, I'm not hugely a "pet person" so I've often had a love/hate relationship with both cats throughout the past 12-14 years.

Poor Sydney, all of a sudden one day was tripping me on the way to his food bowl only to become violently (and terminally) ill the next. We had no idea he was so sick and on Sept 23, 2007, we had to put him out of his misery and release him to "Kitty Heaven". It was a very sad day in the Hawkes' Nest I tell you, particularly for my hubby who was especially close to Syd and had never owned a pet before these two cats.

Well, fast forward to last Spring. Meg, for whatever reason, turned into "Little Miss PEE-Body" and started peeing on the carpet at the basement stair landings... BOTH of them. At first we would steam clean and shampoo almost every day. We took her to the vet's to find out she has thyroid issues which were causing her excess thirst and therefore excess peeing. The medication didn't really help so we stopped it after a few months.

To help with the peeing situation we put plastic carpet runner down ... you know the stuff with the spikes on the bottom. We put that down spikes up to try and deter her from peeing but nope... that didn't work. Next, hubby put clear plastic sheeting up along the wall and floor to try and stop her (or at least protect the under carpet). We purchased "Cat Attract" expensive litter and powder stuff to supposedly draw her back into her litter box. That worked all of what... a day. She currently has TWO litter boxes on the go and some days doesn't even use one of them.


So... here is my dilemma. We are now coming up to a YEAR of this behavior. I am beyond frustrated with the mess and the constant cleaning up, the paper towels on the floor to sop it up. I'm SO ready to send Meg on her way to meet her brother in "Kitty Heaven" but I can't. Is it guilt? Is it conviction? Am I just a ... scaredy cat?


We really don't know what to do. Last year we had talked about moving (for real this time) but no sooner had we had our house appraised then this peeing started. We can't even begin to think of moving anywhere with this problem. Can you imagine someone stepping in piddle as they walk down the stairs to check out the family room at an Open House tour? Our life is on hold while this situation carries on. Meg isn't happy. I'm not happy. Hubby is fine because he is so good-natured that nothing seems to ruffle his feathers.


What would you do?


If you think of it, please pray for us to have wisdom in this. Neither of us wants to make a move outside of God's will in this but sometimes I think I'll go crazy with the mess of this situation. I know when she's gone I'll miss her, but I honestly can't say I am enjoying her much at all these days. And what if she lives to be 20!