Cats kill for fun. That is only your opinion. Robins have decided they like my raspberries so I gave their eggs to the local chipmunk-- that was for fun. I am sure we both enjoyed it. I'm not sure if this is a joke or not, but if so, it wasn't a good one, and rather immature. Robins are a native species, and belong here doing what they do, so your analogy has no merit. As for the cats killing for fun, it is indeed my opinion, and also a fact for most, but not all, cats. I know farmers who obtain cats for rodent control, and most say that the cats couldn't care less about rodents, that they go after birds instead. Then there is my parents, who live in a very rural area. The nearest farm building is over a mile away, yet they keep getting the farm cats killing birds at their feeders, which I've witnessed while there. Pretty easy to form an opinion when you have actual facts, but then again, facts don't matter when you don't agree, right? Noinwi makes a good point that humans have created this problem. Sure, it's not fair to the cats to suffer the consequences, but it's not fair to the house sparrows, starlings, asian carp, feral pigs, emerald ash borer, or any other non-native species that gets killed or trapped either. Yet, nobody will defend those species, or post sarcastic remarks in their defense. All in all, I don't care which way people choose to deal with cats, but passive methods will usually end in failure, as they have for me over and over. The problem never goes away until the PROBLEM goes away. Joe

Well, we're baack! He's ok. Turns out he was also bit on his haunch (hip). But neither bite was infected and no fever, so happy about that. Was real concerned this A.M. cuz when I picked him up, he screamed as tho his tummy hurt. So thought he had internal damage. But that was just bruising from hip bite hurting. Vet said even picking up under his arms can hurt his hip since their skin is different than ours...so it pulls on hurt area. Calliope, u were right about the pain putting him off his food. At least that's what vet thinks. She gave him both an antibiotic and pain shot since didn't wanna give him pain pills on upset tummy. And I'm to call her tomorrow with update. He's still not himself but he's contentedly asleep in a basket I put in bathroom. So thanks again for all y'alls help. Bonnie

Your post presented several different possible explanations for your cat's behavior. It may be either physically or behaviorally based. Since most inappropriate urination is associated with either urinary tract infection or urinary stones/crystals, you are wise to take her to the vet ASAP for a checkup and urine test. If she is determined healthy, then you need to explore the behavioral triggers. As mentioned, many cats react badly to changes in their environment. You are doing household renovations, replacing furniture that she no doubt considered "hers", and have even changed her own litter. Take your pick; any or all of these events could stress out and trigger inappropriate urination in your cat. It's also completely possible that there are stray animals coming into your yard that are triggering territorial marking by your cat. You need to do everything possible to minimize the changes and reassure your cat that all is well. Switching back to the old litter is a step in the right direction. If you also moved the location of her box or are using a different type of box (covered vs uncovered), return to the old location and box type. If you still have any of the old furniture that you haven't gotten rid of yet, consider taking the slip cover off of an old cushion and making her a bed out of it, or stick her favorite piece of old furniture into the corner of an unused room for her. If you have workmen or furniture movers coming into your home, place your cat into a separate room until they leave so that she won't be stressed by their presence. Spend plenty of extra time petting and playing with your cat to reassure her that all is well in your home and that she won't be the next "old thing" to be renovated or replaced. It wouldn't be a bad idea to buy some Feliway to spray around your home (esp. the areas where she has urinated) to help calm her nerves. Lastly, buy an enzymatic cleaner like Simple Solution or Nature's Miracle specifically formulated to remove pet stain odors and saturate the spot(s) where she has urinated. If you just clean the spots with regular carpet cleaner or household cleaner, she will still smell the urine and be inclined to continue to overmark her own scent. Laurie

My cats have always been pretty good in the potty area (thank god) although they have taken down a fewoutfits I used to hang on the back side of my door when I lived in a condo...the worst damage was to a 1930's cashmere coat...it has shread marks where they used it to climb (and then get stuck on) the top of the door when they were kittens. But now we have a puppy. We've moved to the new house and have found out that he not only likes his pee pad (used by his breeder) but he feels anything on the floor is a giant pee pad. Today I'm putting the sheepskins down in the library (because it looks awful) and I'll be spraying with a natural spray that is supposed to keep him from pooping or peeing on it. I'm a neurotic decorator when it comes to rugs. They (IMO) need to be included in any good design, but now I can't put any down because of this freaking dust mop we now own. So...we'll see how the natural stuff works! I'll let you know....although my kitties don't feel the need to pee on every horizontal surface...so maybe to them it won't matter.