Kitty Time

S and Zelda have offered to help me with Woody the Cat and his penchant for pooping on my carpets.

Info which might help.
He's about 13, I think...
Until 2001 he was owned by little old retired ladys.
Namely my Grandmother and my mom.
I worked out of my house for about 18 months and so I was around most of the time.

He, like all cats, poops when he feels slighted.
ie.
When I am out of town for even a day and don't come home.
This is usually left some where I might find it in the dark....

He has a touchy stomach. My sister has cats and has never seen such a messy cat.

When mom passed, I did not give him the kind of attention he needed.
I changed his cat food to a lesser brand that gave him stomach troubles.
I have since changed him over to Iams, which he seems to like very much and it agrees with him as well.

I try to spend quality time with him most evenings. I lie on the couch and he will lie on me, I pet him and he will nap.
Mom and Grandma spoiled him.
Milk, wet food. Various people food scraps.
He knows the sound of an almost empty cerial bowl.
I have changed his wet food from three times a day to once in the evening when I get home.

He has favorite spots for hair balls.
Always the carpet.

Mom let him out on the screened porch. Last fall he discovered a hole in the screen and exploited it.
Took me a while to find it. The door is also in need of replacement.
There are new cats in the neighborhood and he can't abide them in the yard.
For this reason he WANTS OUT!!! Now please! Or I'll DIE!!
Or something like that.

He has a new favorite place behind the couch were I caught him in the act. This may have been a lower intestine trouble as he missed the garage box as well. I moved him into confinement and he finished in the cat box.
All movements have been 'stable'.
I can understand diarhea or an accident.

I have not punished him before other than grumping and putting it close to his nose.
He doesn't seem to understand,"WHY?!?".
This month I began to confine him.
It seemed to work the first time.
He went an entire week with out an incident.
Seemed for a while like it was almost daily...

This last offense was in the living room, while I was asleep early morning.
He was picked up, forced to acknowledge the problem, too which he hissed, and then carried into the bathroom. He understood that he would be there for a while and expressed this in his cry.

I clean out his box regularly (now). Most daily. Two days max.
I have been working late.

I like the idea of leaving him some Karlthebunny smelling clothes. He does go to the bed when he's not feeling well and usually has accidents, for which I have come to accept.

It's the tantrums in the living room that are out of bounds.

I have also used Frabreeze to kill any oders. (We used to have puppys who would alwasy return to the scene of the crime.)

This last time I let him out days early and he got mad that I wouldn't get up at 5:00 am to let him out. He took revenge and so no early release this time.

I also like the idea of confining him when I leave for work. But I'd rather let him roam the house.
It's borring as it is with the WHOLE 1300 s.f. so it must be hell in only 10... But he does have a small window and food, toys, bed, and water.

I check on him twice a day and spend time with him.

Lately he has taken to "trying to escape" when I open the door. The closed bedroom door has foiled his plans...

I know he doesn't enjoy the bathroom. (Smells of cat box).
I don't want to give up.
I am tired of filthy carpets.
I'm tired of a fussy cat.
Hairballs are not as much of a concern, though I have noticed he doesn't seem to have them in confinement, save one...

Any help would be MUCH liked...

Karlthebunny...