We have four cats that were born in our barn. Their mother vanished and we bottle fed them until they were big enough for cat food. They seem to love being inside the barn and don’t often come outside. That’s not a huge problem, but they also like to go to the bathroom inside, too. The barn is fairly nice…with a concrete floor, but it is getting to smell awful. Is there any way that we can train them to start going outside?
Good question. I’ll write an article on that this week. In the meantime, most cats don’t like strong smells or citrus smells so you can spray some perfume, a lemon or orange scent or even leave some orange peel around the area. If you have stock in the barn, leaving some of their droppings around might help. If it’s a machinery barn, try some axle grease or oil. I’d be interested to see if either of those work. If you are working in the barn and notice them eliminating, pick them up immediately, take them outside and stay with them till they’ve finished. Praise them when they do as you want. Patience is the key here. And repetition. When we were farming we weren’t concerned too much about the condition of the floor so some oil on it didn’t worry us. If you prefer to keep your barn floor clean, put the oil/grease in a small open container wherever they have been eliminating.
please help me help my 70 yr old mother!!!!! every cat in the neighberhood is using her front flower bed to pee and poop. (mostly her neighbors 3 cats) it is so bad that you almost puck when you get out of the car, let alone go to weed the flower bed. my mother is so sick of it that she is thinking of catching the cats and taking them to the shelter, if she does this they pay 85.00 dollars to get them out and will put them to sleep if they get taken more than 4 times. my mom does not want to do this but we dont know what to do!!!!!thanks in advance for yoiur help.
I feel for your mother. One method is to place things that cats don’t like smelling in the garden such as mothballs, lavender or citrus. Use a spray or crushed up lavender leaves and flowers or orange/lemon/lime peel in the garden. They will help mask the smell as well. You could also try turning the hose on the cats as they come into the garden. They will get the message fairly quickly. Has she tried talking to her neighbors? Another tip could be to place something sticky in the garden such as sticky paper (sticky side up) as cats hate walking on it.
Is your cat going outdoors a lot? Are there any grasses or pollens around that could be causing the sneezing? Are you using different cleaning products in the house that he could be allergic to? If the answer to all the above is no, check with your local vet.
When cats are about 13 to 15 years old, they can develop a major disease such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, kidney failure or cancer. Annual checkups at the vet for a cat older than 13 greatly increases the chance of catching these diseases in the early stages and improving the odds of giving your pet a better quality and perhaps a longer life.
Every cat has differences toy and play preferences. At least, have some toys that roll, something with catnip and a toy on a string that can be moved to help stimulate your cat to pounce and play.
Because you are in complete control of your cat's food intake, you are the one responsible for keeping him or her healthy.
Are you having problems with your cat or kitten?
If you have any requests or are having a particular problem, please leave a comment or ask a question in the box under each article.
*Please be aware that if you purchase any ebook from my website, I will receive a commission from the author. Due to the changes in the FTC rulings, it is now necessary for me to include this information on my website.
Hi Kathy,
We have four cats that were born in our barn. Their mother vanished and we bottle fed them until they were big enough for cat food. They seem to love being inside the barn and don’t often come outside. That’s not a huge problem, but they also like to go to the bathroom inside, too. The barn is fairly nice…with a concrete floor, but it is getting to smell awful. Is there any way that we can train them to start going outside?
thanks,
Terry
Hi Terry,
Good question. I’ll write an article on that this week. In the meantime, most cats don’t like strong smells or citrus smells so you can spray some perfume, a lemon or orange scent or even leave some orange peel around the area. If you have stock in the barn, leaving some of their droppings around might help. If it’s a machinery barn, try some axle grease or oil. I’d be interested to see if either of those work. If you are working in the barn and notice them eliminating, pick them up immediately, take them outside and stay with them till they’ve finished. Praise them when they do as you want. Patience is the key here. And repetition. When we were farming we weren’t concerned too much about the condition of the floor so some oil on it didn’t worry us. If you prefer to keep your barn floor clean, put the oil/grease in a small open container wherever they have been eliminating.
Kathy
please help me help my 70 yr old mother!!!!! every cat in the neighberhood is using her front flower bed to pee and poop. (mostly her neighbors 3 cats) it is so bad that you almost puck when you get out of the car, let alone go to weed the flower bed. my mother is so sick of it that she is thinking of catching the cats and taking them to the shelter, if she does this they pay 85.00 dollars to get them out and will put them to sleep if they get taken more than 4 times. my mom does not want to do this but we dont know what to do!!!!!thanks in advance for yoiur help.
I feel for your mother. One method is to place things that cats don’t like smelling in the garden such as mothballs, lavender or citrus. Use a spray or crushed up lavender leaves and flowers or orange/lemon/lime peel in the garden. They will help mask the smell as well. You could also try turning the hose on the cats as they come into the garden. They will get the message fairly quickly. Has she tried talking to her neighbors? Another tip could be to place something sticky in the garden such as sticky paper (sticky side up) as cats hate walking on it.
My cat is having problems with “allergies”? He is sneezing and coughing alot. This has been ongoing for about 2 months. Any suggestions?
Is your cat going outdoors a lot? Are there any grasses or pollens around that could be causing the sneezing? Are you using different cleaning products in the house that he could be allergic to? If the answer to all the above is no, check with your local vet.
Kathy