Severe Nighttime Problem w/ Dorrie

Hi, everyone. Here it is, 72 hours-and-counting without sleep,
because-- I have to admit it-- My Dorrie stinks up my bedroom so
badly, I just do not sleep. My little angel is a smelly cat!

This sleeping arrangement problem is a new problem because (as some
group members already know), I "inherited" Dorrie when I moved in with
a relative, and the past two summers, she's spent the warm months
outside until dawn practically every night. Last autumn, Dorrie and I
hadn't yet bonded to the point where inseparability was an issue, but
now, whoa, it's like I'm her mom. (She even "milks" my quilt when she
first hops into bed with me.)

Dorrie is getting very old, so I really do NOT want to choose the
option I used last autumn, which was building her a "hut" that
consisted of an old armchair around which I constructed 2 X 4's and
hung an electric blanket and MUCH insulating material IN THE BASEMENT.
It had to be in the basement because the home is a small ranch, and
at one time, I actually boarded up the hallway to the bedroom area
with a six-foot piece of particleboard...that my "aged" 13 year-old
jumped over! You will never know the astonishment I felt when I heard
that familiar scratching at my door. It was like I had SuperCat or
something.

Anyway, I am a lifelong insomniac with a thyroid problem for whom
sleep in some decades didn't come naturally at all. I'm 47, feel
every bit of it, and love Dorrie almost more than I love life.

What am I going to do? If I rebuild her hut down in the basement,
will she feel rejected and suffer? But what am I going to do if the
smell of nitrogen and gastrointestinal-related gasses continued to
keep me from sleeping? I'm so weak this morning, I can hardly move.
(I change and wash her two litter boxes every other day.) This is an
absolute nightmare.

I ADORE my little animal, but she is literally poisoning me. Please
help.

Hilary

In article ,
enlightened us with...
Hi, everyone. Here it is, 72 hours-and-counting without sleep,
because-- I have to admit it-- My Dorrie stinks up my bedroom so
badly, I just do not sleep. My little angel is a smelly cat!


I don't know the history here, or what has happened, etc, but usually bad
smells mean illness.
Has Dorie seen a vet?

13 isn't really that old. Many cats live to upper teens and even 20. My
aunt's cats were both just over 20 when they passed and lively as all heck
for all but the last year or so of their lives.

You could always try nose-plugs.

--
--
~kaeli~
If the funeral procession is at night, do folks drive with
their lights off?
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

In article ,
enlightened us with...
Hi, everyone. Here it is, 72 hours-and-counting without sleep,
because-- I have to admit it-- My Dorrie stinks up my bedroom so
badly, I just do not sleep. My little angel is a smelly cat!


I don't know the history here, or what has happened, etc, but usually bad
smells mean illness.
Has Dorie seen a vet?

13 isn't really that old. Many cats live to upper teens and even 20. My
aunt's cats were both just over 20 when they passed and lively as all heck
for all but the last year or so of their lives.

You could always try nose-plugs.

--
--
~kaeli~
If the funeral procession is at night, do folks drive with
their lights off?
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

I would say a visit to the vet is most definitely in order. It could be
parasites, it could be a sensitive tummy, it could be something worse, and I
hope not!

You might also consider changing the cat's food to a premium canned food
that does not contain mystery meats (rendered dead animals). When I started
feeding my cats premium foods, and believe me it is a sacrifice with 11 of
them, their health improved dramatically.

"Cowa Bungie" wrote in message
om...
Hi, everyone. Here it is, 72 hours-and-counting without sleep,
because-- I have to admit it-- My Dorrie stinks up my bedroom so
badly, I just do not sleep. My little angel is a smelly cat!

This sleeping arrangement problem is a new problem because (as some
group members already know), I "inherited" Dorrie when I moved in with
a relative, and the past two summers, she's spent the warm months
outside until dawn practically every night. Last autumn, Dorrie and I
hadn't yet bonded to the point where inseparability was an issue, but
now, whoa, it's like I'm her mom. (She even "milks" my quilt when she
first hops into bed with me.)

Dorrie is getting very old, so I really do NOT want to choose the
option I used last autumn, which was building her a "hut" that
consisted of an old armchair around which I constructed 2 X 4's and
hung an electric blanket and MUCH insulating material IN THE BASEMENT.
It had to be in the basement because the home is a small ranch, and
at one time, I actually boarded up the hallway to the bedroom area
with a six-foot piece of particleboard...that my "aged" 13 year-old
jumped over! You will never know the astonishment I felt when I heard
that familiar scratching at my door. It was like I had SuperCat or
something.

Anyway, I am a lifelong insomniac with a thyroid problem for whom
sleep in some decades didn't come naturally at all. I'm 47, feel
every bit of it, and love Dorrie almost more than I love life.

What am I going to do? If I rebuild her hut down in the basement,
will she feel rejected and suffer? But what am I going to do if the
smell of nitrogen and gastrointestinal-related gasses continued to
keep me from sleeping? I'm so weak this morning, I can hardly move.
(I change and wash her two litter boxes every other day.) This is an
absolute nightmare.

I ADORE my little animal, but she is literally poisoning me. Please
help.

Hilary

I would say a visit to the vet is most definitely in order. It could be
parasites, it could be a sensitive tummy, it could be something worse, and I
hope not!

You might also consider changing the cat's food to a premium canned food
that does not contain mystery meats (rendered dead animals). When I started
feeding my cats premium foods, and believe me it is a sacrifice with 11 of
them, their health improved dramatically.

"Cowa Bungie" wrote in message
om...
Hi, everyone. Here it is, 72 hours-and-counting without sleep,
because-- I have to admit it-- My Dorrie stinks up my bedroom so
badly, I just do not sleep. My little angel is a smelly cat!

This sleeping arrangement problem is a new problem because (as some
group members already know), I "inherited" Dorrie when I moved in with
a relative, and the past two summers, she's spent the warm months
outside until dawn practically every night. Last autumn, Dorrie and I
hadn't yet bonded to the point where inseparability was an issue, but
now, whoa, it's like I'm her mom. (She even "milks" my quilt when she
first hops into bed with me.)

Dorrie is getting very old, so I really do NOT want to choose the
option I used last autumn, which was building her a "hut" that
consisted of an old armchair around which I constructed 2 X 4's and
hung an electric blanket and MUCH insulating material IN THE BASEMENT.
It had to be in the basement because the home is a small ranch, and
at one time, I actually boarded up the hallway to the bedroom area
with a six-foot piece of particleboard...that my "aged" 13 year-old
jumped over! You will never know the astonishment I felt when I heard
that familiar scratching at my door. It was like I had SuperCat or
something.

Anyway, I am a lifelong insomniac with a thyroid problem for whom
sleep in some decades didn't come naturally at all. I'm 47, feel
every bit of it, and love Dorrie almost more than I love life.

What am I going to do? If I rebuild her hut down in the basement,
will she feel rejected and suffer? But what am I going to do if the
smell of nitrogen and gastrointestinal-related gasses continued to
keep me from sleeping? I'm so weak this morning, I can hardly move.
(I change and wash her two litter boxes every other day.) This is an
absolute nightmare.

I ADORE my little animal, but she is literally poisoning me. Please
help.

Hilary

From: (Cowa Bungie)

My Dorrie stinks up my bedroom so
badly, I just do not sleep. My little angel is a smelly cat!

Cats normally do not smell bad. Have you taken Dorrie to the vet?

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm

From: (Cowa Bungie)

My Dorrie stinks up my bedroom so
badly, I just do not sleep. My little angel is a smelly cat!

Cats normally do not smell bad. Have you taken Dorrie to the vet?

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm

kaeli wrote in message .. .
In article ,
enlightened us with...
Hi, everyone. Here it is, 72 hours-and-counting without sleep,
because-- I have to admit it-- My Dorrie stinks up my bedroom so
badly, I just do not sleep. My little angel is a smelly cat!


I don't know the history here, or what has happened, etc, but usually bad
smells mean illness.
Has Dorie seen a vet?

13 isn't really that old. Many cats live to upper teens and even 20. My
aunt's cats were both just over 20 when they passed and lively as all heck
for all but the last year or so of their lives.

You could always try nose-plugs.

--


Why the basement? Just close the door to the bedroom and give the cat
the rest of the house.

If she scratches put somebad apple on the door. If she whines, use
earplugs...

You will turn into a mental patient without sleep.


Bluesman

kaeli wrote in message .. .
In article ,
enlightened us with...
Hi, everyone. Here it is, 72 hours-and-counting without sleep,
because-- I have to admit it-- My Dorrie stinks up my bedroom so
badly, I just do not sleep. My little angel is a smelly cat!


I don't know the history here, or what has happened, etc, but usually bad
smells mean illness.
Has Dorie seen a vet?

13 isn't really that old. Many cats live to upper teens and even 20. My
aunt's cats were both just over 20 when they passed and lively as all heck
for all but the last year or so of their lives.

You could always try nose-plugs.

--


Why the basement? Just close the door to the bedroom and give the cat
the rest of the house.

If she scratches put somebad apple on the door. If she whines, use
earplugs...

You will turn into a mental patient without sleep.


Bluesman

Hilary wrote:

Hi, everyone. Here it is, 72
hours-and-counting without sleep,
because-- I have to admit it-- My Dorrie
stinks up my bedroom so badly, I just do
not sleep. My little angel is a smelly
cat!

My intention here is not to offend, but to help, and I hope you take
what I say here in the spirit with which it is intended. I've read your
posts for a while now and it's very clear you have some fairly serious
anxiety issues that really need to be addressed. I understand that you
aren't in a financial position to pay for getting some professional help
by yourself, but surely there are some agencies/organzations that can
assist you with this? I think this is really at the root of most of your
issues and while "you" might think you're doing ok, it is pretty obvious
from your posts that you're not, and I believe others here will agree.
If you can post your general location maybe there are people here that
can give you some ideas on where to start. The insomnia and obvious
distress you feel over even minor things are not healthy, and not
helping you or Dorrie.

This sleeping arrangement problem is a
new problem because (as some group
members already know), I "inherited"
Dorrie when I moved in with a relative,
and the past two summers, she's spent
the warm months outside until dawn
practically every night.

Leaving the cat out all night is not safe, as that's when most
cat-eating predators are also out and about. Keeping her inside is much
better.

Last autumn,
Dorrie and I hadn't yet bonded to the
point where inseparability was an issue,
but now, whoa, it's like I'm her mom.
(She even "milks" my quilt when she
first hops into bed with me.)
Dorrie is getting very old,

13 years is not "very old" and your cat probably has several good years
yet, provided you feed her decent food and make sure she gets timely vet
care.

But what am I going
to do if the smell of nitrogen and
gastrointestinal-related gasses
continued to keep me from sleeping?
I'm
so weak this morning, I can hardly move.
(I change and wash her two litter boxes
every other day.)

First of all, you need to get Dorrie to the vet for a check up and
bloodwork to make sure there is nothing physical going on that is
causing this. You have get over this anxiety about taking her to a vet
and just do it because that is what is best for Dorrie.

Secondly, you would be wise to switch to a clumping litter and scoop it
twice a day. If you do this, you will be scooping both poop and urine
out of the box and it will stay fresh for some time before you need to
dump the litter, wash the box, and put in new litter. A box of clumping
may seem more expensive, but you don't use as much because you're not
constantly dumping and changing it like you do with plain litter, so the
cost could actually be similar.

If you're feeding a cheap dry food, that could be part of the problem as
it results in more, and often smellier, poops. If you are free feeding
that could also be an issue as Dorrie's system is constantly digesting
food and the result is she is probably pooping more often. Get her on a
12 hour schedule of feeding strictly canned food, and she'll probably
only poop once a day, and it will be at around the same time so you can
hopefully have something to scoop out of the litterbox right before you
go to bed and smell won't be an issue. Canned food is also better for
Dorrie's health and by feeding her food closer to what she would eat if
she was in the wild, you won't put the stress on her system that dry
food causes, and you may prolong her life and certainly improve her
health. You can read an excellent article about cat nutrition he
http://www.catsincanada.com/articles/feeding.html


Megan



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