A Pissy Kitty Labor Day

What the flying fish! It’s Labor Day, again? It’s a pissy kitty Labor Day with me, Merlin. I’m not pissed off but do have some pee wisdom.

It seems like yesterday when I lolled with my mom, Layla, in the garden. Can you believe this was Labor Day three years ago? Those wishes were granted and then some. We enjoyed picnic blankie and hammock naps most warm days from April to October. You can see the smile of contentment on my face but earlier that summer was plain pissy. That summer was a game-changer. Peeing on the face of your nearest and dearest usually is. Yes, dear ones, it was all about urine.

It’s always about inappropriate peeing or pooing that drives humans to their wit’s end cleaning, deodorizing and playing detective. Take my word for it: don’t waste money on trying to cover up stains and odor. Take your cat to the vet first and call a behaviorist second.

Some things never change. The #1 way cats communicate being pissed of physically or emotionally, is to pee out of the box. A well-aimed spritz on a human’s favorite item is a guaranteed attention-getter. Territorial marking on a wall, baseboard or rug may not get noticed right away. Trust me: it’s never a one shot deal (bad pun. Forgive me. I’m old. Marking requires a repeat performance. It takes some humans, weeks or months before their nose wrinkles in a tell-tale aha.

For me, there were a few things going on and I needed to get Layla’s full attention pronto. Peeing in bed is effective. Peeing on your human in bed is better. It worked and she brought me to the vet in record time. It signaled a shift to more stringent monitoring of CKD symptoms and a gentle decline for three years of extra coddling. I was after all, almost 19 then!

If you would like to know my tips or the lowdown about the pee puddle, I concur with a dear vet who wrote these brilliant nuggets

or one of our many posts like our Think Out of The Box feng shui tip or Zen and the Art of Litter. My tip about litter box size and older cats, Goodness, we’ve written so much about litter boxes and pee and poo issues, I could write a book. Come to think of it, I am quite the pissy kitty expert.

Maybe I can dash off a wee ode about pee. Alas, I will require a stenographer. If you’re not familiar with the word, you must be one those young millennial kids. In any case, if you think an A to Z of Kitty Pee and Poo would be useful, let me know. I’ll ask Layla to assist, if she ever gets her head out of editing hell. All I can say is: thank all the cat gods for a crackerjack team. Black Cats Tell All is going to be smashing.

And we have a new Facebook community page for the Black Cats Tell All Tribe. I’d love you to go like it, and post your questions and photos. Or just stop by and lurk, but do like!

Now this is quite enough labor for one day. My apologies for no tarot wisdom or cat caption funnies. Next week, Bast willing. Until then, here is your moment of Zen. Or not.

Love, love, love,

Merlin