Hi all, I desperately need help with my cat who has Pica and is sensitive.
Background:
2 year old female Tabby. 6 lbs. No medication. No health issues. Indoor only. Current food: Blue Buffalo Indoor Health Vet visit scheduled to check for hypothyroidism
2 years ago my husband and I rescued an 8 week female kitten from Craigslist. Super cute, cuddly and friendly kitten. I met the mom and all her litter mates. We already had a cat and dog in the household and followed all the steps to a friendly introduction. Because of that they all get a long great, she especially loves the dog.
At about 6-8 months old we noticed chewing behaviors. Wires were being destroyed and cardboard boxes were chewed on the edges. We sprayed the wires with BitterApple, then promptly bought CritterCord and electrical protectors. I researched this online and it said it normally resolves itself at 2 years of age and to keep the cat away from the stimulus.
Things have only been going downhill from there. She has only increased her chewing/eating behaviors. Now baskets, pieces of string, tinsel and even thick wires (vacuum cords) which we thought were safe, are being chewed and sometimes eaten. Cardboard scratchers are being torn apart completely. It is impossible to protect her from everything she could possibly ingest.
In addition, she has also become a very sensitive cat. She scurries from any loud sound and hides when anyone comes in the door, including us. We travelled in December and were gone for a week. A friend came fed the cats and cleaned the litterboxes every other day. When we returned home, the bedroom carpet was soaked in pee. We did some investigating and noticed she was peeing in other spots in the house too. I surmised this was a UTI and the vet confirmed it. She recovered well, but by then had behaviorally become accustomed to peeing in certain locations. We corralled these off and bought a cat cage (which we gently accustomed her to) to keep her in a night so we could keep the bedroom door open and not have her go in. She has returned to peeing in the litterbox, but the carpet is so bad, it will have to be replaced and I no longer trust her.
We are a military family and will be required to move every 3 years (if not less) for many years to come. We also travel at LEAST once a month. I am very worried because she is so sensitive to stress that every move and every time we travel will cause her to develop a UTI and further her Pica.
Potential Solutions:
I am trying to convert her to an outdoor cat, but she has grown up loving dogs (I have fostered many a puppies and dogs that she loves to lay with) and I am scared they will end up killing her. She also has 0 experience with being outdoors. This does not seem like a responsible way to take care of the issue.
I would love to rehome her to a quiet place, BUT she has Pica. I cannot think of anyone who would want a cat like this and I will not lie about her problems to get rid of her.
What do I do?!
Thank you for taking the time to read through this. I am desperate for a solution.