Takoda

Hi folks, here’s a little background. We have a cat, Takoda, who is approximately 13 years old. We had a cat prior to getting him. The two cats were close, and we added a couple daughters to our family over the years. Both cats preferred each other’s company over that of babies/toddlers/young kids, so they grew even closer. The older cat passed away 3 years ago and we could tell Takoda was affected by her sudden departure. He retreated further into the shadows of the closet and under the bed. As my kids got older they wanted a dog, and we thought perhaps this could provide company for Takoda as well, so we got one about 1.5 years ago. Unfortunately, our cat treats the dog like he did the kids; avoids him like the plague. He has basically exiled himself. We only see him when the house is quiet (first thing in the morning/late at night when the kids and dog are sleeping). As the girls have gotten older and our life busier Takoda has been acting out more. For example when we have been traveling or out of the house for our kids’ activities all day, he has started peeing around the house even with a clean litter box (in my daughters’ bedroom on their toys & bed, on clothes). In the last couple years we noticed he has also started to do some damage to the carpet with scratching when we are gone (front claws). He loves attention from calm adults he knows, but just seems on edge all the time with the kids and dog around and we think he would be happier in a quiet home with someone who can give him more attention.