[rsowers]

Hello my friends,

I am writing to you today for advice. Today, I did something I NEVER thought I would do. I am and always have been an animal lover, and I've loved my animals like family....until now. We adopted 3 cats 10 years ago; they were all adult cats at the time, so all of them are between 11-13. One of them, Clio, has been an issue since the week we got him. He was diagnosed with urinary tract problems and irritable bowel syndrome, and we've been dealing with this ever since. It was clear when we adopted him that he had been abused, and I can't help but think that his health issues are the reasons why because he frequently goes potty (both types) around the house. We've never harmed him in any way, but we're sure his previous owners had. We just clean it up, take him to the vet, and move on. Recently, however, he's gotten out of control. He went potty on our BED....twice this week (once last night), but about 5 times in the last month. I am a neat freak, so this makes me crazy. In addition, he's gone in the laundry room on my folded clothes, and he'll go potty in there anytime he finds that the door has been left open. I try really hard to make sure it is closed at all times, but....

I took him to the vet 3 weeks ago, and it cost $500, and that is the second $500 bill we've had since the year started. That's not including the $75 a month we pay for his prescription cat food. Before I had kids, this was much more manageable, but now that I'm a mom to a 2-year-old and a 5-month-old, it's just getting to be too much. So today, I packed him in the car, took him to the animal shelter to relinquish him, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, I drove him home, apologized to him, and then went in my room and cried. I just don't know what to do. Aside from his health issues, he's a really sweet cat, and I can tell that he feels ashamed by his behavior. I love him, but I'm at a point where I can't deal with him anymore.

I know that many of you have a lot of experience with animals, so maybe some of you can offer some ideas on what I should do. He's an indoor cat, so I've considered making him outdoor. I've also considered one of those shock collars to keep him away from some of these places, but that seems kind of mean. I just don't know, but I'll appreciate any help.

With gratitude,
Renee