Hopkins is an adult female Dutch who was completely cage (but not litter box) trained; she never strays from the living room because it is the only place in the house with a rug, but she had complete access to the entirety of the room. Spring, summer, and fall when there is good weather she usually has a few hours outside; the weather in mid-autumn, winter, and early to mid-spring cause her to be completely house bound.
This July my entire family went on vacation to a rented cottage and under the circumstances I had no choice but to bring Hopkins along; we used an older smaller cage that we had used for her previously as her travel cage and allowed her to go in and out of it two days before the journey. She took to travelling life better than expected and she was in love with the rented cottage that was entirely floored with industrial carpeting. She never peed anywhere other than her travel cage the entire time and left behind only a small amount of poops ever; she found games of her own to play in the bungalow style house, where she would sneaky-feet walk along walls and behind people in attempts to break into the bedrooms to hide under the bed, only to them run out again thumping and doing binkys. Returning home after a week of paradise is when her behaviour has really changed.
When we had gotten home I immediately put her back into her regular cage so that the travel cage could be completely cleaned disinfected and put back into storage. The first week or two home Hopkins was more timid and shy than usual, only doing binkys outside and spending the majority of her time in her regular cage. The first thing I noticed completely amiss was how many poops I was finding on the living room rug and how she began leaving them right in front of me and other members of my family; this is something that we did not have much of a problem with before.
Then she began completely acting out if she found that she was not getting enough attention during the day. Her cage is always open, except during bedtime, and from 7am 1pm someone is with her until 4pm; the rest of that time is alone with our two older female Maltese dogs with the living room open to her. Her spells of acting out included behaviour like begging to be picked up to then nip angrily at the victims collar bone and to not just steal mail off the coffee table (she did this before for fun) but to then attempt to shred it.
At this time she started not just her monthly shed but her first (since weve owned her) full molt; one time I was brushing her when I noticed her bottom was not as well maintained as it should be and usually is, so I did what I have always done in this circumstance: I got one of her pet wipes and cradled her on my lap and began to gently remove any stuck fecal matter. Within the minute she peed directly onto me and then after I let her go, remained standing on my urine soaked pants looking at me.
Then she began peeing behind the couch, so we had to cut off these areas from her after it became an issue. Now she pees along her borders of the rug, mainly onto the hardwood floor but some always gets onto the carpet.
Since July I have been peed on four times, shes peed on my mother twice and my sister once, the couch over three times, and my bed three times, good thing she always sleeps on a pee pad covered by a towel, on the floor/carpet approx. once a week. My Mom thinks that Hopkins doesnt feel like shes getting enough attention from me, but I havent changed the amount of time I spend with her at all, it has remained the same as it has for the three years we have owned her. I thought she was bored so Ive set up little areas for her to play (her jingly balls, the phonebook, a tunnel, and a curtain, tied from one coffee table leg to the other, of hanging toilet paper rolls) and I plan on further making her a paper towel tree trunk with real small branches, from our mayday outside, protruding from it. I have noticed that since her peeing and pooping, I dont reprimand her as often as I did before for small things like nipping; and she is always wanting up onto the couch (which she is now banned from) whether somebody is on it or not. She wants to cuddle on it, and she can do this regularly without peeing, and re-arrange any blankets or hoodies left there, to seek puppy-dog kisses and attention, but she will also go up to nip at someone sitting up there or to dig at them. Her attitude towards the dogs is the same as it always has been: she craves their kisses and is gentle with them as they are with her.
Three weeks ago we purchased Natures Miracle odour and stain natural remedy, which has definitely lessened the amount she pees on the floor and the amount of poops she leaves; this could also be because I put a litter pan into her cage and shes been attempting to cover every inch of her cage that is not her litter box with urine. I thought that maybe she is finding her cage is too messy to want to use (I clean it every two days). She has always had a high water intake so she pees a lot, but it was never an issue until this July.
When she pees on the carpet I show her the spot and put a drop or two on her nose then lock her in her cage and snuff at her loudly before walking away to clean up the mess, spray it with the Natures Miracle, and then return to the front of her cage turn my back to her and sit down. Sometimes (depending how outraged I am) Ill play with my hair or my clothes. She usually stays in her cage for 15 minutes or until I have calmed down because I know snapping at her really hurts her feelings and shell scuttle over to me like Ive hit her and shell mutter to herself until I calm her down.
I know that this is something behavioural but I dont know when or what I did to cause it to happen. Or could it be that this happens with age? My grandparents purchased her as a surprise for me from an auction three years ago, so all I know is she was completely mature (and to our surprise quite pregnant) when we got her. Shes been to vet on several occasions and shes healthy.
To my family its an annoyance and gross, but I am the one that takes full care of her, I clean up all her messes, and I know how great she can be and its so frustrating when I see her just leave a mess that I could cry. Please help me with any comments or suggestions in fixing and resetting this behaviour pattern that Ive acclimated her too.Please help me in helping Hopkins. So much thanks to anybody that just took the time to read this, even if you don't reply.
:dutch
