You are to be commended for giving these older cats such a good home.  I am involved in animal rescue and people so often want kittens instead of these wonderful older cats.   Sounds like your problem with the cat drinking from the bathroom sink has been solved.   Bless you!

Thank you Jean for your insight.

I very carefully monitor her food, have never given her snacks or treats, just her food.

I had to take her off dry food b/c she gained weight in the shelter & the Vet put her on canned food & she only eats the pate.  Chewing problems maybe??

Anyway, Vet doesn't think 8.5 ( oz per day should be reduced, and that I need to increase her exercise.  Tthat is what I am trying to do, but she loves to lay on her back & bat the toys around.  Mostly though, she likes to sit on my lap, sleep with me, or lie in the sun.  I do think you are right, so I am going to cut back one teaspoon from two meals each day & see what happens.

I am getting treatment for  my severely impaired back & when that is improved I  will be able to push mor exercise I think.  I appreciate your advice, sometimes it is easier when a person who actually has & lives with the pet speaks.

Many thanks

Kate

mamatuck,

Have you tried leaving the bathroom door open and unlocked?  He may be letting you know you have his litter box in the wrong place, since it sounds to me like his previous owner kept his litter box in the bathroom.  I do this with my cat.  Her litter box is in the downstairs bathroom.  I leave the door to this bathroom open so she can use it (althou at times she needs to improve her aim :) ) and I also leave the light on in this room at night when I am working nite shift.  Cats can be very particular about where they do their business and, like I say, he may just may be letting you that he used to do his business in the bathroom.  My cat, Taffy, has only one major problem - she can't stand other cats, she is very very anti-social and I have given up trying to break her of this habit.  Other than that she is very lovable.   Hope this helps.

rdclouser

When a long-time friend, whom I hadn't seen in twenty years, passed away of breast cancer last November, we took in her two cats -- one 5-year old Somali spay and a 17-year old neuter "who knows what" gray and white longhair named Fabio.  They had been pretty much ignored when my friend was no longer able to care for them, and the two 24/7 nurses had completely ignored the carts except for feeding and cleaning the litter box.  Squirrel had started picking on Fabio for i don't know how long.  When we flew up to Washington, DC to bring the cats back to Phoenix, I was stunned at how knotted Fabio's fur was.  He could barely walk because of the knots, but he would try to run away if I tried to touch him.

When we got them home, I decided to just let Fabio do his thing (and water-squirt any cat that tried to bother him).  It took a few months for him to begin coming around, and he would watch us pet our other cats.  Slowly new fur started growing and he started droping clumps of fur.  Now he has only a couple of knots hanging from his belly, and they should be gone in a week or two (thanks to the Fall shedding season).  At 18, he's now jumping up our our bed in the morning to demand breakfast, loves to have his back scratched, and even has made friends with several of our cats.

It's going to take time, but I can assure you  that your new resident WILLcome aroud.  Just be patiend.

Betty

By the way, is anyone here going to Vegas this weekend?  We'll be arriving a day early and driving back to Phoenix the day after it closes.

Instead of spectulating about why the cat wants in the bathroom, open the door and find out why he is acting the way he is.  So what if you have to clean up a little mess, at least you will know the reason why he wants in there.

You have to understand that this cat has been separated from the only owner he has ever known as far as you know.  The cat has lost his owner and lost his home, lost everything that is familar to him and has been tossed into an animal shelter.  He is bewildered and having an anxiety attack.  Now you are forcing new rules and restrictions on him that is causing him more anxiety.  You just need to have patience with him.  He needs to know and feel you are not going to leave him.  He is an old cat not a kitten.  Kittens will adjust to new homes, old cats don't. 

             Saturday, October 17, 2009--10:12 pm CST

Hiya Mamatuck,

  All my pets are pretty old now. Data(dog) was a stray, he is now 13, years old, Sally(white cat)was given to me, she is now 11, Annie(a brown and tan cat) was an orphaned kitten, she's now 9. I love my pets very much

 That's great that your cat is starting to warm to yall now. He's starting to get used to yall. That's great that yall have had him for 6 months.

                      Sincerely,

                       Terry

The best way I know for a cat to stop gaining weight is to cut back on the food. Most of us think cats will eat only what they need, but that is wrong for a lot of cats. If you are "freefeeding" try putting a measured amount in ta clean bowl (based on what the vet thinks the cat SHOULD weight) each morning and see what happens. No table scraps, no eating out of the dogs' bowl or treats. Just as for humans, it is calories in, calories out - if more in, then weight gain. Since getting exercise is a problem ( I am disabled and tend to gain weight myself) cutting back gradually on the food is the answer.

Jean in SC

I suppose to test whether your first impressions were correct and that the cat indeed used the bathtub as a litter box, then [if possible] place the litter box in the bathtub and see if the cat goes in there.  In time, move the litter box out of the tub but keep in the bathroom.  Finally, move the litter box outside the bathroom.

:-)