Microbe

“Microbe” is actually short for Micro-Barnaby.  When we first saw Microbe darting across the yard, she looked like a miniature form of our cat Barnaby, so that’s how she got her name.

Microbe was called “the ghost cat” for quite some time.  We would get just a glimpse of her in the yard out of the corner of our eye but, if we turned to look, she’d be gone.  She was super shy and very scaredy.  She started coming to eat out of the dish with which we fed another neighborhood cat, Panda.  Panda was very sociable and turned out to be a fantastic ambassador, showing Microbe and Hydrox that there was no need to be afraid of us, enabling us to eventually grab both Microbe and Hydrox (on separate occasions), stuff them in cat carriers, and take them to the vet to begin their transition to being indoor cats.

For a few years, Microbe seemed to get along fairly well within a group of 6 cats that share one part of our house.  Then it seemed like Oreo was picking on her.  Microbe started trying to avoid Oreo and then began marking territory, like the carpet in front of the couch while I was sitting on it– not okay!  We began to keep Microbe in her own room when we couldn’t monitor Oreo chasing her and her peeing on the carpet.  After a while, it became clear that Microbe would rather simply stay in that room by herself.  So she now has her own room.

But even having her own room with no access by other cats, Microbe wasn’t yet comfortable.  She continued peeing and pooping outside the litter box.  We checked a few times to make sure she had no medical issues, changed the size of the litter box, her access to it, the location of it…  She then began to use the litter box consistently for peeing but still wouldn’t poop in the box.  She always pooped just outside of the litter box.  Unless I put a puppy pee pad just outside the litter box.  In that case, she would poop just off the edge of the pee pad.

Finally, I tried a “gourmet” litter– Dr. Elsey’s R & R Respiratory Relief litter.  I brought it home, put it in a fresh litter box, and she’s pooped in it ever since!