I live with just one old, incontinent (pee and poop) Weimaraner. My housemate (think Grace and Frankie) and I joke that this is the old man around whom both our lives are organized. But we would not have it any other way.
For most nights of his almost-fourteen years we have had the pleasure of seeing the Milky Way, the constellations move through the seasons, and the occasional shooting star. He is completely capable of taking himself out, day or night. He is big enough that even the feral pigs wonʻt harass him. But as soon as I rediscovered the stars, our brief bedtime excursions became may favorite part of our daily routine.
Your resilience is remarkable Not that you didn't experience all the normal frustration, annoyance, etc. which was more than justified, but that you pushed past it and ended they day with peace and calm. Some of us (me) would have just settled into a grumpy, bitter state and been unable to see the wonder. My circumstances make it impossible for me to appreciate many of the things that you do but I need to work on seeing the beauty that is still there.
Your experience defines being a Pet Parent. Who else cleans up poo & vomit and pays the epic medical bills? So glad he’s better now!
I had to research the urine/cat spray odor thing too. The Experts’ advice was to use a specific enzymatic odor control spray by Nature’s Miracle. A full sized spray bottle is stocked by several retailers for around $10. You may need the large refill size? I’m not a fan of it’s scent, but it does go away dry. I just stayed out of the room, just like the detergent aisles in the store.
I have a nice wool rug that smelled animal funky when I had to move. I put it outside on a table, backing side up, in the sun and occasional rain. All the odor completely vanished after a few weeks. There isn’t a bit left either, after being inside for a year now. The cheapest carpet cleaner quote (with me delivering it too) was almost $200, so that worked out pretty nicely. It took time. I
Both my babies are gone now but I thought for sure I was smelling cat spray again recently. It turned out to be foul water under a plant that sits above it’s saucer. Weird. But easy enough to fix.
Oh good. It’s bad enough to deal with the symptoms, but it’s hard to know animals are distressed enough to do the dirty deed.
When I worked at a fancy nursery, we quit carrying fountains because something is always going wrong and they would be returned for total loss. You’re not alone there.
Are doggie diapers an option for overnight? Constant pee could ruin the floor and become very costly.
I loved your description of your sunset walk with Cooper. It sounds like he's still enjoying being a dog doing his old doggy stuff: I know you must treasure these "bonus days" with him after you worked so hard to find the help he needed. And your tale of your morning adventures rivals a Marx Brothers movie. Love to you and your pack 🐾 ❤️
Annoying (if you've already tried and discarded it) suggestion -- puppy pee pads? Get the big ones and put them on the floor in the spots he's already peed (double-stick tape them down, even, maybe) and see if he will pee on them instead of the floor-floor. Inexpensive, easy to toss. (I put them under/around the litterbox, because my cat loves to scoop literal piles of litter out of the box after he finishes -- I have witnessed him do this -- and this way I can just pick up the puppy pad and pour the litter back in the box and lay it back down for next time. I also used them for the cat with severe IBD I had, when he would puke -- he usually gave me a wail of warning and I could shove one under his face and catch the vomit a lot of the time. Not _every_ time, but still.)
Gah, happening upon surprise pet smells is such a particular annoyance and frustration that I always forget about until I’m living it! No help, just pure commiseration. That first whiff makes my stomach drop with dread, “Oh no. Ohnono nono! Where WHO why fuckfuckfuckfuck why!!” and I feel immediately 10x more tired than I was mere moments before. My partner and I recently moved to a new rental with our two cats and dog, so this is very much a big part of our life lately. And actually mostly my life because my partner is also out travelling. So it’s just me, the pets, their stress as they figure out new spaces and territories, and almost daily google searches for pulling out odours from different materials (like it’s first time we’ve all lived with carpet together, that’s been fun ha). I had to laugh at myself because over the past few days I’ve been getting faint whiffs of a pee smell, looking around and not seeing any visible fresh spots, so needing to rely on my weaker senses by getting face to the ground yet again for another extensive pee hunt, only to find nothing and having lost trace of the smell, to then get hit with it later on in the day in a completely different room. My poor nose has been running the most disgusting marathon. The kicker? Turns out it the pee was ON me this whole time. On my clothes. I. HAVE. BECOME. THE. PEE. Cue more googling, then sniffing out every garment in my possession, then barricading any laundry, clothes, extra textiles, etc to closets. Thank fuck for closets!
But, I am currently reading and writing while sitting on my couch, cuddled up with my dog. For now the pee is tamed, all is calm, and I feel immense gratitude for this moment. I’m glad that’s part of the range of your experience right now too. Holding on to hope for more cuddle puddles, and less pee puddles, in the moments ahead.
Aug 14, 2023·edited Aug 14, 2023Liked by Kelton Wright
Yep this is me. After a few weeks of daily peeing on my bed (the $250 waterproof cover I bought four years ago is still worth every penny) my cat decided to mix it up (after not peeing on the bed for almost two weeks) and peed on my CLOTHES on top of my dresser. I've never even seen her get up there before but she was mad my husband accidentally shut her out of the bathroom/closet where her food lives. Cue me putting on a pair of underwear going WHY ARE THESE WET!?! Can't even keep clothes out - everything must go into the drawers! One time I left them open and she peed in there too! My dog is mostly sainted (though even she got in on the pee on the bed action at one point) but dang, cats are hard to live with. Any even though I've doused my cheap mattress in Nature's Miracle, I still smell pee in that general vicinity. Moving out in a month and not looking forward to my cat discovering a new place. Blah.
And Kelton holy cow I'd be a wreck so you have my sympathies!!
Thanks in no small part to your writing, I adopted a young cat two months ago. For ages, the idea of a pet cat struck me as a consolation prize for being unable to home a dog (rental restrictions, working 11 hour shifts, etc). But your essays and instagram wore me down. Cats are allowed in this apartment. Maybe I could spoil a lazy senior cat during its final years until I move to a house with a yard and finally adopt a dog?
Instead I fell face-first in love with a 1.5 year old beautiful and feisty cat who climbs everything and sprints and nose-boops my eyelids when she wants me to wake up and deliver her breakfast. She's the best. The chaos and joy far outweighs the mystery smell searching and shredded piece of furniture.
I can relate to the sleep compromised by pets and the way morning’s best intentions (like starting the day with reading & writing) are sabotaged by cleaning up pet vomit and other mess. I slept in a quiet pet-less hotel this weekend with blackout curtains and slept 10 hours! I love our animals but they really are needy and mess-making.
I think my Brittany, Claire was on the same meds as Cooper. Lots of mid night pee runs. Luckily our yard is fenced- but one 3:00 am run, when I was home alone, we entered the moonlit yard and both encountered a skunk. We were both sprayed- Claire got hit in the eyes. Scary! Luckily, I had saline wash and skunk shampoo. Finally, after hours of cleaning up, we got back into bed at 5:30 both still damp and we cuddled together till later morning . That night is one of my very favorite bonding memories of my sweet little Claire.
Love burning Palo Santo, and the idea of having a dog... never thought about my day being derailed, though... and being up past 9:30... hmm, gotta factor that into getting a dog too. Beautiful read, thank you.
I live with just one old, incontinent (pee and poop) Weimaraner. My housemate (think Grace and Frankie) and I joke that this is the old man around whom both our lives are organized. But we would not have it any other way.
For most nights of his almost-fourteen years we have had the pleasure of seeing the Milky Way, the constellations move through the seasons, and the occasional shooting star. He is completely capable of taking himself out, day or night. He is big enough that even the feral pigs wonʻt harass him. But as soon as I rediscovered the stars, our brief bedtime excursions became may favorite part of our daily routine.
Hope your eyes are ok!
Omg Beth what a great picture of this little old man.
Your resilience is remarkable Not that you didn't experience all the normal frustration, annoyance, etc. which was more than justified, but that you pushed past it and ended they day with peace and calm. Some of us (me) would have just settled into a grumpy, bitter state and been unable to see the wonder. My circumstances make it impossible for me to appreciate many of the things that you do but I need to work on seeing the beauty that is still there.
Your experience defines being a Pet Parent. Who else cleans up poo & vomit and pays the epic medical bills? So glad he’s better now!
I had to research the urine/cat spray odor thing too. The Experts’ advice was to use a specific enzymatic odor control spray by Nature’s Miracle. A full sized spray bottle is stocked by several retailers for around $10. You may need the large refill size? I’m not a fan of it’s scent, but it does go away dry. I just stayed out of the room, just like the detergent aisles in the store.
I have a nice wool rug that smelled animal funky when I had to move. I put it outside on a table, backing side up, in the sun and occasional rain. All the odor completely vanished after a few weeks. There isn’t a bit left either, after being inside for a year now. The cheapest carpet cleaner quote (with me delivering it too) was almost $200, so that worked out pretty nicely. It took time. I
Both my babies are gone now but I thought for sure I was smelling cat spray again recently. It turned out to be foul water under a plant that sits above it’s saucer. Weird. But easy enough to fix.
I've heard Nature's Miracle enough to buy a couple bottles! Gotta keep a stockpile out here haha. I'm very hopeful!
Oh good. It’s bad enough to deal with the symptoms, but it’s hard to know animals are distressed enough to do the dirty deed.
When I worked at a fancy nursery, we quit carrying fountains because something is always going wrong and they would be returned for total loss. You’re not alone there.
Are doggie diapers an option for overnight? Constant pee could ruin the floor and become very costly.
Carry on! Keeping Calm is up to you-
I loved your description of your sunset walk with Cooper. It sounds like he's still enjoying being a dog doing his old doggy stuff: I know you must treasure these "bonus days" with him after you worked so hard to find the help he needed. And your tale of your morning adventures rivals a Marx Brothers movie. Love to you and your pack 🐾 ❤️
Hah! The next time I get one of those mornings, I'll have to pair a funny soundtrack to help it along.
Annoying (if you've already tried and discarded it) suggestion -- puppy pee pads? Get the big ones and put them on the floor in the spots he's already peed (double-stick tape them down, even, maybe) and see if he will pee on them instead of the floor-floor. Inexpensive, easy to toss. (I put them under/around the litterbox, because my cat loves to scoop literal piles of litter out of the box after he finishes -- I have witnessed him do this -- and this way I can just pick up the puppy pad and pour the litter back in the box and lay it back down for next time. I also used them for the cat with severe IBD I had, when he would puke -- he usually gave me a wail of warning and I could shove one under his face and catch the vomit a lot of the time. Not _every_ time, but still.)
We do have puppy pads, but Cooper only uses them sometimes. He's very creative finding new places to pee 😂
Well, we all need to follow our Muse, really.
Gah, happening upon surprise pet smells is such a particular annoyance and frustration that I always forget about until I’m living it! No help, just pure commiseration. That first whiff makes my stomach drop with dread, “Oh no. Ohnono nono! Where WHO why fuckfuckfuckfuck why!!” and I feel immediately 10x more tired than I was mere moments before. My partner and I recently moved to a new rental with our two cats and dog, so this is very much a big part of our life lately. And actually mostly my life because my partner is also out travelling. So it’s just me, the pets, their stress as they figure out new spaces and territories, and almost daily google searches for pulling out odours from different materials (like it’s first time we’ve all lived with carpet together, that’s been fun ha). I had to laugh at myself because over the past few days I’ve been getting faint whiffs of a pee smell, looking around and not seeing any visible fresh spots, so needing to rely on my weaker senses by getting face to the ground yet again for another extensive pee hunt, only to find nothing and having lost trace of the smell, to then get hit with it later on in the day in a completely different room. My poor nose has been running the most disgusting marathon. The kicker? Turns out it the pee was ON me this whole time. On my clothes. I. HAVE. BECOME. THE. PEE. Cue more googling, then sniffing out every garment in my possession, then barricading any laundry, clothes, extra textiles, etc to closets. Thank fuck for closets!
But, I am currently reading and writing while sitting on my couch, cuddled up with my dog. For now the pee is tamed, all is calm, and I feel immense gratitude for this moment. I’m glad that’s part of the range of your experience right now too. Holding on to hope for more cuddle puddles, and less pee puddles, in the moments ahead.
This made me laugh out loud. "I HAVE BECOME THE PEE." Oh man, that is the WORST. Godspeed with the carpet — I felt every word in this.
Yep this is me. After a few weeks of daily peeing on my bed (the $250 waterproof cover I bought four years ago is still worth every penny) my cat decided to mix it up (after not peeing on the bed for almost two weeks) and peed on my CLOTHES on top of my dresser. I've never even seen her get up there before but she was mad my husband accidentally shut her out of the bathroom/closet where her food lives. Cue me putting on a pair of underwear going WHY ARE THESE WET!?! Can't even keep clothes out - everything must go into the drawers! One time I left them open and she peed in there too! My dog is mostly sainted (though even she got in on the pee on the bed action at one point) but dang, cats are hard to live with. Any even though I've doused my cheap mattress in Nature's Miracle, I still smell pee in that general vicinity. Moving out in a month and not looking forward to my cat discovering a new place. Blah.
And Kelton holy cow I'd be a wreck so you have my sympathies!!
Poor Ben, all the animals just decide to pee on his stuff. Like he is simply their competition for me lol.
I bought the Nature's Miracle in hopes it helps!
Thanks in no small part to your writing, I adopted a young cat two months ago. For ages, the idea of a pet cat struck me as a consolation prize for being unable to home a dog (rental restrictions, working 11 hour shifts, etc). But your essays and instagram wore me down. Cats are allowed in this apartment. Maybe I could spoil a lazy senior cat during its final years until I move to a house with a yard and finally adopt a dog?
Instead I fell face-first in love with a 1.5 year old beautiful and feisty cat who climbs everything and sprints and nose-boops my eyelids when she wants me to wake up and deliver her breakfast. She's the best. The chaos and joy far outweighs the mystery smell searching and shredded piece of furniture.
Thanks, Kelton.
If this is all this newsletter ever does, it would be enough.
I can relate to the sleep compromised by pets and the way morning’s best intentions (like starting the day with reading & writing) are sabotaged by cleaning up pet vomit and other mess. I slept in a quiet pet-less hotel this weekend with blackout curtains and slept 10 hours! I love our animals but they really are needy and mess-making.
Oh the sweet luxury of heavy curtains in a comfortable hotel. That is the best.
Did you see any Perseids last night? Maybe you can try again tonight?
We missed it!
I think my Brittany, Claire was on the same meds as Cooper. Lots of mid night pee runs. Luckily our yard is fenced- but one 3:00 am run, when I was home alone, we entered the moonlit yard and both encountered a skunk. We were both sprayed- Claire got hit in the eyes. Scary! Luckily, I had saline wash and skunk shampoo. Finally, after hours of cleaning up, we got back into bed at 5:30 both still damp and we cuddled together till later morning . That night is one of my very favorite bonding memories of my sweet little Claire.
That is such a great memory!
Really enjoyed this, thank you
Love burning Palo Santo, and the idea of having a dog... never thought about my day being derailed, though... and being up past 9:30... hmm, gotta factor that into getting a dog too. Beautiful read, thank you.
Really depends on the dog and the environment! Lots of options to preserve your sleep <3
First dog, so it'll be interesting foe sure. I may end up with a cat! Who knows!
Hahaha, that ole biology really sticks around.