Poop and Pee Times Three

We are on day 3 of puppy ownership and little Lulu is doing well. I stayed home from work yesterday to be with her and Erik and we were able to get in some quality time. There was lots of playing, sleeping, and our smart pup has even learned her first command: sit. Erik and I also found a ginormous crate someone was offering on Craigslist for $55. She looks a bit ridiculous in it right now, but it will be big enough that we should never have to buy a new one. It even came with a nice fluffy dog pillow that the previous owner had kindly washed for us (we found out later that her dog had been hit by a car--so sad).

Lulu's Puppy Condo

Of course there is the other side of puppy ownership that I have never had to deal with which is the oh-so-fun potty training aspect (cats are pretty much litter trained from birth and are good to go once you show them the litter box and what its for). Since Erik hasn't had to work the last few days we have tried to be very diligent about taking Lulu out every couple hours to pee and also making sure she goes after she eats and right after she wakes from a nap. We've definitely caught her a couple of times going in the house but we always gently scold her and take her right outside. The good news is she seems to understand exactly why we go outside. She doesn't mess around in the backyard and immediately finds a spot to do her business. I can't help but think that this is a good sign (wishful thinking?). When she goes potty outside we praise her and give her a treat when we come inside.

I realize that Lulu isn't going to be potty-trained over night and that there are going to be lots more accidents and clean-ups in my future until the little girl gets her tiny bladder under control. I expect her to not understand quite yet because she is a baby, my two adult cats on the other hand should really know better.

This morning I woke up to the smell of cat urine in the bedroom and I thought for sure that Zeke (who has been camping out under my bed since the puppy's arrival) had had an accident on the floor under the bed. I proceed to move the bed and pull everything out from underneath and can't see any puddles or wet spots. Confused I sit on the bed and that's when I find it--a huge yellow, wet spot all over my white duvet and comforter. The same duvet and comforter we had been sleeping under just 10 minutes earlier.

Now, there are probably a few contributing factors as to why my cats decided they needed to defile my bed. First, Im sure they are pissed about the dog (obviously) and second Erik and I did have the door to the bedroom closed last night because of the puppy crying (therefore the cats could not make it out to the litterbox which is in the laundry room). The thing is, I know my cats can hold it for 6 hours (Jezebel has locked herself in the closet and held it longer than that) and while I am sure fear of the dog and the door being closed are part of the reason for the pee on the duvet I can't help but feel they are making their feelings known.

Either way, the litterbox is now located in the bedroom for easy cat pee/poop access so we'll see if this solves the problem. If I find pee on the bed again, well, I guess I'll know what's up. As for the duvet, cover, and sheets--they got a thorough washing and will hopefully be salvageable.

As if dealing with the cat pee incident this morning wasn't enough, I walk into the guest bedroom to get something only to find both poop and pee on the floor (pretty sure this was miss Lulu's doing although I am not sure when she had a chance to do this as we have been watching her like a hawk). So poop and pee times three this morning all before 8 o'clock. Thank you kitties and puppy for starting the day off right.

Although it's hard to be too upset when you come home to this:

And this: