I'm desperate - I need some help here. I've had a cat since I was 15 and that's getting to be a very long time! I've even had several cats at once, and you might call me more of a cat than a dog person, although lately I'm not sure you'd call me either, for all the muttering under my breath going on regarding either species.

Miah is going to be ten this November, she's always been a bit nervous and I think she suffers a bit of post-traumatic stress disorder from previous experiences in her early childhood that I did not cause, and could not prevent. We've had episodes with her now and then.

Lately, she's taken to using the laundry room floor as a catbox on a consistent basis, five feet from her catbox, for her daily doo. I've read on the internet and have done everything they suggested, short of putting her on anti-depressants, which was also suggested. Right when I think she's over it, it happens again.

My last cat was a huge, semi-nasty cat who did this for FIVE YEARS STRAIGHT, in the basement, until I finally just could not tolerate it any more, and had her put to sleep. I swear she was hissing at me to the last minute, and I still cried like a baby.

Miah is sweet, quirky but dear. She's never, ever nasty - but between the two male golden retrievers she has to tolerate, one of which tends to maul her in an attempt to be friends, and my off and on travels away from home, she's obviously stressed.

I have no idea what on earth to do about this. Has anybody had this problem, anyone who actually likes cats, but doesn't value them more than their kids, and can give me a suggested solution. I'm gone again next weekend, for two nights and I know it'll send her for a tailspin, not that she's calm right now, and I'm gone in November for almost two weeks. I just can't bear to ask a housesitter to deal with this, and am willing to try about anything that might help. I've read of shutting them in a close quarters kennel to force them to use the box, but I really think that would stress her even more.

Help please! Jesus would probably think she's a dandy cat, but I'd prefer to keep her here with me.