Inappropriate elimination: When cats miss the litter box: Urinating or defecating outside the box is an all too common reason cats are given up to shelters, or just dumped outside.
Rule #1: See your veterinarian.
Rule #2: Don't wait until the problem gets SO bad that you can't stand it anymore, but it's been going on for months, even for years before you desperately ask for help.
My conversation with veterinary behaviorist Dr. Jacqui Neilson:
We accepted a new cat into our household about six weeks ago. She was a 3 y.o. female, neutered and entering a house w/ a 3 1/2 y.o neutered male and a 17 y.o. neutered male. This was her third house: her 1st owner apparently died, putting her into the Chicago shelter. She developed issues in the 2nd home that were probably not her fault, nor the fault of the owner and landed with us.
Her urination always took place when we were home, and usually when my wife was home. It was usually on bedding, our bedding, not her bedding.
We eliminated the medical reasons, purchased pheromone spray and diffusers, made sure she wasn't alone when in the bedroom, sprayed her with water the one time we found her in the act, and just took our time. (There are other small things we tried and continue to do too, such as medicating her with a kitty downers. It wasn't one thing that we think is working, but a menu of actions)
The spray, we think is due to her not having been around other cats before and also the trauma of being put into her new home. The urination frequency has decreased and (we are hoping and praying) maybe even ended. She is on day 10 of no golden shower.
The other thing we noted about our new friend, she really didn't play well with the other cats when she arrived. Let's face it, no one plays well with a 17 y.o. that spends almost the entire day sleeping. However, the other young cat was a persistent teacher, he showed her how to be a cat again. We're hoping that has a big effect on her behavior-- except that part of being a cat that marks territory.
This has been, for an experience of only about six weeks, long and challenging. Patience is really required to finally succeed here.
I think the key thing here is, as Patrick did, is to first rule out any medical problems for behavior that seems to be psychological. You don't want to waste your time in frustration trying to treat a physical problem as if it were behavioral and possibly cause the cat more damage by hesitating. As most cat people know, cats do not always show when they are in physical pain and we sometimes are in denial that our loved furballs might be hurting.
LOL< Cats are just amazingly kewl! Thats just the way it is. We need them more than they need us LOL
Jess
www.privacy.24ex.com
Anyone else dislike digital TV? I get pixilated every time a police car goes by, and since they have a "trap" for left turners two doors down from me, that's a lot. Any ideas? Anyway we can get rid of digital tv?