| Questions and Answers Continued |
| Behavioral Problems - Part II |
| ??: My 13 year old kitty was diagnosed with diabetes right before Christmas but is doing well with 2 shots of insulin a day. Somewhere in this time he started peeing next to the boxes (I have two, for my two cats, who have been together 10 years). The floor beside both is now his favorite place to go. I clean the litter often, and have tried every kind of litter...no help. Both boxes were moved to both ends of the house - no luck. He's still doing his other business in there. The vet says his diabetes will make him go more often, but has no idea why he'd go next to the box. A: I had to laugh, she also suggested designing a kitty diaper (I told her she may want to try stud pants!!). Good news, bad news on this one if it's behavioral. The bad news, of course, being that her cat is peeing on her floor - well, and that he's also got a medical condition that could interact with other medical therapy. First, I want the vet to see if there is an infection. The change in his chemistry or the onset of diabetes may have brought out a latent infection. Next, I wanted to know if he was actually squatting outside the box, or just hanging out. If he's a hanger, get a hooded box. My real concern is that the sudden two injections a day is really stressing him out. But, since he's going right next to his box, this kitty is a really good candidate to get back in there. I'd talk to the vet about whether busiperone is safe, at least for a few months, to help him get through the stress of the injections. ??: My cat hunts mice all the time, though she's an indoor cat. She brings them to me, dead or alive. Is there any way to discourage it? She's spoiled rotten; when things don't go the way she wants she pees all over. I really want a kitten, but I'm worried. Upon further prompting, this owner offered that when the family returns home, she rolls on her back in front of them inside the door. When they covered the spot she does this in, she peed on the floor in the bathroom. She did the same after they went on vacation. She was adopted from a shelter, thin as a twig, with bite marks on her ears. She also loves to be up in the rafters or on the fridge. A: Wow, does this cat have some problems They're all solvable, mind you, but wow. Reminds me of my own sweet girl. :) Stopping her from hunting isn't going to happen. Get rid of the mice somehow, get her a collar with a bell, but that's about the extent of it. Hunting is what they do...and it's flattering. A cat bringing you prey she could just as well have eaten herself is a high compliment on how they feel about you (or a low comment on how they feel about your hunting skills). Provided she doesn't have a medical problem, this seems like a classic high stress kitty. Contrary to how the question was phrased, cat's don't act directly out of spite - when your cat pees in your suitcase, it's not because she's miffed that you're travelling. She's stressed because when that suitcase comes out, you leave for a few days, and she gets scared. So, she tries to express dominance over the object causing her the stress. Boom, you have a smelly suitcase. This owner is right to be concerned about adding another cat. This cat is very high strung right now, with an obvious dominance problem to boot. I think until all this calms down, a kitten is asking for trouble. This cat is exhibiting obvious separation anxiety, even though it's latent. When you're greeted at the door by a cat squirming for attention, you've got a cat that thinks it's cause to celebrate when you get home. That means when you leave, she's afraid you aren't coming back. Combine this with the escalation in reaction when they went on vacation - this cat is terrified of being abandoned. This is really, really common in kitties who went through the shelter experience. This does NOT mean anyone should have reservations about shelter kitties - I've seen just as many walk out of there as confident as can be. Half the problem is our reinforcement - when a shelter kitty is overly affectionate, we think it's cute and reward it with petting. The proper thing to do is ignore the begging for attention. And, when you do, the negative behavior will escalate (hence the incident when her "spot" was covered). She figures if she does something more dramatic, she'll get the pets she wants. The good news is that a cat's overall stress level will improve with simple retraining. Don't pet her before you leave. Change your routine before you leave. And most of all, when you get home, ignore her for at least 20 minutes. It's hard, it seems cruel, but this works more than any other anxiety reduction training I have used. Once the stress level starts to come down, the cat feels more confident, more secure, and everything gets better. Keep in mind while you're doing the retraining - no big events. No moving, new roommates, kids, spouses, remodeling. Common sense. Now, to the next issue. This cat has a problem with dominance. She begs for food. She wants to be above everyone. In a cat that doesn't exhibit the other problems, I'd say hey, she's a cat. But, this suggests a desire for control. I think it will improve with the other retraining - as her stress reduces, she's likely to feel less need to control her surroundings. ??: I have a cat, and brought home a new kitten. I kept them separated most of the day, but my cat got into the room. They sniffed each other, he chased the kitten, then all of a sudden he wouldn't leave the kitchen. The kitten sniffed all around the house. Now my cat hardly eats. The kitten's been away from him, but I feel awful. He can see the little one playing under the door. A: First, you're on the right track. Separation is vital to a new introduction. The cat obviously is very anxious about the little guy - and it was compounded when the kitten was able to roam and check out all the cat's stuff. The lack of violence at their introduction is quite encouraging. For the next week or so, though, they must be confined. Give the cat some of his favorite food, and if he doesn't eat for more than one or two days, get him to the vet. Now, later you can start to lure him to the kitten. You want them to eventually be eating and playing with toys on the other side of the door, so that they can smell one another and associate it with a positive experience. Then, switch their locations - cat in kitten room, kitten in cat's - so that they can explore one another's scent without the threat of a conflict. Let the cats be your guide - they'll let you know when they're ready to cohabitate. |
| Elimination; Stress; and Introductions |