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Written by Wendy Christensen
Q: I've been having a problem between my Persian and my Gray cat. They used to be friends, but now they want to kill each other. It seems that my Persian doesn't like colored cats anymore. He also has a problem with my calicos. Any suggestions?
A: I really doubt that your Persian suddenly "doesn't like colored cats anymore!" Cats recognize one another mainly by scent, not visual appearance. It doesn't really matter to a cat what color other cats are! They hardly notice such things, if at all.
It sounds like your Persian has taken a "dislike" to ALL other cats, right? But I suspect it's not "dislike" at all.
If he were my cat, the first thing I would suspect is that he was ill, and in pain. I would immediately make an appointment with the veterinarian for a complete medical checkup. If your Persian is ill, he may be very uncomfortable, or even in serious pain. Because he's feeling bad, he is cranky and unhappy, so he's lashing out at all other cats. Because he can't tell you in words that he's hurting, you have to look for clues in his behavior.
For example, he could have a rotten tooth or an abscess in his mouth. These can be very annoying and painful for a cat. He might be experiencing tummy troubles, have an infection in his ears or mouth, or any one of a number of other medical problems. Fortunately, many feline medical problems can be quickly diagnosed and treated by your veterinarian.
If your cat DOES get a clean bill of health, and doesn't have a medical problem, the problem may be caused by a behavioral conflict with in your cat group. But take him to the vet FIRST and get him a complete checkup. Then, write me back and let me know what you found out, and we can work on the problem from there.
Q: My cat recently started stealing my hair scrunchies. She gets really mad when I try to take them away from her and does this weird sniffing thing. She carries them all over the house. Why has she all of the sudden turned into a klepto?
A: Your cat isn't a kleptomaniac -- she's a MomCat! Or at least, she thinks she is...
Female cats, even if they're spayed, sometimes get it into their heads that they're mothers, raising kittens. They'll pick up small, soft items -- "kitten substitutes" -- from around the house, carry them around in their mouths, protect them as if they were real kittens, and even try to "nurse" them. This may be caused by the scents of hormones and pheromones wafting in from non-spayed cats outdoors, or it may be triggered by the light and changes of Springtime -- peak season for kitten-birthing.
Your hair scrunchies are your cat's "kittens." They have the added benefit of carrying your scent, which is familiar and dear to her.
In the wild, a MomCat will move her entire litter to a new nest several times during their first few weeks of life. This is to insure that the nest where her kittens are is always clean and fresh, with no odors or other clues to attract predators. Carrying your scrunchies around and "protecting" them from you is your cat's way of moving her "kittens" and making sure they're safe. She probably stashes them in "safe places" around the house.
My only advice is to make sure she has a good supply of "kittens" to carry around and protect! It's a very important and meaningful activity for her. I suspect you'll see this behavior diminish over time, as peak kitten season goes by.
Q: I have two cats. One is a four year old ragdoll. The other is a domestic shorthair. The both use the same litter pan. My Ragdoll, Annie, used to cover her urine or bowel movement. My domestic always covered hers since she was a kitten. (She is eight years old.) I am home and so is my husband, so we are always cleaning the litter constantly. I make sure the box is freshly cleaned and washed every few weeks. Lately my Ragdoll has not been covering anything after she goes. She used to, but not now. Could you please tell me why she does this? Do you think i should use a litter box for each of them? We really don't have the room for two litter boxes.
A: Cats are highly conscious of "resources" in their environment, and can sometimes get quite fussy about sharing -- even if they've always shared litter boxes and other resources with one or more other cats. I think what you're seeing is a "territorial battle," being waged in your litter box.
It sounds like your cats previously shared a box happily, but are no longer willing to do so, for some reason -- probably a brewing "turf battle" for status. It's in your (and their) best interests to provide at least one additional box. Ideally place this new box at least a few feet from the existing one -- perhaps even in a different room.
In nature, a wild cat who "owns" a particular territory will mark that territory, and display his ownership by depositing feces and urine on a prominent marker-spot like a large rock -- uncovered and visible (and smellable!) to all. The cat's intention is to make sure any other cats who happen to wander by will know that this is HIS turf!
Your domestic shorthair has been with you longer, so has probably always been the "top cat" in your home. Now, your Ragdoll seems to be saying SHE wants to be "top cat." Often, the "top cat" in a home will display his or her status in a similar way to that wildcat: by leaving feces and urine uncovered. By leaving her "offerings" uncovered, your Ragdoll is likely challenging your older cat for status.
The best way to de-fuse these kinds of "status wars" is to provide extra resources (that is, at least one more litter box) at the first sign of trouble.
I, and most, if not all, other cat behaviorists, recommend STRONGLY that you provide at LEAST one litter box per cat in your house, plus at least one extra box. This sounds like a lot, but, believe me, it can prevent a LOT of problems! You say you don't have room, but I'll bet you could find room, with just a little creativity. It's clearly a very important issue for your cats -- and the next step in their turf battle might just be "outside the box thinking." And you DON'T want that, right?
Herding Cats at Home - June 2004 2
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