Herding Cats At Home - September 2004

A: It MAY be just a quirk, and he's decided that the litter box is a cool, comfortable spot to lounge. But anytime any cat starts doing anything different, or untypical of him -- especially if that behavior involves the litter box -- I worry.

Your cat may be having some kind of trouble in urinating or defecating. His solution is to stay in the box all the time so he'll be in the right place when he feels the need to go. He may be suffering from constipation, a urinary tract infection (UTI), cystitis, or a variety of other illnesses. Take him to the veterinarian for a complete checkup. Be sure to describe to the veterinarian your cat's recent behavior change (and any other changes you might have noticed), as well as his previous ("normal") behavior.

Another possibility is that he's "guarding" the litter boxes so the other cat can't get to them. Are the two litter boxes close together? Do your cats get along together well? Have you noticed any changes in their usual relationship? Sometimes, a cat will turn into a bully (because of a recent fight or some kind of conflict) and will guard the litter boxes, or the food bowls, or even chase other cats away from these important resources.

Start with the complete medical checkup -- that's really important. If he gets a totally clean bill of health, you'll want to start looking at behavioral cause such as inter-cat conflict. If all is well on the relationship front, the behavior may, indeed, be just a quirk.

A: Only a day? That's nothing, in terms of cat introductions. Cats don't like changes -- especially when those changes include new cats! Maxine is accustomed to being the only cat in her domain, and now there's a new one. Of course she's likely to be a bit put out. One day is much too brief a time either for Maxine to get to know Sophie, or for you to come to any conclusions about her feelings about the change. Cats can take from a few days to several weeks or months to get to know each other enough to be completely comfortable. Since Maxine is still quite young, chances are she'll come around quickly.

If you haven't done this already, make sure Maxine is spayed, and schedule spay surgery for Sophie as soon as possible. Two intact females will likely have a much pricklier relationship than two spayed females.

While it's unlikely that Maxine is actually scared of the kitten, it may be that she's a bit perplexed. Depending on her early experiences, and how much contact she's had with other cats and kittens, she may be trying to figure out just what this new creature is all about. So it may be Maxine, not Sophie, who's intimidated. (I'm not sure it's possible to intimidate a kitten -- they're generally game for just about anything.)

Maxine is, in the way of cats, getting to know Sophie. By following her around, she's observing the kitten's actions and personality, and becoming familiar with Sophie's personal scent signature -- the way cats recognize one another. And all those hisses, growls and other vocalizations are important cat-to-cat communications that likely convey more information than we humans can appreciate.

The best thing you can do for both Maxine and Sophie is to be patient and give them both plenty of time to get to know one another under the most pleasant circumstances you can devise. Feed them especially tasty meals, side by side. Of course, each cat should have her very own food bowl and water bowl.

Very important: If you haven’t done this already, set up at least one extra litter box. As a general rule, you should have at least one box per cat. Extras in this very important matter can head off a lot of problems.

Start daily interactive play sessions, and make sure both Maxine and Sophie have plenty of chances to run and jump. Get a "fishing-pole" type toy (like "DaBird" or "WhirlyBird").

Make sure they have fun together.

Also, make sure Maxine has no reason to feel that her territory or her resources are being taken over by this new addition. Provide extra cat beds, toys, an extra climbing tree/scratching post, and plenty of attention to both cats. Monitor their interactions, discreetly, but let them set the pace and take the initiatives in getting to know each other.

It sounds like things have started off well, and I suspect they will get better rapidly. The fact that Maxine is showing curiosity towards Sophie -- by following her around, rather than hiding or sulking -- is a good sign.

Finally, keep a cheerful, positive attitude. Maxine and Sophie will pick up on it. Patience, tolerance and love are the keys. Keep telling yourself that Maxine will be just fine, and so will Sophie. If you're nervous or fretful, the cats will pick up on that, too -- something you don’t want. Cats are amazingly sensitive to our moods and feelings. An owner who feels stressed or unhappy can cause stress and nervousness in her cats. So think positive, be patient -- and get out that DaBird!