Herding Cats At Home - July 2005

A: As long as your yorki-poo was still a puppy, your cat probably thought of him as just another "kitten" to play with -- not a potential competitor. The problem is that your puppy is now growing up and becoming an adult dog. So now, in your cat's mind, there's another adult critter in the household. Your cat doesn't want this creature to get any ideas about who was there first, or who's in charge. So even though they get along well, your cat is sending a very clear message to the dog: "You are NOT the Alpha animal here! Don't get any ideas. We can be friends if you follow MY rules."

Many wild cats mark important locations and boundaries within their territories with prominent scat piles -- piles of feces on rocks, ridges, etc. -- where potential competitors will readily smell and see them. The message is clear: "This is MY turf. Beware." Wild cats are much more likely to do this when they feel under siege from a known competitor, or when there's a lot of pressure on territories from other cats, or there's a new cat in the area.

Our domestic cats are very close, behaviorally and biologically, to their wild relatives, and carry over many "wild cat" behaviors into their lives with us. For example, the "top cat" in a multi-cat household will often be the only one to NOT bury feces in the litter box. It's a status thing. They're just making sure the other cats remember who's top cat!

I think your cat is sending a clear signal, in wild-cat language, to your dog. By pooping in the dog's bed -- where the dog can't possibly miss it -- he's asserting his status as top critter.

Your best bets are to: 1) Make sure both animals are neutered ASAP, if they're not already; 2) foster harmony between them; and 3) acknowledge that the CAT is top critter. Happily, they are friends and accustomed to playing together already. Watch for any signs of aggression or bullying from the dog. If you see any, nip them in the bud. As long as the dog acknowledges the cat's status, all will be fine, your cat will relax his competitive vigilance, and the pooping in the dog bed should taper off.

One possibility is that the dog has already been challenging the cat, or possibly being aggressive in subtle ways you might not notice -- and the cat is responding with his own "statement." If you think that might be the case, a dog-training class might be in order, to reinforce in your dog's mind that he's NOT the alpha in your home. (In any case, all dogs benefit greatly from structured training.) And neutering the dog is a MUST.

Meanwhile, clean up the mess as quickly as possible, taking care to remove the odor completely from the dog bed. lf you don't remove the odor as well as the mess, it still "calls" to the cat (completely apart from the fact that it's the dog bed), and the cat will smell it, and think -- "Ah, that's an OK place to go-- it smells right!" And the behavior will continue.

If the dog bed is washable, machine-wash it with a good-quality laundry detergent, plus "Febreeze Laundry Odor Eliminator." This is the best combo I've found to effectively remove cat odors from machine-washable items (and I've done a LOT of experiments).

If it's not washable, I suggest you throw the bed out and get a washable one (or at least one with a removable, washable cover AND insert). First, though, try a product called "Get Serious!" (available at PetSmart, PetCo, etc.) that's designed to work on carpets, upholstery, etc. Follow the directions exactly, and it should get the odor out.

One last comment -- I realize that cat poop is not French perfume (I have 9 cats), but it doesn't smell THAT bad. If it smells worse than you think it should, or worse than his poop used to smell, your cat might be having a medical problem. It might be a good idea to take him to the vet for a checkup, and possibly review his diet. Some medical conditions can cause unusually smelly output.