Herding Cats at Home - June 2006

Written by Wendy Christensen

Q: My elderly cat now only wants to stay in my bedroom 24 hours a day. She also sprayed in the corner twice. She also doesn't want to sit on the floor. I don't understand this unusual behavior.

A: ANY major or sudden behavior change in a cat of ANY age calls for a trip to the veterinarian for a check-up. If you haven't taken your cat in for a check-up, do so right away. Be sure to tell the vet about the behavior(s) you find troubling. Elderly cats should see the vet at least twice a year anyway.

There could be several reasons your cat wants to stay in one place:

1. She might be having trouble moving and getting around, due to arthritis, stiffness or other movement problems, and just doesn't want to leave her favorite place (your bedroom).

2. As to the spraying in the corner, she might have experienced pain (such as constipation, which is common in older cats), or arthritis while in her litter box, and now associates the box with the pain. Changing the box itself, its location, and/or the litter can help reassure her the box is "safe."

If she's been suffering from constipation, or if you've seen her crying or straining in the box, a trip to the vet is definitely in order. Sometimes, a couple doses per week of hairball gel can solve the problem.

3. She might be starting to suffer from Feline Cognitive Dysfunction syndrome ("kitty Alzheimer's") and be confused about where her litter box is, or even where she is. Cats with this condition can get disoriented and confused even in very familiar places. It's likely she feels safe and comforted while in your bedroom, so she naturally wants to stay there.

4. Elderly cats sometimes get extra-fussy about things. Your cat may have developed an aversion to something about the rest of your house (maybe because she had a bad experience, fell down, or had some pain).

Since elderly cats spend most of their time sleeping anyway, it might be a good idea to confine her to a smaller space than your whole house -- perhaps your bedroom, where she's happiest? If you provide her with at least one convenient, low-sided, uncovered litter box, a warm, comfy bed, a familiar scratching post and constant fresh water supply, and plenty of attention and fussing, she will be quite happy. I suspect that trying to navigate the whole house might have become too difficult, confusing and complicated for her, either because of cognitive problems, arthritis, or just a general reluctance to move about (common in elderly of all species).

My Nika (who just turned 20 in May) has settled in happily and comfortably in her "private suite" upstairs, where she sleeps with me every night, and enjoys brief visits from her special friends among my other ten cats.

Our elderly kitties deserve the very best from us -- and a little extra thought and accommodation to their quirks and special needs will go a long way.

Q: For the last six months, one of our female cats, Daisy, an eighteen-month-old indoor spayed calico, has been bringing clothes up out of the laundry baskets in the cellar and making a path and sometimes a square (my husband calls them crop circles) with them. Mostly, her preference is socks and underwear; but last night she also dragged up an oxford, a couple of t-shirts, and a bra in addition to the socks, panties, and boxers.

It used to be cute when it was just a couple of socks, but this cat has been really busy. Although she brings up the occasional sock during the day, her real decorating begins after everyone goes to sleep. The clothes are literally draped through the house in the morning. This morning was the worst yet - 48 pieces of clothing. The path leads up the basement steps, through the kitchen, through the dining and living rooms, into the hall, and ends with a nice pile of socks and my husband's boxers by his side of the bed. When I awaken each morning, Daisy is curled up in back of my knees.

The other animals have total respect for her creations. Both cats and dogs take detours around the clothes. They don't touch any of the clothes nor do they interrupt her process. They all stare at me when I pick up the clothes in the morning, but Daisy doesn't seem to care.

This cat is, gets along well with the other cats, is extroverted, and loves to sleep with the dogs during the day. She doesn't exhibit alpha qualities and respects the pecking order of our colony.

My husband thinks she's trying to tell us something, but I think she's exhibiting hunting-gathering skills the only way an indoor cat can. What do you think is going on with this cat?

A: Daisy'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 sometimes 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. Or, it may be in response to scents or hormones from the other animals in the house. Or even from the humans

Spaying removes the physical organs of motherhood, and decreases production of related hormones, but doesn't remove instinctual maternal urges and behavior patterns, which are laid down in the brain. Some cats just have stronger maternal urges than others, and may continue to produce significant levels of hormones even after a spay. (Sometimes this can be caused by a bit of tissue left behind after the surgery.)

I've also seen neutered male cats who have extremely strong "maternal" urges, and love to bathe, fuss over and otherwise "mother" kittens.

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. It's possible your cat's activities are meant to move her "kittens" frequently, keeping them safe from potential predators.

The fact that the other critters don't mess with her objects is another clue: Nobody's going to mess with a mama, of any species, while she's raising young. They may be humoring her delusions, or she may actually be secreting motherhood hormones, that the other animals (especially the cats) can detect. That is, to them, she might actually smell like a new mother. It may be they "stare at you" when you pick up the clothes because they can't believe you're brave (or foolish) enough to mess with a new mama's babies. But Daisy obviously trusts you enough to feel comfortable with you doing this.

It might be interesting to NOT pick up the objects one day and see what she does, that day and the following night. Will she bring up a whole new set? Move the ones she already brought up to new locations? Leave all the "kittens" where she left them? If you do this experiment, please tell me what happens! If this interests you, you might want to devise other experiments to see how she'll react - without upsetting her, of course.

Making her "crop circles" is clearly a very important and meaningful activity for Daisy. It may diminish over time, or she may keep it up. Unless it's really disruptive to your household, I'd let her continue with her little rituals. She sounds like a delightful, well-adjusted and happy cat. Of course, no one ever really knows what's going on in a cat's mind - especially a calico's mind.

Q: For the past two years, my eight-year-old male cat disappears for a couple weeks at a time, for no apparent reason. He's an indoor-outdoor cat, but we always make sure he's in for the night. Rarely does he even leave the back yard - unless he goes into one of his Houdini acts. He always returns safe and sound, but I really worry about him. My husband thinks it's a mid-life crisis. I thought of microchipping him just to see where he goes. Is he hunting? Is he bored? Is he searching for our previous residences? He always has check-ups from his vet and he's fully vaccinated and well taken care of.

A: I'm going to assume your wandering guy is neutered. (If not, it's pretty plain what he's out looking for…)

Owner of cats who allow their cats unescorted access to the outdoors need to understand that some day, their cats might not come back. It's just the odds. There are a LOT of dangers out there for an unescorted feline, even a tough-guy cat.

I doubt your cat is having a "mid-life crisis." That's a purely human concept. More likely, over time, he's established "another life" for himself out on the streets (or in someone else's house - which is not unusual, by the way - and BOTH families often think he's exclusively THEIR cat). I suspect his wandering off is just a habit at this point, formed by years of repetition. Cats are very much creatures of habit, and they don't have all those complicated psychological "issues" we do (like fear of age, fretting about the past or future, regrets, etc.) He wanders off occasionally because that's what he's always done. It's his pattern, and no one has tried to change it.

When he wanders off, it could be because he's not feeling well. Or, he starts to chase some prey animal and gets carried away and just keeps on going. Or maybe he gets disoriented for awhile and has trouble finding his way home. Or, he may get trapped in somebody's garage or shed for a few days, or someone may take him in, thinking he's a stray. He's almost certainly hunting (that's what cats DO, after all), and maybe just exploring. He may be bored at home, but more likely he just has a touch of wanderlust, like some people do.

Microchipping him is an excellent idea in any case. But you can't count on him ending up anywhere where his chip could (or would) be read. Many cats that disappear are never heard from again. They can be killed in any number of ways: cars, predators, evil humans, etc. Some cats have climbed into trucks or shipping containers (and even jet planes) and traveled VERY far from home. Only the few lucky lost cats who end up in shelters (or vet clinics or at rescues) have any chance of having their chips read and going home.

So, it's really a trade-off. Once he comes home, unless you decide to turn him into an indoor cat, he'll most likely continue to wander off periodically. That seems to be his style. But you must realize that, given the odds, one day, he won't come home again. Some cats DO beat the odds, wander the world for 15 years and die peacefully in their own kitty beds. But they're the exceptions.

Good luck to you - and I hope he's back home safe and sound soon, if not already. And DO consider treating him to a safe, enriched indoor lifestyle! He's earned it.

Q: We adopted a very mild mannered, snuggly, lover of a male cat over a month ago. He has neutered last Monday. Ever since his behavior has been changing for the worse. Especially in the past 2-3 days. He won't snuggle, swipes at your hand when you pet him, and tears through the house at break neck speeds. He has also stopped coming to bed with us, and sleeping peacefully through the night. We have had to lock him out, since he has gotten aggressive with us while we slept. Now he stays up all night tearing about the house. His eyes are always wide and he looks mad and scared. Nothing has changed at our home, and the amount of time away from him has not varied. I called my vet and they said they highly doubt that he is hurting from the procedure, but offered to give him some pain pills. This behavior is 180 degree switch from the lazy, snuggly, super friendly cat we adopted. His meow has also seemed to change. It's louder, more frequent, and he gurgles in his meows. Another thing I noticed is his eyes are watering quite frequently. Do you have any ideas as to what could be happening with my cat?

A: If he were my cat, I would take him back to the veterinarian ASAP for a checkup. This does not sound like normal behavior after neuter surgery. Neutering can cause some behavioral changes; the testosterone level in the cat's blood does not go way down immediately. It takes a couple of weeks before the full hormonal changes are complete, and this can cause some behavioral upset. But the aggression you're seeing is very unusual. There may be something else wrong with your cat, totally unrelated to the surgery.

Schedule a complete checkup ASAP. Meanwhile, confine him to a small space equipped with everything he needs so that you can keep an eye on him, and so that he doesn't harm anyone.

If your veterinarian (the one who did the surgery) dismisses your concerns, please do your cat a favor and take him to another veterinarian. Explain exactly what you've observed, describe the cat's behavior before the surgery, and his behavior since. It doesn't happen very often, but things can go wrong during routine surgeries like neutering.

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