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Tabbytudes Cat Behavior Column - April 2003
Written by Amy Shojai
April 2003
Dear Readers,
Another month has gone by, and it's time for the next TabbyTudes Column. This installment deals with a complex mystery-that has a surprising and happy resolution! I also offer some insight and advice for owners of "mouthy" kitties (the biters and the yowlers), to help you maintain the bond you share with your special felines-and get some sleep. If your feline behavior question isn't specifically addressed, please take a look at the Tabby Tip at the end of each column. I'll try to address a couple more questions there. And of course, lots more information is available in my books. *s*
Purrs,
Amy
Letter of the Month: My Cat Snubs the Litter Box
Hi,
I have a six-year-old tabby/manx cross. She is an indoor cat and has lived most of her life in a two bedroom apartment. She has always been fed a diet of raw organic sirloin (1/4 cup/day) and a good organic grade hard food. She does not get treats of any kind other than the occasional cooked organic chicken.
Last spring we moved to a three-bedroom house. We have only let her out when supervised and she only goes short distances in the yard. She has not been outside over the past few months due to the inclement weather. She has a large kitty tree where she can see the yard, and a box full of toys. She has never been a very sociable cat, she doesn't like to sit in your lap or be held for too long. When we first adopted her in we were told she had come from a kitty mill. She was in bad shape and suffered from a terrible case of ringworm.
She has otherwise been in good health up until Christmas last year. We monitor her litter box carefully and are very familiar with her habits. Two months ago she underwent surgery to remove two very impacted/infected anal glands. The condition was brought to our attention when she starting to urinate on the bed. She has recovered well from the surgery and her litter box habits returned to normal until a few days ago.
I noticed that she only urinated once in two days and it was a very large amount. She then skipped a day and had another large amount in the litter box. There were no problems with her bowel movements other than that she stopped covering them up. The next night she urinated on our bed.
We took her to our vet immediately where she underwent an ultrasound of her bladder and a urinalysis. There was no sign of bladder infection, crystals, cysts, polyps etc. The doctor suggested it might be behavioral and asked that we try her on an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication. We took her home from the vets and noticed when we arrived that she had urinated in her carry box. When I took her out she urinated again while I was holding her and it ran down the backs of her legs.
We gave her the first pill and decided to set up a separate room for her for a few days to see how things progress. I left her in this room for about 10 minutes while I gathered up her bowls. When I returned she had chewed two large clumps of hair off her hind leg.
This has been very upsetting for us and we are very concerned. We would appreciate any information you might have that could assist us in this.
Thank you for your time,
Lis Pedersen
Amy Shojai's Reply:
Hi Lis, How fortunate that you so carefully monitor your cat's health. That surely caught the anal gland problem promptly, and I'm sure will also aid in resolving the current situation. First, a couple of questions -- did the urinalysis or other tests rule out diabetes, kidney function, or hyperthyroidism? These three conditions (alone or in combination) can prompt excessive urination, and I'd want to rule them out before assuming it's a behavioral issue. These health conditions are most common in cats age 6 and above, and older cats are most frequently affected.
Second, I'm guessing the drug therapy your veterinarian prescribed was for idiopathic cystitis. This is an inflammation of the bladder with no known cause (no infection, no crystals), and the discomfort prompts frequent, usually small amounts of urine being expressed. Episodes seem to come and go, and stress often triggers an episode. It may be that your kitty has decided to "blame" the litter box for uncomfortable elimination and so she's "holding" it as long as possible-hence, the huge amounts of urine.
Drugs such as Elavil that are prescribed typically take up to three weeks to reach the proper levels in the blood to have a good effect, and act to reduce the stress that triggers the inflammation and symptoms. Elavil not only counters anxiety, it also helps soothe the bladder inflammation so sometimes there's a positive effect quite rapidly. The generic drug amitriptyline, or an antihistamine drug called hydroxizine that works very similarly, are both much less expensive than the brand-name Elavil. Your veterinarian is best suited to choose the right option for your individual situation.
It's hard to say why she pulled hair off her legs. That could be related to the stress of the vet visit and confinement in the small room. It might also be a reaction to pain or discomfort in her nether regions.
Good luck with your kitty. I hope you get her some relief soon. Many times it takes a bit of detective work to figure out exactly what's happening.
Lis Reports Success!
Hi Amy, We have solved the problem. I thought I would share the outcome with you in the event it helps someone else.
We had more tests done with no results. She was still only urinating once a day in her box and then she stopped having bowel movements. After three days we called the vet, and he did an x-ray but no problems were seen. We tried kitty malt, water on her biscuits, etc. for six days, and our next move was to have the vet give her an enema. There had been no more chewing of hair but we noticed her back end constantly twitching. We tried chiropractic and massage with no luck. After six days I was absolutely frantic and decided to let the vet keep her for a few days to see if they could sort things out. I had resigned myself to the fact that there was something terribly wrong and that we could possibly lose her.
For some reason, the day before she was to go to the vet, I decided to buy a new litter box. It was unbelievable. She went straight into the box and had a huge bowel movement.
She has returned to normal with her habits. We can't recall that anything unusual occurred with the old litter box. We are extremely relieved and happy to have our kitty back to normal. Too bad she can't tell us what happened in that box to make her hate it so much. Thank you again for your advice and support during a very stressful time. Lis
Other letters this month included cat-to-cat introduction difficulties, overly aggressive play, and biting issues. Different experts may offer other opinions, but generally when adopting a second cat, I recommend choosing one that's both younger, and the opposite sex of the resident feline. Fixed male/female pairings tend to work best; however, if the cats are of a similar age (especially in the 2-4 year range when they're just reaching "social" maturity) they may argue for some time over who should be top cat. Confining the newer cat in a safe room with litter box, food and water, toys, and all the important kitty paraphernalia for the first several days-or even weeks-is quite helpful, before trying a face-to-face introduction. There may be some wrangling, and as long as it's not full-out war, let the cats work it out themselves. Interrupting the process of determining who will rule can sometimes prolong the agony. Also, making both cats "smell" alike can ease the transition, because cats will cheek-rub safe friends and family so they smell like themselves. Therefore, dabbing some vanilla extract, or your own perfume, under the chin, back of the neck and base of tail of both cats sort of fools Mother Nature so the cats think they're already family.
Biting is an instinctive cat impulse, used in defense, aggression, and play. Every cat is different, and some felines are more "touchy-feely" than others and enjoy being held and stroked. Other cats are perhaps hypersensitive to touch, and too much petting revs them up or maybe even feels uncomfortable. Cats use the "leave me alone!" bite to stop the petting and interaction. These kitties may be able to tolerate only one to three strokes, then their ears go back, tail flails, eyes dilate, and they nail you. Watching for these cues (ears, eyes, tail) can help you learn to stop the petting BEFORE the cat bites. Playing with feathers, fishing-pole style toys and other interactive games are great ways to teach the cat that contact with you is positive and rewarding. This keeps teeth and claws at a safe distance, while giving the cat a legal outlet for bunny-kicking and biting. It can also wear out kittens so they're more willing to accept snuggles.
Kittens are a different cat-egory. (Sorry, couldn't resist!) While adult cats typically use biting in a purposeful manner, kittens are more likely to use biting willy-nilly during play. They simply don't know any better, and get carried away and play too rough. Kittens that have the opportunity to stay with Mom-cat and siblings until they're 12-16 weeks old usually are taught proper feline manners, and learn how to inhibit their bite and claws during play. In shelter or stray adoption situations, kittens more typically come to our homes without having learned this basic p'etiquette so it's up to us to teach the kitten. Older cats and dogs in the home are generally very good teachers, and will put Junior in his place with a hiss or swat if he gets too rough.
Humans need to follow the Mom-cat's lead, and communicate to the kitten in terms he understands that biting HURTS! For very young kittens (under 5 months), a loud, percussive SSSSSSSSSSSTTT! often stops the kitten in a flash. Don't overuse the hiss-interruption, though, or it will stop working. For older kittens and adult cats that never learned bite-manners, spraying with water sometimes works (however, my cat likes to be sprayed), or a loud noise such as slapping a magazine against your thigh. My favorite, though, is a loud, very short and percussive SCREAM. That tells the cat in no uncertain terms that biting/clawing hurts (he may not realize this). It also startles him enough to interrupt and temporarily stop the behavior. Once he stops, immediately put him in a room by himself for five minutes, to teach him that biting means all the games stop. Playing nice and inhibiting his bite is self-rewarding because the games continue.
TabbyTip of the Month:
Cats get bored, just like we do. In particular, cats being transitioned from an outside lifestyle to an indoor environment, or from a large house to a smaller apartment, can feel confined and frustrated. After all, there's nothing to do when their favorite human is gone at work many hours a day. Consequently, cats may resort to meow-pestering when owners ARE home-and the middle of the night is prime time for cats wanting attention. To reduce the midnight meow-fest, as well as boredom during the day, enrich your cat's environment. Give the kitty brain some work to do by providing lots of climbing levels and cubbyholes to explore. Commercial cat trees are wonderful but expensive, but many cats relish playing in empty boxes and paper bags, lounging on high shelves, or perching on windowsills. Hide catnip toys or tasty treats for Kitty to hunt and find. Place bird baths and feeders outside windows for cat viewing pleasure. Invest in puzzle toys that contain kitty kibble which require play to unleash the treat-reward. And create a fun routine that includes petting and play every day at the same times, so Kitty anticipates sharing special fun with you. An exuberant game of chase just before bedtime can tire her out so she's more willing to sleep through the night.
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