insecure cat problems

midnight

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Messages
2
Purraise
0
Location
burnsville NC
help! my husband and i have a huge problem with my oldest cat, mookie, who i found as a walkup a year ago. she is EXTREMELY jealous of both our dog, bud, who has been with us for 4 years, and our newest cat, littlecat, who wandered up about 3 months ago. she is prone to violent outbreaks when she sees us paying attention to another pet, where she scratches and bites us. to get back at bud, she eats his food, and sometimes she scratches him. to get back at littlecat, she hisses and lowers her ears with no violence. however, when we are not looking she pees on my pillow, my husband's pillow, and the floor. she even pooped where she sleeps (on my down comforter)! we have not gotten any farther than having littlecat come in on short supervised visits (littlecat stays in the pantry). both littlecat and bud are nice to mookie, but she has serious issues with them (especially littlecat). i have tried introducing the cats slowly, to no avail. we are giving mookie lots of extra attention, and taking her or littlecat to the shelter is not an option. can i do anything about her security problems, and stop her from marking her territory? by the way, she is not marking places where she's marked before, it's always a new spot. any help would be greatly appreciated!
 

sockiesmom

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jul 23, 2002
Messages
940
Purraise
1
Location
Ontario, Canada
Is this a new thing, or has Mookie always been jealous of your other pets? The peeing and pooping issue would tempt me to take her to a vet, just to make sure everything is alright.
 

hissy

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 19, 2001
Messages
34,872
Purraise
76
Sounds to me like she is stressed out by to many animals in the house. The peeing on your items is a way for her to calm down. Is there anyway you can just give her some space for awhile away from the other two? You can also try giving her some Rescue Remedy in her water or her wet food, to help de-stress her. Sometimes, when you only have so much space, and more than one animal, there are these type of problems that do occur.

The stress in her can cause urinary tract problems as well, so a trip to the vet is a really good idea too.

Good luck!
 

angelzoo

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
1,535
Purraise
2
Location
Maryland, USA
Ok, this sounds like a serious behavorial issue, and the cat should be brought to the vet about this. And possibly a behavorist if the vets can not adiquitly help you.

Just from the information you have told me, I would say it's a good possiblity that you should rehome the older cat. It's been a year as you say, and she still has not adjusted to this type of living. It's not a matter of the cat getting back at you, or being jealous. But more so that the cat feels very insecure as the title says, and stressed out/threatened living in your household the way it is now.

As far as sratching and biting. Does she come over to you and do this? Or do you go to her and then she does this to you?
Eating the dogs food is purely because she must be hungry or like the way it tastes. Please try to not let her have access to this food. A little isn't going to kill her, but it would still be best to not eat it at all.
As far as scatching the dog, she probably doesn't like him, and she is defending herself or her territory, the same thing goes for little cat, she obviously does not agree with littlecat being around.

The improper elimination could be both behavoiral and phsyical, so you should ask a vet to check out both of those options. Letting a cat pee/poo on objecst like this can often be a set back towards recovery, try to make it as hard as possible to find a spot to pee/poo, except for her litter box.
Do you have a bathroom, or another bedroom which is well ventilated and spacious to allow a cat all of it's toys, and food to stay in? I personally feel this would be the best option for mookie atm, and it will also save your bed and any other possesions from being ruined.

I am going to search for a list of no kill shelters in your state. This 'might' be the best option for her, to be rehomed in a place where she can be the only animal, with all the attention and time that she needs.
 

angelzoo

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
1,535
Purraise
2
Location
Maryland, USA
Well lets just make this easier.

Go to... http://www.petfinder.org

Up top click on Shelter & Rescue Groups.
Select your state from the pull down menu, and click on Go.

That will give you a list of some of the shelters (including no kill shelters) that are in your state, listed by city.
I'm not saying that you have to give this animal up, but it is an option, and you don't have to worry about her being PTS at a local humane society.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

midnight

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Messages
2
Purraise
0
Location
burnsville NC
she has always exibited her insecurity is some way or another. the peeing and pooping is just since we got the new cat. i will take her ny the vet just to be sure. we do have a relatively small house, and i have tried to confine her to my room, but then she started eliminating. also, i was just out of town for a while, i am thinking that stress might have added to the situation. i have heard even the no kill shelters will put an animal down if it is agressive toward humans. she has a tendency to just snap after you pet her for a while, and will go after you only if you pay attention to another animal. thanks for all your advice thus far!
 

angelzoo

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
1,535
Purraise
2
Location
Maryland, USA
Well since I'm not there to see it. I can't say if she's going "after you" or not.
But in her own mind she might be trying to play with you, some cats play very rough unless they know otherwise.

Another possiblity, is that Alpha cats (which she seems to want to be) like to break up play sessions or fights, specially with other animals or people who are doing it in her territory.

Any GOOD animal rescue will understand this cat and how to take care of her. A cat suddenly getting tired of being petted is very common, and their owners need to learn when to stop ahead of time. Any GOOD rescue would not put an animal down for this type of behavoir.
If anything a foster home free of other animals through a rescue organization would try to work with her and help her behavorial skills until she found a perminate home.
There is also the option, that since she is so old, and obviously stressed enough, the she would be placed in a home as an only pet and allowed to do what she pleases, cats don't have to be petted, they can have nice companionship by being fed and talked to. Trying to "change her ways" at this stage, might do more harm then good for her old self.

I personally, just from working with many cats like this. Feel that it would be better, to rehome her to a nice quiet place where she can be the only animal, would be a better alternative to giving her rescue remedy every day, or getting some prescription medication from the vet that she would stay on for months or life long IF the vet deems this to be behavorial as well.

One of my cats Asim, has a similar problem, we've tried the medication route with him, and it was not pretty. He was so miserable, not the same cat anymore, he sat around in the dark half a sleep and foaming from the mouth sometimes, because he was so "stupified" as I call it, from the medications we tried, I was miserable, so I decided to stop the medication and give him my time, love and understanding instead, and it has worked out for the best. Asim tells me when we have reached his limit of strange activies or new animals in the house, once we reach that point I get rid of any of the stress factors.
Like say I'm fostering a dog, if it bugs Asim we stop fostering for a while. You however don't have the option of getting rid of your dog or cat as they are perminate. You could however, give this cat a nice quiet peaceful place to live in someone else's home for the rest of her days.

I'm not saying your a bad cat mommy, it sounds like you have tried and that you are still trying. I just personally think the rehoming alternative would be best for all of you, based on the info you have given us here.
 

maui

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Feb 17, 2002
Messages
414
Purraise
1
I really recommend this product Comfort Zone With Feliway:

http://tjspetshop.com/comfort_zone_cat.htm
http://www.petguys.com/-039079027910.html

I got a Feliway Plug-In to help my timid Russian Blue kitty accept a calico we rescued 2 years ago. Feliway contains a substance that mimics the calming face rubbing pheromones of a cat. It's marketed to help stop territoriality, spraying, vertical scratching and reduced interaction.

We basically had the same problem as you are having introducing a new cat into the house. Our Russian has always either run away or hissed or batted at the "new" cat even though we introduced them over a period of about 6 months. The day after I got the plug-in, our Russian's behavior improved immensely. She still doesn't love the calico, but she doesn't run away if the calico gets too close — just overall MUCH more relaxed. Even though it's been 2 years since we introduced the calico, it wasn't too late to repair thank goodness.

Definitely worth the money for our cats.
 
Top