Horatio at 4 months - the girls still have issues

Those of you who walked us through the experience of taking Horatio in more than four months ago will be happy to know that he is still indoors with us and is very happy. He plays with toys, is getting better around other humans, has taken to using cat scratchers, sleeps on the bed overnight with us and with Katie by my head... But, the girls turned 11 late April and I think that they are still continuing to wish that he would leave someday and we would go back to the way it was, just the four of us. The alpha female, Bianca, first showed her distress by pretty much confining herself to the back bedroom. She did a little bit of preening and hair pulling, which she has done before in stressful times (after moves or when we had busy schedules). Well, she has stopped with the hair pulling but has continued to spend her time in the back bedroom, unless we move her. Then a few weeks ago, bathroom issues started. The way the house is set up, the kitchen is in the NW corner of the house and the girls' litter box is located in the opposite side, SE by the back bedroom. Horatio has another litter box on the landing to the basement, but he still uses both boxes. I had mentioned before that he has a bad habit of chasing them when they are moving about from one room to the next (because he adores them both and wants to be their pal). What happens sometimes is they will come to the kitchen to eat and then feel "trapped" by him, as they know for sure when they leave the kitchen he will chase them. The fact that he is 1/3 of their size or that he will run away after one hiss or growl doesn't seem to change this. So, as a result, we've woken up in the morning to find poop in the kitchen sink several times. When we blocked off the sink, we've found poop in a discreet corner of the floor in the kitchen. I am certain that this is not a result of physical health problems, but rather a "Protest Poo" issue.
What is your advice? Feliway? Rescue remedy? Moving the litter box to a closer location to the food? I had concerns about Feliway, since it is hormones taken from other cats. I know the Web site says they don't hurt the cats in the process, but those of us with feline companions know that no cat in the world would like a cotton swab stuck in their mouth....
As usual, any advice would be much appreciated. At this point, we are willing to try almost anything, except for giving the girls what they want, which is sending Horatio packing... We will not be doing that. We just need to find a happy medium for all.

I would add in more litterboxes. The general rule of thumb is 1 more box than you have cats. Sometimes you even need to have more than that, if you are having "litterbox issues", as then they are more likely to have "safe" access to a litterbox.

^Exactly. Try closer to 6 or 7 boxes, or at least one in nearly every room. You can also try using the cat attract litter or litter additive to see if it helps any.

Originally Posted by KansasCats

I had concerns about Feliway, since it is hormones taken from other cats.

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Where did you get this idea? The stuff is expensive, but if it was really natural the supply couldn't meet the demand and it would cost closer to what a prescription med (still in it's patent) would cost.
Feliway and DAP are both synthetic.

I got the information about how Feliway was developed from the Cat Faeries Web site's FAQs page:

"In 1997 when Feliway was introduced in the US Cat Faeries asked hundreds of tough questions about its creation. We learned that not one single cat was harmed. We know that during the research and development phase, the pheromone scent was gathered by rubbing a soft cotton ball against the cat's cheek. The pheromone residue was copied synthetically and bottled."

http://www.catfaeries.com/feliwayfaq.html

Though it is copied synthetically now, it originates from a cat's cheek. That's my issue with it.

Originally Posted by KansasCats

I got the information about how Feliway was developed from the Cat Faeries Web site's FAQs page:

"In 1997 when Feliway was introduced in the US Cat Faeries asked hundreds of tough questions about its creation. We learned that not one single cat was harmed. We know that during the research and development phase, the pheromone scent was gathered by rubbing a soft cotton ball against the cat's cheek. The pheromone residue was copied synthetically and bottled."

http://www.catfaeries.com/feliwayfaq.html

Though it is copied synthetically now, it originates from a cat's cheek. That's my issue with it.

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I've never understand the synthesizing process either if pheromones are scent glands in the cheeks and pads of the feet that contain chemical scent markers unique to each cat. It would be like a generic fingerprint I suppose if such a thing could exist and make any sense...

Originally Posted by KansasCats

I got the information about how Feliway was developed from the Cat Faeries Web site's FAQs page:

"In 1997 when Feliway was introduced in the US Cat Faeries asked hundreds of tough questions about its creation. We learned that not one single cat was harmed. We know that during the research and development phase, the pheromone scent was gathered by rubbing a soft cotton ball against the cat's cheek. The pheromone residue was copied synthetically and bottled."

http://www.catfaeries.com/feliwayfaq.html

Though it is copied synthetically now, it originates from a cat's cheek. That's my issue with it.

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I'm really confused about why you have a problem with Feliway.

The basic concept originated because of knowledge of cat behavior. Cats mark their territories in a lot of ways and with various scent glands. Cats have pheromones in their pee, there are scent glands around the anus, so they mark territory when they poop. They have scent glands in their paws, so they mark territory when they scratch. They have scent glands in their cheeks/temple area, so they mark territory when they rub their cheeks on you and on things.

Cat behaviorists figured out that the "front half" of the cat has scent glands that release "friendly," or like - "happy" pheromones. The "back half" of the cat has scent glands that are all about "this is my territory."

So the idea of Feliway is that to discourage inappropriate elimination, the "friendly happy" pheromones (Feliway) are used by people. When we spray the synthetic spray in a place where kitty has peed that is inappropriate - if we have properly cleaned up the pee, removing all scent of that territory marking - and replace it with the "friendly happy" pheromones scent, it helps discourage the cat from continuing to pee there, because the scent is wrong.

It's really quite brilliant - and frequently works. It has the additional benefit of helping to make cats in a multi-cat home feel less stressed, because it adds more of the "calming" effect of the "happy" pheromones (cats react to the scent/sense of the pheromones) to the environment.

It's kind of like.... synthetic flavors. Bitter apple spray is not made from bitter apples - but cats don't want to eat bitter apples, and spraying the synthetic "taste" onto cords helps prevent them from chewing on them.

And the cotton swabbing done in the development of the synthetic pheromone was not stuck in the cats' mouths. The scent released through the glands are released through the cheek/temple area on the outside - when they rub on you or things. It isn't the saliva or inside the cheek.

I think Feliway should definitely be used. We have seven cats in a very small area, and it really helps. We found that we prefer using the spray bottle over the diffuser, and we found it to be most effective when used two weeks on (every three days) and one weeks off.

We also add Bach's Rescue Remedy to the water. This has really helped our kitty that stress pees.

I also think you need to add several litter boxes. When we lived in a larger house, we had litter boxes in every major room. We had 8 litter boxes for six cats. If you provide her with a litter box she doesn't have to cross the house to use, that may solve the problem. But the Feliway and Rescue Remedy will likely make everyone calmer and less stressed.

Thank you, Laurie, that's exactly the type of reassurance and explanation I was seeking about Feliway. I know everyone on here raved about it, but when I saw "cotton swab" and "cat cheek"on their FAQs page, I just had to double-check. It makes sense that they would be getting the "happy scent" off the outside of the cheek, not inside:-) When we adopted our twin girls (I know people say that cats don't come in twins, but ours are pretty much as close to that as you can get) 11 years ago, we raised them together. They shared the same food bowl, litter box, even pet taxi. There was never an issue with the bathroom habits between the two of them. This rescue business is new to us, obviously, as well as expanding the family. My husband and I have been married 12 years and the only "children" we've ever had were Bianca and Katie. So, they have never had competition for love from a human child, or another cat or a dog. I think they thought Horatio was one of our "visitors." When we set him up in the basement, they went down to check it out, but never stayed. Eventually when he moved upstairs, his litter box got moved to the top of the basement stairs, again they stayed out of it. I really think that once Bianca gets out of this mindset she's in, we'll get past the bathroom issue. I guess one way to achieve this is the Feliway diffuser. I really don't know how I can fit four litter boxes in our house, so we're going to maybe add one more in a conspicuous spot and see if that helps.
I'm sorry if I offended anyone with my questions on Feliway. I just didn't know and thought you'd be the ones to clarify their process with me! Thanks for the help:-)

Hope it helps. I'd also really consider purchasing the Bach's Rescue Remedy for pets and adding a few drops to the water when you wash the bowl(s) and replace with fresh water (& Rescue Remedy drops) every day.

The questions about Feliway weren't offensive, I just didn't understand the problem. I guess if you're not familiar with the whole scent-marking thing, the explanation on cat faeries isn't so helpful.

If you're going to use the diffuser, I'd put it in the back bedroom where Bianca is since she needs it the most. I still recommend the spray - you have much more control over where it goes, and it costs a less to cover a larger area. You just have to remember to "refresh" it every couple of days. It is clear, and we've found we can spray it on wood, our walls, and the fabric of our furniture without any problem.

I agree with all the advice you were given, except I prefer the Feliway plug in diffusers over the spray.

I love Feliway. I don't use it all the time any more, only during stressful (to my cats) situations, but when I do plug it in (when I think it is needed), the difference in their stress level and feeling of security and contentment is quite obvious.

Thank you guys, Feliway it is then. We will give it a try and give you the update soon. I think all things considered, we're doing pretty well. Tonight, all three were together in the living room for quite some time before Bianca retired to the back bedroom. Now, Katie sleeps with me on the couch while Horatio is on the chair with my husband. I am grateful that all three are at least physically healthy and only one out of three has mental issues... We'll get through this, too.

I just wanted to say that I'm so happy things are going well overall!!! I am so happy to hear that!!!!!

I hope you have the great success that so many happy Feliway customers have experienced. Keep us posted!

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2752969
http://www.amazon.com/NaturVet-At-Ea.../dp/B000KVWNEK


There's also cheaper, herbal alternative from NaturVet called "At Ease" that you may want to trial with if cost is an issue.

Oh, if they only made these for humans !

Wow, now I know what you guys were talking about with the Feliway! I plugged one in this afternoon and the results were almost instant. The great news is Bianca spent more time hanging outside of her room today than she has in the past several weeks. The bad news, however, is that the diffuser is giving me a massive headache. I know it's supposed to be odorless to humans, but I swear I can smell it. My husband can't, so I thought I was going crazy and looked online. It seems, though very rare, Feliway has upset some humans. It's not the pheromones, it's the paraffin (mineral oil) base that is common is most plug-in diffusers. I didn't know I was sensitive to this stuff, because we've never used air fresheners like that before. But apparently paraffin does cause migraines, nausea, etc. in people sensitive to it. I had the plug-in in the kitchen for the first couple hours and couldn't walk in there at all. I then moved it to the dining room, because I still wanted it close to the problem area, and lo and behold, all three cats flocked to the dining room. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and moved it to the back bedroom where Bianca spends most of her time. Both girls hung out there for a while, then Bianca came back out to the living room on her own and took a nap on a scratcher, a few feet from Horatio. Both cats were extremely calm.
I took Advil to get rid of my headache and it seems to be helping, but I still can't go near the diffuser, the smell is still there. It seems from the online research that I've done that for some people it gets better after the first day, and I sure hope it will be the case with me. I'm willing to put myself in a little bit of discomfort if this will help my furry friends. But the question is, how long will we have to use this stuff? I can do it for a while, I think... but not forever.
Those of you who have used it over the years, what is your experience? Is Feliway a transitional product or will it have to be used all the time? If we use Feliway for a while and things improve, are there other things we can use to continue the calm in the feline world?

The links I gave earlier were to an all-natural, herbal alternative that contains rosemary oil and thyme as Safe, Natural Alternative to Unhealthy Paraffin. They still use simulated pheromones, just minus the chemical smell.


http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2752969

I use the feliway on an "as needed" basis now. I'm sorry you have turned out to be sensitive to it, though since you were leery of it to begin with, that may have something to do with it.

I have a sensory intolerance disorder, so I can understand where you are coming from, but feliway doesn't bother me.

Perhaps the spray would work better for you, I have never used the spray.

Otto, I thought it was psychosomatic, too, but the smell was definitely there yesterday. Actually, it seems to have dissipated today, like some of the other people with sensitivity issues had mentioned. I was able to go into Bianca's room and sit and pet her without any irritation or smell. It's all good now. I'll be able to keep it for the duration of the bottle. I guess when I start new refills, I just have to make sure I'm away from the house for the first day... It's helping the cats tremendously, so I'm very very happy about that. First morning in a long time, no urine/poop marking in the kitchen! Yay!

I don't get a headache from it, but I can definitely smell it when we spray. The spray (for me) is not as bad as the diffuser (another reason I prefer the spray).

For many people, it's a transition product, and once the cats realize they get along find, it's not needed anymore.

We have seven in a (very) small space, so I've found the most effective thing (for us) is using the spray for two weeks then not using it for a week.

Just see how it goes after the diffuser runs out - you'll know whether you should get a refill or not pretty quick!

I'm so glad it's not bothering you further - but you're not crazy!

Thanks, Laurie, for confirming that I haven't completely made up the smell in my head. And thanks to elayman for the non-paraffin, all-natural alternative. I think my problem with the paraffin stems from the fact that our house is basically an all-natural home, with all of the cleaning and bath & body products being non-petroleum based goods. So, overtime, I must have lost my tolerance to the stuff. I think based on the feedback here, when we run out of this diffuser, I'll definitely go with the spray and possibly choose At-Ease. I have also heard very good feedback on Rescue Remedy, so that's next on the list, too. Ultimately, though, my hope is all of this will help the felines start to get along with each other on their own. All three are such sweet cats individually and I have great hope that we will achieve harmony soon.

FYI, it takes our Spooky about six months to stop hating new intros, and a full year to accept them.

..but she does have stress issues, and Rescue Remedy (they have one for pets that has no alcohol now) helps her a LOT if we are religious about adding it to ALL of their water when we wash the water dishes out every day. I keep a bottle on my bedside table, and when she comes in at night for pets before sleep, I pull the stopper thingy out and just let her sniff at it. She's like - a Rescue Remedy addict.

But you can also dab it under your kitty's chin - then it wafts up into her nose. We did that the first week, and found we didn't need to after that.

Six months to a year?? Really? No, I kind of figured this was going to be a long-term project. The thing is, Horatio, for a stray, assimilated to home life so quickly that I guess we expected the same sort of emotional speed from Katie & Bianca. But, it was their life that got interrupted... Horatio is just loving being an indoor kitty. Loves laps, pets, sleeping on the bed, walking around, talking to us, running around, playing with whatever toy we throw at him. I really also believe he loves the girls and desperately wants to be friends. In their own time, I suppose.
Thanks to all of you who are being so very patient and helpful through this. I will keep bugging you with more questions as we progress.