Major change in behavior... Help!

melleigh21

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My 3 year old male cat has undergone a MAJOR behavior change. Owen was always a little bit fiesty. He definitely has a mind of his own, and has always been a little more wild than my other cat. Previously, Owen was in my opinion pretty well trained. He responded to snapping or calling his name when misbehaving, and always seemed to respond by stopping his naughty antics. I never had any REAL issues with Owen other than kitten mischief, and he's always been my baby boy.

Lately, Owens behavior has taken a complete 180, and it's making me consider new feelings towards him. Back in September, I was forced to board both Owen and his brother with strangers. The first time boarded, I knew he was receiving proper care, and I saw them every other day. The second time around, we we're not as lucky. They boys were boarded over an hour away, again with a stranger, and I did not see them for over a month. Of course, I understand the situation wasn't ideal, but I had no other option aside from rehoming them (which I couldn't stand the thought of).

When I got them into our new home, Owen had changed. Suddenly, he started acting like he wanted outside. Never before had Owen ever showed interest in outdoors, and was always an inside cat. In the past few weeks, he's actually started darting out the door any chance he gets, and then cries when he realizes he's out in the wide open world. If I can stop him from going out, he paces the door and yowels until I yell at him to stop.

Other than that, we recently were given a new couch. Although uncertain as to if pets were in this home, the couch was pristine with no odors or stains. Owen has decided that any chance he has alone on the couch, he's going to pee on it. Obviously this is frusterating because 1, I have no washer or dryer, and 2 the couch was perfect. Now it's saturated in cat urine. At night, I started shutting him in the bedroom with us and he's started clawing at the door (another thing he's never done). I tried soaking the door in alcohol, which works at first, then when it dries he's back it.

I just can't figure out why he's doing these things all of a sudden. Owen was fixed at 8 weeks, and again has NEVER urinated, or sprayed any piece of furniture.

Could his previous babysitter been letting him out, and possibly allowed him to mark things?

I need help, because my tolerance and anger for my once baby is getting out of control. How can I fix his peeing and desire to dart? Any tips on safe sprays for furniture, and how to properly remove the cat urine smell is also much appreciated!
 

mwallace056

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someone correct me if i am wrong. It might be because he stressed out due to all the changes in his life lately, his peeing on the cough comforts him. Cats don't take changes well. Owen went through some major changes.
 
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melleigh21

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I considered this. However, we have been in our new home a month now, almost 2. I am hoping he calms down and relaxes, I can't take anymore messes and destruction.
 

mwallace056

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buy a comfort zone diffuser with feliway that should reduce his stress
 
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melleigh21

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Great! I will try that... I also discovered he had urinated on my dogs bed... which to me is odd, because many times he will share this space with her.
 

mwallace056

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hopefully someone with more knowledge will post
 
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di and bob

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My male cat started spraying too when we moved, there were ferals he didn't like outside. Your cat is definitely stressed with all the changes. I would bet that the couch DID have animals around it (or just smells he doesn't like) and your cat feels threatened. Make sure you use an enzyme cleaner to get rid of the odor and so he won't mark again. As for the dog bed, I'm sure he wants to make sure it is marked as HIS. My cat did eventually quit but it took almost a year. There are some calming treats that are sold on Amazon that you may want to try too, plus they have Feliway collars that help too. I know it is terribly frustrating, I got angry too, but they are family....... My cat marks outside now, I give him supervised visits twice a day, that seemed to ease his mind that he could mark something. You may have to confine him for a while to a small room with a litter box until he uses it consistently, that works sometimes. Good luck, I pray you find a solution!
 
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melleigh21

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Thank you so much! You did give me some hope by stating he DID eventually stop.. was he already fixed as well? That's where I was confused in thinking he couldn't spray anymore. I also did notice some strays outside today, which I didn't notice before. We've always lived in apartments where they didn't have a good view/scent of other cats. Now we're in a 1 story home and it's a little easier. I am going to try the Feliaway, as well as scrubbing down our carpets/furniture/other pet beds, and see if it changes  his behavior at all. HOPEFULLY he calms down, and grows out of it. I miss the baby boy I used to know! He's so blah lately as well, I guess it was just a little too much stress for him. Thank you for all the advice! 
 

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Our ragdoll peed on the kids beds when we moved. Everyday I had to wash their bedding and make sure the smell was gone. I added litter boxes to each bedroom. I played with him more and more treats. We used the feluway plug ins and spray. You have to completely eliminate the smell which means het rid of the couch and put a litter box there instead. Either totally clean the dog beds in the wash machine or get rid of them. Our doll stopped after adjusting all that. As far as the door scratching. We use a scat mat in front of the door. Works perfectly. The cats can feel the Buzz and don't even step on it. They just stay away.
 

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When cats stop using the litterbox, you should always rule out medical problems first.  I suggest taking him to the vet to get it checked out. 
 

bengalcatman

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As mentioned above, a trip to the vet is in order - he may have picked something up while being boarded.

Assuming that the problem is not medical, I always try to see the situation from the cats perspective. Unfortunately, cats don't talk or understand language, all they have to go on is what they experience and their instinct. From the cats perspective, he was torn out of his comfortable home, placed with strangers for a long time, did not see you and get comforted, then placed in an all new home with new furniture, sights, sounds and smells. He may be angry and lashing out by door darting and peeing. He may also be profoundly unsettled, his whole world was you and your home - that changed for reasons he can't understand. So he might be scared it could happen again tomorrow or anytime without warning. Everything he knew and trusted "changed" and he lacks the cognitive ability to put that into perspective like a human would. Pretty scary and unsettling. Since the cat can't reason the problem through - sometimes they just need time to learn to "trust" their world is safe again.

My wife and I have adopted all our cats - some with profound behavioral problems. We have settled on a few basics to help them through and these are the same things we do to help with life changes. Give extra love and time, more play sessions, Feliway (as mentioned previously,) carefully clean messes with enzyme cleaners....and the hardest of all, allow them time to heal. Sometimes it takes a few months (I have been through this waiting period - NOT fun.) I also have to add that doing exactly what you are doing now - looking for help on a forum, has often helped us tremendously. Sometimes somebody posts some little thing that proves key. In one instance we were have trouble introducing two cats - someone mentioned switching their bedding so they would get used to each others scent - worked like a charm!

I often wish I could speak their language. Just say "meow, meoow, meeow, meow" and they would hear "hey, sorry about the change! Won't happen again anytime soon and we still love you, so stop worrying!" Unfortunately all we can do is use our actions to demonstrate the statement.

Our lives happen - we can't simply make a world perfect for our cat. Circumstances change: we move, kids go off to college, hours we are home change with a new job, a new baby steals all the attention, etc. The best we can do is try to understand the cats perspective on all this and try to help them through an angry and scary time.

Good luck! I hope he figures out soon that he is still loved and all is well.

Eric
 

stoner

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Sorry to say this, but i have had cats for years and once they spray ..There's no stopping it.. He learned it from some where so I would guess , it was from where you had him boarded..
 

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I watched a show(My cat from hell). There was a cat that was marking everything including microwave. This cat was female and neutered. Ended up the cat was extremely threatened by some outside cat that was peeing in flower box. The inside cat could see the cat and smell the urine. Everytime it caught sight or whiff it would go spray something. It took hidden cameras to figure out what was going on. Eventually the flower bed was replaced with rocks and the outside cat was tnr'd. All smells from inside spraying removed and problem fixed!
 

bengalcatman

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Sorry to say this, but i have had cats for years and once they spray ..There's no stopping it.. He learned it from some where so I would guess , it was from where you had him boarded..
We have had two rescues who sprayed. They both stopped once we figured out the problem. One, a male Bengal, was angry and confused and also had a lot of anxiety. We used Feliway and started him on Prozac (which we were able to wean him off of in a few months.) Once he settled in and received enough attention and interactive play, he stopped spraying. He mostly needed the stimulation of play and walks. The other was reacting to an outdoor cat he could see, once the blind was drawn on that window he stopped. After he was settled in, outdoor cats did not bother him.

Stopping indoor spraying may not be easy and not everyone succeeds, but it can be done. If the cat didn't spray before, you should be able to get him to stop.

Eric
 
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melleigh21

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Thanks a bunch! I'm glad you guys got through it with yours, I can only hope for the same.

This evening he urinated right in front of me on our dogs bed (after being washed yesterday), and I was cleaning his litter box as he did it. For a second I thought maybe that was why, but after caught marking the dogs bed, he went to his litter box to finish. His health has been checked as good, but I did start adding 1/2 teapsoon of apple cider vinegar to his water, or by mouthful, just to clear his tract for good measure.

I haven't been able to find the Feliaway in a store near me, so I guess i'll have to just order it and wait it out.

It almost seems like a double edged sword... I know he must be under stress/confusion, and that is why he has started peeing, but it causes me so much stress, it makes me more irritated with him. I can tell my anger and stress towards him is starting to upset our other cat. Anyone ever try anti-stress tablets as well? I'd be willing to try those. In the meantime,  I have just been covering up my couch when we aren't watching, and I suppose I will have to start picking up my pups beds as well. 

Everyone's advice has been so great, I am always welcoming more help as Owen navigates this behavioral change!
 

bengalcatman

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When we were working with our first Bengal (Makena,) a male rescue who sprayed, I could see how my wife's anxiety made his anxiety worse. My wife was not even aware she was doing it, but she would sort of "keep a close eye" on him sometimes and I could see him get more anxious (he paced more.) Once my wife realized what was happening - she stopped and that helped Makena relax. We did use a low dose of Prozac on him and it really helped, but it seemed like it took 3 - 4 weeks to really take effect. The Feliway had a lesser effect but it worked right away.

When we caught him in the act, we would yell at him and then not interact with him for 15 - 20 minutes, then forget it happened and treat him with the same love and attention he always got. We never cuffed him, sprayed water on him or anything else. We just made it clear we did not like him spraying by raising our voices and withholding petting/attention.

Makena had a LOT of other problems too, aggression, door darting, damaging our home with scratching etc, but the spraying was the worst. Believe me, we were at our wits end with it and I know how frustrating it can be. My wife and I talked several times about giving up on him. Glad we stuck it out - he is the most intelligent, well mannered cat I have ever known and we love him dearly. No more spraying, no more aggression, just one very happy cat!

Makena had a lot of trouble with anxiety (given his many re-homings - not surprising) and is still VERY tuned in to our moods. I recently took on some contract work that was very stressful. Despite my best efforts to hide the stress, we could see the change in Makena. He paced more, watched me very carefully and needed to be played with more. I think cats are much more sensitive than we give them credit for. 

I am really hoping you get your cat back on track!

Eric
 
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