My nasty girl.

Xena is 1 year old, has had one litter of kittens, (a troublefree birth) and was desexed 6 weeks ago. She was a nice cat, but has begun weeing on the bathroom mat and the back door mat, jumping up on the kitchen bench eating anything that is left there, tipping the lid off the compost bucket (it has never interested her before) and being nasty, and moody with our other cat (a dazed and confused male - undesexed).I know what you are thinking, she's hungry! She became quite thin as she was feeding her babies, and we took a lot of trouble to feed her well and build her up after they left, but she is like a labrador - she will eat all day if I let her! She has 1/2 a can for breakfast, access to biscuits and water through the day, then 1/2 a can again at night. This can be supplemented or changed for fresh meat sometimes (chicken necks etc)  I go crook on her with a cranky voice, and chase her out of the room, and get really dirty looks from her - another new thing. She seems vindictive and cunning...I can't help but think that this is a hormonal problem from her desexing, am I on the right track? What do I do next?

Thanks in advance.

jen

I would say it is more a misunderstanding problem:

1.  Vindictive and cunning.  These are pretty high order thinking processes here.  Not likely.  Lets go for a simpler emotion response: fear, stress, uncertainty.  These are far more likely given it is associated with other major events and also 'your going crook on her with a cranky voice and chasing her out of the room'.  From a cats perspective, the human has just changed into a threatening crazy monster, hence her response.  She doesn't know how to take you anymore, so the 'cunning' aka uncertain/fearful/stressed behaviours.  'Discipline' for cats is best based on understanding and negotiation, without loud voices/noises.  If bonded with you, they will certainly understand and respond to happy and sad - so you can use these emotions/tones/facials to influence their behaviour.  The other principle to understand is that what a cat wants, is mainly based on NEED.  They want it = they need it.  To live. So you need to give it to them in a way that also works for you.  And often that is achieved through modifying the environment (eg: put the compost bucket inside a cupboard, or inside a bin with a flapping entrance or somehow 'fix' it so that she can't get into it.  Then address what the need is - you are guessing food.  Same with the bench hopping and eating everything: get rid of temptation with a clear bench and put everything away so she can't get at anything.  Then address what the need is - you are guessing food.  Here's some more great reading on how we often act to change a cat behaviour - only to have is backfire through misunderstanding: http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/training-a-cat-the-wrong-way/19766

2.  The hungry problem.  Feed her.  It is that simple.  Just make sure it is ingredient appropriate wet or raw food (not kibble), and you will circumvent the hungry fat cat problem where they are genuinely nutritionally compromised (through species inappropriate ingredients), and yet addicted, and also gaining fat because their bodies are not able to process the species inappropriate ingredients (plant based stuff). You will find that if on the right food for a cat, she won't eat all day as she'll be full and satisfied - and I would let her eat as much as she wants (my cats eat a lot more than what you describe, if the cans are the same size anyway).  Now, I think there is probably also a psychological element in your case, given you say she got really thin with the kittens.  Cats who have been starving in the past, or had an uncertainty in food supply, need to have that psychological part addressed.  And that is by abundance.  Reasurring that this is not a fear that is part of their lives now - it allows them to put it in the past.  So feed her more and see what happens over say 6 months.  As said, it may also be part of the solution to stop the bin diving and bench hopping. Oh, also, she's very young - she needs to eat.  This is great reading: http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/the-hungry-problem/138

3.  Weeing outside the litterbox.  Actually, all of the things you describe point to stress as a big component, and weeing outside the litterbox is a huge stress behaviour.  It can also be an ill-health plea; recommended to always get a check up.  But lets consider the stressors; kittens at a terribly young age, nutritional demands on an already needy young body and getting skinny, desexing.  Quite a lot within 1 year!  Work on destressing: remove the food-lack- fear by feeding, remove the unpredictable behaviour from her humans (in her eyes) and keep it all low key and loving, understand that she is taking it out on your other cat becasue it is all too much (and reassure your other cat, and her by gently and calmly but firmly keeping the peace and aslo explaining verbally to both cats why she is behaving like that...'x has had a really tough time lately, she had kittens, got skinny, then had a mysterious operation, so she isn't really angry with you, she just needs our help'), and then put in stress 'drainers': PLAY lots with her, give her HER territory so she can go 'decompress' (if she likes low ground cubbies, build her some and show her with low key excitement/ if she likes high places to perch and observe, same). And then put a few feliway diffusers on.  These really help in stressful situations.  

And lastly, don't  worry, your lovely girl is still there - she's still your lovely girl, just a bit challenged and needing some help at the moment.

Best wishes!

Wow! I had just cleaned up two wees outside her box this morning, and then I opened your reply - thank you so much for all the time you spent compiling that Tammy! You have some excellent points, and given me lots to work on... more cuddles coming up! We had a nice chat, forehead to forehead last night... getting there...

Thanks again... will reread this as I need to

jen

Awesome Jen!!

I'm dealing with my boy at the moment who seems to want to wee ON ME at around 5am in the mornings - and has succeeded 3 times.  He's a real sensitive one, plus he had flu, hubby was working away for a month off and on, and then we went on a 4 day break (with my bro living in to take care of the cats).  So working on the de-stressing over here too (isn't the laundry a total chore!!)...

Hi If she were mine I would have her T4 checked.thyroid gland.they eat like crazy.things can change with kitties in a moment.Kitties are always fine until they are not.C

Thanks MomofMaxwell, I will keep that in mind next time I am at the vet - things are going OK at the moment,  we are slowly getting there, she is still moody, but hasn't missed her litter box for 2 days Yay!