wet at both ends!

OK, I am having behavioural problems with Ellie, my 'middle' cat. As I have posted before,she took to suckling on me and any visitors when I first brought her home at 11 weeks, and this behaviour has developed into a desperate need to stick her nose onto me and then drool. I have been trying to stop her by distracting her, lifting her down, saying 'no', pushing her gently, but to no avail. She simply climbs/creeps back up. She has a great relationship with Persil and a distant friendship with Dushka.

But now we have another problem - she started peeing on the bathroom mats. The vet put her on an antibiotic though he was not convinced there was a medical problem. She has since been given the all clear, but continued to pee on the mats so I removed all mats from the tiled floor and the problem stopped. There are three litter boxes in different places and the other cats have never had a problem. Tonight I took a bath, left my nice wool trousers on the floor, and guess what - she peed on them. From the 'stickies' and other websites I would think that she is under stress and hte only reason I can think of is that I am stopping her infantile behaviour. So what do I do - it seems I can have her either drool or pee all over me and my clothes?

So you believe she's peeing because you won't let her drool on you? Have you tested your theory?
What if you give her her own litterbox? No one else uses it except Ellie.

I don't know what to think - she has always happily used the same litterboxes as the others, and is still using them sometimes. From the threads on peeing, urinating on clothes can be a sign of stress and a sign of wanting to 'mark' the owner, even a comfort thing, just as her drooling is. I just wondered if anyone has any other ideas?

I do not belive cats pee on things for REVENGE, but rather out of stress or illness. Perhaps one of the other cats ambushed her in the litterbox OR she did have a UTI and associates the litterbox with pain.

As for sucking on you, that is usually because she was weaned too soon. Is there anything else she can suck on?

Drooling is a sign of either pure delight - my mom's girl piper does that - you literally have this hugh wet spot on whatever you are wearing BUT how could you get mad at that??? Or dental problems. The peeing on clothes if it not medical is she is marking you as hers. Now all you can do is not leave your clothes on the floor and giver plenty of extra attention - maby that will sooth her.

I certainly don't think of it as revenge - rather all her behaviour seems to point to needing more affection, though she has plenty, believe me. But the second you pet her she sticks her nose into an armpit or elbow and drools until you are wet through. She is only 8 months old and has no dental problems, and it is excessive - if I let her do it I have to change my bedclothes every other day at least. But would my trying to stop her cause her a lot of stress? I have been holding her head or saying 'no' while I stroke her. Am I giving her mixed signals? That is what I am trying to work out.
I am keeping things off the floor - no rugs in the bathroom, and I guess I will just have to be extra tidy about my clothes!

Can you not designate a special shirt to wear and just let her do what makes her happy? New Moms will drape a diaper over their shoulder, maybe you could place a double-folded towel in the place she wants to drool?

Just a thought ...

~gf~

Yes, I do now use a towel that I keep on my bed at least. I just came home, fed the cats, made myself some soup and settled on the sofa. Ellie and Persil jumped on me and Ellie at once grabbed my arm and began sucking and drooling on my sweater. I let her do it and she kept at it for 20 minutes! Now my sweater smells of tuna juice. Is it possible that my previous attempts at trying to stop her has stressed her out so much that she is peeing inappropriately? Does it mean that she will never grow out of this behaviour because it is so deeply entrenched? SHe is now eight months old.

Originally Posted by jennyranson

Yes, I do now use a towel that I keep on my bed at least. I just came home, fed the cats, made myself some soup and settled on the sofa. Ellie and Persil jumped on me and Ellie at once grabbed my arm and began sucking and drooling on my sweater. I let her do it and she kept at it for 20 minutes! Now my sweater smells of tuna juice. Is it possible that my previous attempts at trying to stop her has stressed her out so much that she is peeing inappropriately? Does it mean that she will never grow out of this behaviour because it is so deeply entrenched? SHe is now eight months old.

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Perhaps you could keep a toy of some sort handy and get her interested in it when she starts the drooling ? It may distract her from that behavior. I went through a peeing problem this summer with Sparkles and it resolved once I started spending more individual time with her. I make sure not to push her away when she comes looking for some loving.

Thanks Allessandra. I have tried distracting her but that is no good, even a toy/article of clothing that smells of me. But I am wondering if somehow she feels she is not getting enough love -it is so easy to get exasperated and push her away when I feel her wetting my sleeves and neck, even if I don't mean it. I have tried holding her head off me while I pet her and stroke her, but she fights to get her head on me. She and Persil always sleep curled up together, and groom each other, so she is not ever alone, but she seems to need me as well in large quantities. It is lovely to be loved and wanted but I just wish it could be without the consequences.

Ok we have a 3-4 month old Manx kitten. Well Gizmo loves to suck on ear or lip. We have tried a gental blow of air in is face which never worked, but he stoped when it was blow at his nose.(hope i didnt hav bad breath). If he didint stop with a gentle blow I would blow a little harder until he got the message. Every time he trys to suckle I would blow in is face to make him stop. It works





Ashley

I wish blowing would work with Ellie. I have tried that, and hissing at her like a Momma cat, but she moves for a moment and then starts again, or comes round the other side and creeps up. It is as if she is programmed to do it and nothing will stop her. I have never known anything like it. And now I feel so guilty in case I am causing her deep stress by even trying.