I read all the advice and plan to print it out from the peeing inappropriately string. However, I still need to address the specifics of this situation. I have 7 kitties. 5 from the same litter (rescued last Sept. from a local fair), and 2 were rescues from a farm (not littermates). For the better part of a year everyone has been getting along, and using litter boxes appropriately. They are all indoors.
This past weekend we installed a Cat Flap on the cellar door so I could close the door to keep the cool air from air conditioning upstairs rather than most of it floating down to the basement. We put it in on Friday and watched the kitties for a few hours. AT first we left the flap off, so all there was was a small tunnel through the door. All seemed basically fine, although some were cautious--but others even thought it was kinda fun. We opened the door for the night and re-did the trial when home on Saturday. PUt the flap on Sunday when we were home and observed. Although they were somewhat cautious, I did not see any problems--no attacking--and everyone was using it . So that night we left the flap on and the door closed (left basement light on to help the view shed). Still no evidence of problems. So Monday morning--we mistakenly decided it would be okay to leave the door closed and flap on while we were at work for 10+ hours. Boy oh Boy that was dumb--and I fully know now I rushed them far too fast.
6 of the 7 are okay, but the 7th has been apparently traumatized somehow. When I got home from work, I dropped my excersize clothes bag on the floor, and within 20 minutes turned to find a pool of cat pee on it. Later on we discovered a kitty had peed and pooped on the bed!!! I am sure it is related to the new door. We opened the cellar door AND removed the flap (can't just take the cat door off--obviously, there is a big hole in it now). I am kicking myself because I should have known better than to think a kitty can get used to something in just 3 days. I know that full well--but now need to figure out how to fix my mistake.
I have added one litter box to the upstairs (had 4 downstairs/cellar) adn of course am leaving the cellar door open again. I wasn't sure if adding the litter box was yet another change--or if it was a good idea--but decided to go with it. But TAbitha (the one I'm sure it is) just seems out of sorts. She is skitish, and when she peed in the new box upstairs this morning, she sprayed a stream on the wall, instead of in the box--although she was in the box, and scraped the litter as if she thought she had gone like normal. I now have a big plastic mattress pad laying on the bed (under the bedspread)--and am trying to be especially sweet and loving to Tabitha---but she seems insecure, nervous & clingy. I am about to leave for work (took a couple hours off this morning to try and watch the kitties) and am close to sure there will be more "acting out" when I come home---I don't know what to do???? I have called my vet in hopes of seeing her--but given there was poop and pee and the spraying and Tabitha's change in mood--I really doubt it is an infection. Oddly, I forgot to mention, when I first got home last night, I observed Tabitha coming through the cat door, but I also noticed she did not seem to like it much.
What can I do to try and put things back to the peaceful harmony they were before I decided to add the cat door?? (I now know I should have at first installed it and left the door open for a week or two, then added flap with door open for week or two, then closed door without flap . . . etc.--but hind site is 20-20 and useless at this point!)
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
This past weekend we installed a Cat Flap on the cellar door so I could close the door to keep the cool air from air conditioning upstairs rather than most of it floating down to the basement. We put it in on Friday and watched the kitties for a few hours. AT first we left the flap off, so all there was was a small tunnel through the door. All seemed basically fine, although some were cautious--but others even thought it was kinda fun. We opened the door for the night and re-did the trial when home on Saturday. PUt the flap on Sunday when we were home and observed. Although they were somewhat cautious, I did not see any problems--no attacking--and everyone was using it . So that night we left the flap on and the door closed (left basement light on to help the view shed). Still no evidence of problems. So Monday morning--we mistakenly decided it would be okay to leave the door closed and flap on while we were at work for 10+ hours. Boy oh Boy that was dumb--and I fully know now I rushed them far too fast.
6 of the 7 are okay, but the 7th has been apparently traumatized somehow. When I got home from work, I dropped my excersize clothes bag on the floor, and within 20 minutes turned to find a pool of cat pee on it. Later on we discovered a kitty had peed and pooped on the bed!!! I am sure it is related to the new door. We opened the cellar door AND removed the flap (can't just take the cat door off--obviously, there is a big hole in it now). I am kicking myself because I should have known better than to think a kitty can get used to something in just 3 days. I know that full well--but now need to figure out how to fix my mistake.
I have added one litter box to the upstairs (had 4 downstairs/cellar) adn of course am leaving the cellar door open again. I wasn't sure if adding the litter box was yet another change--or if it was a good idea--but decided to go with it. But TAbitha (the one I'm sure it is) just seems out of sorts. She is skitish, and when she peed in the new box upstairs this morning, she sprayed a stream on the wall, instead of in the box--although she was in the box, and scraped the litter as if she thought she had gone like normal. I now have a big plastic mattress pad laying on the bed (under the bedspread)--and am trying to be especially sweet and loving to Tabitha---but she seems insecure, nervous & clingy. I am about to leave for work (took a couple hours off this morning to try and watch the kitties) and am close to sure there will be more "acting out" when I come home---I don't know what to do???? I have called my vet in hopes of seeing her--but given there was poop and pee and the spraying and Tabitha's change in mood--I really doubt it is an infection. Oddly, I forgot to mention, when I first got home last night, I observed Tabitha coming through the cat door, but I also noticed she did not seem to like it much.
What can I do to try and put things back to the peaceful harmony they were before I decided to add the cat door?? (I now know I should have at first installed it and left the door open for a week or two, then added flap with door open for week or two, then closed door without flap . . . etc.--but hind site is 20-20 and useless at this point!)
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
