So I posted a while ago about a new 'stray' that ended up in our lives. He had a nasty bout of coccidia that he was quarantined for and was treated- he's now healthy and growing like a weed.
Well, several days after he arrived one of our other kitties, Ludatsi (british shorthair) started peeing out of the litter box. This also coincided with us watching our friend's dog for the weekend while they were out of town (Lulu knows this dog and has been around her several times). She doesn't do it every time she goes but she does it about once a day, generally always in a different spot though the last couple of times she's taken to doing it in the upstairs hall by the washing machines. More than once, she's actually done it while we're standing right there, just brazen as can be. Then, just this morning while I was standing there she actually *sprayed* the laundry basket- prior to this she just peed in a big puddle, this is the first actual spraying.
We're planning on taking her BACK in to the vet just to make sure there's nothing healthwise going on (she has had bladder infections in the past but this does not seem to be one), and to see what they suggest. Quick update of details:
She's a british shorthair but she's unusually small for the breed- about seven pounds.
She's one of now five cats, three males and another female, all fixed.
She's about two years old now, been fixed since she was about six months old. Never ever sprayed before.
She's had a few bladder infections, I think three all told. She's on a special bladder/kidney dry food as well as a can of wet per day.
She does not act otherwise anxious or territorial. She is a bit 'shyer' than the other cats, would rather watch than join in, but she does play with them and has been playing with the newbie.
She poops and otherwise pees in the litter boxes, it's just about once per day, usually first thing in the morning or last thing at night, that she goes outside the box.
We clean the urine up thoroughly each time with an enzymatic cleaner (at least my wife does, apparently I'm incredibly allergic to it so I stay on the other floor of the house for ten minutes or so until it's done).
We have a feliways plug in and are using a feliways spray. Doesn't seem to matter although it does seem to have kept her from going on the couch again (we keep that covered with the spray).
We have six litter boxes and have tried several types of litter in case she didn't like the litter. Right now we're on Cat Attract but it doesn't seem to have made the slightest difference. The boxes are easily accessible and we have put at least two in the areas she seems to go in more frequently. Doesn't seem to help- we've seen her hop in and use them (to much praise) and also pee a foot or two away from them without even giving them a look. She once peed exactly equidistant from two of the boxes.
The boxes are kept daily scooped and cleaned.
We took the tops off the covered boxes in case she was feeling trapped- no difference.
We've done our best to make sure she has 'her own places' and hidey holes as much as we can, and we are careful to make sure she's still getting her one on one time.
Given this latest bout of spraying I'm thinking it really is a territorial type thing- this house is really too small for five cats, a dog and the two of us. But we are in the works to build our next house (we should be buying the plot of land by end of next year and starting construction) and it will be much bigger with plenty of cat spaces and a cat atrium.
Rehoming any of the cats is not an option on the table, but neither do we want her stressed out (or damaging things all over the house with peeing, or getting the others to start doing it too).
ANY thoughts at all as to what else we can try or can be doing?
Other kitties in the house:
Ripley, a four year old black moggie rescue kitty. She's a little bit high strung and has never seemed to learn to 'cat' properly (she was found undernourished and unsocialized on the street at about ten weeks old, we got her from the rescue shortly after that).
Bishop, a three year old chocolate british shorthair- laid back to the point of lazy, very sweet and bomb proof.
Finnegan, an apricot point meezer, also a rescue kitty, one year old. Very affectionate, never met someone he didn't like. Can be a bit overly playful but he's settling down quite a bit. Adopted Domino pretty much instantly and they are total best buds.
Domino, the little stray newcomer, now about five months old (vet guessed his birthday right around the start of June). Tuxedo moggie, very much a kitten, all over the place but very affectionate. Plays with Lulu and the others when they'll play, respects their space when they want to be left alone. He was adopted pretty much instantly by Finnegan.
Ripley can get it in her head every once in a while that she wants to 'play' with Lulu but since she never really learned properly her idea of play is a bit bullying. She doesn't do it often, and we intervene when she does. This has not increased since the peeing started- if anything, it has decreased a bit as Ripley is distracted with the new kitty. But it still does happen.
ANY thoughts or advice would be greatly welcome. Thank you.
Well, several days after he arrived one of our other kitties, Ludatsi (british shorthair) started peeing out of the litter box. This also coincided with us watching our friend's dog for the weekend while they were out of town (Lulu knows this dog and has been around her several times). She doesn't do it every time she goes but she does it about once a day, generally always in a different spot though the last couple of times she's taken to doing it in the upstairs hall by the washing machines. More than once, she's actually done it while we're standing right there, just brazen as can be. Then, just this morning while I was standing there she actually *sprayed* the laundry basket- prior to this she just peed in a big puddle, this is the first actual spraying.
We're planning on taking her BACK in to the vet just to make sure there's nothing healthwise going on (she has had bladder infections in the past but this does not seem to be one), and to see what they suggest. Quick update of details:
She's a british shorthair but she's unusually small for the breed- about seven pounds.
She's one of now five cats, three males and another female, all fixed.
She's about two years old now, been fixed since she was about six months old. Never ever sprayed before.
She's had a few bladder infections, I think three all told. She's on a special bladder/kidney dry food as well as a can of wet per day.
She does not act otherwise anxious or territorial. She is a bit 'shyer' than the other cats, would rather watch than join in, but she does play with them and has been playing with the newbie.
She poops and otherwise pees in the litter boxes, it's just about once per day, usually first thing in the morning or last thing at night, that she goes outside the box.
We clean the urine up thoroughly each time with an enzymatic cleaner (at least my wife does, apparently I'm incredibly allergic to it so I stay on the other floor of the house for ten minutes or so until it's done).
We have a feliways plug in and are using a feliways spray. Doesn't seem to matter although it does seem to have kept her from going on the couch again (we keep that covered with the spray).
We have six litter boxes and have tried several types of litter in case she didn't like the litter. Right now we're on Cat Attract but it doesn't seem to have made the slightest difference. The boxes are easily accessible and we have put at least two in the areas she seems to go in more frequently. Doesn't seem to help- we've seen her hop in and use them (to much praise) and also pee a foot or two away from them without even giving them a look. She once peed exactly equidistant from two of the boxes.
The boxes are kept daily scooped and cleaned.
We took the tops off the covered boxes in case she was feeling trapped- no difference.
We've done our best to make sure she has 'her own places' and hidey holes as much as we can, and we are careful to make sure she's still getting her one on one time.
Given this latest bout of spraying I'm thinking it really is a territorial type thing- this house is really too small for five cats, a dog and the two of us. But we are in the works to build our next house (we should be buying the plot of land by end of next year and starting construction) and it will be much bigger with plenty of cat spaces and a cat atrium.
Rehoming any of the cats is not an option on the table, but neither do we want her stressed out (or damaging things all over the house with peeing, or getting the others to start doing it too).
ANY thoughts at all as to what else we can try or can be doing?
Other kitties in the house:
Ripley, a four year old black moggie rescue kitty. She's a little bit high strung and has never seemed to learn to 'cat' properly (she was found undernourished and unsocialized on the street at about ten weeks old, we got her from the rescue shortly after that).
Bishop, a three year old chocolate british shorthair- laid back to the point of lazy, very sweet and bomb proof.
Finnegan, an apricot point meezer, also a rescue kitty, one year old. Very affectionate, never met someone he didn't like. Can be a bit overly playful but he's settling down quite a bit. Adopted Domino pretty much instantly and they are total best buds.
Domino, the little stray newcomer, now about five months old (vet guessed his birthday right around the start of June). Tuxedo moggie, very much a kitten, all over the place but very affectionate. Plays with Lulu and the others when they'll play, respects their space when they want to be left alone. He was adopted pretty much instantly by Finnegan.
Ripley can get it in her head every once in a while that she wants to 'play' with Lulu but since she never really learned properly her idea of play is a bit bullying. She doesn't do it often, and we intervene when she does. This has not increased since the peeing started- if anything, it has decreased a bit as Ripley is distracted with the new kitty. But it still does happen.
ANY thoughts or advice would be greatly welcome. Thank you.
