Still having problems!

[RRR]

Well Zoot and Lexi are still using everywhere and anywhere as a toilet and I just dont know what to do anymore. :(

Zoot pooped on their food tray again at the weekend and this morning one of them pooped behind the TV.

Zoot is definitely the more dominant one (he's male) so is there anything I can do to stop him being that way?

I've added another litter tray but that doesn't seem to have helped the problem as its happening at least once a day. I really want this to stop before the baby comes in December.

Whats the best way of cleaning the area as the stuff I'm using at the moment doesn't seem to be working. :(

[alexgirl73]

I think you are going to have to contact your vet and perhaps seek out a cat behaviorist if you can't get to the bottom of this. Are you perhaps keeping the litter trays too clean and they're not sure where to go?

[dinahsmum]

Really sorry to hear this.
Here's an article but I'm not sure it says anything new http://www.purina.co.uk/Home/All+About+Cats/Living+Together+Cat/Best+Behaviour+Cat/Litter+Box+Problems.htm

I think I'd suggest you read Vicky Halls 'Cat Confidential'. She has a whole chapter on inappropriate urination/soiling, and the whole book tries to get inside the feline psyche. If you read it you may find something that clicks.
Good luck

[charliebubs]

Do they use the litter tray at all???

Make sure you clean with a cleaner that doesn't contain ammonia, as that will just make it smell like a toilet to them and they will think that they can use the area again.

I agree with the others that a pet behaviourist is probably the way forward. Vicky Halls' books are a good starting place in this regard.

Do they go out??

When you say that you have added a litter tray........how many does that make in total?? Vicky Halls says that you should have one tray per cat and a spare one, so if you have 2 cats that should mean 3 trays.

I'm sorry I can't be of any more help. :?

[Fran]

Oh I'm sorry to hear you are still having problems :( All the advice above is excellent and I hope you manage to get to the bottom of this, 'scuse the pun :roll: Might be worth having a word with your vet too just in case he could come up with any suggestions. Good luck and do let us know how you get on x

[Jac]

Have you tried a feilaway diffuser? or spray. Just a thought.

[yola]

What are you using to clean the soiled areas?

Are litter trays currently close to food dishes? Some cats don't like this.

Is there any reason for them to be stressed?

Have they only started doing this since your pregnancy?

Do they go outside at all? If so, do they toilet outside?



There are quite a few things you can do, but you need to work through it systematically. The cat behaviour book is a good one as it will work through all options with you and you can (again, pardon pun) eliminate them one by one. If you start now hopefully things will have settled by December. But remember, your baby won't be mobile till at least 7/8 months so although it's not nice and gives you extra work, it's no real health hazard for a bit yet.

[Elaine]

As they are still very young and if there is no medical issues causing them to do this, you may want to go back to basics and confine them to a small room or cage to retrain them.

[RRR]

Thanks for your replies everyone, its much appreciated.

They dont go outside at the moment. We were going to keep them as house cats but over the past few weeks Lexi has begun running out of the door when its open so I think she would like to be outside. Any advice on introducing them to the outside world? :D We do have a lot of cats in our road and thats one of the reasons I wasn't keen on them going out but would the other cats be a problem? I do occasionally hear a certain two cats fighting but they never look like they have "been in the wars". Unfortunately we dont have a 100% secure garden that we could keep them in so thats not an option.

They only have two litter trays as we dont have anywhere to put a third! Unless putting two in the same room would be ok. I've taken the one out of the kitchen as thats where their food is and put it in the front room and I've got one at the top of the stairs. They do use both of them and they are both cleaned out everyday.

I think the book is def a good idea, is it sold in normal book shops or should I look online, Amazon?

I'm not entirely sure what the significance of "pawing" is but both of them seem to do this ALOT around their food area and on their food tray. I thought it was scenting but they seem to do it an awful lot around this area and not really anywhere else.

The cleaning stuff I am using is called "Get Off" and is meant to stop the animal going to the toilet in the same place again so I presume its not got any ammonia in but I think I'll look for a different one as it doesn't seem to be working at all.

I cant work out about them being stressed about anything, nothing major has changed in the house. They have only been doing this the past 2-3 months and I'm 4.5 months pregnant so I dont think its the pregnancy. They have lived with my old ferret since they were tiny kittens so are quite used to her. We haven't brought any new furniture recently or anything like that and we dont have any new people coming to the house only people that they have known since they were kittens.

Thanks again for all your advice. :D

[dinahsmum]

You can get the book anywhere. Amazon have it
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/202-2413848-1979064?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Cat+confidential&Go.x=7&Go.y=15 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/202-2413848-1979064?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Cat+confidential&Go.x=7&Go.y=15)
Maybe the outside world is the answer? There are risks but, sadly, that is life. It is very much your own judgement as to the safety. I wouldn't worry too much about cat scraps - just traffic.
Good luck again.

[RRR]

I've just brought the book from Amazon for £2.90! :D

[mable1718]

im sorry to hear that rrr but i do hope you get it sorted out soon

[Fran]

That's a good buy, I paid loads more than that at WHSmith :roll:

Maybe allowing them outside access is the way to go, perhaps that's what they are protesting at, being confined indoors?? Let them out supervised at first, when you are around to keep a close eye on them and don't feed them before you let them out, make sure they are hungry, that way you will find it easier to get them back in ;)

If you are adamant you wish to keep them as house cats then maybe Elaine's suggestion would be worth considering, retraining them using a crate..

Good luck and do let us know how you get on x

[RRR]

I'm not adamant that they stay indoors so I think I'll give it a try with them going outside.

Whats the best way to start off? Just for a little while in the garden,let them have a wander around, etc and bring them back indoors?

When do I eventually leave them outside on their own?

Also we dont have a cat flap and cant put on in so do I leave them outside all day whilst we're at work or should I keep them in during the day and let them out in the evening. I dont want them out all night so how do I get them to come home when I want to keep them in for the night?

I've chipped them but I guess collars are still a good idea with my phone number on in case anything does happen.

[Jane]

We got Patch used to going outside by taking him out for say 15 minutes at first, then 30 minutes, then increasing etc. Then we let him stay out for more like 3 hours in nice weather but were supervising him all the time and he wasn't allowed off the garden - this happened for a while and now he mainly spends time in the garden when he's out, mainly in the chicken pen (lol, good shelter from the rain. It's empty at the moment by the way ;))

Not sure how you get them to come back at night but Patch always comes in - he's stayed out 2 nights because he wasn't coming home, we shouted him and stuff but he was having none of it, but he was fine staying out but it makes you worry more I think. I guess you think of a time you want them in. Okay so you want them in for 9:30pm - if they come in at 9 keep them in, it's unlikely they'll go out for another 30 minutes then come in. If they're in and out all evening don't feed them any later than say 7 - in a few hours they'll be hungry and come home. Not sure if that will work but that's basically how we do it. ;)

Don't know about them going out in the day/evening - maybe it would be best for them to just go out in the evening and get into a routine that that is the only time they can go out - we hate going out when Patch is out incase something happens and we're not around. Mum doesn't work and is in all day unless she goes down the street in a morning, so the door is open all day unless it's freezing or raining, but Patch let's us know he's at the door by meowing his little heart out. ;)

[RRR]

We both work full time so if they are left out during the day then I would also worry that they were ok. I could put food and water and a bed in the shed but that just doesn't seem as nice as being in the house, esp in this weather!

Things wont be too bad when I start maternity leave as I'll be around during the day and after my leave I'll be going back to work part time so that will be ok then. Its just for the next three months or so that'll be a problem.

Zoot is a VERY vocal cat so I imagine he'll be at the door whinging when he wants to come in. We cant leave the door open all the time as our indoor ferret is free range and she'll be off like a shot! :lol: