[WandaWoman]

I have an 8 yr old neutered Male cat and lately he has been peeing and pooping everywhere. I also, have a 9 yr old female cat that has always acted like his mother but lately my male cat has been beating up on her a lot in the last week. When he was a kitten this happened often, but I'm talking 7 yrs ago, now all of a sudden it is a constant fight. Hair balls everywhere. When I started to hear the cats fighting I decided to split them up, well my Male cat has been pooping and peeing all over my basement. I have no idea what is going on in his little head. I have had him tested and treated for Crystals and he is fine, I think he is pissed off at me and is taking it out on my female cat. Is there anything I can do? My husband is at his wits end, I need some advice, please.

I have an appt w/ the vet tomorrow, I hope he is ok. He is a 25lb cat, so It could be anything. I feel everytime I go to the vet I get raped. 200.00 a dr visit, it is insain.

 

[Annissa]

What are you getting for $200? If that's the cost of just an office visit, it's time to find a new vet. Mine is one of the best in the area and it only costs $35 for an office visit. It doesn't start getting expensive until they start throwing in tests and treatments.

I have a friend who won't let her cats go into the basement because they will pee and poo everywhere. She attributes it to the fact that they can smell earth through the floor down there and that that smell is irresistible to them.

If your cat is completely healthy he's still going to revisit those spots he had accidents in. It will be completely irresitible to him. First things first. Go and get some enzyme cleaner (I've had good luck with Nature's Miracle) and thoroughly saturate any spot that your cat has an an accident in. Keep your cat away from those spots until they're completely dry. If you don't put a fan on it, it could take up to two weeks to dry. You want to make sure that the enzyme cleaner gets down as far as the pee has, so you could end up using a lot of cleaner. It's expensive, but don't be stingy.

If you've missed the underlying reason he's having these accidents, the above measure won't help. Unfortunately, you've covered every base I know to cover. Maybe someone else will have some suggestions, but honestly, I would clean up those spots with the enzyme cleaner and see if that does the trick.

 

[CTCat]

Just to add to the above post....25 lbs. sounds very overweight Has your vet done any bloodwork? Obesity can bring on many different diseases that will make him cranky and generally not feel well.

 

[Aonir]

Some breeds of cats can run into the 20 pound areas.

When a sudden change of behaviour happens, there is usually a problem. My Clyde was acting strangely for a couple weeks before PTS but I bypassed it as he had a sore on his head from a cat fight, that I thought what he was so PO'ed about.

Have blood tests run and the normal vet check up, check his heart, lungs, ears, kidneys, anything and everything. also check his teeth. Teeth problems can hurt and make a cranky cat!

 

[CTCat]

"Some breeds of cats can run into the 20 pound areas."

Yes, I know this . But the way she made the statement made me think he was perhaps overweight. Very, very few cats are 25 lbs. and not overweight.

 

[WandaWoman]

Actually my cat is not that much over weight. Tigger is a BIG boy. he could use to lose 5 but that's about it. Also, my basement is Finished, with a 10 foot window, so they have it good. their to afraid to come up stairs. My dog frightens them badly. But I am going to the vet and having him tested for everything and yes it will cost me 200.00 or so. I have another cat so I will eventually have to get her in there to be tested also.....

 

[drjean]

An 8 year old 25 pound cat is likely to have at least some degree of arthritis, which can make them cranky, and also affect their litterbox habits. Arthritic cats often appreciate a very low-sided box with only a thin layer of litter in it (which obviously has to be changed frequently!), so they don't "sink" into the litter and strain their joints. For more suggestions about causes and treatments of litterbox issues, please see the articles in our free article library, http://www.littlebigcat.com/?action=library

Living in constant terror of the dog can eventually lead to a lot of stress and anxiety, which may also be part of what he is manifesting.

But, you definitely want to rule out physical problems before assuming the problem is behavioral. If it is behavioral, because the situation is so complex, you might want to consider bringing in a professional behavior counselor to address the totality of the situation. My partner Jackson is very good at this!

Cheers,
Dr. Jean