[Riddle]

I know this is a topic which has come up before. I've read many of the other threads, but this situation is somewhat unique.

We have 4 cats. Peter and Vassi are 10 years old and brother & sister. We also have Kesha (boy) and Philippa, who are approximately 3.5 years old.

When we first got the younger cats, Peter adjusted very quickly and befriended them both. Vass, however, has never adjusted. She hates Philippa and hunts her non-stop. Every single day, there's a giant battle -- she attacks the little one, with no provocation. For example, Philippa might be sitting on a chair. Vass stalks up, then rears up and attacks. As a result, her relationship with the other 2 cats is pretty dismal, as well.

In addition to this, Vass is urinating all over the house. Medical problems have been ruled out via numerous vet visits. The vet has started suggesting anti-anxiety meds for her, but I'd like to avoid this if at all possible. Plus, it doesn't change the underlying problem.

In terms of urination, it's not spraying as much as giant pools of it left in random locations, such as the bed, the floor by the window, under a chair, etc. We already have 4 litterboxes that are changed daily. I've tried separating them into different parts of the house, but it doesn't work, as they howl and scratch at the closed doors, AND wherever we put Vass, she leaves a gigantic pool of her urine.

I'm at the end of my rope. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

 

[Kittys Mom]

Ummm....that sounds tough. I have two that fight...or rather an attacker and an attackee. I've noticed that when they are separated for a while, usually an hour or more, when they get back together, they are less apt to fight. But it sounds like when you separate yours the one pees. Will she pee if you are separated with her? I'll take Kitty into my bedroom with me, close the door and do laundry or watch TV. Thomas cries to get in (so that he can attack), but eventually gives up.

When I let Kitty out an hour or so later, she is more mellow and less likely to react when Thomas tries to attack her.

I've tried spraying Thomas with water when he goes to attack, but that doesn't seem to work for me...but others have tried it.

 

[drjean]

Squirting and other punishments don't generally work well with cats; plus you have to catch them at it every single time, and that's not always possible. With a cat like Vass who is already on edge, it could really backfire.

Play therapy might be helpful for Vass to increase her sense of confidence in her territory, thereby reducing her need to pee everywhere. http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?a ... w&item=012
Behaviorists typically recommend 1 box per cat + 1; don't know if an extra might benefit the situation.

Increasing the vertical space available to the cats may help them sort out the territory better; see http://www.katwallks.com/

But really, I think this situation might really benefit from a professional pet behavior consultant. My partner Jackson is very good at getting inside those little kitty heads! http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=consulting

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[Riddle]

Thanks for the suggestions and the links!! I'll definitely check it out. I feel so sad for her - she's such an unhappy cat and it doesn't seem like we're doing a good job solving this. Thanks again.

 

[BoscosMum]

Here is some pics of the cat walk we made ourselves for our cat!

http://www.catforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=5416

 

[Riddle]

The trouble with vertical space is that the culprit is an older cat, who isn't able to jump up onto the counter-tops anymore (which is a good thing), so a catwalk like that wouldn't really solve our problem, I don't think. But that's a gorgeous pic!