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541196 tn?1293552936

behavioral urinating

Pleas help!

I have 4 neutered/front declawed male cats.  The 4th was just recently added.  He was not yet neutered or declawed and being a young cat he loved to play.  The second youngest, the Siamese who is 4 years old began to change his normal skiddish behavior to extremely agressive when the newest was around.  Over months time it got worse and he has begun urinating in the dog's food bowl, on our kitchen counter top and on curtains.  He poo's in the corner in the office.  He won't go downstairs and use the boxes anymore at all.  I don't know how to stop this behavior.  I thought that having Henry (the newest) gone for a few days at the vet getting neutered and declawed would help the situation and when he returned he hasn't been playing much due to his feet being sore.  Yet, the peeing and pooping continue!  HELP!!!!! It's becoming very stressful!
12 Responses
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203342 tn?1328737207
I think it was Savas who told me a long time ago to keep the cats off the counters to put double sided tape all along the edges. Cats hate that feeling of getting stuck on their paws. Maybe you can try that to keep them off the counters?
Helpful - 0
203342 tn?1328737207
I've always had my cats declawed too, even when growing up my mom did, and never, ever did I see a behavioral change in any of my cats. I have one cat right now that I adopted from the Humane Society who was already declawed and spayed and she's one of the most affectionate, sweet natured cats I've ever had.

I would bet my bottom dollar that the urinating is from stress with the new cat being brought in. The Feliway product is a good one to try. It is expensive, though. I think the others gave you some pretty good advice so there's not much I can add. Adding more litter pans around is a good idea, especially one upstairs. Sometimes cats will be afraid to use a litter box if there's another more aggressive cat around. Try these things and give it some time. He will eventually come around. Savas has tons of cats since he rescues them, so I guess they have to learn to get along eventually!
Helpful - 0
541196 tn?1293552936
Bleach mostly, I did consider the vinegar thing though as well!  This morning I had a big pile of poo on the stove!!!!

Mostly the problem is on the counter top or in the dog bowl... also on occassion in the office which is wood floors.  The other locations are typically when like an item of clothing is left on the bathroom floor or something similar.  
Helpful - 0
541150 tn?1306033843
How are you getting rid of the smell?
You can use either vinegar, Nature's Miracle, or bitter apple. Bitter apple is also a natural repellent. cats tend to dislike the smell. And yes, it takes a few days to completely get rid of the smell. Even though we may not smell their urine sometimes, and we think it's over, it's not. As long as they can still smell their own ammonia they will still urinate there because 'something' tells them that THAT'S the bathroom. Getting rid of the smell is the hard part. Try and google that see what you find. You got carpet, wood or tiles?
Helpful - 0
541196 tn?1293552936
thank you PrettyKitty1 and HelpinUtah!

Moe (my Siamese) is a sweet boy he's just having issues.  He has always been a little on the anti social side though.  I appreciate everyone making suggestions and reassuring me this might not last forever!  It's very stressful for me to come up to urine on my kitchen counter or in my family room... I don't want my home to be unsanitary, but my pets are forever, they are my children.  I just hope he can get used to Henry (the newest) being in the house and this behavior stops.  I will try several things to make him more comfortable as well as work really hard to keep the urine cleaned up so that the smells don't keep drawing him back to the same places!
Helpful - 0
541150 tn?1306033843
My cats are also declawed. No change in personality. No pain, nothing. I've also had declawed cats and never seen a side effect, thank God! Abby once urinated outside the box and it was because silly me switched litter brands. He didn't like it and well..he let me know lol That was only one day. After bringing his litter back, the one he likes, he started going in the box again.

I just think the kitty is very stressed and uncomfortable. Let us know how kitty is doing. Sometimes it takes a long time for a cat, especially a senior cat, to get used to a new arrival. Patience, Sarah....patience and love :)
Helpful - 0
611067 tn?1458591483
Sarah:

Good luck. I hope you can find a way to stop this behavior.  I think your baby is stressed by the new addition and showing you his dissatisfaction.  My mother's cat, Rusty, lived with my brother when my mother lived with him and he kept bringing cats into the home.  He ended up with 7 other cats besides Rusty and he was first.  He started peeing on my brother's bed or anything that belonged to my brother.  I think it was his unhappiness about the other cats being in the house and he targeted my brother.  Cats are smart creatures and so maybe give him a little more attention and do some of the things mentioned above and it will stop.  Rusty lives in my house now (my mother lives with hubby and I now) with my 4 other cats and he does not urinate at all anywhere but the litter box now.  

I agree with you that declawing does not do all that people say it does.  I've had cats my whole life and because we lived in apartments we were required to have them declawed.  Never, did their personalities change.  Some people say they always have pain there too and again never has any of my cats acted like their front paws hurt.  I rub my cats paws as a part of my snuggling time and they love it.  Personally, if I didn't have too I would not have them declawed, but sometimes you have too.  We found a kitten in August and when we had her spayed we did not declaw her because we were hoping to find her a home and if she went to someone who let her outside we wanted her to have her claws for protection.  We haven't been able to find her a home, but she NEVER uses her claws.  It's funny but I think when she plays with the other cats who are declawed she realizes that they don't use their claws and so she doesn't.  When she plays with me she places both her paws on my face and rubs my face with her claws drawn in - very smart little girl.
Helpful - 0
541196 tn?1293552936
Ghilly,
Thanks for the insite on the FeIiway.

I used to work as a vet tech and I am aware of the proceedure that goes into declawing.  I have to differ with the reason behind his unwanted local elimination.  The siamese that is doing this behavior was neutered/declawed with my assistance 5 years ago when he was 8 weeks old.  So, I would find it safe to say that his life hasn't been "changed" from what he knows it to be other than the introduction of another cat which he dislikes. :-)

His locations seem to be out of fear of leaving the location he is in and just going where he is.  He prefers the kitchen most of the time and stays on the counter top, hiding.
Helpful - 0
441382 tn?1452810569
The fact that you have your cats declawed is probably responsible for much of this behavior.  By having a cat declawed, you take away his first line of defense, and they often develop bad habits because psychologically they have a hard time dealing with the lack of something that instinct tells them should be there.

Since your kitties do not have their claws, in their minds, they are defenseless against interlopers, and their displeasure manifests itself in different ways.  Inappropriate elimination is one of the most common.  So is biting.  Cats have scent glands in their paws, so when it looks like they are simply sharpening their claws on something, while pulling the old sheaths off the claws might be part of the rationale behind the action, many times they are using their paw glands to mark their territory so that newcomers will know that they were there first.  Since your cats are declawed, they can't use this marking behavior, so they resort to the OTHER type of marking behavior that they know, and that is urinating and/or defecating inappropriately around the house to let other cats know that that's THEIR place.  Feliway Comfort Zone is worth a try, but sometimes there's just not all that much that can be done to stop the behavior.

This is not to make you feel bad, I'm just stating a fact, but declawing really messes them up psychologically, so you've definitely got your work cut out for you when it comes to getting this situation under control.  Declawing is not just a matter of cutting the claws, the procedure involves the amputation of each toe at the first joint.  Since the claws are used for everything from defense to isometric exercises to help keep the cat's muscles toned, not having those claws changes their lives immeasurably, usually not for the better, especially in multi-cat households.

Getting back to the Feliway Comfort Zone, it is a pheromone-based spray that is released into the air.  It contains kitty "feel good" pheromones, and many rescues and breeders that have tried it to keep peace in their homes have reported fantastic results with it.  It will cost ABOUT $35 to get started, and then each refill is about $16.  One unit will cover two or three rooms, depending on the size and proximity of the rooms.  You can Google "Feliway Comfort Zone" for more information.  Good luck!

Ghilly
Helpful - 0
541196 tn?1293552936
Thank you so much!  I will try all of these things.  I have been a cleaning fool,but I have found other areas he has started using.  He is very stressed and I want to see him overcome it.  He's such a sweet boy. I will let you know how it goes. :-)
Helpful - 0
541150 tn?1306033843
So, your Siamese is the one with this behavioral problem, right? Have you talked to the vet about that?
Stress can cause this, and your cat is very stressed. You can try various things in the house. You can try buying Feliway, which reduces stress in cats and thus urinating as well. And here are some good tips that may help you control the situation. I got this from peteducation. Here goes:

Possible Solutions to Inappropriate Elimination

Have your cat checked by your veterinarian for a possible medical condition, and start treatment for the condition if one exists. If the cat is extremely stressed, talk to your veterinarian about some medications which may help.

If you have multiple cats and do not know which one is the culprit, your veterinarian can give you some fluorescent dye to feed one of the cats. The urine from that cat will fluoresce when exposed to a black light.

Place numerous litter boxes around the house. You do not have to use anything fancy: dishpans, large plastic containers, or other items may work just as well. Try a larger litter box, such as a sweater storage box; some behaviorists feel litter boxes are often too small.

Use different substrates including newspaper, clumpable and nonclumpable litter, sand, sawdust (not cedar), carpet remnants, and no litter at all. Use unscented litter, since many cats do not like the scented kind. If you find the substrate that your cat prefers is not the one you do, e.g., carpet remnants, try slowly converting the cat back to litter. Place a small amount of litter on the carpet remnants the first week, and if all goes well, use more litter each week until you can finally remove the carpet remnants from the box.

Try different depths of litter. Many people put too much litter in the box. Some cats like only a small amount.

Clean any soiled areas with an enzyme cleaner designed for use on pet urine and stool. Regular detergents and other cleaners will not break down the urine or feces, and if the cat smells any urine or feces on a carpet or floor, the cat may continue to use that spot to eliminate. In some cases, the carpet or carpet padding may need to be replaced.

Clean the litter boxes at least once daily. Wash the litter box weekly. Do not clean the box with a strong smelling disinfectant, but rinse the box well after washing it.

Feed the cat where she is inappropriately eliminating. Many cats will not urinate or defecate in the area in which they are fed.

Use upside down carpet runners (the ones with the spikes on the bottom), heavy plastic, aluminum foil, double-sided tape, motion detectors, pet repellents, or scat mats to limit her access to the area where she inappropriately eliminates.

Try Feliway, as described above. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

Take your cat to the litter box frequently, and if she uses it, praise her, or even give her a treat.

If you catch your cat in the act of urinating or defecating outside of the box (or even using the digging motion), use a remote correction. This generally means doing something that will startle her. Tossing a pop can with a few coins inside of it and taped shut toward the cat (but not at her!) may get her to stop. Foghorns, whistles, and water pistols are other options. It is best if she does not associate you with the correction, but thinks it 'comes out of the blue.'

Do NOT punish the cat. Punishing the cat, including rubbing her nose in the soiled area will not help, and will probably increase the stress on the cat.

In some situations, it may be helpful to confine the cat to a small room with food, water, toys, bed, and litter box. Once she is using the litter box in the smaller area, gradually allow her into larger areas of the house.


Hope this helps. Let me know what you decide to do.

PK
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541196 tn?1293552936
just bumping this post up again because I could really use some advice.  
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