Need A Cat Psychiatrist Please

[jyl]

I need help from a cat psychiatrist, I think.

We have two cats. Cat B came from a shelter, must have been abused, as he is very skittish and fearful, although he wants attention and likes being petted, even if he does run away at the first quick move. Cat A is dominant and doesn't like cat B at all. So cat B spends most of his time in the basement, with short trips upstairs to the kitchen or to the living room. He has his food, litter box, bed, etc down there, and gets petted when we are down in the basement which is quite often since my wife's art studio is there, or when he makes a trip upstairs. Not a great situation, but there you are. We've had cat B for about 5 years, cat A for 8.

Recently cat B started hanging out in the half bath that is off the kitchen; I thought it was because there is a comfy rug and heater vent there. Then he started peeing and pooping on that little bathroom rug. We wash the rug or replace it with a new one, and changed the litter in his basement box, but he keeps doing it. My wife decided to confine him to the basement for awhile, i.e. closed the door to the basement, to make him use his litter box again. Now he is up on the other side of that door, scratching. Previously he was never so insistent about coming upstairs.

Any insight? What would you try? Why do you think he is doing this? I want to solve this because if he starts peeing and pooping on the carpets in the rest of the house, he is toast . . . wife won't have it.

About 20 years ago, I had a shelter kitten that suddenly started peeing everywhere - on the carpet, on the bed, on me in the bed. We couldn't get him to stop it no matter how we shampoo'd the carpet or laid stuff over it. Eventually I returned him to the shelter. I don't want to do that to cat B.

[matt f]

Your cat may be sick.
A trip to the vet may be in order.

I encountered a short lived problem similar to yours when I changed litter brands.
Solved quickly by going back to original brand.

My dogs were just happy to be alive, cats ain't dogs.

Matt

[john70t]

WAG:
He may be doing that because it's the 'other cats' space.
Kinda an fu resentment to his dominant rival.

Try moving his litterbox up to the common areas same as the other.
Start given them treats the same way(mine prefer the purina temptations), one at a time while they sit, with lots of gentle petting and praise to them both.
Play with them the same.
Any start to scrapping gets a 'no' and finger wag.
Make them equal in your eyes.
They will figure out the details.

I have dogs, and play top dog, so my cat accepts dog-like reprimands.

[techweenie]

In my experience, the random pooping and peeing is a message that they are ill. Not the most pleasant way to tell you that, but they have limited alternatives.

[t-tom]

Time to go to the vet, he is trying to tell you something.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by techweenie

In my experience, the random pooping and peeing is a message that they are ill. Not the most pleasant way to tell you that, but they have limited alternatives.

This^^^

I have been lucky in my long history of being a cat owner I have not had a "outside the box" problem.

[stomachmonkey]

Peeing outside the box, UTI, kidneys going and may need a diet change, diabetes.

I've had all of those with various cats over the years.

Time for vet check and full blood work up.

[jyl]

Thanks! To the vet.

[scottmandue]

It is easy to try to humanize the situation and think it is a "upstairs cat Vs downstairs cat thing."
But that is our human brain... cats are pretty simple creatures... eat, sleep, poop, repeat.

Wife: "Oh look, kitty came to sit with us while we watch TV, he loves us!"
Me: "he is cold."

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Wife: "Oh look, kitty came to sit with us while we watch TV, he loves us!"
Me: "he is cold."

What?!? My cats do love me.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by jyl

Recently cat B started hanging out in the half bath that is off the kitchen; I thought it was because there is a comfy rug and heater vent there. Then he started peeing and pooping on that little bathroom rug. We wash the rug or replace it with a new one, and changed the litter in his basement box, but he keeps doing it. My wife decided to confine him to the basement for awhile, i.e. closed the door to the basement, to make him use his litter box again. Now he is up on the other side of that door, scratching. Previously he was never so insistent about coming upstairs.

Seems to me that I read that you recently brought an old Bianchi out of the basement - I wonder if there might be some correlation?

Cat "B" thinks he's the cat in "Breaking Away"!

[jcommin]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Peeing outside the box, UTI, kidneys going and may need a diet change, diabetes.

I've had all of those with various cats over the years.

Time for vet check and full blood work up.

I just took my 21 yr old cat to the Vet. She cries out in the middle of the night. Thanks to the Vet, the cat has high blood pressure and I now have medicine. She doesn't cry out any more. It is worth a trip to the Vet.

One more thing: cats are not pack animals. The only cats that travel in packs (prides) are lions. Lions mark territory by pissing on their rear legs and walk through the territory.
You cat might be tagging.

[dyusem]

I have a very similar situation although cat B in my instance has not begun to do the things that your cat B is up to.

While a trip to the vet is prudent, I think that you've got a turf wars transpiring and the idea to move his litter box and treat him differently may be the ticket...but really who knows, because I cross my eyes over kitty stuff (probably because my SO is also one of them!) :evilgrin:

Good luck and report back!

P.S. You may find this interview interesting with John Bradshaw "What's Mittens Thinking? Make 'Sense' Of Your Cat's Behavior" with Terry Gross.

[GWN7]

Old gf had/has two cats. The cats were together for years and got along well. One cat started ****ting and peeing all over the place. She took the cat to the vets. Nothing wrong with the cat. Vet suggests getting it it's own litter box (the two shared facilities). That solved the problem. Good luck.

[stomachmonkey]

OP's cats have shared space for 5 years.

While territory issues may be at the root of this in my experience it's not likely that it would start becoming an issue after that long a time.

I've had a crapload of cats over the years, had 4 at one time and the current pride numbers 3.

Unless cat A is older and loosing alpha status and cat B is thinking the time to make a move has come I'd still be inclined to think there is a medical issue before territory.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

OP's cats have shared space for 5 years..
there is a medical issue before territory.

Good Advice.
The sooner the better.

My 3yo cat died suddenly overnight from kidney stones last year.

[tabs]

The cat is trying to get your attention in the only way it can. It could very well be a medical issue, or it could be some unfairness that it feels is going on. Or change in a routine that is upsetting it? You have to ponder it and sleep on it and it should come to you as an epiphany in the night.

Maybe if you just talked to the cat about it, and say that it is perplexing you and your wondering what is going on and would like to correct it?

I did that with my Airedale and cat and the gdamdest things would happen...