I need cat people help!

[delswife]

I am not much of a cat person, but we have two and I am trying to understand one of them. I might have to get rid of her if I cant figure something out.

Okay, this cat is not friendly at all, she hisses at our 6 year old and she is trying to kill DH. She will wait until he is walking down the hallway and make a crazy run for his feet, trying to kill him. I know this is her evil plan.

She has completely stopped using the litter box, and has decided that behind my computer, under DD bed and in my laundy basket are good places to go. I am really beginging to hate this dumb, evil cat but she is loved by someone in this house (forgot who) so I havent stomped on her yet. I don't know what her problem is, but I need help. She has never been outside,(she's 3) so tossing her off the balcony is out of the question. What do I do? Is she mad at the other cat and taking it out on me? I keep the litter box very clean, changed litters a few times.... What is her problem? The other cat is completely the opposite, but she is also pretty dumb and maybe hasnt figured out how to be evil yet. But as I type this she is on my TV trying to knock my Coo-Coo clock off the wall.

For the love of pete, cats can be as bad as kids!

What do I do? How do you get rid of cat pee smell?? And does anyone want a cat?

 

[epcotfan]

Animals can sense when they aren't liked and it sounds like she may be reacting to that. If she isn't getting enough attention she will act out. I have two cats who start doing funny and odd things when I'm busy. My male will throw things off my desk if he is trying to get my attention. If you only have one litter box, that also may be a problem. Some cats won't share and so she is going somewhere else.

 

[Disneymoon04]

How long have you had her? And did you get her as a new baby or did she come from a previous family?

 

[helenabear]

First I would take her to the vet to make sure there is nothing physically wrong with her. My cat, when sick, was terrible all around. I too suggest a second litter box. Two of our cats wouldn't share. My current two do without any trouble. Finally if nothing changes, I would take her to a no kill shelter where she might have a chance of finding a home she is happy in. If you all don't like each other, then why make all of you miserable. Just please no not just leave her somewhere or take her to somewhere they might put her down. To get rid of pee, I believe there is an enzyme solution you can buy to help get rid of the smell. I haven't used it but I do know one exists (hopefully someone else can help or you can ask your vet)

 

[MaryJ]

Before you start looking for a new home for your cat, you should take it to your vet for a urinalysis. Sometimes a cat with a bladder infection will stop using the litter box as a way to tell you that something is physically wrong with them.

As far as getting rid of the pee smell, I recommend "Simple Solution." You can get it at Petsmart.

http://www.petsmart.com/cat/shopping/stain___odor_control/products/product_8157.shtml

 

[JustHolly]

It could be "competition" between animals. Are your pets spayed/neutered?

I had a "problem cat" and we waited way too long to spay her. After reading an article in one of the cat magazines that suggested spaying may alleviate some of the behaviors, we dragged our kitties in for the operation. No problems since!

It was bad.... we were at wits end One of my kitties peed on Ted!

 

[jamsmom]

We had a little darling very much like that! When we bought this house, we did not want to bring her to have a new house smell like kitty tinkle.

I former co-worker lives out on a farm and said she would take the kitty (indoor and outdoor kitty). She lives indoor with this former co-worker and never gives her any trouble.....there are no other kitties in the house, either. We had anothre kitty.

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Cat's are, in some ways, easily trained. In other ways, they'll do what the damn well please. Hence, it's like a marriage. Find middle ground.

Some of what you're talking about (trying to kill DH, I assume, is part of playful kitten-like behavior), is just a phase. Correct punishment is half the battle. Pounding a cat, in addition to being inhumane, comes across as aggressive playing, and they'll respond in kind.

If it were my cat (that's a disclaimer!), I'd learn first to grab it by the scruff of the neck (similar to the way a mother cat grabs their young). This makes them feel helpless and gives you control (they can't bite nor scratch when you've got a firm grasp on the scruff). Then begin to teach them what "no" means. Put pressure (not hard pressure, be kind!) on top of the head, between the ears, and say "NO." Eventually, they'll know what "no" means and head for the hills when you say it. This is Pavlovian, which means you'll need, on occasion, to relearn the behavior.

Associate "no" with attacks on humans and other behavior (like jumping on the breakfast table) that you wish to let the little bugger know aren't appropriate.

As for the litter box, when the cat goes outside the box, grab him (by the scruff, of course), put his/her nose in it and say "no." Then put him/her right in the box and reinforce. IT may take a week or two, but he'll get the message. And the second box is a good idea. Cat's don't like sharing.

As for getting out the smell of urine, I highly recommend Fbreeze, which can be bought most anywhere now (I get it at Walmart and Target). Although our cat is wonderfully trained, he's in renal failure and puddles have become part of life. Fbreeze has become a miracle cleaner to us.

I hope all that helps. I hate to see cats and their humans not getting along!

Pat

 

[Harambe]

Good advice from Pat - I'll also jump on the band wagon for a second litter box. If you cat is a loner, she won't want to pee where the other cat pees!

I had an old male cat who loved to pee on my dirty laundry. It started when my DD was toilet training and would have accidents. I'd throw these soiled clothes in the laundry and Stanley would pee on them. Then he started peeing everywhere! He climbed in DD's big box of Barbie clothes and peed! Jeesh! But he was the sweetest cat known to man and I still miss him.

He did pee down the basement on some old wall-to-wall carpet that still stinks to high heaven when it's humid out! I put a solid deodorizer that I buy at Stop & Shop (in the pet aisle) that is made for pet odors and it works well - although I really need to rip that carpet up and toss it!

Good luck!

 

[delswife]

Oh Thank YOU!!
I didnt think that maybe she had a medical problem.
I feel so BAD! I am also going to buy another litter box today. I really dont want to get rid of her, and I didnt start to dislike her until she started acting like this. Also I didnt know about grabbing her by the scruff. I usually pointed my finger at her and said "Bad cat" This worked on kids, dogs and husbands, but replacing the word cat with the approperiate noun. So I will try that too.
They are also not fixed, I have been thinking of doing that. I guess I will look into that too.
She has been with us scince she was a kitten and the other cat came home with my son as a kitten about 2 months before he left for the service. So the other one is about a year old now. I never thought that she could be jelous of the new one. The younger one is a nutcase and does get alot of attention, good and bad.
I guess I need to try and "kiss and make up" with her.
Thank you again for your help, I feel like a big meany now.

 

[Rajah]

Definitely get her to the vet for a checkup.

If that doesn't find anything, do get both kitties fixed. They sound like they're getting to the age that they're competing and spaying/neutering them will cut down on the urge to compete for territory. Won't completely get rid of it, but will help.

I wouldn't only recommend a second litterbox, but would even recommend going with 3 if two doesn't work. Observe your cats closely when using the litterbox -- does one kitty attack the other while she's using it? That's a frequent problem with two cats and one litterbox.

You also mentioned changing litter -- did the litterbox problems start before or after you changed the litter? If after, she may not like it. Cats don't like change.

For the most part, I agree with Pat. The only thing I disagree with is holding her nose in it and telling her no when she goes outside the box. That does nothing to train her to use the box, it just emphasizes her fear of you with messes and she'll start to do a better job of hiding the messses, and could actually come to dislike litterboxes even more. Otherwise, I agree with everything Pat said.

Just be sure when you scruff her that you don't put the whole weight on just her scruff. Yes, kittens are carried by just their scruff, but full-grown cats weigh too much to be carried by nothing but the scruff. However, grabbing her by the scruff and lifting slightly off the ground so that most of the weight is still on their paws but there is a definite lifting sensation at the scruff works well.

I've also learned with my kitties that if I speak their language, they learn faster. If they're just playing and I squawk when they bite or claw, they almost always back off and become more gentle. I've taught them to be gentle when I say sternly "Gentle!" Sometimes I have to scruff Sienna, but Skye responds immediately to "Gentle!"

As for her attacking your DH's feet -- sounds like she's not getting enough play time. I'd suggest going to Petsmart/Petco/etc and getting some interactive toys like a feather on a string on the end of a stick, or something called the Cat Dancer, and spend at least 15 minutes a day playing with her with the interactive toy. If you see her stalking another family member, get out that toy and distract her as fast as you can. Or, have treats around and distract her with a treat. Though it seems to you like you're rewarding bad behavior, you're actually redirecting her attention to something she wants more and it will help her to stop attacking walking feet.

Finally, if you're not already doing so, I suggest learning how to clip her nails. Cats can do serious damage with their sharp claws, but if you trim their nails regularly you should be able to decrease the injury factor greatly.

Oh, almost forgot -- the thing you want to use to get rid of the cat smell is Nature's Mircale -- you need something that is an enzyme cleaner, not just a smell masker. Even though the smell may be gone to you, she can still smell enzymes and say "I peed here, therefore this is a good place to pee" and will do so again. You need to clean up the enzymes and get rid of all sign of urine or poop -- I recommend getting a small black light and shining it over the area. That will help you see what you need to get up.

Good luck!

 

[Dodie]

I know I'm just reinforcing what others said, but want to agree and add that cats stop using the litterbox for two reasons: emotional or physical. I'd rule out the physical first. A urinary tract infection (very common in cats) could be causing her discomfort (leading to the behavior change) AND may be driving her to urinate in the wrong spots.

Both of your cats should be spayed asap. I would guess that this has a LOT to do with their attitudes toward one another.

Take her to the vet!!!!

 

[katerkat]

I echo everyone else!

1) Take them both to the vet, get them spayed/neutered. Check her out for any physical probelms as well.
2) Cats hate change - my sister's cat stopped going in the box when the litter brand changed its scent. Stupid cat. Can you mix the new litter and old litter, for a gradual change?
3) Cats don't usually share well. I'm very lucky - my boys share the litter box. When we have all five home for Christmas, we have three boxes running - one for my boys, one for Oscar and Bribs, who share on weekends when my sister is home, and one for the princess, Jane. Get another box. Start it out where the cat is going (ie, by the laundry basket, etc.) then slowly, once she's using it, move it to a better location for you. (ie, a few inches a day.)
4) Play with her more. My Tycho is the aggressive cat. He's wonderful on days we can pull out the laser beam (the red light flashlight) and have him chase it. Gets rid of his aggression. We also let the boys tussle, as long as they don't get too rough - it teaches them good kitty manners.
5) Give her LOVE! Tycho is a meanie, but if you start petting him, he'll settle into a long purrrrrrrr. Let her know that she is loved and she will start behaving better.

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Originally posted by Rajah
For the most part, I agree with Pat. The only thing I disagree with is holding her nose in it and telling her no when she goes outside the box. That does nothing to train her to use the box, it just emphasizes her fear of you with messes and she'll start to do a better job of hiding the messses, and could actually come to dislike litterboxes even more. Otherwise, I agree with everything Pat said.

Snarl. Hiss.



Maybe I didn't describe the "nose in the mess" proceedure properly. Note that I treat my cat (my constant companion of 17.5 years, outdating my wife by the better part of five) better than I treat myself. I've never touched him in anger or with angry passion. I guess the ol' "stick his nose in it" doesn't come across right. Of course, you may still disagree, but the proceedure and why it worked for me:

First, the scruff of the neck technique makes the cat feel helpless (but not hurt), temporarily ending "the game" in the cat's mind. The pressure between the ears invokes not pain, but annoyance. Eventually, hearing the word "no" brings on a pending sense of annoyance, thus whatever activity in which the cat is engaging, it will immediately consider otherwise.

Thus, using "no" and the scruff technique is actually dangerous when feline potty-training. You don't want the cat annoyed to go to the bathroom, it would actually be dangerous. But pure Pavlov is to let the cat get a whiff of the object (urnination) and then point out where it's supposed to take place. Doesn't always work. But many times, it does. I shouldn't say shove his nose it it, but hold his nose near it so he knows why you're having the discussion, then take him to the box.

The idea is to get a lightbulb to go off so the cat says "Ahhhhh, I get it," not to make the cat feel punished by any stretch. In fact, I advocate petting the cat after you put him in the box, and if you can stand it, encouraging him/her during their first couple of solo flights (see, diapers will be no problem for me).

On the other hand, you can always slap them on a bun with malt vinager....

Anyway, I didn't mean to imply "smack smack, don't pee on the floor you little beast." I wouldn't want people to think I'm an ANIMAL.

To the OP: once your cat gets to a stately age, they'll pooh-pooh those cats who don't know what their boxes are for. My little Spike will actually come complain if his box isn't clean up daily. And lest you think these aren't smart animals, he does it at about 3 AM. He hits me where it hurts.

Holy man, I just wrote over 2000 words not just about potty training a cat, but clarifying an original position on the same. I gotta get a life....

 

[Rajah]

Originally posted by Pat_Elliott
On the other hand, you can always slap them on a bun with malt vinager....

Nonononono, Pat -- that's what you're supposed to do with my <i>fish</i>.

*hugs*

I'm just repeating what I was told by the vet and the feline behavioralist. (Of course, neither way has worked with Skye, but we'll ignore that.... )

 

[Pat_Elliott]

Originally posted by Rajah
Nonononono, Pat -- that's what you're supposed to do with my <i>fish</i>.

*hugs*

I'm just repeating what I was told by the vet and the feline behavioralist. (Of course, neither way has worked with Skye, but we'll ignore that.... )

Ah, fish, cats, what's a little white meat between friends?

I should top off this dissertation on cat-box training by admiting to the group that I've only suceeded in this method with Spike, who's the only cat I've ever known (never say own, it ticks him off), and who's really, really cool. Past performance doesn't necessarily indicate future success. Your actual milage may vary. Meow!

 

[Harambe]

Note to the OP - you say you want to kiss and make-up with your cat - here's how:

You know that cats don't like direct eye contact but that is really how they "kiss". The trick is to blink slowly - kinda of squint and blink slowly. Pretty soon your kitty will do it back to you and that means shes "kissing" back. It took a while to get my present cat (she is a crank) to do this but now she does and she practically never hisses at me.

I know - I'm pathetic - but this really works!!!!!!

 

[Rajah]

Originally posted by Harambe
Note to the OP - you say you want to kiss and make-up with your cat - here's how:

You know that cats don't like direct eye contact but that is really how they "kiss". The trick is to blink slowly - kinda of squint and blink slowly. Pretty soon your kitty will do it back to you and that means shes "kissing" back. It took a while to get my present cat (she is a crank) to do this but now she does and she practically never hisses at me.

I know - I'm pathetic - but this really works!!!!!!

I don't think you're pathetic -- I do that, too. And also do nose-taps, which are another sign of kitty affection (of course, you have to have a kitty you can trust not to attack your face....). Sometimes I'm lucky enough to get a full nose-tap, where if I do that slow-blink and hold my nose out, Skye especially (Blaze used to do it the most ) will reach out and tap noses before going on with his playing.

 

[Pat_Elliott]

We have a phenomenon with Spike we call "headbutting," but it sounds the same. Nose-rubbing, blinking, and both of us being very happy about it. And if anyone calls it pathetic, I'll claw their eyes out.

 

[Rajah]

LOL Pat! You can always make me laugh.

I also purr at my kitties (roll your rrrrr for an extended period). It frequently gets a response -- either a purr back, or nose-tap, or at least a head-butt. It's really sweet.