What would you do...cat advice please.

[RiffRandell]

I have never given up an animal in my lifetime, and thought I never would. I have a 13 year old dog, and 2 female cats. In March of 2005 I adopted a 3 year old male cat from a rescue organization.

He is very sweet and friendly, and everything was fine until about 3 months ago. He started spraying my furniture and walls throughout the house. He is fixed. I took him to the vet and he ruled out anything physical (infection) and thinks the behavior is related to some new cats I noticed in the neighborhood. He gave me an antihistamine to give daily that is said to curb the desire for spraying.

It hasn't. I ordered a product online that is supposed to prevent spraying....it hasn't. I am due one week from Tuesday with our second (and last!) child. My husband has been out of work on short term disability due to cancer treatments which he finished this past Wednesday. Last night 2 coworkers came by with several baby gifts for us and to visit with my husband...they brought in a large box. The cat went over and sprayed on it.

I contacted the place I adopted him from as the contract I signed states to give him back to them if for any reason I can't keep the cat. I would never give him to someone else (hey, want a cat that pees in the house?) or take him to the pound. I thought maybe a farm would be the best answer.

The woman was very understanding and said the vet they use lives on a large farm with a large barn and she will ask the vet if she will take the cat. I feel so bad. What would you do?

[Olney Blue]

1. I kept a friend's cat over the summer who did this all over my house....

the cat had many charming features, but I have to say it was a relief when he went home.
My friend just "lives" with this problem with his cat.

It's a tough one, because I really loved many things about this cat. However, in your case,
I don't think it is a good idea to have a cat like this around your newborn.

The farm sounds like a good option.

Whatever you decide, best wishes.

:hug:

[RiffRandell]

4. Thanks.

My husband thinks the farm is the best bet as the cat won't change his behavior. I still haven't decided yet but am leaning that way.

[Mz Pip]

7. Is it possible to make him

an outside cat? I feed a small feral colony and they seem to do ok outside. It's not ideal, I know, but maybe if you kept him outside and just let him into a garage or laundry room you could keep him and keep your house spray free.

I know it's hard to give up on a pet. It would be hard for me to give awy my kitty and thankfully he doesn't spray that often. If he did it a lot I would probably make a den for him outside and just not let him in the house much.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[RiffRandell]

12. I thought about that.

But it would be hard to keep him out of the house as one of our other females go outside and even keeping him out for a day was hard. He sprays in the garage...I had some old chairs I was selling at a yardsale this spring and he has sprayed on them. I don't care about the chairs but I'm afraid he will continue spraying in the garage if I ban him from the house.

[pokerfan]

15. That's a hard one

It's all about territory and he's simply trying to lay a claim.

As you probably know, you can't discipline cats as you would dogs. Dogs are extremely social animals and will soon figure out that you are the alpha dog and will then do anything to remain in your good graces. (Not unlike men in love.) Cats form social groups only when necessary and the arrangement is based on respecting territory, not by respecting the "top cat". Bunch of goddamned libertarians if you ask me.

You know physical punishment won't work. It will work on dogs but even then it's unnecessary.

Is the garage the only alternative to making him an outside cat? You can try immediately putting him outside (first you have to catch him and by then he will have probably disassociated his behavior from the punishment after oh, about fifteen seconds). It's also possible that he might prefer the outside rather than share space so it mught not be that much of a punishment.

You can try the water squirt bottle but that requires constant supervision. Aversion therapy only works if it's applied immediately. We are talking seconds here. So, when you aren't around, he should be outside, instead of busy reenforcing his territory.

It can backfire, though. I tried to cure my cat from climbing the drapes by hitting him with the squirt gun. He quit. Then he became all lovey dovey until I was holding him on my chest. Then he gave a good swat across the chin and jumped away as if to say "fuck you!" Smart pets are often overrated. I wound up switching to blinds, btw.

How were the animals introduced originally? The best method with cats is to keep them seperate for a few days. Set the new cat up in his own room with food, water and litter for a few days. They will catch each other's scent and become used to it. The new cat might even adopt the room as his territory without the need the need for marking and the others might respect that. It only takes a few days, maybe a week. They're smart but they aren't exactly Isaac Newton. You can try starting over. It might work.

If it doesn't work out maybe you can find a nice farm for him where he can be an happy outdoor cat for the rest of his days.

Best of luck to you.

[Mz Pip]

2. I am bookmarking this thread

in hopes that someone will have a solution to the problem.

I have a cat that does this. Not all the time, but the fact that he does it at all is annoying. I have tried all kinds of products, enzymes, hormones, etc.

I think it's some kind of territorial thing. We have other cats and I think he is just marking what is already his territory. The other cats don't really give a shit that he does this.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[RiffRandell]

3. I don't think there is a solution

unfortunately. The way the vet explained it to me, is that the cat may stop with the meds (he hasn't) but then something could trigger it again. Everything I've read says pretty much the same...if it's behavioral, it is VERY hard to change. The rescue group got my cat from the pound as he was young and cute and they thought he would have a good chance to get adopted. He was fixed when they got him, which leads me to believe he started doing this and his previous owner gave him to the pound.

[Kali]

5. there are probably 50 things you could try

but odds are none of them will work. If that vet takes it that would be best but for most peoeple, please don't look to rural residents as the answer to the unwanted pet problem too often. Between the good hearted desires and the lazy abandoners, we really do have enough pets.

[timber84]

6. My cat acts like he is spraying but thank god nothing ever comes out.

I can't stand the smell of cat urine. Gotta be the worst.

[Ron Mexico]

8. I know this isn't an easy decision, but

given you're due a week from Tuesday you need to get rid of the cat ASAP. I'd say the same thing if you were due seven months from Tuesday.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and wish you the best of luck with the delivery. :)

[Flying Dream Blues]

9. I think the farm sounds like cat heaven. There's only so much of this

you should have to stand, with everything else that's going on in your life! Good luck with the new baby, and I hope your husband is feeling much better soon as well.

[Jamastiene]

10. Unfortunately, breaking a cat from spraying is

impossible once they start doing it. I have never had a cat that did it, but I routinely lie to the vet to have them fixed BEFORE his 6 month old recommendation. He prefers to wait. I disagree. I say I want it done as soon as possible. It makes them way easier to get along with when they start growing up and reduces aggression. I believe it also keeps them from ever starting the spraying habit. So far, it has worked for me and I have pretty much always had male cats and even multiple male cats in the house.

My aunt had a cat that she said was fixed at 6 days old way way back in the 1970's because the cat, Plato, was part bobcat, or something, I can't remember. The reason the vet said he did it was to keep the smell that bobcats seem to have (bad odor) from being able to develop quite so strongly and to keep him from being aggressive as he grew up. It turned out to be a good idea and he was a sweet docile inside cat who gave her no trouble. Ever since she told me that, I have tried to get mine neutered at 4 to 5 months old or YOUNGER if possible if I can get by with it. I don't want the spraying problem and I still say if you wait until a male cat in a multiple cat household is 8 months old or older, you'll never be able to train him or keep him from ever starting the spraying habit. Unfortunately, it sounds like a possibility that your cat was neutered when he was older than a year old. They tend to spray more when neutered later.

[iconoclastic cat]

11. I totally disagree about it being incurable. I have proof.

Well, I can't show you, but my cat's issue was the hood on the litter box. The spraying was a protest.

Go to the DU pets forum and ask this question. I bet you can find the answer there.

[RiffRandell]

13. I checked there before posting this.

They suggested the vet and the spray, both of which I tried. The vet said my cat is doing it to mark his territory, but not from the other cats in the house but from the ones he has seen outside as he had waited almost a year before doing it. The spray to deter is something you need to spray everyday in the spots he does it...I wish it were confined to one area but he has done it in every room except for 2. Be glad your cat was doing it in protest and it was fixable.

[kittykatkoffeekup]

14. It sounds like....

your male cat is asserting his dominance over the female cats. More info here.

http://ny.essortment.com/malecatssprayi_rwos.htm

[LisaL]

16. Are you sure he is spraying and not peeing?

I know you said the vet ruled out infection, but cats can have cystitis. Just like in people, in cats cystitis is not caused by an infection. My cat had that, and was peeing all over the house for a month. I switched his food to Waltham's SO and he has been as good as new ever since.

[RiffRandell]

17. Yes.

He is definitely marking.

[elehhhhna]

18. Honey, let him go to the farm...

I know you feel awful about this but I had a similiar situation with a dog recently and although it broke my heart (for a good half-hour), i gave him to the humane scoiety who assured me he'd be adopted quickly (small,young, housebroken purebred dogs go FAST--high demand). After 6 months (!) of housebreaking he decided to eat the carpeting, furniture, you name it. He also HATED my husband. The accumulated stress of living with this animal was hard to measure until he was gone.

[Fredda Weinberg]

19. A change in scenery might be the best thing

I brought home a shelter cat and she promptly attempted to move in with the folks next door. They put up with her for less than a week and she lived with me comfortably from then on.

[purr]

20. My male started doing the same thing and was also going outside

of the box when I was pregnant. It stopped shortly after the birth of my son. See if you can hang on for a little longer and I'm sure thats all it is. He knows your pregnant and hopefully will adjust accordingly after the baby is here. I know mine did.

[IsIt1984Yet]

21. If you have a place for him to go, send him and feel ok with it.

You can't continue to live that way, and there is NOTHING that will either help with the problem (if it's behavioral) or rid your home of the smell.

He's pissed - literally and figuratively.

[caty]

22. I would return him

to the place I got him from. If they found him a home where he would be the only pet, maybe he would stop this behavior.