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Pet lovers (or family of same), one pet at a time.

Smeagol

Smeagol

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I came home one day to find 2 kittens in my house by surprise. AFTER the kittens are house broken and the kids are emotionally attached, we notice one of them periodically urinates anywhere in the house she feels like. Tte capet but especially piles of laundry ready to be washed and pillows. We ask the vet about it and he says, of course, you have 2 cats. In the animal kingdom and especially with cats, there is an innate compulsion for one to be the alpha cat, tte leader of the pride. The way they exert their authority to the other animal(s) is the alpha marks their territory with their scent. In English, they pee all over your house. The only solution is to break the kids hearts and get rid of one of them, wait for one of them to die or try to keep up with it by constantly cleaning up with the understanding that as soon as their scent is dissipated they'll feel to need to reestablish the proof of their authority with cat urine.
 
I just talked to my DD who has two cats that got along fine until the little one was about 2 years old.
My DD cats did not pee all over but they did start hissing and growning and other behovior problems when the little one decided she wanted to be the alpha cat.

My daughter called the local human society to get help.
The humane society has a behaviorial department that helps with problems so people do not get rid of pets with behavorior problems.

Hopefully you can call your humane society and they can help you.
A couple of tips my DD got was to create spaces where the cats can climb up high so they can feel safe and powerful.
DD and her husband built a cat tree but she said you can use step bookshelfs or anything else that they climb and be high up.
Another tip was to rub both cats with a cloth to get each cats scent on the other cat. Also take the cloth with both cats scents and rub their scents all over their fav. places.

The other tip was try to put the litter box in open spaces so the scent of one cat is not powerful.

I hope these tips help.

Good Luck.
 
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You can buy a spray called "Dumb Cat" that has a mild scent. The chemicals deter cats from marking/clawing/urinating where the spray has been used. It wears off after a few weeks and you'll need to retreat, but it has worked for us in the past. We also make sure to put all dirty laundry in hampers with lids and close off areas we don't want them accessing when we aren't home. We've found additional reprieve from inappropriate urinating by using different litter boxes. One of our cats hates having a lid on his litter box, and the other one hates an open box....so we have two litter boxes, side by side, so both of them are comfortable in their "bathroom".
 
Here's a really good tip I got on dealing with cat pee from friends and family who have owned cats and have dealt with the same exact problems;
































Get a dog!
 
RadicalModerate said:
Here's a really good tip I got on dealing with cat pee from friends and family who have owned cats and have dealt with the same exact problems;
































Get a dog!
Click to expand...

I live in a zoo. Of course, not by my choosing. I just go along with everything to keep the peace. Two cats and recently a dog. One cat is cool. Her only irritant is if she's hungry she meows and headbutts you. The other cat sees my house as her toilet. The dog runs around like he's on crack at mach 2 a few times a day and loves chewing up shoes and the electrical cords used to recharge cell phones, laptops and tablets. The first time was the Christmas tree lights; fortunately for him I'd unplugged it for the night. There's a side of me that wishes I hadn't, not hoping he's be electrocuted but just shocked a little as a learn the hard way lesson not to do it again. When we first got him he'd get out of the back yard and go running around the subdivision. He runs at 1,547 mph so there's no way we could catch him. He'd slow down just enough to let you get close then he'd dart off at twice the speed of sound just to repeat it over and over again. I'm pretty sure he thought it was a game. He can't fit through the fence anymore so that's not an issue at this point. After the Forth of July he took a leak right in the middle of the family room in front of everyone. The fireworks scared him and he was afraid for a day or so to go outside alone. He also isn't a fan of thunderstorms but is more accustomed to them unlike the fireworks that apparently made him think the apocalypse was nigh.
 
Smeagol said:
I live in a zoo. Of course, not by my choosing. I just go along with everything to keep the peace. Two cats and recently a dog. One cat is cool. Her only irritant is if she's hungry she meows and headbutts you. The other cat sees my house as her toilet. The dog runs around like he's on crack at mach 2 a few times a day and loves chewing up shoes and the electrical cords used to recharge cell phones, laptops and tablets. The first time was the Christmas tree lights; fortunately for him I'd unplugged it for the night. There's a side of me that wishes I hadn't, not hoping he's be electrocuted but just shocked a little as a learn the hard way lesson not to do it again. When we first got him he'd get out of the back yard and go running around the subdivision. He runs at 1,547 mph so there's no way we could catch him. He'd slow down just enough to let you get close then he'd dart off at twice the speed of sound just to repeat it over and over again. I'm pretty sure he thought it was a game. He can't fit through the fence anymore so that's not an issue at this point. After the Forth of July he took a leak right in the middle of the family room in front of everyone. The fireworks scared him and he was afraid for a day or so to go outside alone. He also isn't a fan of thunderstorms but is more accustomed to them unlike the fireworks that apparently made him think the apocalypse was nigh.
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Our dog has a similar problem, and he has a "safe zone" specifically for these issues. His kennel is placed in our room (where he can be comforted by our smells) and inside of it is his favorite blanket, several toys, and his water bowl. Whenever he is anxious (storms, new people, etc) he goes into the kennel of his own accord and stays there until he feels comfortable again. It definitely beats putting him on "puppy prozac" or similar medications when storms or visitors roll through.
 
Sorry to hear this. I assume they are fixed, right? If not, that's probably the problem.

I only have 3 cats but I have dear friends that have 17 cats indoors. One of them started spraying. The Vet said it was hopeless but that's not the answer we wanted. So we bought a "calming collar", about $15 at Petsmart, and it never happened again.

Might want to try a different litter strategy also. There are additives that are supposed to help (Cat Attract?). I use "Worlds Best Cat Litter" which is price corn based stuff but has ZERO dust (one of my cats has asthma).

Might want to try increasing litter box privacy as well.
 
Litterbox privacy is a huge issue for some cats. I have learned to use the best litter, which pays for itself in the long run, and also to be scrupulous about scooping. I'd have no problems if only I were maniacal, LOL. I do dump generic carpet whatever-it-is (not the stuff designed for litterboxes, allegedly, which is more expensive with no better results) after every scoop. It's about territory as well as privacy, you know, and the "perfume" scent is a distraction from the evil "others."
 
Baking soda is cheapest and does the job perfectly.

nota bene said:
Litterbox privacy is a huge issue for some cats. I have learned to use the best litter, which pays for itself in the long run, and also to be scrupulous about scooping. I'd have no problems if only I were maniacal, LOL. I do dump generic carpet whatever-it-is (not the stuff designed for litterboxes, allegedly, which is more expensive with no better results) after every scoop. It's about territory as well as privacy, you know, and the "perfume" scent is a distraction from the evil "others."
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Thank you all for reminding me why I will never own a cat.

Wow. Hahaha.

The only problem pet I ever had was a Weimaraner. She had so much energy, even at six. We just couldn't give her the release she needed once we had 2 small kids. Weimaraner's are something else. Her prey drive was so strong she dug a tunnel in our yard in New Mexico to get under the radio fence.

So we went through a rescue society to find the perfect home.

Staffordshire terriers, perfect family dog.
 
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