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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

463.0. "why now???" by USMRW1::REDICK () Sat Jan 31 1987 01:02

    my cat has just recently started peeing on the floor in my study.
    why now???
    
    a few facts:
    
    1.  she's 1 1/2 years old
    2.  part siamese
    3.  she was the only my only kitty until about six months ago when
        i took her little sister into my home too.  (same litter)
    4.  the two cats fight sometimes but i interpret that as playing.
    5.  the two cats often touch noses and sleep together
    
    
    i have a couple of guesses of what's wrong but can't quite figure
    it out.  could it be that i don't change the litter enough???  i
    change it once a day.  could it be that she's jealous of the other
    cat??? (just lately i have had to give the other kitty medicine
    daily).  is that it???  or is she upset with me because sometimes
    i go out on days that i don't normally go out on...sundays etc.
    
    any help on this would be greatly appreciated!!!
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
463.1some suggestionsPUZZLE::CORDESJAMon Feb 02 1987 16:0725
    Is your kitty spayed?  Whole females will often urinate
    indiscriminately when they are in heat.  Or she may be mad at you
    for leaving her alone, or she may be jealous of the attention her
    sister gets when being medicated or a number of other things.
    
    Here are some suggestions for you.  Make sure you clean the spot
    up immediately after she uses it.  Do not use an amonnia product
    to do this.  It you don't have any of the organic cleaners that
    are made for this purpose, use a solution of vinegar and water to
    soak the spot and then blot it up with paper towels.
    
    Try putting a food and water dish on top of the spot, she won't
    want to pee on her food.  
    
    Try to give her extra attention.  Remember that even when she
    misbehaves she is getting your attention.  Even if it is negative
    attention.  
    
    If she continues to urinate in places other than her box, confine
    her to one room with a spotlessly clean litter box and her food
    and water.  Then as she starts using the box with more regularity
    you can expand the area that she is allowed to go into.
    
    Hope this helps.
    Jo
463.2Infection?24766::DUDLEYMon Feb 02 1987 17:1910
    When a cat breaks litterbox habit and continues to do so, the
    first order of business should be to rule out any physical
    cause.  Once that's ruled out, you can deal with it as a beha-
    vioral problem.  If it's a hardware floor she's peeing on, try
    to get a urine sample by drawing some urine up through a syringe.
    Bring immediately to vet's.  If vet is not open, refrigerate.
    The most accurate ph results are obtained with fresh urine.
    
    Donna
    
463.3INK::KALLISHallowe'en should be legal holidayTue Feb 03 1987 19:0711
    My vet has a good (but not guaranteed) rule of thumb:
    
    _Usually_ when a cat urinates on a hard surface, it's a medical
    problem; _usually_ when he or she urinates on a soft surface (rug,
    clothing, bedclothes, etc.) it's a behavioral problem.
    
    If it's behavioral, then it's usually related to a real or imagined
    change of status.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    
463.4Nugget trains JohnCADSYS::RICHARDSONTue Feb 03 1987 21:004
    A friend's altered tomcat made it VERY clear that he did not appreciate
    my friend's taking in another altered tomcat: Nugget started urinating
    on John's waterbed!  When John got rid of the new cat, Nugget's
    behavior went back to normal.  He sure got his point across!
463.5Other notes on this topic...XANADU::RAVANTo light a candle's to cast a shadow...Wed Feb 04 1987 12:317
    See also notes 348 and 384 for further discussion of this. (I believe
    there are other notes about this problem, but they didn't turn up on a
    DIR/TITLE=SPRAY command. Come to think of it, neither will this one,
    unless the author or the moderator would like to do a SET NOTE/TITLE
    command on the base note...) 
    
    -b