LoveToKnow Cats:AllComments

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Hi Ana,

Cats don't like to be moved around much. Most are creatures of habit. I do think the eating is a sign of stress. Eating is likely the one familiar thing he can rely on between the two places. It sounds like he adjusts well overall, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Give him smaller amounts and let him eat more often if it comforts him.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

Every couple of weeks my kitty and I go visit my boyfriend at his house(where we have lived previously, twice) He is familiar and seems to adjust immediatly however he seems to eat or wants to eat all the time there and at our home(where we've been over a year)he seems to eat his regular times...Do you believe his excess eating when at the boyfriends is a sign of stress??

-- Contributed by: Ana

Hi Judie,

I'd go ahead and take him to the vet. Male cats sometimes develop urinary tract issues and when they start to do this out of the blue an infection can be one of the main problems. Also, since he is irritable, he may not be feeling well.

If his health checks out okay, the only other thing I can think is to try a good enzymatic cleaner from your local pet supply store to get rid of the smell and try to encourage him not to return to that spot.

Does he have his own, separate litter box? If not, go ahead and get a second one. Some cats are finicky about sharing.

However, because this problem has only recently started, I really think it may be a health issue.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I have a 2 1/2 year old cat he was very easy to litter train from a kitten. within the last month He has been doing his business in the corner of my diningroom. i have tried everything from changing his liter, putting his literbox where he has been going he goes beside it, layed citris orange peels in that area he goes beside them, I PUT his food dish there they say they wont go near there food dish, he goes beside it. i have tried to clean that area with everything it is carpeted, ive used bleech ive useed a citris spray, ive tried everything and nothing works i finallyhave cut that square of carpeting out and the floor still smells. yuck. i am considering giving this cat to a shelter. i love him but i cant have this smess in my house. i dont know why after 2 years he has done this i clean his litterbox 1 to 2 times a day change it every week. i do have another cat older and have no problems with him he was here first. they had been getting along great untill about a month ago them they started to fight and hiss at each other the younger on being the agressive one. hes even hissed at me he is fixed. so im am baffled please can you help me i dont want to get rid of the cat but its looking like i have no choice, THANK YOU JUDIE

-- Contributed by: JUDIE

Hi Megan,

Cats are very nocturnal. They like to nap during the day and stay up at night. It sounds like he is wanting your attention or wanting to come into the bedroom with you. Even if you have another cat, domestic felines crave human interaction (on their terms, of course). You have a couple of options. You can either let him into your bedroom and see if that helps. Or, you can try playing with him before bedtime to wear him out a bit. Perhaps he will sleep through the night.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

My cat will continuously cry at my bedroom door begininng at 4AM!! I don't know how to get him to stop or what is causing this behavior. He has food, water, and he is not lonely because I have another cat. Please, help!

-- Contributed by: megan

Hi Wendy,

More thank likely, one of the cats is instigating the entire scenario and encouraging the other cats to mark their territory as well. The first thing you should do is to isolate the cats in separate areas. It may be a health issue that is causing one of them to urinate in inappropriate places.

While they are isolated, you should thoroughly clean any previously soiled areas with a good enzymatic cleanser. You can purchase this at any pet supply store. I've even seen it at Wal-mart. Just make sure it has the enzymes.

Once the cats have a clean bill of health and the areas have been cleaned, you'll likely see an improvement in the situation. Some other tips that may help include:

Each cat should have his/her own litter box.
Keep the boxes cleaned out regularly by scooping at least once a day and changing the litter every four to six days.

Good luck!

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I have 4 adult cats who just recently started peeing on everything. one cat in particular pees on anything and everything,2 of the others will poop on the floor. the youngest is 3 yrs and the oldest is 15 yrs. old. this is new behavior and extremely annoying.

-- Contributed by: wendy stock

Hi Tasha,

There may be several things causing her accidents. First, she needs a litter box of her own, if she doesn't already have one. Particularly, since it sounds like she is a bit persnickety when it comes to litter boxes.

Second, I would try to find a quieter place to keep her box. Perhaps a bathroom or another hallway?

Third, you need to confine her for one week with the box in the new location. If it is an open area, then you may need to get a large cage for this.

Finally, get rid of the rug she likes to pee on and replace it with a new one or don't have one at all. Likely, she still smells the urine from the other times she has used it. Because of this, it is attracting her. Your other cat may eventually begin to urinate on that rug too, because of the scent. Good luck!

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I have a 3 year old cat named Butter who thinks my kitchen is her litter box. We recently moved to a new house which caused this problem to become much more frequent. Her litter box is in our mud room, beside a freezer and the washer and dryer. At our old house it used to be in the hall in a fairly quiet corner. Could the fact that we moved to a new house and that her box is now in much more noisy place be causing her to pee in places sheâ€˜s not supposed to? I'm not completely sure this is the reason, though, because at our old house she would occasionally pee on a rug, but only when her box needed to be cleaned out. We still have the rug she used pee on and it is the one she usually goes on now. She just recently started peeing on a the rug we keep our shoes on. I tried cleaning out the litter box every day, but the problem still persists. I have another cat, Butters grandmother, Lacy, though theyâ€˜ve been together since Butter was just a kitten and Lacy uses the litter box. Please help! I am desperate for a solution or I'm going to have to get rid of her.

-- Contributed by: Tasha

Hi Chrissy,

Do you have any idea at all what might have set her off? Since she is territorial, did you perhaps pet another animal and then come home with that pet's scent on you?

Although she apparently has some emotional issues, with the separation anxiety and such, that doesn't mean she should be allowed to get by with biting and scratching you.

You may want to talk to your vet further, but if she were my cat, I would sharply tell her no when she tries to bite or scratch and even spray her with a water bottle for doing so.

I hope she calms down soon. You may also want to talk to your vet about possibly medicating her.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

Hi, I have a three year old tiger cat named Lily and I had a question about her behavior as of late. She has acted in this manor before but these situations are usually few and far between. For the past few days she's been very agressive and territorial towards me. Sometimes when I change her litter box she will turn into another cat completely and start to hiss, growl, bit scratch, meow threateningly and viciously lunges and attacks me. These past few days it doesnt take much to set her off. I will be walking around my apartment or cleaning and she will start to get aggressive. Minutes later, she will rub against my legs. The only thing that calms her down is time on her own. She has been diagnosed with seperation anxiety in the past. She does not get along with other animals AT ALL (the reaction is the same as how she's been acting towards me) and she is fairly skiddish around people until she gets used to them (which I know is normal). I am extremely worried about her because other than these outbursts she is a great, lovable cat!! Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!

-- Contributed by: Chrissy

Hi Kayla,

The local pet supply store has sprays that will repel cats from certain areas. They are pretty effective, but do have to be reapplied. I have also heard of people having success in training cats to stay away from areas by using plastic runners turned upside down (pointy side up). Just be careful not to step on it in bare feet. Ouch!

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I have two cats. They both have destroyed the vent on the front bottom of my refridgerator. Any ideas on how to make them stop this annoying habbit?

-- Contributed by: kayla_21

Hi Doris,

It's possible she is dealing with some intestinal problems or has mild allergies to her food. The first thing I'd try is switching her to a sensitive stomach food. Buy the highest quality food you can afford and see if that helps. If not, then you may need to go ahead and make a trip to the vet.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I have 2 indoor spayed female cats, the one is 9-10years old and the other is almost 1and 1/2 years old. the older female started to throw up about a couple of years ago when I started to take care of ferrel kittens and she started to eat the glue off of envelopes. I put away all the envelopes and I make sure the girls get hairball treatments and brushed but still they throw up, why?

-- Contributed by: Doris

Hi Victoria,

It sounds like she certainly has a major behavior problem. There are a couple of things you can try.

Isolate her in a small area with her litter box, such as a bathroom or laundry room for a minimum of one week.
During this time, clean the entire house with an enzymatic cleaner. You will want to clean every area where she has urinated in the past to rid the house of the scent.
If there are particular areas that she tends to spray, use a repellent, which you can buy at your local pet supply store.

If these things do not help, the cat may need to be isolated to just a couple of rooms of the house. Although that is not ideal, it will save the money of constantly replacing carpets and/or furniture.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

My cat is 8 years old and has always been a nervous cat, but very loving towards me when i lived with my parents and still towards my mother. She is very well looked after and has free roam of the house. There are no other cats in the house and not many in the local area. Over the past 2 years she started to spray in the house, more recently urinate and now she uses the entire house as a toilet. She is reluctant to use the litter tray (which is kept clean and the litter brand has not been changed) and as a nervous cat does not enjoy being outside very much. There does not seem to be any pattern where she goes to the toilet and she does not hide it from my parents, ie she will just go infront of them. How do we solve this as it is getting to the point where my parents are running out of patience to cope with her. Many thanks.

-- Contributed by: Victoria

Hi Anna,

It is possible for kittens to go into heat as young as five months. You should have them fixed as soon as possible. Also, cats tend to be active at night. If you are a light sleeper or in a small space this can get irritating. There are a few things you can try that might help:

Never ever play with them when they wake you. They will see this as a reward and continue the behavior that rewarded them.
Try playing with them more before bedtime, so they are tired and will hopefully sleep.
If possible (I realize you have a small space), try separating the cats so they are not playing with one another. Perhaps one in your bedroom, one in the bathroom and another in the main living quarters?

Hopefully, they will stop this as they grow older. My cats are now fifteen and six and tend to sleep quite a bit and remain calm most of the time. They do have their "crazy fits" as we call them here, but they are rare, so only serve as amusement at this point. Good luck! You're brave taking on three kittens at once.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

Hi, I've adopted three kittens from a shelter in Korea who are all male and they're about 5 months old. I have enough space in my flat for them, however it's only a one room flat, excepting the bathroom. In the past week or so they've become increasingly demanding at night and have suddenly taken to waking me up everyday at 4am without fail. i love them, but I'm exhausted and I was wondering if there's a specific reason why they've egun this behaviour at five months - they don't seem to be entering into being in heat in general. Could it just be a teen phase?? In general, if I keep them separated from me, they will meow loud enough to make me come and open the door and then they'll want to play at 4am. After that, if I try and sleep... invariably they'll be trying to play with my feet in the bed or running up and down all over me. HELP! Any tips appreciated. Thank you.

-- Contributed by: Anna

My female cat s only just a year old and has started to act very aggressive towards my children, husban and any newcomer to the house. But she is not like that to me. She has not yet been fixed could this have something to do with her attidude problem. I don't know what to do anymore it is becoming a real problem.

Hi Krista, some cats do change personalities considerably upon maturity. I would suggest that having her spayed would be a good option. It may not fully cure her aggression, but it should lessen it considerably.

If you still find she's aggressive after the spaying, I have two other things you can try.

First, trying giving her an immediate squirt from a water bottle whenever she shows aggression. This should eventually discourage her, since most cats don't like water on their fur.
Second, there's a product called Soft Paws that makes vinyl nail covers for your cat. The covers go on with a special glue, and they last for quite a while. They are harmless to your pet and they will keep her from clawing. The water bottle should be effective for the biting.

I hope you find these suggestions useful. Thanks for your question, and I hope you regain harmony in your home soon.

-- Contributed by: Krista

Hi, Sky,

In the wild, most cats do not meow. Meowese seems to be a unique language that cats have created to speak to their human companions. If your cat is meowing, then there is something he wants or needs. Perhaps it is food, water or even attention. You may try spending some extra time playing with your cat during the day to see if this releases some of his energy. Do you leave food out for him? Cats are known grazers and like to go back to the food bowl often and nibble here and there.

The one thing you want to never ever do is give him attention when he exhibits the behavior you don't like. In this case, stop responding to any meows from him at any time of the day or night. Just completely ignore him when he meows. When he communicates in other ways, such as rubbing against your legs, you then respond to him. On the other hand, when you catch him NOT meowing, praise him. Cats respond best to praise.

I hope that some of these ideas help. It sounds like a frustrating situation.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

Hi, my cat Buddy is maybe a year old. He is a very good cat except for his annoying tendency to meow very loudly. There are times during the day he does this and he also does this at night waking me and my husband up. I would ignore him at night as well but I have a toddler who is a very light sleeper and when she is woken up at night she stays awake (which means I have to get up as well and neither of us get any sleep). Usually, I have to get out of bed and get him to quiet down. Please, any tips on how to get him to stop meowing would be very much apresiated, thank you.

-- Contributed by: Sky
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