Cat Lovers: I have a question!

[Bunny]

My brother relocated from NoDak to W. PA one month ago. He brought his female spayed cat with him. He is living with mum, cat is living next door with our sister. For the first three weeks, cat used litter box, no problem. For the past week, cat has been getting up on the counter and stove and doing the poop and pee thing right there. Sister is losing it. What could be the problem with the cat? P.S. there are two other female cats in the house.

[childslibrarian]

1. You just answered yourself

There are two other cats in the house....

[AngryYoungMan]

2. Urinary tract infection.

When peeing is painful for cats, they "mentally" associate this with the litter box and start relieving themselves elsewhere. Better take the cat to a vet; they'll give you some medicine for the infection, some special cat food, and probably charge way too much.

[Systematic Chaos]

4. That is also a possibility, but...

... you can often tell if there's a urinary tract problem by watching the cat pee. If it seems to take a long time and it looks like it's straining to get a stream going then there is very likely at least a blockage in the bladder or urinary tract. Any sign of blood or a pinkish hue to the urine is a dead ringer. The cat will need help within a couple of days or it could die.

[jobycom]

8. Especially if the water is hard

I had a Persian who got urinary tract infections every time we moved to someplace with harder water.

This doesn't sound like the same problem, though, if he's defecating on the stove. My cat wouldn't have jumped that high with such an infection. It could be displacement if the other cats are new, but if they were there while the cat was using the litter box, I don't think that's it. But it does sound like some kind of rebellion. Is the box too near his food? Is it in a dirty place? Is it less clean than before (and this would apply if the other two cats are newer and are using the box)? The fact that it is in the kitchen is odd-- usually cats mark something they associate with the owners. I have a couple of shirts I can't get the smell out of because I neglected one of my cats once. Can there be a problem with the food? Are the other cats not letting him have enough? Is it a different kind? What does the cat associate the kitchen with?

I'd start by coddling the cat more than normal, not greeting the other cats first, making a point of petting the irritated one when he sees you playing with the other two. I'd also check for cleanliness around his box and food bowl, and even give him his own territory-- his own box and food, and a place he can think of as his own.

It's temporary, though at this point I would bring him to the vet just to be sure. If it's a urinary tract infection, or kidney problem, it is potentially fatal, and quickly. Look for signs of pain, especially around the tail. Pet the cat around the tail and see if he growls or flinches.

On edit-- urinary tract problems are more prevalent with males, but they do occur with females, especially if they are given hard water or tuna fish. Missed the part where you said it was a female.

[nomaco-10]

7. You are so right... I got

initiated into this cat behaviour when I took in a stray about 3 years ago. I had her spayed when she was newly additioned to my household, when she started peeing outside the box, I took her to the vet and she was diagnosed with a UTI. It took her about 3 weeks to start peeing in her box again after she was treated with anti-biotics, she was diagnosed with a terrible UTI, I got meds for her and everything's been fine ever since.

[Systematic Chaos]

3. Sounds like this cat has gone from being "ruler of the roost"

to the bottom of an all-female pecking order. Cats that feel like they've lost their social status seem to be good at behaving that way. They can be EXTREMELY neurotic, in fact.

Her behavior is probably just a combination of stress and rebellion. Some cats can integrate well with others and some cats can't really do it at all.

[SOteric]

5. 2 things:

Territory disputes, - and fleas.

And yes, I'm serious about the fleas.

[xultar]

6. Prozac! I'm serious. I had the same problem.

I had a cat that didn't take a move well. I took him to the vet and he was prescribed some anti-depressants and after a coupla months he was fine!

[sleepyhead]

9. how many litter boxes?

Ideal is number of cats plus one - i.e. if 3 cats should have 4 litter boxes. Realistically, if there are 3 cats, there should be at least 2 boxes and probably 3. Also remember to keep the boxes scrupulously clean. Cats are very fastidious about the condition of the litter and box. Note that if there is both pee and poo it is most likely behavioral and not physical. It's very important to clean up the soiled areas with an enzymatic odor remover (eg Nature's Miracle) so that she won't be re-attracted to the same area. Try different types of litter, too - they have very definite preferences for texture, odor, etc. Maybe a different type of box - try covered vs uncovered, and also try different areas of the house (she may be looking for more privacy!) Good luck!

[Syncronaut Seven]

10. Yes, At least 2

litter boxes. I have 2 for 2, they crap in one, pee in the other. They (the cats) have yet to explain why.

Two or three boxes also mean less frequent cleaning. (At last! The truth comes out!)

[corarose]

11. The other two cats run the litter box

Get her a litter box of her own with a cover.

[janekat]

12. First - take cat to vet. Here's a site for cat with litterbox problems

http://forum.cathobbyist.com/litterbox/index_a.html

You should take the cat to the vet first to rule out any medical problems (sometimes a cat could have some serious medical problems that will cause it). My cat was doing that sort of thing and it turned out she had a kidney problem (common in older cats).

It could also be a UTI.

If the medical problems are ruled out take a look at this site becasue it's probably a behavioral problem.