5yo With "Odd" Behaviors?

[chwx]

Where to start....Oliver is my 5yo DSH that has been neutered since he was I believe 8 weeks old and ALWAYS been indoors only since he was declawed when he was neutered. We adopted him from a family who also owned his sister but only rehomed him because he was pooping outside of the litter box which they took as him being displeased with the new dog and baby. Baby turns into a toddler and they were worried the child would find the "presents" before they did.

Since bringing him home he has NEVER missed the box! But lately he has had some....Odd behaviors pop up. First was his obsession with licking/chewing my shower curtains. (One is plastic and the other is a thin decorative one of some sort of fabric) He's also started nibbling the cloth ones in the living room.

Second was not long after bringing home a new kitten. He loves his "brother"....A lot. They cuddle and play and get along grand! But Oliver has a bad habit of "force grooming" him. He knocks him around like a mother cat would to groom him all over. He was about 2-2.5 months old when we brought him home and Pin is now about 5mo. It's cute and all but is it normal for a male cat to groom another male like that?

Third is his new brilliant idea that he belongs outdoors. He's ran out at least 10 times this week and it worries me! Used to he would get a couple feet and freeze but he's getting much more bold and really wants to take off! I would worry regardless but the fact he's declawed really scares me if he were to get away! I know we have females "of age" close by who are NOT spayed but could this really be drive to breed (even though he can't) or something else? I would expect this behavior from Pinball since he isn't neutered yet but Oliver never had a chance to even drop his boys before they were removed!! And on that note (knock on wood) Pin does NOT pull this stunt. Just Ollie!

I feel at a bit of a loss on why he's doing this stuff and how or if I can stop it?!

 

[catspaw66]

Unlike most people think, cats are social creatures. Force grooming is not unusual. Sheba will hold Julie down and wash her for 15-20 minutes several times a day.

My brother has a neutered male cat that is nicknamed "Mama Sterling" for his habit of mothering any kittens that are being fostered.

Perhaps there is something outside that Oliver wants to see up close. Do you have any stray kittens around? Has your weather recently changed to springtime? Just be aware where he is before you open the door. If you are going out, throw a toy across the room to distract him. Coming in, always open the door a crack and get ready to snag him if he tries getting out. I sometimes have to put a leg in through the door before I go in.

Some cats have a "thing" for plastic. Sheba likes to lick, then bite the tops of ziplock bags. I think she likes to hear the pop when her teeth go through the plastic. Kinda like popping bubble wrap (which I can't resist doing myself)

Be sure you have Pin neutered as soon as you can. You don't want an intact male in the house.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I agree the grooming is normal.  My mother's cat even force grooms the dog.

  The shower curtain chewing is normal too; just be sure he isn't getting pieces off that he could ingest.  There are different deterrent products out there; but I don't have personal experience with them for cat use.

 

[fhicat]

To deter him from chewing the shower curtain, you can use a citrus spray. Not the chemical ones; you can make your own spray just using something like fresh lemons. Just mix some in water and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the curtain several times a day. Citrus are yucky to cats' sensitive noses, and hopefully he'll not want to go near the curtain anymore.