cat peeing on blankets

calicosrspecial

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i think now that bowie and bob are in the small room downstairs for a little isolation period the older guys are not really using the litter boxes in the basement cause the rooms are right next to each other. i’m sure we can break them out of that habit eventually. bob does well in the room since he’s been in there awhile bowie not so great when i go see them he just cries at the door to get out. i bought a waterproof mattress cover for our day bed that is in that room should come today so i or my husband can spend a little more time with them the doc said the meds kick in in like seven to ten days so i want to wait til bowie been on meds for awhile to let him out for playtime out here
"i think now that bowie and bob are in the small room downstairs for a little isolation period" -

" the older guys are not really using the litter boxes in the basement cause the rooms are right next to each other." - Really? Hmmmmm, why do you think? I would have thought the older guys would not be bothered by the young ones being down there. BUT any change can be disconcerting. :/

"i’m sure we can break them out of that habit eventually." - Absolutely

" bob does well in the room since he’s been in there awhile" - Yes, that is good.

" bowie not so great when i go see them he just cries at the door to get out." - Totally normal since cats do not like having territory taken away. Just reassure him and make it as positive as possible for him.

"i bought a waterproof mattress cover for our day bed that is in that room should come today so i or my husband can spend a little more time with them" Great

" the doc said the meds kick in in like seven to ten days" - Ok

"so i want to wait til bowie been on meds for awhile to let him out for playtime out here" - Ok. I guess if you can really supervise him and play with him out there etc that would be best but I understand your fear.

Try to make things as positive as possible for them, try to keep things as "normal" and consistent as possible for them. Cats do not like change or territory being taken away or shrunken so we have to reassure them to help them overcome that.

Hang in there. They will get through this. It sounds like Bob is doing well and I think if Bob does well then Bowie will and they can use each other for confidence. SO I think you are probably close to halfway there.

Keep up the great work.
 
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RufusGizmo

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we moved the litter box from the bedroom to the upstairs hallway so hopeful when bowie out it won’t be an issue. they are doing great with the litter boxes in the room the little guys so that’s good. yeah im sure i’m going to go let them out sooner rather than later for playtime cause i want them together as much as possible! thanks again. bowie was a little less anxious to leave this afternoon so he is adjusting.
 

calicosrspecial

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we moved the litter box from the bedroom to the upstairs hallway so hopeful when bowie out it won’t be an issue. they are doing great with the litter boxes in the room the little guys so that’s good. yeah im sure i’m going to go let them out sooner rather than later for playtime cause i want them together as much as possible! thanks again. bowie was a little less anxious to leave this afternoon so he is adjusting.
"we moved the litter box from the bedroom to the upstairs hallway" -Oh. I would probably keep the litter boxes in the bedroom and then add one in the hallway. Or if there are two in the bedroom then move just one to the hallway. I am pretty cautious on moving litter boxes as cats tend not to like change. Adding litter boxes is fine but removing can cause issues.

"so hopeful when bowie out it won’t be an issue." - I think if Bob is around it probably will not be an issue but it is good to think about adding an option in the hall.

"they are doing great with the litter boxes in the room the little guys so that’s good." - Perfect. That tells me it is an insecurity thing fgoing on upstairs.

" yeah im sure i’m going to go let them out sooner rather than later for playtime cause i want them together as much as possible!" - Great. Just keep a close on on them and reassure them if they are sniffing, etc.

"thanks again." - You are very welcome

" bowie was a little less anxious to leave this afternoon so he is adjusting." - Great, I thought he would settle quickly but it is great to hear he is. Having Bob probably helps the adjustment a lot.
 
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RufusGizmo

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so they are still doing good in room using litter boxes and playing. i think we will try it a little out of the room time in a couple days and see how it goes! i’ll keep you informed. and thanks
 

calicosrspecial

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so they are still doing good in room using litter boxes and playing. i think we will try it a little out of the room time in a couple days and see how it goes! i’ll keep you informed. and thanks
Terrific, thank you for the update. That is fantastic. Tells me we are dealing with something very fixable.

Sounds good on the "out of the room" time. When you do just keep them engaged, make it positive, build confidence through play.

Thank you very much and I will keep a watch for the next update. Keep up the great work!! :rock:
 
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RufusGizmo

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i’m so conflicted as to letting them out for awhile i don’t know if it would confuse them more to let them in and out and that might be more stressful for them. they are doing great in here.
 

calicosrspecial

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i’m so conflicted as to letting them out for awhile i don’t know if it would confuse them more to let them in and out and that might be more stressful for them. they are doing great in here.
If they are doing well and you are a little worried let's just keep them where they are and keep loving them and building their confidence. We can get them up in the rest of the house in a few days or next weekend. As long as they are doing well I don't think we have to rush. We don't want to wait too log though as the older cats might have an adjustment issue. You might want to get the new guys scents on some old clothes and place those cloths were the resident/older cats hang out comfortably and where the new guys hung out before they went downstairs..

Don't worry, all will be well.
 
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oh my husband and i take turns laying down with them in the room and they lay on top of my legs and then after dinner the big guys are sitting on our laps so while they may be a little taken aback they have their scent. next weekend for sure. and thanks again. they even seem like they are eating better down there they used to puke fairly often and haven’t since they have been down there so that might be an issue i need to address whether eating with the big guys stress them out too
 

calicosrspecial

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oh my husband and i take turns laying down with them in the room and they lay on top of my legs and then after dinner the big guys are sitting on our laps so while they may be a little taken aback they have their scent. next weekend for sure. and thanks again. they even seem like they are eating better down there they used to puke fairly often and haven’t since they have been down there so that might be an issue i need to address whether eating with the big guys stress them out too
Perfect. GREAT job. THAT is why they are doing so well.

Sounds good on next weekend.

"they even seem like they are eating better down there they used to puke fairly often and haven’t since they have been down there so that might be an issue i need to address whether eating with the big guys stress them out too" - Interesting. Maybe they do have a few minor issues.

DO they eat slower downstairs?

How did they get introduced when they came in the house?

We'll handle whatever comes our way. Keep up the great work!!
 
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it was a very difficult introduction. we got a new house at the same time i found them and then my husband decided not to retire so we had two homes(he had to live in city) so i was kind of doing it myself and the big guys were adjusting to a new home and two new cats. it’s weird the little cats would eat just a tiny bit and then immediately puke. the other cats would not bother them at all but maybe they thinks they are going to and ate too fast? i think they are eating more too so maybe their stomachs are adjusting. the little cats were in the room downstairs in same room they are now when they first got here and after work i did all the things they say to do like feed them with baby gate on door etc. but one of my older cats literally stayed in my closet for almost six months it was heartbreaking.
 

calicosrspecial

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it was a very difficult introduction. we got a new house at the same time i found them and then my husband decided not to retire so we had two homes(he had to live in city) so i was kind of doing it myself and the big guys were adjusting to a new home and two new cats. it’s weird the little cats would eat just a tiny bit and then immediately puke. the other cats would not bother them at all but maybe they thinks they are going to and ate too fast? i think they are eating more too so maybe their stomachs are adjusting. the little cats were in the room downstairs in same room they are now when they first got here and after work i did all the things they say to do like feed them with baby gate on door etc. but one of my older cats literally stayed in my closet for almost six months it was heartbreaking.
"it was a very difficult introduction. we got a new house at the same time i found them and then my husband decided not to retire so we had two homes(he had to live in city) so i was kind of doing it myself and the big guys were adjusting to a new home and two new cats." - Ahhhhh, yes that is a lot of change. How long was it before they saw each other and then before they where sharing the same territory? So how long was the itro process?

" it’s weird the little cats would eat just a tiny bit and then immediately puke." - It happens. They can eat too fast, have stress, etc. And ferals can have food anxiety (access to food worries)so they can eat too fast since they may not know when or where their next meal comes from. I work with ferals and see all the different reactions.

"the other cats would not bother them at all but maybe they thinks they are going to and ate too fast?" - Yes, oftentimes the reality is different then the perceptions. I really watch the body language, etc as that is what tells us a lot about cats and the relationships. I wish they could speak. :/

"i think they are eating more too so maybe their stomachs are adjusting." - They are eating more now?

"the little cats were in the room downstairs in same room they are now when they first got here and after work i did all the things they say to do like feed them with baby gate on door etc." - OK. How long did this go on?

"but one of my older cats literally stayed in my closet for almost six months it was heartbreaking." - Yes, the resident cats have the most difficult adjustment as it is their territory being "invaded". :/ I wish I could have helped you then but we'll do what is needed now.

Don't worry, we can handle anything. How are the resident cats doing with the new guys downstairs? Are you noticing them be a little more at ease or more uneasy?
 
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RufusGizmo

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gizmo was the one who hid in the closet. he likes the kitties gone i think. they are all pretty at ease, but gizmo just does not want to be bothered. actually this morning at feeding time Bowie got upstairs and i picked him up and said gizmo say hi to bowie and gizmo hissed so that was discouraging. last time though that bowie got out he walked right up to gizmo though and gizmo did nothing. gizmo did not run or anything but did hiss today.

our introduction period was really long. we found the kitties in August 2017, and put them in the new house in the basement while the other kitties were at our original house still. in september, we found out the kitties had to be put on meds and kept away from the other cats anyway. we moved the older cats into the new house in september, so the kitties were actually at the new house first. so they were off their meds sometime i think in october. i dont think we entirely left them alone in the house together until about december of that year, 2017.

so the little cats were there for a good period of time because of separation for their diseases. And yes, i think they are eating a little more now than they used to.

gizmo tends to kind of wait around and after the kitties eat and the other older cat eats, he walks around and finishes everything off. so i am not sure if they notice that. i just hope with the hissing today we are not going to have another situation where intros are required. he did not run or anything, but i guess i should not have stuck bowie close to him, i definately know better next time. today my husband is giving that room a good cleaning so the little guys will have a little more access to areas of the basement for a little while, but not the other cats.

and thanks!
 

calicosrspecial

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gizmo was the one who hid in the closet. he likes the kitties gone i think. they are all pretty at ease, but gizmo just does not want to be bothered. actually this morning at feeding time Bowie got upstairs and i picked him up and said gizmo say hi to bowie and gizmo hissed so that was discouraging. last time though that bowie got out he walked right up to gizmo though and gizmo did nothing. gizmo did not run or anything but did hiss today.

our introduction period was really long. we found the kitties in August 2017, and put them in the new house in the basement while the other kitties were at our original house still. in september, we found out the kitties had to be put on meds and kept away from the other cats anyway. we moved the older cats into the new house in september, so the kitties were actually at the new house first. so they were off their meds sometime i think in october. i dont think we entirely left them alone in the house together until about december of that year, 2017.

so the little cats were there for a good period of time because of separation for their diseases. And yes, i think they are eating a little more now than they used to.

gizmo tends to kind of wait around and after the kitties eat and the other older cat eats, he walks around and finishes everything off. so i am not sure if they notice that. i just hope with the hissing today we are not going to have another situation where intros are required. he did not run or anything, but i guess i should not have stuck bowie close to him, i definately know better next time. today my husband is giving that room a good cleaning so the little guys will have a little more access to areas of the basement for a little while, but not the other cats.

and thanks!
"gizmo was the one who hid in the closet." - Ok. We'll want to build his confidence. So does he like to play? If so, step up play with him and then feed treats after play.

Has Gizmo ever peed outside of the litter box (that you know of)?

"he likes the kitties gone i think." - Ok

" they are all pretty at ease, but gizmo just does not want to be bothered." - Might be a sign of a lack of confidence. I think we are going to work with Gizmo and maybe even re-intro them.

"actually this morning at feeding time Bowie got upstairs and i picked him up and said gizmo say hi to bowie and gizmo hissed so that was discouraging." - Well, if all it was was a hiss the that isn't too bad. Did Gizmo act normal after that incident?

"last time though that bowie got out he walked right up to gizmo though and gizmo did nothing. gizmo did not run or anything but did hiss today." - Good. That is the one issue I am a little worried about. The longer the new guys are out of sight the more disconcerting it could be when they do spend more time upstairs. So we will need to do a quick re-intro or at least some positive association (feeding) and positive encounter work while using play and love to build confidence.

"our introduction period was really long. we found the kitties in August 2017, and put them in the new house in the basement while the other kitties were at our original house still." - Ok

" in september, we found out the kitties had to be put on meds and kept away from the other cats anyway." - What kind of meds and for what?

" we moved the older cats into the new house in september, so the kitties were actually at the new house first." - Interesting.

"so they were off their meds sometime i think in october. i dont think we entirely left them alone in the house together until about december of that year, 2017." - Ok

"so the little cats were there for a good period of time because of separation for their diseases." - Diseases?

" And yes, i think they are eating a little more now than they used to." - Ok, did the vet say if the "diseases" were related to the eating issues?

"gizmo tends to kind of wait around and after the kitties eat and the other older cat eats, he walks around and finishes everything off. so i am not sure if they notice that." - Ok. Do you think he is afraid to eat with them? Is his body language lacking confidence?

"i just hope with the hissing today we are not going to have another situation where intros are required." - I am not worried. We will do some mini re-intro stuff but not major re-intro stuff.; Don't worry, we can handle it.

"he did not run or anything" - Ok, good. Then it is not a big deal.

" but i guess i should not have stuck bowie close to him, i definately know better next time." - Just try to make it as positive as possible and use positive distraction as needed to avoid a negative. So anytime a negative encounter is avoided it is positive and builds trust.

"today my husband is giving that room a good cleaning so the little guys will have a little more access to areas of the basement for a little while, but not the other cats." - Ok, that is great. I am not too worried about their current territory.

I am thinking we may want to bring them up more supervised.

And please step up play with Gizmo if possible and feed treats or a meal after play. And give him a lot of love. We just want to boost his confidence as a confident cat is more likely to accept and be accepted.

You are very welcome. Don't worry, we can handle this.
 
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RufusGizmo

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no neither of the older cats have ever peed outside the litter box. gizmo does not like to play at all he is super lazy. he does like treats though.

the little guys had upper respiratory infections that the first trip to the vet did not catch when we first got them. after having them about two weeks was when their eyes started getting goopy and i brought them back and they both had upper respiratory, and had to have eye drops and some kind of med. i think it was drops in their mouth, but the vet never stated their eating issues were related to any of that.

gizmo is our little kind of diva, he always jumps in bed with my husband after i leave, and he decides when he wants to cuddle with the other older cat rufus. rufus is wonderful to gizmo, and whenever gizmo decides he wants to hang with rufus, rufus just kind of grabs him around the neck and holds him. we got gizmo when he was very young, and had had rufus for about two months before gizmo came, and took to him right away. gizmo might be a little spoiled lol
 

calicosrspecial

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no neither of the older cats have ever peed outside the litter box. gizmo does not like to play at all he is super lazy. he does like treats though.

the little guys had upper respiratory infections that the first trip to the vet did not catch when we first got them. after having them about two weeks was when their eyes started getting goopy and i brought them back and they both had upper respiratory, and had to have eye drops and some kind of med. i think it was drops in their mouth, but the vet never stated their eating issues were related to any of that.

gizmo is our little kind of diva, he always jumps in bed with my husband after i leave, and he decides when he wants to cuddle with the other older cat rufus. rufus is wonderful to gizmo, and whenever gizmo decides he wants to hang with rufus, rufus just kind of grabs him around the neck and holds him. we got gizmo when he was very young, and had had rufus for about two months before gizmo came, and took to him right away. gizmo might be a little spoiled lol
"no neither of the older cats have ever peed outside the litter box." - That we know if? I just wonder if Gizmo may have. :/

" gizmo does not like to play at all he is super lazy. he does like treats though" - Bummer. But confidence is built via Food, Height, Love and Positive Associations and Positive Encounters so it is multi-faceted.

"the little guys had upper respiratory infections that the first trip to the vet did not catch when we first got them. after having them about two weeks was when their eyes started getting goopy and i brought them back and they both had upper respiratory, and had to have eye drops and some kind of med. i think it was drops in their mouth, but the vet never stated their eating issues were related to any of that." - Ok. Yes, that shouldn't cause it. I am glad they got better.

"gizmo is our little kind of diva, he always jumps in bed with my husband after i leave, and he decides when he wants to cuddle with the other older cat rufus. rufus is wonderful to gizmo, and whenever gizmo decides he wants to hang with rufus, rufus just kind of grabs him around the neck and holds him. we got gizmo when he was very young, and had had rufus for about two months before gizmo came, and took to him right away. gizmo might be a little spoiled lol " - Awwwwwwwwwww, how sweet!!!
 
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RufusGizmo

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gizmo gets a lot of attention from us. one of these days soon when i am not in office, we will let them out upstairs for a bit. i'll let you know how that goes, and thanks for keeping me positive. those ferals are lucky you are around!
 

calicosrspecial

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gizmo gets a lot of attention from us. one of these days soon when i am not in office, we will let them out upstairs for a bit. i'll let you know how that goes, and thanks for keeping me positive. those ferals are lucky you are around!
"gizmo gets a lot of attention from us." - Great. Please update us on Gizmo's body language, interactions, etc. I just want to make sure he is confident.

"one of these days soon when i am not in office, we will let them out upstairs for a bit." - Sounds good. Keep it positive, have them do something positive, interact positive, distract as needed to avoid negativity. Etc.

" i'll let you know how that goes, and thanks for keeping me positive." - Great. You are welcome, we deal with this all the time. Very common and solvable.

"those ferals are lucky you are around!" - Thank you very much. I try.
 
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well they are out! we were going to just let them out a few hours a day but decided that would just be mean so we are just going with hope and play and not put them in there with door shut., leaving the litter boxes is there and their stuff in case they are more comfortable in there. fingers crossed. six boxes all over so there are options!
 

calicosrspecial

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well they are out! we were going to just let them out a few hours a day but decided that would just be mean so we are just going with hope and play and not put them in there with door shut., leaving the litter boxes is there and their stuff in case they are more comfortable in there. fingers crossed. six boxes all over so there are options!
Ok, sounds good.

Try to keep an eye on them, play with them, stay calm and confident around them, love them.

Also, I would make sure you reassure Gizmo, try to make every encounter between Gizmo and the young cats as positive as possible and distract in a positive way as needed. Gizmo might have some readjustment going on so it is important to let him know the young guys are ok and not a negative or threat.

Let us know how it goes.
 
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thanks they have been out since yesterday i forgot to hit post. gizmo is ok just a little angry. they made it through the night without incident although i was afraid bowie was going to pee on bed but i think i was just being a little anxious. he jumped in the litter box then on the bed and kind or lifted his tail so i grabbed him and just put him in the room for an hour. other than that so far so good
 
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