I NEED HELP!

[Elizabeth_31]

I have had my cat Topaz for over 4 years now. We adopted them from a local shelter along with her sister. They are both indoor cats and get along very well. The last year she has had some behavioral issues and they have progressively been getting worse. I am at the point I have no idea what to do. She has always been a different cat, as we call her Spazy because she is a spaz. She gets bursts of energy and becomes playful running around the room making playful noises. But now she is scared of everything, she will only stay on high surfaces off the ground, only go in the main room and carpeted surfaces. She is constantly crouching close to the ground, sniffing everything, and any sudden movements or noises she will jump. If she is out of her main area and gets scared she will freak out and bounce off the walls until she returns to her comfort area. She also sleeps the majority of the day. She is so scared she won't even leave her area to use the litter box. She pees and poops on the carpet instead of using the litter box. We keep the litter box clean and have to manually bring her to it for her to use it. But recently now she won't even go if we bring her there. We have taken her to the vet on serval occasions. The first incident was about a year ago when she was just peeing on things, this turned out she had a urinary tract infection as well as crystals in her tract. We switched to Royal Cain SO Urinary prescription dry food to help prevent future issues. But this time it is different. We have brought her to the vet and no urinary tract issues, they believed she was in pain so they prescribed her gabapentin. The liquid medician would cause her to foam at the mouth and she would be all doped out, so we switched to using Gabapentin tablets we sprinkle over her food. There has been no difference in her behavior, this has been going on for over 8 months. I have noticed the Royal Cain SO Urinary prescription has been making them puke, and after reading the reviews I have noticed it is a common theme, so I have switched their dry food to N&D Quinoa Urinary non-prescription food which they seem to like better. I know a wet food diet is a lot better for her with urinary issues and a sensitive stomach but she refuses to eat it. She even won't eat treats. The only food besides the dry food I have ever seen her eat was a Dorito, this was not intentional she found one on the ground and ate it, I would never feed my cat Doritos intentionally. When they were young we exposed them to all sorts of food when they were kittens but she was picky even then. I am currently in the process of trying to find a wet food that she will eat and not just scratch at, but I am currently not successful. She also no matter what will scratch at any food but if it is her regular food she will also eat it. She also drinks a lot of water. About 5 months ago she would only drink out of the tap water from the sink, now we have graduated to a bowl on the table. I have noticed we are refilling this so much, but this could just be normal. The vet pulled blood and nothing is wrong with her physically that they can find. Nothing has changed in the house that would cause this behavior. The only changes I have made were later, in attempts to try to fix the behavior. I considered an outside predator could be making her get scared as we have coyotes and a neighbor cat she does not like, but this doesn't seem to be the case. They are indoor cats but occasionally we let them on the back patio to get some sun and if there was a predator she should feel safer in her territory inside the house but she is more comfortable outside. I have looked into FHS but it doesn't seem to be her skin that is the issue. My house is starting to smell like cat urine and the rest of my family is becoming very irritated with her behavior. I need to figure out this issue and resolve it quickly. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[calicosrspecial]

"But now she is scared of everything, she will only stay on high surfaces off the ground, only go in the main room and carpeted surfaces. She is constantly crouching close to the ground, sniffing everything, and any sudden movements or noises she will jump. If she is out of her main area and gets scared she will freak out and bounce off the walls until she returns to her comfort area. She also sleeps the majority of the day. She is so scared she won't even leave her area to use the litter box. She pees and poops on the carpet instead of using the litter box." -

Cats go outside of the box because of medical issues (pain, infection, etc) or behavioral issues (territorial insecurity. stress etc)

It sounds like she is possibly incredibly territorial insecure. And you mention coyotes (predator) and neighborhood cats and that can cause sever territorial issues.

I would immediately set up some kind of deterrents like

• Install an ultrasonic animal repellent or a motion-activated water sprinkler like CatStop™ or ScareCrow™.

Also those air blower canister things if a cat comes close it blows air to scare them.

Also, put a litter box or two in the space she is spending most of her time. We can then see if she is choosing not to use the litter box or f it is an accessibility issue.

Also, try to play with her as much as possible in the space she is spending the most time in. Also, Love her, sit with her, talk lovingly, calmly and confidently, try to give her something good (like treats or food). If you can cook (safely) I use warm chicken thigh meat to entice a cat. But obviously that is not always possible. Let's see how she responds to the above and see if we get any positive response.

Also, cats take on our emotions so how "irritated" are the rest of the family? Irritability can increase stress and increases stress adds to litter box issues. It is VERY hard to tolerate and not get upset with bad behavior BUT it only makes the problem worse. Also, clean everything with an enzymatic cleaner.

I am really short on time right now and I know others will add to this BUT I wanted to get something out there for you as soon as possible.

Also, we can't rule out medical issues even though things seem to be ok. But I think we need to do everything we can to help her. She is crying out for help (that is what this behavior tells us) so we need to figure out how to solve it and try a lot of things.

The fact you are here tells me you care deeply so we'll do our best to help you solve this.

Hopefully others will post and add to this. There are a lot of great people on the site so if anyone can fix it the
people here can.

Hang in there and thank you for caring so much about her. I will check back tomorrow.

 

[Elizabeth_31]

"But now she is scared of everything, she will only stay on high surfaces off the ground, only go in the main room and carpeted surfaces. She is constantly crouching close to the ground, sniffing everything, and any sudden movements or noises she will jump. If she is out of her main area and gets scared she will freak out and bounce off the walls until she returns to her comfort area. She also sleeps the majority of the day. She is so scared she won't even leave her area to use the litter box. She pees and poops on the carpet instead of using the litter box." -

Cats go outside of the box because of medical issues (pain, infection, etc) or behavioral issues (territorial insecurity. stress etc)

It sounds like she is possibly incredibly territorial insecure. And you mention coyotes (predator) and neighborhood cats and that can cause sever territorial issues.

I would immediately set up some kind of deterrents like

• Install an ultrasonic animal repellent or a motion-activated water sprinkler like CatStop™ or ScareCrow™.

Also those air blower canister things if a cat comes close it blows air to scare them.

Also, put a litter box or two in the space she is spending most of her time. We can then see if she is choosing not to use the litter box or f it is an accessibility issue.

Also, try to play with her as much as possible in the space she is spending the most time in. Also, Love her, sit with her, talk lovingly, calmly and confidently, try to give her something good (like treats or food). If you can cook (safely) I use warm chicken thigh meat to entice a cat. But obviously that is not always possible. Let's see how she responds to the above and see if we get any positive response.

Also, cats take on our emotions so how "irritated" are the rest of the family? Irritability can increase stress and increases stress adds to litter box issues. It is VERY hard to tolerate and not get upset with bad behavior BUT it only makes the problem worse. Also, clean everything with an enzymatic cleaner.

I am really short on time right now and I know others will add to this BUT I wanted to get something out there for you as soon as possible.

Also, we can't rule out medical issues even though things seem to be ok. But I think we need to do everything we can to help her. She is crying out for help (that is what this behavior tells us) so we need to figure out how to solve it and try a lot of things.

The fact you are here tells me you care deeply so we'll do our best to help you solve this.

Hopefully others will post and add to this. There are a lot of great people on the site so if anyone can fix it the
people here can.

Hang in there and thank you for caring so much about her. I will check back tomorrow.

Thanks so much for your response! Yes, I have been using an Enzyme cleaner to clean up her pee. I did go out and buy another litter box and placed it near the area she is currently urinating. It is in our dining room, so it is not a lasting solution but at least it will help us evaluate the situation. I am booking another appointment with the vet and will look into the deterrents you provided.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Thanks so much for your response! Yes, I have been using an Enzyme cleaner to clean up her pee. I did go out and buy another litter box and placed it near the area she is currently urinating. It is in our dining room, so it is not a lasting solution but at least it will help us evaluate the situation. I am booking another appointment with the vet and will look into the deterrents you provided.

"Thanks so much for your response!" - You are very welcome.

" Yes, I have been using an Enzyme cleaner to clean up her pee." - Great

" I did go out and buy another litter box and placed it near the area she is currently urinating." - Great.

Does she use any litter boxes? What kind of litter boxes does she have? Covered, open? Sometimes can't do not like the litter ( the scent, the feeling on their paws).

Do you notice her walking any differently? Like she has paw or leg issues?

" It is in our dining room" _ Is that the only place she is going outside of the litter box? Is she going near an outside wall or an inside wall? Is there a window there? What is on the outside of that wall?

Is she going outside of the box anywhere else?

Do you have a blacklight? If so, can you go outside and look on the exterior wall and see if there is any markings on that outside wall?

"so it is not a lasting solution but at least it will help us evaluate the situation." - Agreed. When a cat pees they are marking the territory as their own. Offering a litter box can give them that "ownership" but in a better way. Can you put a scratching post there so she can get more of her scent there?

Also, play with her (if at all possible) in the area she is peeing and then feed treats if possible.

" I am booking another appointment with the vet" - Ok. I would look into her paws. Is her vision seem ok? Is her hearing ok? Is she walking normally (healthwise)?

"and will look into the deterrents you provided." - Great, place them near the outside wall (outside of course) where she is peeing. I wonder if she is terrorized by an animal outside.

Also, cat take on our emotions. So when she does pee stay as calm and cool as possible otherwise there is a risk her stress level will increase and more pee incidents will happen. She does not want to pee outside the box, it is a cry for help. My job is to help her and fix it and get her to feel more secure, more confident. Punishing, yelling, being angry will only make her situation worse (not saying you or anyone is doing that).

How much is she hiding? If or when she comes out how does she walk? Does she avoid anyone? Or any areas?

How many other indoor cats do you have? Is there bullying going on? Fighting?

I will do everything I can to help you through this. I will ask a lot of questions, I need you to be my eyes and ears, my detective. Let's figure this out and fix it.

The good news is a cat's instinct is to use and cover their scent so we have instinct on our side. We will figure this out. Hang in there.

 

[Elizabeth_31]

"Thanks so much for your response!" - You are very welcome.

" Yes, I have been using an Enzyme cleaner to clean up her pee." - Great

" I did go out and buy another litter box and placed it near the area she is currently urinating." - Great.

Does she use any litter boxes? What kind of litter boxes does she have? Covered, open? Sometimes can't do not like the litter ( the scent, the feeling on their paws).

Do you notice her walking any differently? Like she has paw or leg issues?

" It is in our dining room" _ Is that the only place she is going outside of the litter box? Is she going near an outside wall or an inside wall? Is there a window there? What is on the outside of that wall?

Is she going outside of the box anywhere else?

Do you have a blacklight? If so, can you go outside and look on the exterior wall and see if there is any markings on that outside wall?

"so it is not a lasting solution but at least it will help us evaluate the situation." - Agreed. When a cat pees they are marking the territory as its own. Offering a litter box can give them that "ownership" but in a better way. Can you put a scratching post there so she can get more of her scent there?

Also, play with her (if at all possible) in the area she is peeing and then feed treats if possible.

" I am booking another appointment with the vet" - Ok. I would look into her paws. Is her vision seem ok? Is her hearing ok? Is she walking normally (healthwise)?

"and will look into the deterrents you provided." - Great, place them near the outside wall (outside of course) where she is peeing. I wonder if she is terrorized by an animal outside.

Also, cat take on our emotions. So when she does pee stay as calm and cool as possible otherwise there is a risk her stress level will increase and more pee incidents will happen. She does not want to pee outside the box, it is a cry for help. My job is to help her and fix it and get her to feel more secure, more confident. Punishing, yelling, being angry will only make her situation worse (not saying you or anyone is doing that).

How much is she hiding? If or when she comes out how does she walk? Does she avoid anyone? Or any areas?

How many other indoor cats do you have? Is there bullying going on? Fighting?

I will do everything I can to help you through this. I will ask a lot of questions, I need you to be my eyes and ears, my detective. Let's figure this out and fix it.

The good news is a cat's instinct is to use and cover their scent so we have instinct on our side. We will figure this out. Hang in there.

Yes, she does use litter boxes but only if we bring her to it. Recently it has been harder to get her to go because she is scared. We use Scoop Away Clay clumping cat litter. They use open litter boxes that are not covered. Before I bought the one for the dining room we only had one litter box. We tried having two for both cats at one point in time, but they would only use the same box. As for the litter, we have been using the same one for a long time, but I was thinking of changing the litter as it is scented and not dust-free.

She has been crawling along the floor due to fear but she hasn't been walking differently or seems to be in pain. When I play with her in her safe spot she is jumping, running, and acting normal.

We have one open floor in the main room with the dining room kitchen and living room all connected. She is an indoor cat so she is peeing inside under the dining table on the rug. This area is in her safe spot. She has been using the bathroom in two spots on the rug. One is about 3 feet from the nearest wall which the barbeque sits against that wall, and the other spot is 4ft away from her other peeing spot and is closest to the other wall perpendicular to the barbeque wall by about 5 ft, behind that wall is the garage. There is 1 window on the wall that has the barbeque behind it. But when she pees under the table she cannot see out of it.

Yes, I do have a black light. I can go check the exterior walls tonight, but she isn't peeing right up against the walls.

As for putting a scratching post by the area, there is one about 5 ft away from where their cat tower is, but I can move one to the area.

Yes, I spent the whole day playing with her yesterday and giving her attention. I will be sure to devote more time to her as well. She is hesitant to play on the carpet but I can get her to play on the table. As for giving her treats, that is very difficult as she won't eat anything else than her food, which she eats on her terms.

We brought her to the vet a little bit ago and they told us her vision, hearing, and she was fine. The first time they said she had some hip pain and that is why we have her on gabapentin. But the second time they said she was not in pain. The meds do not seem to be doing anything, so I am not sure if she is having pain. But I am currently trying to get an appointment. I have looked more into FHS as a possibility (Feline hyperesthesia syndrome). I was watching her all yesterday and noticed some twitching on her spine, licking, and even some slight biting at her skin. I would play with her then she would stop playing and lick herself. If she does have FHS it would be mild as her twitching doesn't seem supper severe but it is a possibility for her behavior.

Yes, I know cats can detect our behavior. We have been really calm and patient with her. The only time there is irritating behavior is when the house is hot and the smell of the enzyme cleaner can be smelled throughout the house. But yesterday I used baking soda on the whole rug to help get rid of the smell. You can still smell the enzyme cleaner in the spots it was used, but it is a lot better and doesn't stick up the whole house anymore. I did this to help reduce the stress of one individual in the household, as this person is very sensitive to smells.

As for hiding, there is no spot she goes and disappears in, but she stays on the table. If she is freaked out she will stay on the table and avoid all contact with humans by moving to the other side of the table. She avoids everywhere but the dining room/ kitchen counters. She used to stay upstairs, but she had a freakout in my room, then in another room and she has had several in the bathroom where the litter box is. So she is hesitant to go up there. But yesterday she walked up the stairs and I believe she was trying to go to the bathroom before one of my family members walked out and accidentally scared her. As for downstairs, she will walk down a bit, but she has never really gone down there. She stays on the main floor at her table. she doesn't avoid any people. Only when someone picks her up to take her to the bathroom she tries to grab the cat tower or area she is around. But it appears she is just scared of leaving her area, not in pain when being picked up.

There is one other cat. We have two cats both female and sisters that were raised together. They get along really well. They will lick each other, eat together and play with each other. There has been an occasional hiss when playing becomes too aggressive. For example, when Topaz gets supper amped up when playing and pins out other cat Jet on her stomach she will bite her back and get a hiss out of Jet. Or when Topaz comes back from the vet and smells weird Jet will hiss until topaz smells normal again. (a few days to sometimes a week). But other than that they get along really well.

I am trying to change one thing at a time to not freak her out and control the variables to see what is wrong.

Yes, I appreciate you giving me your time to help figure out what is wrong!

 

[calicosrspecial]

Yes, she does use litter boxes but only if we bring her to it. Recently it has been harder to get her to go because she is scared. We use Scoop Away Clay clumping cat litter. They use open litter boxes that are not covered. Before I bought the one for the dining room we only had one litter box. We tried having two for both cats at one point in time, but they would only use the same box. As for the litter, we have been using the same one for a long time, but I was thinking of changing the litter as it is scented and not dust-free.

She has been crawling along the floor due to fear but she hasn't been walking differently or seems to be in pain. When I play with her in her safe spot she is jumping, running, and acting normal.

We have one open floor in the main room with the dining room kitchen and living room all connected. She is an indoor cat so she is peeing inside under the dining table on the rug. This area is in her safe spot. She has been using the bathroom in two spots on the rug. One is about 3 feet from the nearest wall which the barbeque sits against that wall, and the other spot is 4ft away from her other peeing spot and is closest to the other wall perpendicular to the barbeque wall by about 5 ft, behind that wall is the garage. There is 1 window on the wall that has the barbeque behind it. But when she pees under the table she cannot see out of it.

Yes, I do have a black light. I can go check the exterior walls tonight, but she isn't peeing right up against the walls.

As for putting a scratching post by the area, there is one about 5 ft away from where their cat tower is, but I can move one to the area.

Yes, I spent the whole day playing with her yesterday and giving her attention. I will be sure to devote more time to her as well. She is hesitant to play on the carpet but I can get her to play on the table. As for giving her treats, that is very difficult as she won't eat anything else than her food, which she eats on her terms.

We brought her to the vet a little bit ago and they told us her vision, hearing, and she was fine. The first time they said she had some hip pain and that is why we have her on gabapentin. But the second time they said she was not in pain. The meds do not seem to be doing anything, so I am not sure if she is having pain. But I am currently trying to get an appointment. I have looked more into FHS as a possibility (Feline hyperesthesia syndrome). I was watching her all yesterday and noticed some twitching on her spine, licking, and even some slight biting at her skin. I would play with her then she would stop playing and lick herself. If she does have FHS it would be mild as her twitching doesn't seem supper severe but it is a possibility for her behavior.

Yes, I know cats can detect our behavior. We have been really calm and patient with her. The only time there is irritating behavior is when the house is hot and the smell of the enzyme cleaner can be smelled throughout the house. But yesterday I used baking soda on the whole rug to help get rid of the smell. You can still smell the enzyme cleaner in the spots it was used, but it is a lot better and doesn't stick up the whole house anymore. I did this to help reduce the stress of one individual in the household, as this person is very sensitive to smells.

As for hiding, there is no spot she goes and disappears in, but she stays on the table. If she is freaked out she will stay on the table and avoid all contact with humans by moving to the other side of the table. She avoids everywhere but the dining room/ kitchen counters. She used to stay upstairs, but she had a freakout in my room, then in another room and she has had several in the bathroom where the litter box is. So she is hesitant to go up there. But yesterday she walked up the stairs and I believe she was trying to go to the bathroom before one of my family members walked out and accidentally scared her. As for downstairs, she will walk down a bit, but she has never really gone down there. She stays on the main floor at her table. she doesn't avoid any people. Only when someone picks her up to take her to the bathroom she tries to grab the cat tower or area she is around. But it appears she is just scared of leaving her area, not in pain when being picked up.

There is one other cat. We have two cats both female and sisters that were raised together. They get along really well. They will lick each other, eat together and play with each other. There has been an occasional hiss when playing becomes too aggressive. For example, when Topaz gets supper amped up when playing and pins out other cat Jet on her stomach she will bite her back and get a hiss out of Jet. Or when Topaz comes back from the vet and smells weird Jet will hiss until topaz smells normal again. (a few days to sometimes a week). But other than that they get along really well.

I am trying to change one thing at a time to not freak her out and control the variables to see what is wrong.

Yes, I appreciate you giving me your time to help figure out what is wrong!

"Yes, she does use litter boxes" - Ok, great.

" but only if we bring her to it." - What do you mean "bring it to her"? Where is she and how much time does she spend there per day? Can you put a litter box literally right near her? And keep it there?

"Recently it has been harder to get her to go because she is scared." - Can you please expand on this? If you put a litter box near here (very close) and leave do you think she would use it?

Is she going where she is sleeping, hanging out?

"We use Scoop Away Clay clumping cat litter." - OK. And she will use it some times?

" They use open litter boxes that are not covered." - Ok

" Before I bought the one for the dining room we only had one litter box." - Ok. Typically we want to have multiple options even if they only chose to use one. But just in case having multiple boxes is good. Especially in places where they may feel alittle insecure since using a litter box is a bit of "ownership" and therefore confidence in that territory.

"We tried having two for both cats at one point in time, but they would only use the same box. " - OK, If you have two cats it is best to have 3 litter boxes even if they will only use one. Just in case something falls and scares them by one box or a cat is near there and they are afraid to go in, etc.

"As for the litter, we have been using the same one for a long time, but I was thinking of changing the litter as it is scented and not dust-free." - BUt she did use that litter in the litter box before, correct?

Can you think of anything, anything at all that might have happened before she stopped using the litter box? Loud noise, someone leaving the house, a loss of another pet, increased stress in the house, etc? Just anything out of the ordinary.

"She has been crawling along the floor due to fear" - Yes, walking low is a sign of fear, caution. Any idea whatsoever as to what might be causing it?

" but she hasn't been walking differently or seems to be in pain. " - Ok, good.

"When I play with her in her safe spot she is jumping, running, and acting normal." - OK, THIS IS GREAT!!! She plays, even now? If so, PLAY PL:AY PLAY and then feed either a meal or treats right after. This builds confidence and therefore territory security.

"We have one open floor in the main room with the dining room kitchen and living room all connected." - Ok

" She is an indoor cat so she is peeing inside under the dining table on the rug." Hmmm, is that the only place? Yes, please put a litter box there if at all possible.

"This area is in her safe spot." - What do you mean "safe spot"? Why is she not secure elsewhere? Any idea? Start playing near the dining room table and let's expand her territory. Hunt, Capture, Kill, Eat is away they build confidence and territorial security. It replicates the natural survival in the wild.

" She has been using the bathroom in two spots on the rug. One is about 3 feet from the nearest wall which the barbeque sits against that wall," - Ok. There could be an animal marking outside of that wall (on the outside of course).

"and the other spot is 4ft away from her other peeing spot and is closest to the other wall perpendicular to the barbeque wall" - Ok, same kinda area.

Do you have a camera you can set up to see what is coming around at night?

Does she go all times of the day or only certain times? During the night, first thing in the morning, first thing at dusk? Does she make any sounds? Does she shy away when in that area at all? Or act "funny" or "different" when not peeing?

I know these are hard questions and not easily answered, just do your best.

"by about 5 ft, behind that wall is the garage." - Ok, it is a detached garage?

"There is 1 window on the wall that has the barbeque behind it. " - Interesting and the peeing is near there?

"But when she pees under the table she cannot see out of it." - yes but it doesn't matter, there still can be scents.

"Yes, I do have a black light. I can go check the exterior walls tonight," - Great

"but she isn't peeing right up against the walls." - Yes.

Have you ever had any mice, other animals in the walls? What is below the area she is peeing? Concrete slab, crawl space, basement? Any chance there are any animals underneath the areas she is peeing?

"As for putting a scratching post by the area, there is one about 5 ft away from where their cat tower is" - Is that in the dining room?

", but I can move one to the area." - Anything to get her scent and feel more ownership in the area she is peeing could be helpful.

I would add litter boxes in that area if at all possible. I KNOW it is inconvenient, less than ideal but it will tell us something as well and maybe, just maybe be easier to clean up after.

"Yes, I spent the whole day playing with her yesterday and giving her attention." - GREAT JOB!!!

" I will be sure to devote more time to her as well." - Just let the love you have for her be shown to her.

" She is hesitant to play on the carpet" - Interesting. Any idea why?

"but I can get her to play on the table." - So above the area she is hiding and/or peeing? This is in the dinning room, correct? That table?

"As for giving her treats, that is very difficult as she won't eat anything else than her food, which she eats on her terms." - Ok, can you give her some of the food after play? Even just a few?

"We brought her to the vet a little bit ago and they told us her vision, hearing, and she was fine." - Ok

The first time they said she had some hip pain and that is why we have her on gabapentin." - Ok. She was peeing before the gabapentin, correct?

"But the second time they said she was not in pain." - Cats are really tolerant of pain and it is very hard to know whether they have it or not.

"The meds do not seem to be doing anything," - How so? Does she seem more "out of it'? Not herself?

" so I am not sure if she is having pain." - It is difficult to know.

" But I am currently trying to get an appointment." - OK

" I have looked more into FHS as a possibility (Feline hyperesthesia syndrome). I was watching her all yesterday and noticed some twitching on her spine, licking, and even some slight biting at her skin. I would play with her then she would stop playing and lick herself. If she does have FHS it would be mild as her twitching doesn't seem supper severe but it is a possibility for her behavior." - Ok, ask the vet about it. Does that lead to fear for some or all cats?

"Yes, I know cats can detect our behavior." - Great

" We have been really calm and patient with her." - Really good job. It is really hard but just know that she doesn't mean to do this.

"The only time there is irritating behavior is when the house is hot and the smell of the enzyme cleaner can be smelled throughout the house." - Yes. Understandable.

"But yesterday I used baking soda on the whole rug to help get rid of the smell. You can still smell the enzyme cleaner in the spots it was used, but it is a lot better and doesn't stick up the whole house anymore." - Ok. I have never done that so you may want to post a new post and ask if that works, helps, is good, etc.

"I did this to help reduce the stress of one individual in the household, as this person is very sensitive to smells." - It is very good you are trying to be accommodative.

"As for hiding, there is no spot she goes and disappears in" - Ok

", but she stays on the table." - Ok. So she goes from under the table to on it?

How much time is she spending under and on the table? And how often in other parts of the house?

Did she ever spend any good confident time in other parts of the house?

"If she is freaked out she will stay on the table and avoid all contact with humans by moving to the other side of the table." - Ok. Did you have any workers or anything in the house before she got scared?

"She avoids everywhere but the dining room/ kitchen counters." - Ok :/ So she will run across the dining room floor up to the kitchen counters?

Do you own the home? Is cat shelving a possibility? To allow her to move about the house but above the ground?

"She used to stay upstairs," - Because she had to or because she chose to?

" but she had a freakout in my room," - What happened, any idea?

" then in another room and she has had several in the bathroom where the litter box is. So she is hesitant to go up there." - Ok, when did these happen? Just before the peeing or for the last few months, years?

"But yesterday she walked up the stairs" - GREAT!!!! Ok, this is a big deal!! GREAT!!!

" and I believe she was trying to go to the bathroom before one of my family members walked out and accidentally scared her. " - OK, it happens. But she wanted to , she tried. That is a good sign.

Do you think she is afraid of people?

"As for downstairs, she will walk down a bit, but she has never really gone down there." - Ok, that is fine. SO there is a downstairs? What is below the dining room?

"She stays on the main floor at her table." - OK, the dining room table?

"she doesn't avoid any people." - OK, that is good.

"Only when someone picks her up to take her to the bathroom she tries to grab the cat tower or area she is around." - OK, that makes sense. Cats want to do things on their terms rather on our terms. We need to leave a litter box by her and then build and expand her territorial security through play.

"But it appears she is just scared of leaving her area, not in pain when being picked up." - Yes.

"There is one other cat. We have two cats both female and sisters that were raised together. They get along really well. They will lick each other, eat together and play with each other. There has been an occasional hiss when playing becomes too aggressive. For example, when Topaz gets supper amped up when playing and pins out other cat Jet on her stomach she will bite her back and get a hiss out of Jet. Or when Topaz comes back from the vet and smells weird Jet will hiss until topaz smells normal again. (a few days to sometimes a week). But other than that they get along really well." - OK, so it does not seem to be the other indoor cat.

"I am trying to change one thing at a time to not freak her out and control the variables to see what is wrong." - Ok. I don't think there is much we will try to change. The outside stuff she will not notice. Play is really important as is giving her a litter box in the areas she is peeing on the rug, etc. I personally would put a litter box in every place she is peeing outside of the box and I would put 1 under the table. I KNOW it is not ideal, not convenient, not nice to look at, etc. BUT I want to see if she will use those or if she is actually avoiding the box. Also, give her things to get her scent on to own that area. Scratching post, bedding. And keep playing with her there. On the table is fine, if at some point you can get her onto the ground that would be great and in time into other rooms gradually expanding the territory.

"Yes, I appreciate you giving me your time to help figure out what is wrong! " - Oh my, I APPRECIATE YOU and your family for sticking by Topaz!!! She is crying out for help and I will do everything i can think of to help her and you and your family. Let's figure it out. I am starting to get a better sense.

Can you take video of her? So I can see her body language, etc?

Thanks again for all you are doing.

 

[Elizabeth_31]

"Yes, she does use litter boxes" - Ok, great.

" but only if we bring her to it." - What do you mean "bring it to her"? Where is she and how much time does she spend there per day? Can you put a litter box literally right near her? And keep it there?

"Recently it has been harder to get her to go because she is scared." - Can you please expand on this? If you put a litter box near here (very close) and leave do you think she would use it?

Is she going where she is sleeping, hanging out?

"We use Scoop Away Clay clumping cat litter." - OK. And she will use it some times?

" They use open litter boxes that are not covered." - Ok

" Before I bought the one for the dining room we only had one litter box." - Ok. Typically we want to have multiple options even if they only chose to use one. But just in case having multiple boxes is good. Especially in places where they may feel alittle insecure since using a litter box is a bit of "ownership" and therefore confidence in that territory.

"We tried having two for both cats at one point in time, but they would only use the same box. " - OK, If you have two cats it is best to have 3 litter boxes even if they will only use one. Just in case something falls and scares them by one box or a cat is near there and they are afraid to go in, etc.

"As for the litter, we have been using the same one for a long time, but I was thinking of changing the litter as it is scented and not dust-free." - BUt she did use that litter in the litter box before, correct?

Can you think of anything, anything at all that might have happened before she stopped using the litter box? Loud noise, someone leaving the house, a loss of another pet, increased stress in the house, etc? Just anything out of the ordinary.

"She has been crawling along the floor due to fear" - Yes, walking low is a sign of fear, caution. Any idea whatsoever as to what might be causing it?

" but she hasn't been walking differently or seems to be in pain. " - Ok, good.

"When I play with her in her safe spot she is jumping, running, and acting normal." - OK, THIS IS GREAT!!! She plays, even now? If so, PLAY PL:AY PLAY and then feed either a meal or treats right after. This builds confidence and therefore territory security.

"We have one open floor in the main room with the dining room kitchen and living room all connected." - Ok

" She is an indoor cat so she is peeing inside under the dining table on the rug." Hmmm, is that the only place? Yes, please put a litter box there if at all possible.

"This area is in her safe spot." - What do you mean "safe spot"? Why is she not secure elsewhere? Any idea? Start playing near the dining room table and let's expand her territory. Hunt, Capture, Kill, Eat is away they build confidence and territorial security. It replicates the natural survival in the wild.

" She has been using the bathroom in two spots on the rug. One is about 3 feet from the nearest wall which the barbeque sits against that wall," - Ok. There could be an animal marking outside of that wall (on the outside of course).

"and the other spot is 4ft away from her other peeing spot and is closest to the other wall perpendicular to the barbeque wall" - Ok, same kinda area.

Do you have a camera you can set up to see what is coming around at night?

Does she go all times of the day or only certain times? During the night, first thing in the morning, first thing at dusk? Does she make any sounds? Does she shy away when in that area at all? Or act "funny" or "different" when not peeing?

I know these are hard questions and not easily answered, just do your best.

"by about 5 ft, behind that wall is the garage." - Ok, it is a detached garage?

"There is 1 window on the wall that has the barbeque behind it. " - Interesting and the peeing is near there?

"But when she pees under the table she cannot see out of it." - yes but it doesn't matter, there still can be scents.

"Yes, I do have a black light. I can go check the exterior walls tonight," - Great

"but she isn't peeing right up against the walls." - Yes.

Have you ever had any mice, other animals in the walls? What is below the area she is peeing? Concrete slab, crawl space, basement? Any chance there are any animals underneath the areas she is peeing?

"As for putting a scratching post by the area, there is one about 5 ft away from where their cat tower is" - Is that in the dining room?

", but I can move one to the area." - Anything to get her scent and feel more ownership in the area she is peeing could be helpful.

I would add litter boxes in that area if at all possible. I KNOW it is inconvenient, less than ideal but it will tell us something as well and maybe, just maybe be easier to clean up after.

"Yes, I spent the whole day playing with her yesterday and giving her attention." - GREAT JOB!!!

" I will be sure to devote more time to her as well." - Just let the love you have for her be shown to her.

" She is hesitant to play on the carpet" - Interesting. Any idea why?

"but I can get her to play on the table." - So above the area she is hiding and/or peeing? This is in the dinning room, correct? That table?

"As for giving her treats, that is very difficult as she won't eat anything else than her food, which she eats on her terms." - Ok, can you give her some of the food after play? Even just a few?

"We brought her to the vet a little bit ago and they told us her vision, hearing, and she was fine." - Ok

The first time they said she had some hip pain and that is why we have her on gabapentin." - Ok. She was peeing before the gabapentin, correct?

"But the second time they said she was not in pain." - Cats are really tolerant of pain and it is very hard to know whether they have it or not.

"The meds do not seem to be doing anything," - How so? Does she seem more "out of it'? Not herself?

" so I am not sure if she is having pain." - It is difficult to know.

" But I am currently trying to get an appointment." - OK

" I have looked more into FHS as a possibility (Feline hyperesthesia syndrome). I was watching her all yesterday and noticed some twitching on her spine, licking, and even some slight biting at her skin. I would play with her then she would stop playing and lick herself. If she does have FHS it would be mild as her twitching doesn't seem supper severe but it is a possibility for her behavior." - Ok, ask the vet about it. Does that lead to fear for some or all cats?

"Yes, I know cats can detect our behavior." - Great

" We have been really calm and patient with her." - Really good job. It is really hard but just know that she doesn't mean to do this.

"The only time there is irritating behavior is when the house is hot and the smell of the enzyme cleaner can be smelled throughout the house." - Yes. Understandable.

"But yesterday I used baking soda on the whole rug to help get rid of the smell. You can still smell the enzyme cleaner in the spots it was used, but it is a lot better and doesn't stick up the whole house anymore." - Ok. I have never done that so you may want to post a new post and ask if that works, helps, is good, etc.

"I did this to help reduce the stress of one individual in the household, as this person is very sensitive to smells." - It is very good you are trying to be accommodative.

"As for hiding, there is no spot she goes and disappears in" - Ok

", but she stays on the table." - Ok. So she goes from under the table to on it?

How much time is she spending under and on the table? And how often in other parts of the house?

Did she ever spend any good confident time in other parts of the house?

"If she is freaked out she will stay on the table and avoid all contact with humans by moving to the other side of the table." - Ok. Did you have any workers or anything in the house before she got scared?

"She avoids everywhere but the dining room/ kitchen counters." - Ok :/ So she will run across the dining room floor up to the kitchen counters?

Do you own the home? Is cat shelving a possibility? To allow her to move about the house but above the ground?

"She used to stay upstairs," - Because she had to or because she chose to?

" but she had a freakout in my room," - What happened, any idea?

" then in another room and she has had several in the bathroom where the litter box is. So she is hesitant to go up there." - Ok, when did these happen? Just before the peeing or for the last few months, years?

"But yesterday she walked up the stairs" - GREAT!!!! Ok, this is a big deal!! GREAT!!!

" and I believe she was trying to go to the bathroom before one of my family members walked out and accidentally scared her. " - OK, it happens. But she wanted to , she tried. That is a good sign.

Do you think she is afraid of people?

"As for downstairs, she will walk down a bit, but she has never really gone down there." - Ok, that is fine. SO there is a downstairs? What is below the dining room?

"She stays on the main floor at her table." - OK, the dining room table?

"she doesn't avoid any people." - OK, that is good.

"Only when someone picks her up to take her to the bathroom she tries to grab the cat tower or area she is around." - OK, that makes sense. Cats want to do things on their terms rather on our terms. We need to leave a litter box by her and then build and expand her territorial security through play.

"But it appears she is just scared of leaving her area, not in pain when being picked up." - Yes.

"There is one other cat. We have two cats both female and sisters that were raised together. They get along really well. They will lick each other, eat together and play with each other. There has been an occasional hiss when playing becomes too aggressive. For example, when Topaz gets supper amped up when playing and pins out other cat Jet on her stomach she will bite her back and get a hiss out of Jet. Or when Topaz comes back from the vet and smells weird Jet will hiss until topaz smells normal again. (a few days to sometimes a week). But other than that they get along really well." - OK, so it does not seem to be the other indoor cat.

"I am trying to change one thing at a time to not freak her out and control the variables to see what is wrong." - Ok. I don't think there is much we will try to change. The outside stuff she will not notice. Play is really important as is giving her a litter box in the areas she is peeing on the rug, etc. I personally would put a litter box in every place she is peeing outside of the box and I would put 1 under the table. I KNOW it is not ideal, not convenient, not nice to look at, etc. BUT I want to see if she will use those or if she is actually avoiding the box. Also, give her things to get her scent on to own that area. Scratching post, bedding. And keep playing with her there. On the table is fine, if at some point you can get her onto the ground that would be great and in time into other rooms gradually expanding the territory.

"Yes, I appreciate you giving me your time to help figure out what is wrong! " - Oh my, I APPRECIATE YOU and your family for sticking by Topaz!!! She is crying out for help and I will do everything i can think of to help her and you and your family. Let's figure it out. I am starting to get a better sense.

Can you take video of her? So I can see her body language, etc?

Thanks again for all you are doing.

Sorry for the late response I had midterms and work. I try to get to the form at least once a day but was delayed today.

She had one litter box upstairs and for the last 4-5 months she has been so scared to go upstairs to the bathroom. We would have to bring her to it twice a day and pet her behind to encourage her to use the bathroom. She is not a very big vocal cat, so she would meow as if she wanted attention, this is often her saying she needs to pee. The last few weeks she has been terrified to even use the bathroom. Now we have the new litter box in the dining room that she has been using on her own. I had to show her where it is and make sure she knows it is there. But now she is using it on her own and I have to say I have never been so happy to watch a cat eliminate waste.

Before the new litter box, she would pee in the area she hangs out. This is mostly on top of the table (off the ground) and on half of the carpet below the table. She has food in the cat tower, and water on the table so she has about a 12x12ft space she mostly hangs out in. She sleeps, eats, uses the bathroom, and lives in this area as it seems safe to her. The other half of the carpet had become the new litterbox. This is the area she hangs out in. Now with the new litterbox placed on the area, she was peeing, she has been using the new box on her own.

Yes she has been using the litter we have had for a while the Scoop Away clumping cat litter. If she wasn't using the new box I was going to consider changing it to see if it was the litter giving her issues, But since she is now using the new litter box under the dining room table, I do not think the litter is the issue.

I also agree that multiple litterboxes are important, I currently have two. I will try to incorporate another one if I can find a spot for it.

I have no idea what caused her freakouts. It was weird because she likes me but never slept in my room, she has always preferred the main floor. But one day she started coming into my room and sleeping on the corner of my bed. Then this happened every night. Until one night I woke up to her landing on me twice in two seconds. I originally thought she tried to jump up on the window and hit the blinds, fell off the window, landed on me which she did not expect, jump again, then lands on me and take off. But now looking back on it I actually believe she had some sort of freak out. The reason for this is this cat never sleeps in my bed and then suddenly started to, which makes me think something else happened to make her want to go into my room. But I did not even move that night, I woke up to her getting scared. She is a pretty bright cat so her jumping up onto a window with drawn blinds is not the smartest move on her part. So I think if something did happen it happened before I even realized her first freak out. Then from then on, she will not go into my room. But I cannot think of something that would have brought this on.

She will play in her comfort area but depending on the day sometimes it will be the floor or just the table. She is really scared outside her comfort zone and will not play anywhere she is not comfortable. She sniffs everything as if it is foreign to her and it is hard to break this to get her to play.

Everywhere she has freaked out she is uncomfortable and the dining room is the only place she is comfortable and acts normal. I will be sure to make sure to dedicate some extra playtime for her.

The garage is connected to the house and a shoe rack is there which we do not touch. I checked behind the BBQ with the blue light and nothing. There is nothing under the floor as it is concrete slabs.

No, I do not have a camera I can set up. I have pulled a few all-nighters on the main floor and there is nothing but a few raccoons way out in the yard.

When peeing she sniffs around a bit and when not in her comfortable area she is always hesitant. She pees about 12 hours apart and eliminates waste every other day. She doesn't make sounds and doesn't act funny considering her behavior is really weird. She is hesitant to get in though. But with the new litter box she is going on her own and willingly getting in.

The garage is attached.

No peeing by the window. I checked with black light.
.

No, we do not have wild animals in the house. We take precautions with outdoor rat traps. The house is elevated 1ft in the area with a concrete slab. Nothing is under it.

Yes, the cat tower is in the dining room. But I moved a scratching post there as well.

She is hesitant to play on the carpet depending on how confident she is that day. I believe two days ago she was hesitant because I just cleaned the carpets. They also still smell weird due to the cleaning agent. And new scares her. But today she was playing on the carpet.


Yes, she is hanging out on the table above the carpet that she has been peeing on.

Yes I will try to give her food after she plays.

yes the peeing was before the gabapentin, as it was tying to treat the problem.

"I have seen no change in her behavior on the pills good or bad. so I have seen no effect.

Yes I will be sure to take to the vet about FHS. Yes it can lead to fear.

Baking soda soaks up the odor. So it doesn't stop the smell for the cat or does the same as the enzyme cleaner does but it can help eliminate the smell from the human side.

Yes, she goes from the carpet to the table often using the chairs as passages in between. The majority of her time is on the dinning room table, cat tower(in the dining room), carpet, and some in the kitchen if she is feeling confident.

She used to spend time upstairs and even downstairs. It's actually hard to remember exactly where as it has been so long. But she would go everywhere.

No, we did not have workers. No projects or anything. It was in the middle of covid lockdown so everyone was home doing nothing.

She can jump between the tables and kitchen counters. She has enough room and can basically travel around the whole middle floor without touching the ground if she pleases.

No, I do not own the home. Unformtally cat shelving is not possible, but we have high window sills, mantels, and lots of counter space for her to travel on.

She would stay upstairs because she wanted to, she liked the window in one room.

She has had several freakouts in the bathroom after she started peeing on the carpet. we would bring her to the bathroom because she was too scared to go herself. We would leave her alone and she would scare herself. This has been going on for about 8 months.

No, she is not scared of people, she wants to be a pet and often insists on it. she is just scared of everything else.

Nothing is below the dining room, the house is like a split level on a hill with the main floor being on the ground and the bottom floor also being level on the ground. Confusing but there is only concrete underneath.

Yes, the main floor table is the dining room table.


"Can you take video of her? So I can see her body language, etc?" Yes, I will be sure to film one and attach it in my next post. I can also share a layout of the main floor so you can get an idea of what I am talking about.

Thanks again for all you are doing.

 

[calicosrspecial]

"Sorry for the late response I had midterms and work. I try to get to the form at least once a day but was delayed today." - Oh my, NO NEED to apologize at all!! I hope the midterms went well!!!

She had one litter box upstairs and for the last 4-5 months she has been so scared to go upstairs to the bathroom." - Ok. Litter boxes are really important to cats - Ownership with their scent. So it is a really important part of cat life.

"We would have to bring her to it twice a day" - Ok. Though the intention was great it creates confusion with the cat and territory insecurity. So bringing it and then taking it away causes confusion and territorial insecurity. I am not blaming at all, the intention was good.

"and pet her behind to encourage her to use the bathroom." - Ok

" She is not a very big vocal cat, so she would meow as if she wanted attention, this is often her saying she needs to pee." - Ok

" The last few weeks she has been terrified to even use the bathroom." - Ok, I can understand why she would be. Having their litter box be moved around (territory), being pet when she has to use the litter box, etc. That is pretty stressful. Again, I am not blaming at all and the intention was good. But I think I understand more of what might be going on.

"Now we have the new litter box in the dining room that she has been using on her own." - She is using her new litter box?????? AWESOME!!!!!!

" I had to show her where it is and make sure she knows it is there. But now she is using it on her own and I have to say I have never been so happy to watch a cat eliminate waste." - FANTASTIC!!!!!

"Before the new litter box, she would pee in the area she hangs out. This is mostly on top of the table (off the ground) and on half of the carpet below the table. " - Ok

"She has food in the cat tower, and water on the table so she has about a 12x12ft space she mostly hangs out in." - Ok. We'll have ot work on this.

" She sleeps, eats, uses the bathroom, and lives in this area as it seems safe to her. " - Ok, we are going to work on this and build her confidence, build her "mojo", get her owning the territory, etc.

"The other half of the carpet had become the new litterbox. This is the area she hangs out in. Now with the new litterbox placed on the area, she was peeing, she has been using the new box on her own." -

"Yes she has been using the litter we have had for a while the Scoop Away clumping cat litter. If she wasn't using the new box I was going to consider changing it to see if it was the litter giving her issues, But since she is now using the new litter box under the dining room table, I do not think the litter is the issue." - Agreed. The litter is not the issue it seems. Not paw issues, pain, etc.

"I also agree that multiple litterboxes are important, I currently have two. I will try to incorporate another one if I can find a spot for it." - Great. Yes usually we want the number of litter boxes to equal the number of cats +1. But if a cat is going outside of the box then we want to have one there as well for a number of reasons.

"I have no idea what caused her freakouts." - OK :/

" It was weird because she likes me but never slept in my room, she has always preferred the main floor." - Not weird. Cats do things like that. That is not weird or an issue at all.

"But one day she started coming into my room and sleeping on the corner of my bed. Then this happened every night." - Ok

" Until one night I woke up to her landing on me twice in two seconds. I originally thought she tried to jump up on the window and hit the blinds, fell off the window, landed on me which she did not expect, jump again, then lands on me and take off. " - Hmmmmmm.

"But now looking back on it I actually believe she had some sort of freak out." - Hmmmmmm. How did she act after when you woke up, turned on the light, etc?

"The reason for this is this cat never sleeps in my bed and then suddenly started to, which makes me think something else happened to make her want to go into my room." - Maybe. SO maybe she saw a coyote outside, or a feral cat, BUT she might have been cold OR just wanted to be with you. Hard to know.

" But I did not even move that night," - Well, maybe she saw you move a had and thought it was playtime? Hard to know. How she acted after could be really interesting.

" I woke up to her getting scared." - Ok, was she really scared, different for a while after you woke up? What did she do?

"She is a pretty bright cat so her jumping up onto a window with drawn blinds is not the smartest move on her part." - Yes but sometimes they do things like that.

" So I think if something did happen it happened before I even realized her first freak out. " - Seems like it possibly.

"Then from then on, she will not go into my room. But I cannot think of something that would have brought this on. " - Ok, maybe something did happen in your room. Hmmmmmmmmm

"She will play in her comfort area but depending on the day sometimes it will be the floor or just the table." - Ok, that is fine. If she is playing that is great. Feed a meal after play. We will build her confidence and then expand her territorial security in time.

"She is really scared outside her comfort zone and will not play anywhere she is not comfortable." - Ok, we will work on that. As she gains more confidence and territorial security we will expand it.

"She sniffs everything as if it is foreign to her and it is hard to break this to get her to play." - Ok, it is fine to sniff. She is just getting to know it. We'll get some scent soakers (old shirts, bedding, scratching posts, cat tree, etc) and get her scent on it then move them into unfamiliar territory for her. So when she goes there she smells her scent and she thinks "that is me, I own this".

"Everywhere she has freaked out she is uncomfortable and the dining room is the only place she is comfortable and acts normal. I will be sure to make sure to dedicate some extra playtime for her." - OK, we'll build her confidence i the dinning room and then slowly expand it into other areas using the scent soakers and play and food.

"The garage is connected to the house and a shoe rack is there which we do not touch." - Ok. Did you black light that area of the garage wall?

" I checked behind the BBQ with the blue light and nothing." - Interesting. Good.

" There is nothing under the floor as it is concrete slabs." - Ok. Good.

"No, I do not have a camera I can set up. I have pulled a few all-nighters on the main floor and there is nothing but a few raccoons way out in the yard." - Ok. Good. IF there were ferals there would be marking.

"When peeing she sniffs around a bit and when not in her comfortable area she is always hesitant." - Ok, that makes sense. Is she still doing this with her new litter box in her territory?

"She pees about 12 hours apart and eliminates waste every other day." - Hmmmmmm. OK. SHe should be eliminating waster more often. Something we need to watch.

"She doesn't make sounds and doesn't act funny" - OK, good.

" considering her behavior is really weird. She is hesitant to get in though." - Ok, that is probably because the litter box was being brought to her then taken away.

"But with the new litter box she is going on her own and willingly getting in." - GREAT!!!!!

"The garage is attached." - Yes

"No peeing by the window. I checked with black light." - Great
.

"No, we do not have wild animals in the house. We take precautions with outdoor rat traps. The house is elevated 1ft in the area with a concrete slab. Nothing is under it." - OK, good.

"Yes, the cat tower is in the dining room. " - And she uses it.

"But I moved a scratching post there as well." - Great. Place it somewhere she will use it. If it has to be close to the tree that is fine but if it is opposite of the tree (but still where she is willing to go) that would be great so she can scratch it, get her scent on it and "own" it and that area.

"She is hesitant to play on the carpet depending on how confident she is that day." - Ok

" I believe two days ago she was hesitant because I just cleaned the carpets. They also still smell weird due to the cleaning agent. And new scares her." - Ok, makes sense.

" But today she was playing on the carpet." - REALLY?!?!?!?!?! THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!!! GREAT job!!!


"Yes, she is hanging out on the table above the carpet that she has been peeing on." - Yes, hopefully the litter box there will stop that.

"Yes I will try to give her food after she plays." - Great. It replicated the survival instinct of the wild - Hunt, Capture, Kill, Eat. Which build confidence.

"yes the peeing was before the gabapentin, as it was tying to treat the problem." - yes

"I have seen no change in her behavior on the pills good or bad. so I have seen no effect." - Ok :/

"Yes I will be sure to take to the vet about FHS. Yes it can lead to fear." - Great. Let's see what the vet says.

"Baking soda soaks up the odor. So it doesn't stop the smell for the cat or does the same as the enzyme cleaner does but it can help eliminate the smell from the human side." - Ok

"Yes, she goes from the carpet to the table often using the chairs as passages in between. The majority of her time is on the dinning room table, cat tower(in the dining room), carpet," - Ok. We'll build her confidence in there with play, food, love and see what response we get.

"and some in the kitchen if she is feeling confident." - Great. We'll try to expand her confidence in there next in time.

"She used to spend time upstairs and even downstairs. It's actually hard to remember exactly where as it has been so long. But she would go everywhere." - Ok.

"No, we did not have workers. No projects or anything. It was in the middle of covid lockdown so everyone was home doing nothing." - Ok. Was there a lot of human stress in the household?

"She can jump between the tables and kitchen counters. She has enough room and can basically travel around the whole middle floor without touching the ground if she pleases." - Great

"No, I do not own the home. Unformtally cat shelving is not possible, but we have high window sills, mantels, and lots of counter space for her to travel on." - Great.

"She would stay upstairs because she wanted to, she liked the window in one room." - Ok. Is it possible for her to look out now at all? Form the dining room? Can we put something near the window in there so she can look out a bit easier?

"She has had several freakouts in the bathroom after she started peeing on the carpet. we would bring her to the bathroom because she was too scared to go herself. " - Ok. Well, sometimes when we take a cat somewhere to do something it can feel like territory is being taken away and since cats are territorial it can hurt confidence. We'll see if the new litter box helps some of this since it will nto be necessary to "take" her someplace.

"We would leave her alone and she would scare herself. This has been going on for about 8 months." - Ok. :/ How so? Leave her alone in her territory that she is confident in or that bathroom?

"No, she is not scared of people, she wants to be a pet and often insists on it." - Ok. She doesn't fear any human in the house?

"she is just scared of everything else." - Ok.

"Nothing is below the dining room, the house is like a split level on a hill with the main floor being on the ground and the bottom floor also being level on the ground. Confusing but there is only concrete underneath." - Ok

"Yes, the main floor table is the dining room table." - Ok


"Can you take video of her? So I can see her body language, etc?" Yes, I will be sure to film one and attach it in my next post. " - Great. I want to see how she walks, looks, etc.

"I can also share a layout of the main floor so you can get an idea of what I am talking about." - Ok though that is not necessary at the moment.

Thanks again for all you are doing.

"Sorry for the late response I had midterms and work. I try to get to the form at least once a day but was delayed today." - Oh my, NO NEED to apologize at all!! I hope the midterms went well!!!

She had one litter box upstairs and for the last 4-5 months she has been so scared to go upstairs to the bathroom." - Ok. Litter boxes are really important to cats - Ownership with their scent. So it is a really important part of cat life.

"We would have to bring her to it twice a day" - Ok. Though the intention was great it creates confusion with the cat and territory insecurity. So bringing it and then taking it away causes confusion and territorial insecurity. I am not blaming at all, the intention was good.

"and pet her behind to encourage her to use the bathroom." - Ok

" She is not a very big vocal cat, so she would meow as if she wanted attention, this is often her saying she needs to pee." - Ok

" The last few weeks she has been terrified to even use the bathroom." - Ok, I can understand why she would be. Having their litter box be moved around (territory), being pet when she has to use the litter box, etc. That is pretty stressful. Again, I am not blaming at all and the intention was good. But I think I understand more of what might be going on.

"Now we have the new litter box in the dining room that she has been using on her own." - She is using her new litter box?????? AWESOME!!!!!!

" I had to show her where it is and make sure she knows it is there. But now she is using it on her own and I have to say I have never been so happy to watch a cat eliminate waste." - FANTASTIC!!!!!

"Before the new litter box, she would pee in the area she hangs out. This is mostly on top of the table (off the ground) and on half of the carpet below the table. " - Ok

"She has food in the cat tower, and water on the table so she has about a 12x12ft space she mostly hangs out in." - Ok. We'll have ot work on this.

" She sleeps, eats, uses the bathroom, and lives in this area as it seems safe to her. " - Ok, we are going to work on this and build her confidence, build her "mojo", get her owning the territory, etc.

"The other half of the carpet had become the new litterbox. This is the area she hangs out in. Now with the new litterbox placed on the area, she was peeing, she has been using the new box on her own." -

"Yes she has been using the litter we have had for a while the Scoop Away clumping cat litter. If she wasn't using the new box I was going to consider changing it to see if it was the litter giving her issues, But since she is now using the new litter box under the dining room table, I do not think the litter is the issue." - Agreed. The litter is not the issue it seems. Not paw issues, pain, etc.

"I also agree that multiple litterboxes are important, I currently have two. I will try to incorporate another one if I can find a spot for it." - Great. Yes usually we want the number of litter boxes to equal the number of cats +1. But if a cat is going outside of the box then we want to have one there as well for a number of reasons.

"I have no idea what caused her freakouts." - OK :/

" It was weird because she likes me but never slept in my room, she has always preferred the main floor." - Not weird. Cats do things like that. That is not weird or an issue at all.

"But one day she started coming into my room and sleeping on the corner of my bed. Then this happened every night." - Ok

" Until one night I woke up to her landing on me twice in two seconds. I originally thought she tried to jump up on the window and hit the blinds, fell off the window, landed on me which she did not expect, jump again, then lands on me and take off. " - Hmmmmmm.

"But now looking back on it I actually believe she had some sort of freak out." - Hmmmmmm. How did she act after when you woke up, turned on the light, etc?

"The reason for this is this cat never sleeps in my bed and then suddenly started to, which makes me think something else happened to make her want to go into my room." - Maybe. SO maybe she saw a coyote outside, or a feral cat, BUT she might have been cold OR just wanted to be with you. Hard to know.

" But I did not even move that night," - Well, maybe she saw you move a had and thought it was playtime? Hard to know. How she acted after could be really interesting.

" I woke up to her getting scared." - Ok, was she really scared, different for a while after you woke up? What did she do?

"She is a pretty bright cat so her jumping up onto a window with drawn blinds is not the smartest move on her part." - Yes but sometimes they do things like that.

" So I think if something did happen it happened before I even realized her first freak out. " - Seems like it possibly.

"Then from then on, she will not go into my room. But I cannot think of something that would have brought this on. " - Ok, maybe something did happen in your room. Hmmmmmmmmm

"She will play in her comfort area but depending on the day sometimes it will be the floor or just the table." - Ok, that is fine. If she is playing that is great. Feed a meal after play. We will build her confidence and then expand her territorial security in time.

"She is really scared outside her comfort zone and will not play anywhere she is not comfortable." - Ok, we will work on that. As she gains more confidence and territorial security we will expand it.

"She sniffs everything as if it is foreign to her and it is hard to break this to get her to play." - Ok, it is fine to sniff. She is just getting to know it. We'll get some scent soakers (old shirts, bedding, scratching posts, cat tree, etc) and get her scent on it then move them into unfamiliar territory for her. So when she goes there she smells her scent and she thinks "that is me, I own this".

"Everywhere she has freaked out she is uncomfortable and the dining room is the only place she is comfortable and acts normal. I will be sure to make sure to dedicate some extra playtime for her." - OK, we'll build her confidence i the dinning room and then slowly expand it into other areas using the scent soakers and play and food.

"The garage is connected to the house and a shoe rack is there which we do not touch." - Ok. Did you black light that area of the garage wall?

" I checked behind the BBQ with the blue light and nothing." - Interesting. Good.

" There is nothing under the floor as it is concrete slabs." - Ok. Good.

"No, I do not have a camera I can set up. I have pulled a few all-nighters on the main floor and there is nothing but a few raccoons way out in the yard." - Ok. Good. IF there were ferals there would be marking.

"When peeing she sniffs around a bit and when not in her comfortable area she is always hesitant." - Ok, that makes sense. Is she still doing this with her new litter box in her territory?

"She pees about 12 hours apart and eliminates waste every other day." - Hmmmmmm. OK. SHe should be eliminating waster more often. Something we need to watch.

"She doesn't make sounds and doesn't act funny" - OK, good.

" considering her behavior is really weird. She is hesitant to get in though." - Ok, that is probably because the litter box was being brought to her then taken away.

"But with the new litter box she is going on her own and willingly getting in." - GREAT!!!!!

"The garage is attached." - Yes

"No peeing by the window. I checked with black light." - Great
.

"No, we do not have wild animals in the house. We take precautions with outdoor rat traps. The house is elevated 1ft in the area with a concrete slab. Nothing is under it." - OK, good.

"Yes, the cat tower is in the dining room. " - And she uses it.

"But I moved a scratching post there as well." - Great. Place it somewhere she will use it. If it has to be close to the tree that is fine but if it is opposite of the tree (but still where she is willing to go) that would be great so she can scratch it, get her scent on it and "own" it and that area.

"She is hesitant to play on the carpet depending on how confident she is that day." - Ok

" I believe two days ago she was hesitant because I just cleaned the carpets. They also still smell weird due to the cleaning agent. And new scares her." - Ok, makes sense.

" But today she was playing on the carpet." - REALLY?!?!?!?!?! THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!!! GREAT job!!!


"Yes, she is hanging out on the table above the carpet that she has been peeing on." - Yes, hopefully the litter box there will stop that.

"Yes I will try to give her food after she plays." - Great. It replicated the survival instinct of the wild - Hunt, Capture, Kill, Eat. Which build confidence.

"yes the peeing was before the gabapentin, as it was tying to treat the problem." - yes

"I have seen no change in her behavior on the pills good or bad. so I have seen no effect." - Ok :/

"Yes I will be sure to take to the vet about FHS. Yes it can lead to fear." - Great. Let's see what the vet says.

"Baking soda soaks up the odor. So it doesn't stop the smell for the cat or does the same as the enzyme cleaner does but it can help eliminate the smell from the human side." - Ok

"Yes, she goes from the carpet to the table often using the chairs as passages in between. The majority of her time is on the dinning room table, cat tower(in the dining room), carpet," - Ok. We'll build her confidence in there with play, food, love and see what response we get.

"and some in the kitchen if she is feeling confident." - Great. We'll try to expand her confidence in there next in time.

"She used to spend time upstairs and even downstairs. It's actually hard to remember exactly where as it has been so long. But she would go everywhere." - Ok.

"No, we did not have workers. No projects or anything. It was in the middle of covid lockdown so everyone was home doing nothing." - Ok. Was there a lot of human stress in the household?

"She can jump between the tables and kitchen counters. She has enough room and can basically travel around the whole middle floor without touching the ground if she pleases." - Great

"No, I do not own the home. Unformtally cat shelving is not possible, but we have high window sills, mantels, and lots of counter space for her to travel on." - Great.

"She would stay upstairs because she wanted to, she liked the window in one room." - Ok. Is it possible for her to look out now at all? Form the dining room? Can we put something near the window in there so she can look out a bit easier?

"She has had several freakouts in the bathroom after she started peeing on the carpet. we would bring her to the bathroom because she was too scared to go herself. " - Ok. Well, sometimes when we take a cat somewhere to do something it can feel like territory is being taken away and since cats are territorial it can hurt confidence. We'll see if the new litter box helps some of this since it will nto be necessary to "take" her someplace.

"We would leave her alone and she would scare herself. This has been going on for about 8 months." - Ok. :/ How so? Leave her alone in her territory that she is confident in or that bathroom?

"No, she is not scared of people, she wants to be a pet and often insists on it." - Ok. She doesn't fear any human in the house?

"she is just scared of everything else." - Ok.

"Nothing is below the dining room, the house is like a split level on a hill with the main floor being on the ground and the bottom floor also being level on the ground. Confusing but there is only concrete underneath." - Ok

"Yes, the main floor table is the dining room table." - Ok


"Can you take video of her? So I can see her body language, etc?" Yes, I will be sure to film one and attach it in my next post. " - Great. I want to see how she walks, looks, etc.

"I can also share a layout of the main floor so you can get an idea of what I am talking about." - Ok though that is not necessary at the moment.

"Thanks again for all you are doing." - OH MY, THANK YOU for all your are doing!!!!

I am ecstatic at the progress so far. Let's keep doing what we are doing and anything I mention above and let's see what works, what doesn't etc. But so far it is great!!! Let's see if it continues etc. Keep up the great work!!!

 

[calicosrspecial]

Sorry for the late response I had midterms and work. I try to get to the form at least once a day but was delayed today.

She had one litter box upstairs and for the last 4-5 months she has been so scared to go upstairs to the bathroom. We would have to bring her to it twice a day and pet her behind to encourage her to use the bathroom. She is not a very big vocal cat, so she would meow as if she wanted attention, this is often her saying she needs to pee. The last few weeks she has been terrified to even use the bathroom. Now we have the new litter box in the dining room that she has been using on her own. I had to show her where it is and make sure she knows it is there. But now she is using it on her own and I have to say I have never been so happy to watch a cat eliminate waste.

Before the new litter box, she would pee in the area she hangs out. This is mostly on top of the table (off the ground) and on half of the carpet below the table. She has food in the cat tower, and water on the table so she has about a 12x12ft space she mostly hangs out in. She sleeps, eats, uses the bathroom, and lives in this area as it seems safe to her. The other half of the carpet had become the new litterbox. This is the area she hangs out in. Now with the new litterbox placed on the area, she was peeing, she has been using the new box on her own.

Yes she has been using the litter we have had for a while the Scoop Away clumping cat litter. If she wasn't using the new box I was going to consider changing it to see if it was the litter giving her issues, But since she is now using the new litter box under the dining room table, I do not think the litter is the issue.

I also agree that multiple litterboxes are important, I currently have two. I will try to incorporate another one if I can find a spot for it.

I have no idea what caused her freakouts. It was weird because she likes me but never slept in my room, she has always preferred the main floor. But one day she started coming into my room and sleeping on the corner of my bed. Then this happened every night. Until one night I woke up to her landing on me twice in two seconds. I originally thought she tried to jump up on the window and hit the blinds, fell off the window, landed on me which she did not expect, jump again, then lands on me and take off. But now looking back on it I actually believe she had some sort of freak out. The reason for this is this cat never sleeps in my bed and then suddenly started to, which makes me think something else happened to make her want to go into my room. But I did not even move that night, I woke up to her getting scared. She is a pretty bright cat so her jumping up onto a window with drawn blinds is not the smartest move on her part. So I think if something did happen it happened before I even realized her first freak out. Then from then on, she will not go into my room. But I cannot think of something that would have brought this on.

She will play in her comfort area but depending on the day sometimes it will be the floor or just the table. She is really scared outside her comfort zone and will not play anywhere she is not comfortable. She sniffs everything as if it is foreign to her and it is hard to break this to get her to play.

Everywhere she has freaked out she is uncomfortable and the dining room is the only place she is comfortable and acts normal. I will be sure to make sure to dedicate some extra playtime for her.

The garage is connected to the house and a shoe rack is there which we do not touch. I checked behind the BBQ with the blue light and nothing. There is nothing under the floor as it is concrete slabs.

No, I do not have a camera I can set up. I have pulled a few all-nighters on the main floor and there is nothing but a few raccoons way out in the yard.

When peeing she sniffs around a bit and when not in her comfortable area she is always hesitant. She pees about 12 hours apart and eliminates waste every other day. She doesn't make sounds and doesn't act funny considering her behavior is really weird. She is hesitant to get in though. But with the new litter box she is going on her own and willingly getting in.

The garage is attached.

No peeing by the window. I checked with black light.
.

No, we do not have wild animals in the house. We take precautions with outdoor rat traps. The house is elevated 1ft in the area with a concrete slab. Nothing is under it.

Yes, the cat tower is in the dining room. But I moved a scratching post there as well.

She is hesitant to play on the carpet depending on how confident she is that day. I believe two days ago she was hesitant because I just cleaned the carpets. They also still smell weird due to the cleaning agent. And new scares her. But today she was playing on the carpet.


Yes, she is hanging out on the table above the carpet that she has been peeing on.

Yes I will try to give her food after she plays.

yes the peeing was before the gabapentin, as it was tying to treat the problem.

"I have seen no change in her behavior on the pills good or bad. so I have seen no effect.

Yes I will be sure to take to the vet about FHS. Yes it can lead to fear.

Baking soda soaks up the odor. So it doesn't stop the smell for the cat or does the same as the enzyme cleaner does but it can help eliminate the smell from the human side.

Yes, she goes from the carpet to the table often using the chairs as passages in between. The majority of her time is on the dinning room table, cat tower(in the dining room), carpet, and some in the kitchen if she is feeling confident.

She used to spend time upstairs and even downstairs. It's actually hard to remember exactly where as it has been so long. But she would go everywhere.

No, we did not have workers. No projects or anything. It was in the middle of covid lockdown so everyone was home doing nothing.

She can jump between the tables and kitchen counters. She has enough room and can basically travel around the whole middle floor without touching the ground if she pleases.

No, I do not own the home. Unformtally cat shelving is not possible, but we have high window sills, mantels, and lots of counter space for her to travel on.

She would stay upstairs because she wanted to, she liked the window in one room.

She has had several freakouts in the bathroom after she started peeing on the carpet. we would bring her to the bathroom because she was too scared to go herself. We would leave her alone and she would scare herself. This has been going on for about 8 months.

No, she is not scared of people, she wants to be a pet and often insists on it. she is just scared of everything else.

Nothing is below the dining room, the house is like a split level on a hill with the main floor being on the ground and the bottom floor also being level on the ground. Confusing but there is only concrete underneath.

Yes, the main floor table is the dining room table.


"Can you take video of her? So I can see her body language, etc?" Yes, I will be sure to film one and attach it in my next post. I can also share a layout of the main floor so you can get an idea of what I am talking about.

Thanks again for all you are doing.

Hi,

I just wanted to check in and make sure you saw my previous post and see how things are going.

Hope all is going well.