My Kitten Tommy

[malini]

Hello friends,

It's been a while since some of you helped me with my cat Star's misbehavior upon the arrival of our new kittens.

Now Smokey and Tommy are 9 months old, very healthy and handsome. Very well adjusted and happy little guys.... Star is finally behaving much better with them. I do have a problem with Tommy, we discovered not long ago that he had been spraying our very expensive living room chairs... I was beside myself, it's custom made furniture and beautiful material. I've washed the cushion covers and sprayed them with an odor-eliminating product called Nok-Out. They don't smell as bad but I will be changing the padding in the cushions.

We have been keeping a close eye on Tommy when he is in the house, but we open the patio door to the pool where he loves to run for hours with his brother Smokey.... Tonight, I saw Tommy on the bigger sofa and I shooed him away,  but he had already peed on it...

.I am heart broken to tell you that this is an unacceptable situation for the family. We can't relax because of the fear that he will pee on the other chair.... I love them dearly and need your help to decide what to do with Tommy to help him with this behavior. We don't want to have to give him away and separate him from his brother....He has been checked and does not have any health issues.

I really appreciate all your help with my kitties

~Malini

 

[yayi]

Are both boys neutered? How many litter boxes do you have and are they easily accessible 24/7?

 

[malini]

Yes, they are both neutered and have a  kitty litter close to their rooms and another one on the pool area.

 

[molldee]

Maybe add another box and try Dr Elsey's Cat Attract litter. It worked for me!

 

[malini]

Tommy isn't urinating because he needs to go to the bathroom. He still goes in the litter box. I think he's spraying to mark his territory. He may still feel threatened by Star and is spraying to feel more secure... It's strange since both Smokey and Tommy are neutered, but Smokey has never peed outside the litter box.

 

[pj100]

Since Tommy is neutered then he could be spraying to mark his territory as well as he could be feeling some sort of anxiety or stress about a situation in his environment. Has anything no matter how small changed in his environment, your routine or his routine? If Tommy is spraying to mark his territory he is leaving a message to other cats that from this area to this area belongs to him, you can try to prevent this from happening by cleaning the areas that he has sprayed with  enzymatic cleaner (gotton at pet stores) to fully get rid of the urine smell that he has sprayed so he can no longer smell it either, try changing the association of the place where Tommy sprays such as put cat toys there or a cat bed or some food cats will not like to spray where they play, sleep or eat.

Also since this is a multi cat household even though this is not a urinating problem it can be a territory one so try providing a few extra litter boxes so maybe Tommy does not feel as if he has to fight so hard for ownership of things as well as get more cat things and put them out such as toys, scratching posts water bowls food bowls ect because this might also help Tommy to feel like he does not have to fight so hard for ownership of things.

Good Luck