Recent Territorial Marking War - I'M GOING CRAZY

[salem89]

Hey guys, 

I've had my one cat, Dexter for the last 5 years and I foster-failed with my other cat, Buddy, 2 years ago. While they have little fights here and there, and have been known to mark some spots in the past, they now seem to be in a full-out war this past month and I've been going crazy. I don't understand why this has suddenly just gotten as bad as it has, seemingly out of nowhere. They are not fighting more than usual and I'm not giving either one attention more than the other. 

Dexter seems to be the worst of the two right now. In the past week he has marked at least once a day in spots that Buddy either enjoys/scratches, or has just started to enjoy/scratch because others have already been marked. Please help, he just marked all over another area and I lost it in a screaming rage. I of course didn't hurt him, but my yelling scared him so badly that now he's hiding. My nerves are completely shot. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. 

The only thing I can think of Dexter being jealous/upset about is the fact that Buddy was sick last week and received a lot more of my attention then. Wouldn't the marking have been worse last week if that were the case though?

Update: They're both neutered and, yes, I've tried Feliway in the past - it did absolutely nothing 

 

[yayi]

Other than making sure both Dexter and Buddy have been checked out okay by the veterinarian, I suggest you make sure all those marked spots have been cleaned properly. Even if you can no longer smell where Dexter sprayed, he can. 

 

[salem89]

They've both been vet-checked for urinary and other health problems recently as well as in the past when the marking first started. I've ordered a UV light to see if my enzymatic cleaner is working but short of this, I don't know what else to do if it continues. There has to be a way to make them feel more comfortable and stop the war.

 

[calicosrspecial]

I am sorry to hear about this.

So glad you are getting a UV light and checking to make sure the cleaning is working.

Do you have any feral cats outside of your residence? Or any other animals around? I wonder if a feral male(s) is/are spraying on or near your residence. Or is there a chance another animal has gotten into the attic or walls or anything? Do you feed any outside cats? Do you have a porch or a deck or anything?

Something seems to have changed and we need to figure out what.

You mention there is no difference in "encounters" recently and no change in the attention given to either cat. Has there been any change whatsoever in the way they interact? Where they hang out, how they pass each other etc?

I always go back to play, food, height and what I call love (attention).

Do both cats like to play (not necessarily together)? If so, I would try to increase the play. If you can get them to play together without fighting that would be great. Then after play either feed their favorite food or a special food they like (I use warm chicken) or treats.

If you don't play with them but it is feeding time can you feed them close to each other? Do they do that/will they do that?

Has there been an increased level of human stress before the recent escalation in markings? I believe cats can take on our stress and it can become a vicious cycle of stress leading to more stress etc.

Are there enough places to go high? Cat trees, window perches, etc? Comfy bedding?

Please try to think back to a month ago to see if there is anything that might have caused this escalation.

My instinct is that there is an outside animal or feral intact male that is causing this stress. It is difficult to know though since they don't always show themselves. I think this because it was so sudden. 

In the meantime, I would really step up the play and then feed and if possible get them to play together. I would also try to get them to each together (both food and treats) so they associate each other with "good stuff".  Also, maybe add a few more comfy places so they can maybe have a few places of their own. And as you are doing, cleaning. But when they mark because of the scent rather than a previous marking it makes that a bit more difficult.

I would have thought that the marking would have been worse if Buddy was getting more attention last week. So that is a bit perplexing and makes me wonder if it is something else rather than Buddy per se causing the marking.

And finally, if at all possible try to be as not stressed as possible. I know it is easier said than done but try to de-escalate the stress that may help. I know how frustrating it is when something like this happens and it is impossible to let it blow over especially to this extent but any de-escalation might be helpful.

Something changed we just need to figure it out. Hopefully the additional play will help. Any other thoughts about what might have changed could be helpful.

It sounds like you know cats and are experienced so this seems especially tricky but let's figure it out. Hang in there, if they lived together before they should be able to in the future.

 

[hexiesfriend]

It's sounds like there's been a change either in the household or outside the household. It can discontinue on its own after whatever is disrupting them ends. Any changes recently?

 

[salem89]

@CalicosRSpecial  

I live on the second floor of a walk-up apartment building and both cats have access to the balcony during the spring/summer/fall. The neighbours below me have 2 dogs but they've been here since I first moved in and that wasn't an issue. I did just notice that in the building next to mine on the first level, the new tenants have an unspayed female that they put out on a leash. The first time I saw her was earlier this month and we joked about the boys having a crush on her but now I'm seriously wondering if this could be the reason, or part of the reason.

What's very bizarre is that Dexter marks the exact same spot almost every morning. Right under my bedroom windowsill. His other favorite spots are by the dining room windowsill, the balcony doors, and my shoe rack. 2/4 are spots that Buddy loves to lounge on though so I don't know how linked to the outdoors it is. Buddy marks either in the areas Dexter lounges or on basically anything new that hits the ground (yeah, he's a liiiittle anxious and insecure haha). 

I have one large cat tree beside the dining room window where I noticed Buddy has started stealing the top perch from Dex. I thought the window sills were accessible to perch on but now that I think of it, one is too high to get to without anything near it, and both are pretty narrow to comfortably lounge on. Other than the one cat tree, Dex likes to sit on top of my kitchen cupboards which I never shoo him away from. Maybe that's not enough? Darn, I feel bad now!
As for animals in the walls, the building did have a problem with mice and I heard them in the walls prior to pest control coming in (no mice sounds since 

) so this hasn't been an issue for a few months. 

It's very bizzare because they actually are civil and even friendly to each other most of the time (they're the 2 pictured in my display photo). They eat next to each other, use litter boxes next to each other, sometimes sleep next to each other, clean each other...then it's like one gives the other a sideways glance and it's as if they're enemies. For the most part though they'll walk around with tails happily in the air and without sidestepping. Just yesterday they actually were chasing each other around the house in circles playing before bed.

The only things I can think of that have changed this month are that both guys had to go see the vet within a week of each other, and I've had to transfer some animals in their kennels for my nonprofit. I've cleaned the kennels before putting them in though (with Virkon) and I had a pile of donated kennels in my storage room for months without this behaviour happening. They would pee on the kennels, which I understood, but not on everything else haha. With that, I have been markedly a little more stressed as my nonprofit has just started to get a little hectic - we transfer shelter animals at risk of euthanasia to rescue foster homes so it's busy season right now. 

Today I made an effort to be calm and present with them and  tried playing with them both then treating them after. They were ok if I played with one toy between the both of them while they were at a distance from one another, but if Buddy got too close, Dexter would start swatting and posturing aggressively. We had some great cuddle sessions with all 3 of us though. Here's hoping I don't wake up to Dexter marking his usual spot again...it's happened every single day this week...

Sorry for the lengthy reply!

@hexiesfriend

Yes it's still an ongoing thing I'm afraid, mainly just Dexter - bright side is he only marked once today I guess! 

 

 

[hexiesfriend]

I think it may be the female they have probably seen. Since this is a new thing that may be situational you may want to try putting small bowls of food under the Windows and other places they have sprayed. It's a strange idea but it's worked for me in the past.

 

[calicosrspecial]

salem89,

I too wonder if the unspayed female is the reason. Do they put her on a leash outside alone or are they out there with her?

The fact that Dexter is marking by things that are accessible to the outside (bedroom windows, dining room windows, balcony doors) suggests to me that it is something on the outside (probably an intact male or unspayed female). Is there anyway a cat can get near those areas? It also could just be the scent is wafting up to them. Not sure why the shoe rack......... unless you are bringing in the scent on your feet.

Please do not feel badly, it sounds like you are a great cat owner. They have places to go high. Maybe adding another cat tree and a window perch or something might help. Since it sounds like Buddy is stealing the top of the cat tree from Dex it could be some of the issue (competition he who is higher is superior) but I think it is the outside cat(s).

The fact that they are usually very civil, eat together etc. and that they have their tails straight up tells me again that it is an outside influence that is causing these issues.

Were they overnight at the vet at all? Sometimes cats do pick up scents from the vet and that can possibly cause some insecurity.

Is it possible you got other cats scents on you and your shoes and your clothes when you were transferring them? Other scents can cause territorial insecurity. And it might explain the marking of the shoe rack? Anytime scents from other cats (especially intact cats) are introduced it can cause this type of marking. As you noticed with the kennel marking you mentioned.

Were these guys neutered at a later age?

Thank you so much for helping save animals from being destroyed through your non-profit. That additional stress could be a factor in this behavior combined with the additional scents they are probably smelling on you.

I am so glad you tried to be less stressed and that you played with them. It is great that they played together even at a distance. That is fine and it is understandable that one of them (Dexter) got a little funny that Buddy got too close. And great that you gave them treats after play. It will not work overnight but it will help over time. This also tells me that Dexter is probably the most bothered/insecure. Really try to build Dexter's confidence.

Also, it is great you gave them nice cuddle time. Awesome. Will help build their confidence (secure feelings).

I am getting more convinced it is the smells from other animals/cats. It could be the female neighbor but it very well could be the animals scents that you may be bringing home. If there is anyway to limit the scents and then continue with the confidence building routine of play, food, height and love that should help. I don't expect the spraying to end overnight but it should slowly happen less and eventually stop entirely. I do think Dexter is feeling most insecure and I am guessing Buddy is responding to his behavior so working on Dex should be helpful.

Hang in there, I think you are on the right path. I think we are making some progress understanding the issues. How we handle them is the next step. We'll see how they respond and we'll adjust accordingly. 

And please do not feel like you need to apologize, the more info the better. Good luck and we'll be here for you.

 

[Willowy]

I bet it is the female. They know. They can smell her. Maybe talk to the neighbors and see if/when they 0lan to have her spayed, and maybe encourage them along? Offer to help them find a low-cost clinic or help with transportation or whatever they need to help them get it done sooner?

 

[salem89]

So I don't want to jinx it because it's still 2 hours until midnight but...so far, so good! NO MARKING!

I remembered that Dexter also lounges high up above my bedroom window on top of my bookshelf but I'm still going to buy window perches. I'm looking at those "Sunny Side" suction cup perches and thinking of getting 2 for my balcony doors so that both Buddy and Dexter can perch without conflict. That's the only place I could fit 2 - thoughts?

And as far as I've seen, the owners are always out when their cat is out. I'll talk to them about spaying her when I see them next.

 

[calicosrspecial]

I don't know too much about perches for balcony doors. Maybe someone else could advise. I worry about the thickness of the glass in those doors and any risk to the cats. We don't want them to injure themselves especially given they do have a fair amount of places to go high.

I hope the owners of the female cat are decent people. Fingers crossed........................

 

[salem89]

I knew I shouldn't have jinxed it. Dexter has marked twice today. Once at his regular time in the morning, regular spot under my bedroom window. And then just now, again in the same spot, not too long after I had a great cuddle session with both him and Buddy. He had also just been on the balcony so I checked to see if the female unspayed neighbor was out but she wasn't. I'm noticing that this is only happening when I'm home and more often than not, near me.  I've been lying in bed not feeling well since I came home from work and this window he pees under is right at the foot of my bed. Before I adopted Buddy, Dexter had a problem with peeing on my bed whenever he was upset with me (or so it seemed anyway, I read a thread where people argued cats aren't capable of planning that kind of vengeful action but I don't see it as vengeful, I see it as him trying to communicate that he's upset about something). More often than not, it was when I would be gone all day at school and work then would come home just to sleep. He hasn't done that in a long time though, possibly because I'm home much more now and spend more time with him. But here we are...same problem, different location(s), unknown reasoning.

I'm so unbelievably frustrated. 

Anyway, these are the perches I was talking about  

Not sure what good they'll do but they're worth a try 

 

 

[calicosrspecial]

I am sorry to hear this. 

Did Buddy mark at all?

I too believe that cats can feel things and communicate in certain ways. It could be from being upset and it just could be from feeling insecure. Given you weren't feeling well it would not surprise me if that was a trigger (not the root cause) to his marking. I truly believe cats take on our feelings. 

What is Dexter's history? Where was he born, how was he raised, when did you get him, when was he neutered, etc.

What is confusing is the window is also at the foot of your bed. I still think this is an outside issue probably the female or possible another cat(s). Did you have your window open? I do think the fact it was not in your bed is meaningful.

He is feeling insecure or threatened in my opinion. I would continue with the play, food, height and love. It will not change overnight but it should help. Really get Buddy and Dex to play and eat together so Buddy becomes a source of strength/confidence to Dex.

LOVE that you had a good cuddle session with them together. I think he marked right after to tell other cats that "this is my human and I'm not sharing".

We will get through this, hang in there, I know it is frustrating but we will get through this.