Second Cat Problems.... Help!!!!

[bmullenix]

Have a 9 yr old female. Fixed. Added a 1.5 yr old male, fixed, and added to the house around 3 months ago. The male wants to play, sometime rough with the older cat. Sounds like fighting. We got a pheromone collar for younger male. Helps some.

Now the real problem.

Since we got the second cat, one of them is peeing on clothes. We don't have a lot of clothes out.... Folded in chair, laid out for next day, or hamper. It's happened 4 times.

Boxes cleaned daily. Put secondary liter box on the other side of house close to where peeing is happening. Still happening.

Older female now scratching hair off neck. Took to vet where they gave her allergy shot. That worked for a while and needed a second treatment. We have also had a move in the middle of all this.

Anybody have any advice to stop the peeing????

 

[Columbine]

It sounds like the peeing is stress related. If I had to guess, I'd say that your female is the culprit. She's had a lot of upheaval recently, and is likely feeling very insecure as a result. She's peeing on your clothes to meld your scents together in an attempt to prove to herself that she still has a place with you. Get some Feliway diffusers plugged in around the house. Flower essences (such as the Jackson Galaxy Spirit Essences range) may help both cats get rebalanced. Composure treats or liquid can help too in these situations. Maybe separate the two cats for a bit to make your girl feel less threatened. I'm wondering whether you rushed the introductions a bit too. It's not good for your boy to play rough with your girl. She may well be viewing it as an attack.

These articles may help :-
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/litterbox-problems-in-cats-the-ultimate-guide
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/potential-stressors-in-cats-the-ultimate-checklist
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/is-your-cat-stressed-out
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/six-surefire-strategies-to-reduce-stress-in-cats
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/the-ultimate-yet-simplified-guide-to-introducing-cats
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/breaking-up-cat-fights

 

[bmullenix]

With that info I'm almost sure it is stress mostly from the younger malem (Burmese) playing with the culprit. The female screens/hisses/growls. Looking at the male and his actions/mannerisms, its young playfulness. Any tips on smoothing this out?

 

[Columbine]

The single biggest help for this situation is to play with the youngster to thoroughly drain his energy. Ideally, this should be done at least twice a day, but once a day is a whole lot better than nothing. It's also worth considering separating the cats and starting introductions all over again, as outlined in the introductions articles above. The only difference would be for the site swapping to start pretty quickly - the cats aren't total strangers to each other or to you, and they both need to become equally familiar with and confident in their new home.

Also, go round your home and really look at it from a cat's perspective. The aim is to remove any dead ends and block off places your girl can trap herself (such as under furniture). You remove dead ends by making use of vertical space. An extreme example of how to achieve this is shown in this thread http://www.thecatsite.com/t/297074/snick-and-jaspers-new-cat-wall-furniture You don't have to go that far, but it's a good illustration of what can be achieved.

I really would try some Spirit Essences on the pair of them in conjunction with these other measures - there's a huge range and you should be able to find the right blend for each cat. This has to be done alongside other measures though - they can't help unless you address the root of the stress.

Yet more articles - this time on how to play with your cat to effectively drain excess energy http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-play-the-rules-of-the-game
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/playing-with-your-cat-ten-things-every-cat-owner-needs-to-know

 

[kittywhiskers]

As well as all the excellent advice that Columbine has given already you could also try giving your older girl some special time with you without the youngster around. Give her extra cuddles and treats to spoil her and treat her like she is the most important. She needs to know she is still your special girl.

Good luck!