Tempest Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 My brother and his wife are having a few stress related behavioural problems with their cat Simba and I thought i'd post here for advice as I don't know much about cats tbh They have two pedigree cats that are both house cats - Simba is probably around 14 months and Dexter just about 7 months. Simba has always been quite a 'nervy' cat and is quite jumpy of sudden movements/noises and new people in the house/visitors. He'd previously been a cattery for two weekends and a week's holiday and had come back fine. In August time Dexter arrived and after some initial problems the 2 boys get on fine. In Nov/Dec my brother and his wife were going to the US for 3 weeks and the cats were booked into the cattery. Since they've been home Simba has been really really stressed and nervy and has started 'spraying' and pooping on the coconut matting by the front door. He is still using his litter tray too but is soiling on the large area of coconut matting every day They've been cleaning the area with non-bio washing powder and have also put some kind of repellant stuff the other side of the front door as they thought it may have been triggered by the neighbours cat coming up to the frosted glass at the front door and worrying him but that doesn't seem to have helped. He is neutered and Dex is booked in at the vets for the same in a couple of weeks time. They've got a Feliaway plug in at the socket by the front door and he's fed on Burns and is eating well. When he got back from the cattery he'd lost weight and they said that he seemed stressed and hadn't wanted to come out of his basket for much of the time. There were a couple of issues with the cattery and my brother won't be using them again and I've said that whenever they go away in the future I'll go in a feed/spend time with the boys. Basically they're not sure what to do now to remedy the situation. They're going to take him to the vets for a check up and a chat but I thought I'd post here for any other ideas. Both the boys are getting on fine together, although Dex is a lot more outgoing, but he's brought Simba out of his shell a fair bit too though and they play/sleep together. I'd suggested maybe looking at a Feliaway spray/collar but any ideas gratefully recieved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 As well as the bio cleaning stuff they really need to use surgical spirit as well but tbh, they may have to chuck the mat, in fact, saying that, I would suggest doing just that for the time being if it's a hard floor underneath, cats can be quite fussy about the surface they mark on so hard floor might not be so tempting as a hairy mat. As to the stress , it might just be a question of time and trying to make everything as familiar and secure as possible. I also wonder if anything was changed in the house when the cats got back, the position of the litter tray or where they are fed ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 That was my first thought too, get rid of the mat. With something like that they'll never be able to remove the smell permanently, he'll always be able to detect a slight whiff. They need to break the cycle of him toileting there, even to the point of putting large objects there when they're home so that he can't possibly toilet there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodies Mum Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 Also they need to use biological washing powder as well as the surgical spirit. I too agree that the mat should go. I do hope that they can help the boy settle again. Could they also put up some sort of blacking material at the front door so next doors cat won't be seen if he comes visiting and also may not call if he can't see through the glass. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted January 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Sorry should have added that the matting is actually laid down like carpet so its not just a 'loose' mat that can be thrown away, they'd need to replace the whole piece of flooring. Its not long been down I don't think and wasn't cheap either Is it non-bio washing powder or bio that you need to use to clean up these kind of accidents by the way as I wasn't sure. The black out screen is a good idea too so I'll pass that on My other thought was maybe to feed him on that area as that might discourage him from using it as a toilet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 It's got to be biological. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trallwm farm Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 What breeds are the cats ? Feliaway doesnt work if there is a continual emotional problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Bio liquid, and it will need soaking, but I fear that they may have to replace it. If it were me, I'd take it up and chuck it. Once something like that has got pee soaked into it, it's had it, the cats always know. I'd chuck the matting, buy a cheap mat for now and work on the stress by trying to encourage him to play. Maybe get some new toys, spend some time rolling pingpong balls round the floor, that sort of thing. Dressing gown with a dangly cord so that the cat sees it trailing about without thinking you are looking at him too hard. Lots of dangly things on rods! If you can just get a cat playing even for 5 mins a day it seems to make a big difference with helping them unwind. Oh, nother thought, if they were using the same litter at the cattery, what about providing a tray of a different brand, see if he's developed some hangup about that particular one...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizz Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Zylkene is a good thing from the vets for stress we use it on our ferals for a couple of months after trapping and have had good results, he may also be stressed by Dexter not being "done yet" also get the vet to check him out it could be cycstitus and this can cause changes to litter tray useage We have currently 43 cats under our care mainly ferals and have had to reintroduce litter trays to a couple of them who took the loss of their beloved leader Miss Gracie a 19.yo feral lady so we went back to the dog cage routine and this also got them back on track Its silly things that tend to set them off - we changed the litter to all the same and our mob had a riot currently we have 4 different types on the go and the harmony is back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gremlin22 Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 like previous poster said i'd try shifting his food onto the matting and feeding him his favourite food there for a few days.sounds like poor cat is just very harrassed after a bad 3 weeks in a cattery and is desperate to make the place his own again. maybe the apartment he was in in cattery wasn't cleaned too well since previous guest and he's spent 3 weeks around the smell of a tom cat. if putting food there doesnt work..stick another litter tray there for a few weeks until he settles then gradually shift it to where existing one is.if he's just doing it to mark then a litter tray might do the job.good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kats inc Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 I used some of the bach flower remedies with Maddie when she was stressed and they seemed to help.Rescue remedy in the water definitely worked and I think I used mimulus too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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