Alu_Rathbone

you should try and get some cardboard... from the pet store that is... Cats love to scratch on that... and it keeps their claws sharp too...

Stummel

^^We've got a few scratch posts and they use those, but are fascinated with the back of the sofas. Oh well, we knew it would never be as clean and well kept again when we got animals, lol!

Alu_Rathbone

Haha! I know what you mean! Our cats destroyed our kitchen chairs, then we reupholstered them... then the King of Cats, Joe, came and destroyed them by "spraying" them... He's fixed so he cant do that... but Joe has a problem with certain fabrics.

Stummel

Yep, life is never the same again once there are furry critters. My favourite is picking animal hair from the washing machine every time I use it, and then there is still hair all over the clean laundry :roll:

Angelmerritt

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Angelmerritt

I would buy a new litterbox (without a lid, not self cleaning). Just a regular, plain old litterbox and special litter called "Cat Attract". Confine the cat to a small bathroom or laundry room for one week and see if that doesn't solve the problem. Sometimes old litterboxes harbor set in odors in the plastics that offend cats. Many times owners get fancy litterboxes that cats don't like (either the covers are too confining, LitterMaid is too frightful, etc). And the Cat Attract litter has an additive in it that entices them to use the litter. Another thing to try is having the stool tested for un-seen parasites.

Angelmerritt

Once you can rule out UTI (urinary tract infection) which are common in cats, you should definately move on to behavioral cures for her issue. One is Feliway and the other is Flower Essence.

This Feliway spray is a synthetic pheromone (almost like a body odor or hormone odor for cats) that mimics the scent a cat leaves behind when they rub their face/cheeks/whiskers on you. This is "marking" their territory to say "you are mine" or "I accept you as my family". So when your old cat goes to spray his territory again he will first smell the area and get a "whiff" of the Feliway and makes him think "hm, another cat has rubbed his face here . . . so this is where I am supposed to rub my face, not spray my urine". It has an overall calming/accepted effect on them.

Other treatment would be to give daily dose of medication or holistic type of treatment such as Bach Flower Remedies, Flower Essences, or vet prescribed anti-anxiety medication. This is a link to a website with some solutions that target the issues your cat is exhibiting especially the treatment called "Love My Litter Box:. http://www.catfaeries.com/essences.html . These remedies are meant to be used for several months as it often takes time for stressful reactions to go away and more tolerant behavior to become more habitual. If you don't feel comfortable with these, then see if your vet can prescribe an anti-anxiety/anti-depressant for several months to get your kitty more emotionally adapted to the stresses that are causing this behavior.

sandpat

Alu...don't bet on that! All of mine can still do it.

:-(

tlrnhi

Yup...had one that started, got him fixed and he still sprayed. Vet told me that once they start, sometimes they won't stop.
Now, ALL my furbabies are fixed before they can even get an inkling of doing something like that.

RatherB Quilting

Just a little FYI...Cats actually fight and climb with thier rear claws. They can do just fine without thier front ones. I also disprove of declawing...it's a horrible, HORRIBLE procedure...but as a Vet Tech, I know sometimes it is a necessary evil for a peaceful kitty home. I had to declaw one of my own. I didn't do it til he was seven and I had purchased brand new (expensive for me) furniture which he was scratching right down to the wood! It broke my heart, but was the only way we could peacefully co-exist. Weeks after his surgery, he escaped outdoors, when I found him he was proudly displaying the mole he had caught!
I would not suggest waiting til a cat is seven to perform a declaw if that is a choice...hard for them to heal. Another alternative which I used for years is called softpaws. It is a nail cap that you glue to your cats nails. They need to be replaced about monthly, but they come in a variety of colors and work quite well. I used to "humiliate" my younger boy by putting pink and purple on his nails! It amused me! I loved it!

On topic, I am glad to see that your little girl is starting to adjust a bit and is not peeing outside the box as much. I am sure the feliway takes a little bit to get to a level that works. I am really hoping that you can get it all taken care of!