Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hello! I have had my older cat Toaster for over a year now. He always used the litter box and behaved well. I got another kitten about 5 months ago and Toaster doesn't listen at all anymore. He refuses to poo in his litter box. He will pee in it but always poops on the floor about two feet in front of his box. We tried switching litter brands and we got another litter box. Nothing seems to help. He also loves to beat up his little brother. (They are both fixed) he will run up and smack the kitten a few times and run away. Other times, he doesn't care and plays with him. The kitten just lays flat and takes the beatings. Toaster also doesn't listen to us anymore. He is always jumping up on the table or counters where he knows he isn't suppose to be. We tried putting aluminum foil on the counters but he isn't afraid of it anymore. Any advice?

It sounds as though poor Toaster isn't enjoying sharing his home that much - cats usually try to jump up higher to feel more secure, and that might also explain the pooping. I think you should try looking at things from his point of view, rather than blaming him and calling him stubborn?

I do realize that he doesn't like sharing his home and I'm looking for advice on how to make it better for him. I can't just get rid of the other cat because he doesn't like him. I thought by now, 5 months later, that he would be ok with his new brother. He doesn't seem to feel threatened by Kevin(the new kitten). He just doesn't like him very much. He is the aggressor and Kevin just gives him space. Toaster jumps on the table and counter looking for people food, even though he has constant access to food and water. We don't give him people food, either.

Hi, I was in the same situation as you are in, only I gave my wee girl back to the lady I rescued her from. My own male cat is 8 years old and I got Lily who was around 18months. Dexy didn't like it as he has never had to be around other cats. He wouldn't leave her alone, kept biting her even when she was lying on the floor grooming herself. Then he would chase her and pin her down fur flying situations. He was basically bullying her every day( not just the once). I didn't think it was fair on her. The lady she is with has other cats and kittens. Lily has been cleaning the kittens and she only allows the kittens on her climbing frame that I had bought for her. She has been having paw fights with the other adult cats and stands her ground everytime. I think Dexy has hardened her up. Good luck with your two.

Poor Toaster! First he has a new "baby" to adjust to in his personal space, and the attention that kittens inevitably get will have reduced the amount of quality time he gets with you, so he's feeling doubly insecure about his position in the house. His jumpting ont he work tops is probably his way of (a) getting away from Kevin and (b) him saying "I'm here, please notice me. Don't you love me anymore?" Annoying as it is, him being on worktops is not the end of the world, so I'd stop stressing about it. Some battles just aren't worth fighting, particularly if then getting told off more, when his world is already turning upside down, is stressing him.

Kevin is now moving into early adolescence, so imagine having a hormonal attention seeking and lively 13 year old boy in the house (the horror!). Toaster doesn't sound like he's aggressively attacking him, he's just doing what cats do, ie establishing a hierarchy. It's very rare that cats act like best buddies in a way that we would understand, but so long as Kevin isn't unduly stressed or harmed by this (and his submissive pose sounds like he's just accepting the lessons from his elders and betters), I wouldn't worry about it and leave them to it. Yes, it's a bit sad to watch, but once they've reached an understanding and Kevin learns to treat Toaster with a bit of respect, they'll soon learn to give each other space and cohabit relatively peacefully. You could step in when it looks like it's getting out of hand, but don't punish either of them, just separate them and give them a few minutes apart to cool down. I often found just a gentle tap on the back of both parties was enough to make them look away from each other (ie at you) for long enough to give one of them the opportunity to exit the situation with some dignity, and they could retreat to their corners to calm down.

Meanwhile, do give Toaster some love and reassurance, and instead of getting cross with him when he's on the worktop, gently put him on the floor, saying no in a firm (but not necessarily loud) voice, then immediately give him some treats on the floor to reinforce that this is where good things happen, and give him some love!

The pooping outside the box is a territorial thing. Some cats do it in the garden when newbies are on the block to tell them, more forcefully than by simply spraying, that this is Their Turf! Once your boys have adjusted to being together, this should stop, but meanwhile keep the litter trays clean and perhaps put some newspaper on the floor, or a bit of old floor vinyl, to make it easier to clean up. I know it's gross, but my old boy Mitz did this nearly every day towards the end of his life, (and I'm not the sort who would normally take cat toilet problems in my stride), and I just learnt that it was associated with stress and just cleaned it up. It wasn't the end of the world. In his case, the stress was associated with his blindness, so there wasn't a lot I could do about it, but in your case hopefully this should improve once Toaster is feeling a bit happier.

You might find this link helpful in understanding the dynamic between them, but Vicky Halls has written some good books on cat behaviour, and "Cat versus Cat" (below - "other good booksellers are available!" ) is also very good, and easy to read.

http://www.catchat.org/hierarchies.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cat-vs-Keeping- ... 0142004758