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Post by Pahina722 on Mar 31, 2015 16:07:23 GMT
First, I LOVE cats and have had multiple ones for most of my life. Then, seven years ago, we adopted a brother/sister pair.
The female has shredded every doorframe in our house and has started in on the cabinets. Although I'm not fond of declawing cats, I've given up and am having her declawed. So, one problem solved.
The male, though, is a different problem. He SPRAYS everything: Christmas tree and presents, doors, windows, blinds, drapes, beds, couches, wood furniture, fireplace, outlets, cardboard boxes, plastics bags, anything on the floor . . . He is quite literally costing us thousands of dollars in cleaning and replacing ruined items. The kicker was when i was sitting on the couch petting him and he decided he'd spray me full in the face.
We've tried Feliway (sprayed more) and tinfoil (played with it). All the no kill shelters are full. We've shoved him outdoors, but he spent a solid day standing at the door howling to be let back in. So, any other suggestions? And yes, he's neutered and was before he began spraying.
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Post by anxiousmom on Mar 31, 2015 16:10:38 GMT
Gah. I have a cat that is doing the same door shredding thing. I can't get him to stop for the life of me. I have scratching posts everywhere, but he completely ignores them. He has started scratching the wood furniture too-of which I have a ton of-antiques everywhere.
I wish I had answers for you. I am going crazy trying to stop him.
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Deleted
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May 6, 2024 4:03:52 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2015 16:24:23 GMT
Wow, you are a great person because I would have thrown that cat into a pit.
First I would take the to the vet to see if they are healthy.
And then
If you need to keep them, then build them an outside kennel with cat walks.
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conchita
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Jul 1, 2014 11:25:58 GMT
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Post by conchita on Mar 31, 2015 16:30:25 GMT
I had a childhood pet just like your male cat. He was neutered, too, but sprayed all the time and ruined the carpet and walls. My parents tried several things but nothing ever worked. He did it until he died of old age. I love cats but won't get one. Especially not a male, because there's that possibility he'll turn out to be a dirty bastard and ruin my home. I hope someone can help you because it's one of the most frustrating issues to deal with as a pet owner.
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Post by Sassy Sabrina SWZ on Mar 31, 2015 16:30:46 GMT
Declawing a cat may (or may not) solve the shredding problem, but it may incur new problems. Declawed cats often feel pain when scratching in the litter box, so they try to avoid the pain associated with the box and start urinating in inappropriate places.
I do sympathize with what you're going through. A former cat of ours used to scratch on a burlap-type wall covering and effectively destroyed it. And we had to deal with urination outside the litter box, too, although it was for other reasons (medical issues).
Others may call you cruel to declaw your cat. I won't say that, as I understand the frustration you're experiencing. But I would try harder to find a solution or new homes for your cats.
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luvnlifelady
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Post by luvnlifelady on Mar 31, 2015 16:32:52 GMT
I have a cat that won't use the litter box to save her life. So frustrating! She also won't let me near her (but does like the rest of the family).
I would probably have to put your cat outside and just let him howl or spray him with water. You could try spraying him with water too every time you catch him scratching but with that kind of damage, I'd be at my wit's end. Sorry you are dealing with that.
I have 2 other cats that are fine and a small dog, but for some reason, my one cat is hell bent on driving me crazy!
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Deleted
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May 6, 2024 4:03:52 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2015 16:53:22 GMT
My parents had a neutered cat who started spraying on their wall.. only in one place. They put him outside for the summer (he had been an outdoor only cat for several years when my parents took him in, and had become an indoor/outdoor cat at their house) and when winter came and we was allowed back inside the house, the spraying stopped completely. It was like he had forgotten about it, or the several months outside had somehow stopped the habit.
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scorpeao
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Jun 25, 2014 21:04:54 GMT
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Post by scorpeao on Mar 31, 2015 16:59:23 GMT
I don't know what to tell you. I have a male cat that is hanging out at my house (whole neighborhood really) and spraying my front and back doors. I thought it was my indoor cat doing the front door until recently I found it at the backdoor. I love cats...much more than dogs, but I'm going to catch this cat and take it to the pound; it's terrorizing a few of my neighbors with indoor cats too, but my house is the only one he's taken to spraying.
Good luck. I've broken my cat of marking by the front door when this happened a couple years ago. I've found that the best pet odor remover is Rocco & Roxie. I got it off Amazon. That Feliway crap is stupid; never worked on my cat. I did have a Feliway collar on him and it seemed to work a little, so maybe try the collar before getting rid of your cat?
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Post by MichyM on Mar 31, 2015 16:59:43 GMT
What does your vet suggest?
Have te you changed litter brands to see if that helps? Is the box scooped at least once a day and completely emptied once a week? Does the male cat have his own litter box? Have you tried Prozac for kitties?
I hate the idea of rehoming him, as the issue will just follow with him.
That said, I had a female cat years ago that sprayed like that and it was a total pain. We never were able to solve the issue....so I feel your pain. Good luck!
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Post by songbird on Mar 31, 2015 17:13:49 GMT
I had a shredder kitty, too. It all stopped when I got her the cardboard scratchers. I had a couple of them, and she loved them. She never bothered any furniture after that as long as I replaced them regularly. Link to scratchersWe had several neutered male cats do the spraying thing while I was growing up, and each one of them had urinary tract issues, which is very common for neutered cats. I would definitely have him checked at the vet if you haven't already. |
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Post by krazykatlady on Mar 31, 2015 17:21:08 GMT
I have a male cat that is making it his mission to completely destroy the doorframe to our back door. He's also started working on the frame to the bathroom. I think it's his way of saying he wants outside or inside. He is not nor will he ever be an outdoor kitty, so if that's causing the scratching I guess I'll just have to live with it. He completely ignores the cardboard scratchers. Sigh. It's a good thing he's so cute Attachments:
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2015 17:21:13 GMT
I had a female cat who peed everywhere. It was so stressful in my house -- my husband was very ill at the time. The last thing I needed was having to clean carpets, dirty laundry, clean laundry, bedding, couches, pretty much anything soft. The vet checked for urinary tract infections, but she was fine. We even had a vet who specialized in cat behavior take a look at my house and try to figure out if there was something bothering her. We ended up with kitty prozac, and it worked for her. Like a miracle. I get it compounded into little salmon flavored kitty treats.
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anniebeth24
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Post by anniebeth24 on Mar 31, 2015 17:27:35 GMT
Sad to hear that Feliway didn't work. We have a neutered male that is apparently upset that we rearranged our living room and got new carpet. Started spraying the baseboards, mostly in the corners.
My mail order of Feliway room diffusers just arrived yesterday. This morning, I found that he sprayed the wall underneath the diffuser! Was hoping for a miracle.
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Post by Pahina722 on Mar 31, 2015 17:48:31 GMT
We took both cats to the vet yesterday and they both got clean bills of health. The vet suggested Feliway and then rehoming. We thought for years that the spraying was related to our two older dogs who were slowly losing their marbles and hoped that once they were gone, the spraying would stop. No dice. In fact, it seems to have worsened, as if Loki is determined to assert his dominance over the other two cats.
ETA: I will talk to the vet about kitty Prozac!
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Post by Lindarina on Mar 31, 2015 18:16:30 GMT
I have no advice for the spraying. But I have discovered an effective way to stop shredding. I put good old-fashioned vaseline where our cat sharpens her claws. She absolutely hates getting that greasy mess on her paws. It works with wood, like door frames and furniture.
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Post by gmcwife1 on Mar 31, 2015 18:17:34 GMT
I'm sorry. I have a friend with hellion cats - brother and sister. The worst one was finally diagnosed with allergies and now gets his meds 3 times a day and his behavior has changed dramatically!!
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Post by krazykatlady on Mar 31, 2015 20:15:19 GMT
I have no advice for the spraying. But I have discovered an effective way to stop shredding. I put good old-fashioned vaseline where our cat sharpens her claws. She absolutely hates getting that greasy mess on her paws. It works with wood, like door frames and furniture. I am so going to try this! |
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M in Carolina
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Post by M in Carolina on Mar 31, 2015 20:33:15 GMT
My male cat, Ziggy, shakes his tail/butt like he's going to spray, but he doesn't actually do it.
When we first moved to NC, Ziggy did spray on some of our luggage that had our off season clothes in it. We figured out that there were a lot of feral cats outside around our apartment complex, and Ziggy was reacting to them. Cats have an amazing sense of smell.
Recently, Ziggy has been more aggressive towards our eldest cat, Gris, and he once sprayed the rug in our downstairs bathroom. We put another litter box in there for him.
I've also noticed that Ziggy acts more aggressive when Gris' anal glands get stopped up. Some cats don't have issues with their glands, but Gris has always needed to have her expressed.
I have a friend who's cat got very sick because of infected anal glands, and the glands actually ruptured while my friend was away on a trip.
The vet can show you what to look for. I check my cats' glands. It's a lot easier and so much less stressful on Gris than making her go to the vet. She gets so upset that it takes her weeks to get over the stress.
I think that one of our neighbors has gotten a pet. Once Ziggy got used to the smell, he stopped.
I have put the plastic nail covers on my cats to stop them from scratching. We also trim their nails weekly and have several scratching posts and surfaces of different materials. I have leather furniture, and my cats don't scratch it up because they have their own areas to scratch and stretch. They've tried, but spraying with water as well as redirecting them to areas where they were allowed to stretch helped stop them.
Do get some tall posts because one reason why cats like scratching on furniture and draperies is because they need to stretch their full length--the stretching scratch is a stress reliever and feels really good--like how humans love to fully stretch their bodies out first thing in the morning.
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Post by gryroagain on Mar 31, 2015 20:43:04 GMT
You definitely need the Prozac! Sometimes spraying becomes a habit the cat can't break out of, and it's virtually impossible to retrain a cat like that. It would be kinder to put him to sleep, because no one wants a spraying cat- he will languish in a cage alone at a shelter, and that isn't fair. Please try medication, and there are retraining type things you can do also like put him in a dog kennel with enough room for him and a box, that's it. The cat uses the box because they are clean animals and don't want to sit in their pee, and gradually they get more room and are retrained to use the box- it breaks the cycle. But, spraying is more a marking thing than a pee thing, and it's tougher to stop.
Cat pee is the worst. Behavior Meds like Prozac and Valium need to be your next step. An outdoor life is t the worst thing, if the cat has good shelter. Many cats live full long lives outdoors. It's far preferable to rehoming him, because what if he was abused or abandoned because he sprays?
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Post by Dori~Mama~Bear on Mar 31, 2015 21:49:10 GMT
Gah. I have a cat that is doing the same door shredding thing. I can't get him to stop for the life of me. I have scratching posts everywhere, but he completely ignores them. He has started scratching the wood furniture too-of which I have a ton of-antiques everywhere. I wish I had answers for you. I am going crazy trying to stop him. Is the scratching posts covered with carpet? take carpet off one and see if he will scratch it when it is bare wood.... |
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Post by anxiousmom on Mar 31, 2015 22:14:17 GMT
Gah. I have a cat that is doing the same door shredding thing. I can't get him to stop for the life of me. I have scratching posts everywhere, but he completely ignores them. He has started scratching the wood furniture too-of which I have a ton of-antiques everywhere. I wish I had answers for you. I am going crazy trying to stop him. Is the scratching posts covered with carpet? take carpet off one and see if he will scratch it when it is bare wood.... Well, duh. Why didn't I think of that?? It is a great idea! I am going to try it tonight! |
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Post by peasapie on Mar 31, 2015 22:28:17 GMT
Wow. I have had three cats and none of them did those things. That would drive me absolutely nuts. You are being very patient and considerate.
I don't know what the cause or solution is, but wanted to say that I commiserate!
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Post by Sassenach on Mar 31, 2015 22:37:51 GMT
I have three cats and one has to live outside because she can't/won't stop using the bathroom in the house. (She has several other health issue though-intestinal cancer and diabetes).
Have you considered kitty prozac? I don't know if it actually works but I have read that it is used to treat this sometimes. I would ask your vet and see what he/she suggests.
Good luck. I know how frustrating and expensive this problem can be.
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Rainbow
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Where salt is in the air and sand is at my feet...
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Post by Rainbow on Apr 1, 2015 4:15:11 GMT
Sorry you are dealing with this. I found new homes for my cats when my daughter became allergic to them.
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Post by spitfiregirl on Apr 1, 2015 5:03:23 GMT
i had a cat that peed in my laundry pile. Once i was doing a 1000 piece puzzle and i was wondering why the puzzle started smelling so bad. The cat peed in the box is puzzle pieces, so i was sorting through cat pee while trying to do the puzzle…. WHen i realized what happening, i threw the puzzle in the trash.
I hope none of my kids ever come home with a cat. I will not enable kitten ownership.
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Post by krazykatlady on Apr 1, 2015 6:11:46 GMT
I tried putting Vaseline on the back doorframe and ... It worked! He did not scratch one one time after discovering it was there. Thanks so much Lindarina |
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wiredmommy
New Member
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Post by wiredmommy on Apr 1, 2015 13:04:13 GMT
I have a male cat that was randomly deciding not to use the litterbox. At my wits end, I came across this at Amazon: Precious Cat Cat Attract Problem Training Litter I was like, I can't believe this is going to work but it had 4 1/2 stars and I figured it was worth a try. I dumped the old box of litter and filled it with the new litter. NOT ONE SINGLE ACCIDENT SINCE. It's been like 3 months now, so I feel safe to say that it actually does work!! It's a little pricey but TOTALLY WORTH IT. I think Petco or Petsmart sell it in store. It's like magic - there's something "herbal" in it that actually attracts the cats (I have three cats), but it's not catnip. Hope this helps somebody else out there, so frustrating when kitty isn't using the box!! |
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Post by Dori~Mama~Bear on Apr 1, 2015 18:09:27 GMT
Is the scratching posts covered with carpet? take carpet off one and see if he will scratch it when it is bare wood.... Well, duh. Why didn't I think of that?? It is a great idea! I am going to try it tonight! I had a friend that had a couple cats and one wouldn't scratch anything that had carpet on it but destroyed many wood items in their house so her husband made the cat a large scratching post condo thing and left it bare 2 X 2's and 4 X 4's and the cat loved it. |
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Post by epeanymous on Apr 1, 2015 18:20:35 GMT
No real advice. My cat first started shredding everything, everywhere. We tried everything, nothing worked, and I now have a clawed-up sofa, clawed-up walls, clawed-up chairs -- thousands of dollars worth of stuff that has to be replaced. During her last year, she un-housetrained herself. Vet said her kidneys were fine, she just decided she was going to use the whole house as a litter box. Again, more damage. I know, I am a heartless person to be so mad that a living creature destroyed stuff, but, now, we're putting our house on the market, and I am having to pay to fix everything that cat did. When she died (old age and natural causes), I was sad for the cat that I had ten years ago, but I was not sorry to lose the incredibly destructive cat she had become.
It's worth thinking about how you are going to feel for the next several years if you can't get the cat's behavior under control and how you will proceed with that knowledge. I kept my cat out of incredible guilt and "you will be a horrible person if you give her away/put her to sleep" that I felt.
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Southern Side eyed Pea 
