I recently adopted a 4-year old female Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, spayed. Her previous owner had passed away. She is a great dog, and was perfect for me and my kids EXCEPT she would get so horriby upset each time she was left. She was pooping out of anxiety each time. I decided she needed a companion and adopted a 7 month old male Foxhound/Lab mix, neutered. The love each other and she is much happier. Hasn't pooped when left home since he got here. However, she has gradually quit peeing or pooping in the yard. She first skirted the edge and went just on the edge. Then she moved to the flower beds. Now she's going on the stones in the backyard. Even after I scoop the poop, she refuses. She'll go on the stone even when I shout "No." I try to pull her into the grass immediately, but she pulls out of her collar. I've tried the last two days to take her out on a leash, but she won't go. Yesterday she pooped in the house while I was here. First time ever. I think she may be averse to the dirtier yard now that there's a second dog, but I don't know what I can do about it. Pretty soon she's going to run out of stone too! Please help!

It is possible that she does want her yard cleaner. That would certainly be the starting point. It is also possible that she was frightened by something on the grass--snake or spider or bee bite, or any lawn chemical for instance that made the grass aversive. 

I would begin by keeping everything very clean. Then, rather than scold her, take her to the desired area and wait with her patiently until she eliminates, then praise her. If you think she will only use the stone, then take her to an area of stone, ask her to "go potty" and wait to praise her. When she is consistent, try the same routine on the grass.

I recently adopted my sister's tabby (approx 6 yr old male). I had a 10 yr old male orange tabby of my own. Since I brought the new cat in he's bitten me once & tried a 2nd time. Now he acts like he wants me to pet him (lies on his back - climbs on me, etc - stuff which I normally would take as being friendly) - I don't trust him - I don't feel like being bitten again.

What I really worry about is that he seems to be terrorizing my cat - he sits in front of him and constantly meows at him - this happens especially in the morning. I would have gotten rid of him after he bit me but I promised my sister (deceased) that I'd take him in - Now I wonder.

Any ideas what I can do? I live in a row home & I really don't feel like having the cats segregated - I just want them to get along (if possibel).

This is a tough question to answer. I would tell you that cats can bite people for many reasons. Each reason might have a different prognosis and require a different course of action. For instance, the cat might have been a little afraid of you at first, and is now comfortable and won't bite. Or, he may be a cat that just tolerates so much petting and then becomes aroused and bites. That cat would need to have pets restricted forever.

Regarding his behavior toward your other cat: the meow could be friendly and he may want to play, or he may be frightened of your cat and be saying "get away". 

It sounds as though you might need professional help--an in person evaluation to help you decide whether this new cat can be safely integrated. You might supply your veterinarian with some videos of the cat interacting with you and your cat. 

We have a spayed two year old cat who treats a small stuffed cat like her baby. She has been carrying it around in her mouth and, when she does, she meows in a very distressing way and looks around as if she is trying to either find other "kittens" or is trying to find a safe place for her baby. We wonder what this behavior might indicate. Also, when a cat is spayed do they simply remove the uterus or do they take the uterus and ovaries out. Also, this cat acts like a kitten in her playfulness. We have had cats for over 40 years and haven't come across a cat quite like this. We have had her for 1-1/2 years.

I have seen this behavior that you describe. Honestly I am not sure exactly what it means. Most of the time the sound is distressing but the cats don't look agitated. I would try to be sure she has safe hiding places for her friend. And offer her many other play toys and plenty of interactive play so that the fake cat may take less priority for her. She is probably just fine.

Spaying nearly always involves removing the ovaries and uterus. 

My 8 year old, neutered Maine Coon has begun to suddenly hiss and attack my boyfriend of 6+ months. Jon has never initiated touch or contact with Marbles, allowing him to decide when and where the petting, etc., is to occur. Then, suddenly, one morning Marbles began hissing at Jon and then lunged at his legs, leaviing bloody sctraches. I am a two cat household, with a 12 year old neutered cat, who adores Jon, so I am at a loss as to why this happened with Marbles and would appreciate any advice.Thank you.

Cats can attack people for several reasons. Probably the most common reason is fear. Since you mentioned that Jon has not initiated contact--very wise albeit difficult for a cat lover I expect--I assume that your cat must not have given friendly overtures. Perhaps Jon has a cat of his own, and your cat is concerned about the scent. If that is the case, then you may be able to start off with Jon keeping his clothing at your house and changing before coming in, perhaps using a cologne that you begin to spray daily so that Marbles becomes familiar. If not a cat smell, then you may be able to start with a screen door or double gate to separate the two, and allow Marbles to view Jon from safety, then Jon may be able to initiate play or offer food through the gate.

Some cats act more boldly and pursue visitors much as they would pursue a cat that roamed into its territory. 

Marbles may actually benefit from an analysis by a behaviorist. Then we can learn the diagnosis and be very specific about treatment.

My 8 mo. old kitten chews and tears up cardboard boxes and any paper left around. She climbs on counters during the night and knocks everything on the floor. She even knocked an electric chopper out of a cubbard in the laundry room that I had inadvertently left open. We can't leave anything out. I play with her a lot but if she gets tired of the mouse play she starts biting me and chewing on things. She climbs the drapes and even pulls them down (on spring rods). I always wonder what kind of war zone I will wake up to in the morning. If I keep her in the bedroom she will keep me awake all night. She was spayed at 5 or 6 mos. and was pregnant at the time. I think she was due to give birth soon.

The vet spayed her and aborted the kittens. She has all her shots. We have a 10 yr old persian male that she chases and bites his back. However, they are laying on the bed together now and he does stare her down now so she is biting him less I think. Please help with the aggressive behavior. Thank you.

It sounds as though you have a very busy cat. Before you go to bed, try to leave things for her to play with. One day a couple of boxes, hide toys in paper bags, leave food filled toys. Give her projects to engage her. And lots of vertical surfaces for resting in between. You can set up "curtains" for her to play with as well. 

If she continues to be destructive, you might need to try to confine her so that her only choices are the items you offer. Part of the behavior is very rewarding to her so interrupting the cycle may be needed. 

Try to end play before she is bored. Wind her down with some treats. In fact, she may benefit from learning some commands so that you can add a training session--teach her sit, roll over, high five. That way she has something else to think about before biting.

I have two indoor female cats; one was adopted and brought into the home when she was about 1 year old. My other cat was about the same age. I have never had any litter box issues with either of them. However on two occasions over the past month or so the adopted kitty has pooped right in the middle of my bed. I cannot figure out what may have prompted her to do this. Can you help me?

Be sure that the cats are getting along and that one is not ambushing the other when she uses the box. And be sure that the boxes are kept very clean. The things that drive cats from boxes include a box that is not up to snuff with cleanliness, or a box that is too far away so inconvenient (try a box closer to the bedroom if possible), or a box that is too small (did she outgrow the box), or litter type that is not favored. If all those things are not helpful, then have a good physical exam to rule out a medical problem.

My cat, who has a clean box will poop on a throw rug. If I have one in the restroom she goes there. I have stopped putting them down. I had one folded up by out back door on new carpet and she went on it. Help she is about to be sent to the humane society! Its been going on for ever.

Many cats favor little rugs rather than boxes. I hope you will be patient with her. There are many options. First is to put boxes in more conveneint areas for the cat even if less convenient for you. See if she will make the right choice if the box is just beside the rug. If she still chooses rug, then you may need to start by putting a small rug / piece of fabric into the box. The goal is to get her into a box. Once she uses the box, you can add bits of litter. 

Another choice is to use barriers to keep her from accessing certain areas. You may roll up the rug when you leave the house, and keep an eye on her when you are home. You may also just confine her twice daily until she uses a box, then let her roam when she is "empty". All these things would be kinder than returning her to a shelter.

I have a new rescue in my home on my screened in porch. She is a spayed female and she attacks my two neutered males with a vengence. I thought she was protecting her kittens but they are adopted out now. She is mean. What can I do to get her to calm down. My cats run off and do not stay around or else she chases them and acts like she is going to kill them. I have no other home for her as SC is overrun with cats. She is not pretty. She is affectionate with people.

Unfortunately, this cat may not really like other cats and that may be her personality. The more she terrorizes, the less likely your cats will ever relax. If would be helpful if she could be confined out of sight of the others so that they could relax. Then you can try leash training her or putting her into a large crate for behavior lessons. The only time she should see your cats is during a lesson. Let her see that your cats are eating and relaxing, offer her great food during these lessons. It is possible that she is not mean but afraid and if she can see your cats up close and they cannot run away or be hurt, all parties may relax.

I have a 2 yrs old male named lucky that was adopted after my female torte cat daisy. they get along most times but at times lucki will grab the neck of daisy and wont let go until we are right on top of him. she hisses and screams when he has a firm grip on her. . he also at times grab her on the back of the neck too . they both have been neutered and spayed and both are declawed before i adopted them. . they eat together and sometimes sleep on the same bed together but other times lucki will attack daisy . no blood or hair missing . and i have reprimanded lucki when he does this behavior . i noticed that daisy is very thin though and she does hide more . they both are non agressive toward me . daisy is more afraid of being out in the open. when lucki comes around she disappears. i read there are medications i can give both.

also as a resolve can i put daisy in the crate lucki sleeps in at nite to get the scent of lucky on her which maybe will stop the agression.

what can i do . i was thinking of giving lucki away due to daisy is the first cat adopted and this has been going on for a year now .

thanks for your help in advance

Have a blood test to be sure Lucky was neutered appropriately. Be sure there are plenty of feeding stations around the house so Daisy gets enough calories. It would not be best to lock Daisy up--better to confine Lucky for safety reasons. When you cannot supervise, one cat should be confined so that there are no more opportunities. It may be that Lucky is maturing into a cat that does not tolerate the proximity of others. If you catch him about to pursue her, try to distract him. Give him plenty of toys and perhaps even train him to follow some commands so that he is too busy to harass daisy.

I have 3 cats 2 females and 1 male, all adopted from the shelter. The male is about 1 1/2 years old, he was the firs one i adopted. After about 6 months latter i adopted a female who was about a year old at the time now she is about 2 1/2. They seemed to get along in the begining. He has always been very playful and she has not, she is more mellow. It seemed like everything was fine. On November of 08 i decided to adopt a third kitty. I adopted a 6 month old female. She is very playful and a little cookie at times. Right away she got along with the male, but my other female didn't like her too much, she didn't attacked her just stayed away from her.

For the last 1or 2 moths the male has been attacking the older female. Im not even sure how it all started. They have been together for over a year now, so i don't undestand his behavior. Whenever he goes to any room in the house and she is there, she will leave right away. He just sees her and chases her untill she gets her. She does have the abilityto jump higher than him so that's how she gets away, some times, however they eat together every mornig with out fightting.

He loves the younger kitty and has never attacked her. She follows him a lot.

I am very concerned, I love my cats and

just want them to get along, at least most of the time.

What can I do?

Your male may be responding to the female's behavior change--staying away more. OR he may be bonding with the new cat and not wanting to share her with the other cat. Or, he may just be growing up. Cats often begin to show aggression toward housemates after they are mature. 

It is important that you separate the cats so that there is no chance for the male to chase and frighten the female--that will make things worse. Then, you can have some sessions where you supervise and keep the cats busy with delicious food, then separate again. The male can associate the female with nice things. 

Honestly, I would strongly advise you to seek professional help and have someone watch these cats and set up a plan to resolve the problem once and for all.

I have 6 pugs. The two youngest, twins, are 6 months old. I walk my dogs morning and afternoon. When i attempt to walk the twins together they play fight and grab each others leashes. For the past three weeks i have been doing two walks each time. On the first walk I take one baby and my 3 year old. Then on the next walk I take the other baby and the 7 & 8 year old. They do fine on the leash with them. I praise them over and over again about being good girls. Then yesterday, because they were doing so well I tried walking them again together. They went right back to the pulling on each others leashes and play fighting the whole way. How can I break that behavior so that as winter comes I can walk them all at one time?

If the dogs are playing, then your best solution would be to work with a good obedience trainer. One that uses a reward based system. The trainer can show you how to teach the dogs to walk calmly as a couple. It may be one on each side to begin. But you should be able to solve this problem.

We have a lyr. old cat and she got along just fine with everybody and still does except for my youngest son. She use to let him hold and pet her and he went on vacation for about a week and when he came back she won't let him do anything to her. He picks her up or tries to pet her she will run away/if he holds her she growls at him lays her ears back and her eyes get real big and she tries to get her feet up there so she can scratch his face off or worse. When she does that he then lets her go just wondering if there is something he or all of us can do. I want her to like him also and she use to, don't know what happened in that week.

Hope you will be able to give me some answers or help somehow. Thank you

Maybe when he returned he had a scent that was unfamiliar and made your cat nervous. The best thing to do is not force things. Let your cat observe your son from a comfortable distance, he can provide treats or play time but only if she approaches him. She may come around on her own when the pressure is off.

I have two kittens, approximately 4 months and 6 months of age. The younger kitten will not stay off the kitchen counters. I tell him no, put him on the floor and even sometimes slap him (it truly ONLY hurts me and not him), but he will turn around and jump right back up there. I know they are playing on the counters while I am at work because of the destruction I find. The older one does not do anything wrong (while I am at home). He seems to have learned what I consider inappropriate behavoir. I have tried tin foil around my plants to try to save them and it did not work at all. I reward them when they are not on the counters and I have provided a cat tower and many toys for them to play with. How can I safely make the counter top unappealing?

Please do not hit your cat--it can have bad consequences in the future. You can buy products that make counters unappealing. There are many motion sensors available that emit noises or bursts of air. There are mats that have nubs that are uncomfortable for cats to sit on. And there are mats that give a static charge much like a dryer charge, cats don't like any of those things.

My cat is 15 years old and for about the last year, when I am laying on the couch, he will nuzzle with me and let me pet him and kiss him and he will just purr and purr - which sounds like contentment to me. Then after a few minutes, he gets up and jumps off the couch, look at me for a few minutes, and then out of nowhere bites me on the arm with such fevor! He always draws blood and I have more scars on my arm from old bites. What is he trying to tell me? Why does he go from such a nice moment to such a aggressive moment? Thank you!

There are a couple of possibilities. He may be uncomfortable, so have him checked over by your veterinarian. He may bite because he associates you with the pain. Or, he may be starting to have come cognitive decline and get confused. Your vet can screen for that too. Finally, his nervous system may be changing and he has become more easily stimulated. Try to keep the pets shorter, and end before he becomes excited.

We have an automatic litterbox that is kept extremely clean, but lately our male cat has decided to vacate on the floor in front of our sliding glass door that leads to the back yard. He also recently relieved himself on some blankets that were left on the floor. We can't seem to break him of this cycle. We show him the mess, tell him no and then immediately take him to his litterbox. My husband wants to get rid of him. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Try not to scold him, since he might become afraid and then more problems will develop. And don't lead him to the box. Instead, try offering a box in the problem area. And try 2 boxes in the original area. Put a standard box next to the automatic--maybe he would prefer a traditional box. Also test different litter types. Most likely, if you work with his preferences, you will solve the problem.

One of my cats is aggressive towards another. The picked-on cat can't use her litter box and resorts to other places in the house. We try to isolate the picked-on cat in a room with a litter box for at least a few hours a day, but this far from ideal and doesn't solve the aggression problem.

You will need to isolate for more than a few hours. The cats should never be together except when you are there to supervise. Place plenty of boxes all around so there is easy access, and plenty of food and water. Then, have sessions where you keep the aggressive cat engaged with play or food, and if he won't bite you, use a leash as well. Let the other cat have some delicious food far away from the aggressor so that he sees her but cannot chase and hopefully does not want to. If you can interrupt all chase / flee patterns, then gradually, he may stop trying to chase and they will be abel to be together again.

We recently moved about 4 blocks from our previous home. Our 10 year old, spayed female cat Tillie has moved with us several times before, but for some reason this time continues to return to our old house every night. We have had to go get her everyday. She stays all day, but leaves again at night. What can I do to keep her around?

This is a very common scenario. For safety, you should consider making Tillie an indoor cat. If that is not possible, then she should not be allowed to go out at night. It can take cats several months to be comfortable in their new house. 

I have 2 cats brother and sister that have always been together. I've had them for about 3yrs and i got them when they where 12 weeks old. They have always gotten along very good with each other but one night we heard very loud sounds coming from up stairs. My cats where extremly violently fighting each other, it was so bad that they knocked over my big screen tv / computer desk with the monitor and computer on it and it was the male cat attacking while the female was extremly loudly hissing and running. I got them seperated and tried rubing them down with the same towel then re introduing them about 2 weeks later when it was time to eat but the same thing happend but this time when i tried seperating them my male cat attacked me. everytime my female cat comes close to my bedroom door where the male cat is locked up he hisses and she runs. they are not fixed or sprayed and im assuming it has something to do wit him suddenly becoming territorial but now hes urinating on all my clothes and blankets. about 2 months ago the female got upstairs outside the door i didnt notice and when i went to leave the room he pounced on my leg and messed it up so badly i couldnt walk to 3 weeks. well yesterday the same thing happend again except this time he chased me around the room as i was spraying him with water untill my cousin got him into my closet. I left him in there for about 10mins then he was calm acting like nothing happend. hes siting on my lap perfectly fine as i type this long story but im wondering exactly what i should do to fix this problem. there cat liter is cleaned daily they always have both wet and dry food at all times. and its only the male that aggesive.

If the cats are not neutered, then neutering would be the first step although not a guarantee. It may be that the male cat was making advances on the female and when she resisted he became frightened and began to attack. 

You will need to gradually reintroduce them, and continue to separate them when you are not home. Bring them together for pleasures--food, play with them using a barrier such as a gate for safety. It can take months to reintroduce cats that become frightened in this way. This is a situation that really warrants professional help in person.

5 yr. old semi-feral cat has ate his food morning and evening on our front porch. Now he will not come up to the porch and just sits in the driveway and cries. We got him in the garage and tried to feed him, but he is afraid of his food - slapping at it and trying to spill it, but won't eat it. He cries to get out of the garage and will not come up to eat like he has done for the past 4-1/2 years. He is scared of everything and very nervous and anxious. This has been going on for the past 2 days. Any suggestions on how to handle the situation?

It sounds as though he may be ill. Perhaps his teeth hurt. Anytime a cat stops eating he should go to the vet. If he is feral, you may need to trap him. 

My 6 month old cat poops in the bathtub occasionally even though I keep his litter box clean everyday. I have 2 cats and 2 boxes. He's neutered, up to date on vaccines and seems like a very happy normal kitten. He seems to go in the box most of the time but continues to go in the bathtub at least 3-4 times a week. I've tried many things to avert him to no avail. He's seeing the vet in 2 days for a rabies shot and I will have a chance to talk to the doc. I would appreciate any suggestions or analysis. Thank you.

It is generally not a good idea to discourage a behavior without offering a solution. So, until you find an alternative to the tub, perhaps be happy it is the tub and not a bed or sofa. Try adding a third box. Make that box different from the others. If the other is hooded, this should be open. Test to see over 2 weeks--does he use the tub the same:? Or does he love the new box? Then test two different litters and then two different depths. Once you learn what combination reduces the use of the tub, you can use a deterrent in the tub.

My male neutered Maine Coon Cat Max has lately been doing a strange ritual. He kneads me very hard with both front and back legs and when I try to stop him he meows very loudly over and over in my face as though he were annoyed. The kneading is not slow and soothing the way it is when cats are being friendly but more forced and aggressive. We have one other cat Dave who is also a neutered male and seems to be dominant to Max.

Thnanks

There are a few possibilities. You don't mention Max's age. If an older cat, then he needs a good check up as he may not be feeling well. If a young cat, he may be experiencing some anxiety associated with maturity. The best thing to do is not to stop him physically, but to give him another behavior to do. For instance try to distract him with a toy, or even try to teach him some tricks as an outlet.

My male cat, has been nutered. He is a sweet darling of a cat. He is 6 years old. All of a sudden he is having litter box issues. He's pooping and urinating outside the litter box. I left my hoody on the sofa and he urinated on it. He eats well, playing is normal. He looks healthy as well.

Even if he looks well, he needs a check up and some lab work. If he is fine, then we need to look for any changes in the environment that might be stressful for him. Also, be sure the litter box is clean. Offer him two boxes with different choices of litter to see whether he does not like what is inside his box. Don't give up though--it just may take a bit more information to get a diagnosis and give you more specific treatment. Any chance to bring him to a behaviorist?

My cat is a 2-year-old neutered male. He's pretty laid back about half the time; the other half, he's a real maniac. He'll go from sleeping to suddenly tearing around the house at warp speed, knocking things down and creating havoc. Then he'll do this thing that I can only describe as "hopping on tippy-toes" sideways, and then he'll bite my feet. Oh, he also likes to sneak up on me and bite me; in the leg, in the back, on the butt -- nothing's off limits when he's in this mood. Just as abruptly, he'll curl up in my lap and purr like a kitten. So is he going to outgrow this behavior at some point, or will I have to wear pants and long sleeves forever? Thanks!

I hope that he is not biting hard? If he is, then this is very serious. If he is nipping but perhaps slightly breaking skin, I am less worried. It does sound as though he thinks he is having fun.

One option is to create a very enriched environment so that he has so many projects that he does not have time to nip you. Hide things all around, food snacks, toys. Offer cat tunnels and paper bags for him to explore. 

Another help may be to teach him some fun cat tricks to keep his mind occupied. He can learn to fetch, roll over, jump through a hoop. 

And be sure you do offer plenty of play time with a wand or other item so he knows that to engage you, he just needs to find a toy.

He may settle down as he matures. On the other hand, some people like the idea of perpetual kittens.

Please help me...I bought my male Birman from a breeder because I wantedf a sweet, docile, loving cat. He is a year and 4 mos. now and he still continues to bite. He is territorial of his kitty condo, so we don't bother him when there. If we tell him "no" he will go for our ankles 3 times to bite us. Yesterday, I was sitting doing some work and he just came over to me and bit me - out of nowhere. He does draw blood, I'm at my wits end to get him to stop this behavior

This sounds like a situation that demands professional help in person. Aggression in cats can be very serious. Sadly, cats often increase their aggressive behavior as they mature. Treatment may involve altering his perception of his territory, and desensitizing him to your approaches. So that he welcomes your approach rather than thinking of you as a threat. Scolding must be done delicately if at all. Instead of scolding, think of redirecting him.

Perhaps your veterinarian can refer you to a local behaviorist?

I grew up with dogs, so I have very little experience with cats. I got 2 cats (brother Jack and sister Jill) about 3 years ago, but the female got hit by a car about a year ago. A friend who has a one-year-old son found black mold in his apartment, and he could only take one cat to his new place. I agreed to take the other one (Sydney), a female about a year old. (All these cats were fixed, and I prefer to allow my cats the go outside freely.)

In the months that Jack was here by himself, he became very lovey-dovey: crawling into my arms to sleep, rolling over to be petted frequently, etc. But since Sydney arrived, Jack has become very jealous and won't cuddle at all any more. He's clearly mad at me. I installed a cat door in a basement window, and he used it for a while until she figured out how to use it, now he looks at it with disdain.

Sydney is a bit of a problem cat; that's partly why my friend's girlfriend insisted they get rid of her. She follows me around everywhere, and whines if she can't be in the same room as me. And she constantly harasses Jack. I'm starting to regret accepting her, but it's a done deal; they can't take her anyway.

So, my questions are: Will this get any better? What, if anything, can I do to mitigate the problems? Will Jack ever forgive me and start cuddling again?

Jack is probably not angry, just a bit anxious. Try to find a lot of projects for Sydney so that she leaves Jack alone. Lots of toys, lots of cat condos and tunnels and things to explore. Put food filled toys all about for her to find. Hopefully, she won't have time for Jack.

I am very concerned about my dog Teddy. I adopted him about 6months ago and immediately got him nuetered because I have an unfixed female. A few days after bringing him home from the Vet she was in heat and they locked up. I asked the vet and he said that it was ok and he could not get her pregnant. Once again my female is in heat and they have locked up countless times. They wake me up in the middle of the night because they are locked up. This has happened several times a day and night for about a week now. I have never seen a neutered male lock with a female before and am extremely worried that something went wrong and he is not neutered correctly and they will produce puppies. Please help!! Is this normal or should I return to the vet?

Neutered males can have a tie with a female, though they just don't usually have that much interest. Teddy probably had a lot of experience before you got him. You can ask your vet to run a blood test that will confirm that there is no more testosterone--if there is, he needs another surgery.

I have an older cat that keeps sleeping in his litter box even when it is soiled. I changed the box constantly and provide clean beds and crates for the cat to sleep in but in the last few weeks, I can not get him to sleep outside the litter box.

PS: He sleeps most of the day due to his age.

You are on the right track. Keep looking for soft surfaces for him, try a variety of beds and baskets. Also have his vet run some blood work to be sure no diseases that might be making him either cold or warm, which could change his sleeping pattern.

My dog just killed my kitten. I truely dont think it was intentional, he had the kitten in his mouth like his toy. I am devasted about the kitten, i love my dog, i am not sure how to handle him now though. I dont know if he should be punished, if he will know what he did wrong. Do you have any suggestions?

I am sorry. That is so sad. You should not punish your dog afterward, but you should not have any more cats with this dog. Some dogs have an innate predatory drive that is so high that they don't take time to notice that they are killing a family member.

Mr Kitty was starting to become a tomkitty about a year ago when he was 1 years old. He was unneutered at the time. I had delayed taking him because he was a feral kitty that had come out from under the bed after 6 months and finnally trusted me. I didnt want to betray that trust by capturing him, caging him and taking him to the vet. However, he started giving me love bites and spraying around the huse. So, I had him neutered. Within a week he was the biggest lovebug ever. he follows my boyfriend and I around like our shadow and is very playful and loving.

Several weeks ago his behavior started getting a little skewed. I noticed he was spraying a little in the house and become very enarmored with my boyfriend and less with me, which was switch. Now, at bedtime he seems to go into a strange intense love ritual with my boyfriend. He follows him to the bathroom, nibbles his ankles while purring like crazy and then swatting his legs (with nails completely retracted). He flings himself in front of my boyfriend if he tries to walk away. He ignores me completely. Of course, when I walk in the room it never happens. he behaves it the most affectionate but reasonable way. I don't know what is happening. He seems to be becoming a tomcat again. Is there a "teen" period for cats at 2 years where they go through a "period" of odd behavior? Just wondering.

Cats are not mature until nearly 3 years old, so this may just be part of his affectionate personality coming out. If you don't like it, it is best to restrain yourself from giving attention for the beahviors. Otherwise, they will continue indefinitely. Instead, make up some fun appropriate activities and engage your cat frequently with those. 

I want to take in my friends cat Grayson. He can't have animals were he lives. The cat was originally taken in by another friend who has a male cat of her own. Since living with her I have been told that Grayson has become a nasty cat. He contently fights with the other cat and sprays the carpet and walls and is not shy about urinating on furniture right in front of her. She can not take care of him anymore because of this behavior so I have voiced that I may like to take him now. I had met the cat prior to all of this happening and he was very sweet and well mannered then. Now I am feeling nervous about bringing this cat into my home. I have no other animals but I am afraid the the behavior will follow. My questions are Do you think the behavior will follow and How should I introduce him to his new home so it dosn't?

It may be that Grayson is just not friendly with cats. He may not mark territory if it is just the two of you. Be sure he is neutered and if he is more than 4 years old, be sure he has blood work to check his thyroid. 

We have had cats for 20 years--usually two at a time. We always had 2 litter boxes which I clean daily. The cats have used them well 98% of the time. Occasionally, I find a dried piece of poop elsewhere--behind the couch, under a chair, and mostly commonly near the litter box (always on carpeting. Our cats are always "fixed" and seem contented. Since we have multiple cats, I don't know who does it and I have found these little "treasures" very occasionally with all of our different sets of animals--not limited to one time frame. What do you think?

Any behavior problem that is both rare and intermittent is difficult to resolve. Could be that there is feces stuck to fur and the cat is not finished when he leaves the box. Could be that the cat is uncomfortable and stops defecating midway, and finishes elsewhere or has urgency and does not make it to the box--either way, your vet would need to check for medical conditions that create these situations. And, could be that sometimes, the box is just not clean or a cat does not like the litter. 

My Yorkie is 13 years old he has a collopased treagia problem and every time he barks which is a lot he gets a terrible cough.How can I stop his barking and the pills they sent him for the treagia problem dont seem to do much good

Tell your vet that the pills don't help--he or she may have other options or may refer you to a vet that specializes in this type of problem. For the barking, try to make a list of things that cause him to bark. Then, you can work to reduce his reaction to each trigger by a desensitization. A behaviorist can meet with you to help with these steps. Basically, you teach him to lie down on a cozy bed, and then reward him for relaxing, then expose him to a trigger at a low intensity so he can tolerate it. The details will depend on the triggers.

I have a cat that I adopted a few years ago. Since then she has been nothing but trouble. She pees on anything cloth/fabric like - blankets, clothes, towels, furniture. We've tried everything. Putting food where she pees, removing all items, covering furniture with tarps when we're not home - it's unbearable. It's gotten to the point where she even pees on the tarps because I think she knows there's cloth. We've tried different litter boxes, different litters, different places. And, she will go in the litter box, but once she sees that something is cloth, nothing can stop her. I'm ready to get rid of her but my husband wants to keep her in a dog-pin for the rest of her life. That doesn't seem fair either and we have a small apartment so we're limited on space anyway. Help!

Some cats are very attracted to soft malleable objects. If she uses the litter box, then it is not about the box. There are a few options. The best is being very tidy. You can teach her not to climb on soft clothing by using a motion sensor that makes a noise and will surprise her so she does not remain in that area, or use an aversive product that smells bad--cats often don't like deodorant soap for instance. This is a very normal behavior by the way. Be sure the boxes are very clean and keep a box near the areas where you tend to leave items.

We live in rural southern IL and have taken care of six outdoor cats (spaying, neutering, feeding, building a heated shelter). all but one is left a spayed female called Mommy Cat (the kids named her). In the past 6 months two new strays showed up all scraggly & emaciated. We fed them & all was well untill the new ones got healthy looking. They now itimdate and assault Mommy cat even though there was plenty of food in seperate bowls. Now I have to chase off the new ones so Mommy can eat. I hope I don't have to go to more drastic measures as winter is approaching and I feel that my original cat has the right to stay fed and sheltered. Any ideas would be appreciated.

If you want to put a collar on Mommy cat, you can create a safe haven for her inside the shelter--there are cat doors that will just open for the cat with the special collar. It may be necessary to send these strays away--maybe they can be adopted. Otherwise, they may drive Mommy away.

My cat Terrell is ruining my marriage. We just moved into a new home two weeks ago, and he has yet to become adjusted. He cries most of the night, and is destructive, knocking things over intentionally and making loud noises. He has behaved like this in the past with previous moves, however, his behavior is not improving. A recent development with our new home is that he has the privledge of going outside now, which he did not before. He loves it, but wants to come and go as he pleases, and meows and scratches at the door at 5am waking us up to come inside. Once inside the meowing and destructive behavior begins again. My husband and I are literally up all night. I've tried feeding him before we go to bed, so he has a full belly and will mellow out. I've tried letting him in later in the evening...we've tried using a spray bottle to modify his behavior. Nothing works. Please help. I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant and my husband just started a new job and remodeled our house by himself...we are exhausted! Thank you for your time.

If you don't mind him going outside at night, then he can have a cat door so he does not bother you. Before you go to bed, set up a lot of fun things for him to do--hide food filled toys, leave boxes to explore, open one closet one day and another the next. Give just a little food for dinner and let him find the rest while you sleep.

This is a very good friend's cat. She has 2 cats who have been together since they were kittens. I love this cat - though I cannot see her often since they moved far away.

Litter box problems (below) also this cat has become more confrontive with her sister cat, and more jealous of time her owner spends with the other cat. They used to trade off time with the owner and let each other have time.

I asked my friend to email me the situation. ( I have not seen this kitty in 2 years) : This cat, Keesha, is VERY sensitive. when my friend would go away a few days for work travel, she would break out with acne. I had never even heard of this. Here is what my friend sent. She is really at her wit's end. I know she loves the cat but this is just way out of control. The cat is going to the vet tomorrow.

Situation: big sensitive fluffy cat (with periodic acne, runny nose, and chronically dirty bum) has a history of being very particular about the litter box (if it's too dirty or if it's the wrong kind of litter) she goes right beside the box, or in her alternate spot, in front of the front door. She always pees in the same spot, but she poops everywhere in the apartment. She does this when I'm home, right in front of me, as well as when I'm out or not watching.

She's been peeing by the front door since we moved in (May 2008), sporadically, based on whether I was away from home too much, and whether the box was dirty. Lately, irrespective of how clean the box is or how much attention she gets, she has stopped using the box altogether. Again, she pees in the same spot over and over, but poops all over the apartment.

She didn't have a problem in Boston (2005-2007), but she did have it a little in the first Ottawa apartment (2007-2008). Now in the new apartment, it's out of control.

her weight is approx 16 pounds. she was 8 pounds in 1999, 12 pounds in 2001, 15 pounds in 2005. she stopped being able to clean her own butt in Boston, about a year before the litter box problem started

I don't want to have her euthanized, but I cannot continue living in a giant luxury litter box. She has ruined my home.

Thank you for ANY hehp you can give.

The first thing to do is have your cat examined by a veterinarian. There may be a medical reason for this behavior change. She may be allergic to her food, or may have inflammation that makes her uncomfortable and therefore she boycotts the box.

I have 4 cats. One is 7, two are 3 and one is 2. All males. The oldest cat had a really bad UTI about a year ago. Ever since he will not urinate in the litterbox. He has limited his urinating to 2 spots in the house, but if we make them undesirable he finds somewhere else. We have plenty of litterboxes and have tried several different theories on how to make him go in the litterbox. My husband is fed up to the point that he either wants to just kick the cat out or get rid of him. I am at wits end. I don't know what to do. What can I do?

Instead of making locations undesirable, put litter box in those locations. If cats like certain areas, then they don't always travel. At one of the locations, put a pair of boxes and try to determine what style of box and what type of litter your cat would favor. Maybe he wants open or closed, maybe clay scoopable or another style. You won't know til you ask. 

1.Playful behavior involves biting, how to control, stop?

2.We are moving to a new smaller house in a gated community. Our cat is used to going out/coming in whenever; however, he's always in at night. How do I handle him in new environment? We did for one day and he hid under bed the entire time. If I let him out, will he flee? Thank you for your suggestions/advice

There is a good chance he will flee. Try walking him on leash around your yard, or better still, consider making him an indoor cat.

our cat for the last couple of months has been peeing all over the basement floor, she does not poop on the floor, just pee. her litter box is kept clean, we scold her for this and put her nose in it and say no, but she will not quit.

Please don't scold or put her nose in it. That will only frighten her. Maybe she would like a different type of box or litter. Place a second box next to the original one--vary the litter and if your box is open, try closed or vice versa. 

IS IT NORMAL FOR A KITTEN ABOUT 7-8 WEEKS OLDS TO CONSTAANTLY BITE AT US, HE DOESN'T BREAK YOUR SKIN BUT HE LIKE TO GO FOR THE FACE IF YOUR LAYING DONE. HOW CAN i TRAIN HIM NOT TO DO THIS, IMHAVE SMALL GRANDCHILDREN CRAWLING AROUND AND HE POUNCES ON THEM.

tHANKS FOR ANY ADVICE

It could be normal. But yes, dangerous. You may need to teach him better play skills when you are standing up. He does not know better yet--he needs to learn to play with toys, not your body. The kids need protection--when they crawl he needs to be held or kept out of the area.

My lab-dalmatioan female named Snoop is ~ 12 years old. I've seen her slow down in activities but recently it's been more often and she's physically walking stiff. She eats less, she barely walks for 30 minutes and the other day she stopped suddenly and would not move. I almost had to carry her home but got her to slowly walk it because when I touched her chin (w/ her head down low) she whimpered and moaned. I came home last night and almost walked into her because she was lying on her side and looked near death. Except for the fact that her tail was wagging, I wouldn't have noticed her. What's going on? Help me to help Snoop :(

This sounds like a medical problem. Snoop needs to see her veterinarian.

My cat is 4 or 5 years old. He had a bad cold for 2 weeks and I should have taken him into the vet, but didn't. At the end of his cold his behavior became strange. He wanders then goes up to a cabinet, a corner, anything...and stands within 1/4 inch of the object and just stares for minutes. The vet put him on antibiotics and if he isn't better, to bring him in. his last visit was in 2007 and he weighed 8.8 lbs then. His weight now is 6.1 He barely eats and isn't drinking much...he's dehydrated. he'll go to the water bowl and stand there but not drink. I've been giving him 4cc's of water ever hour or so. I'm on Disability and live on $903 a month. The blood panel they want to do is $180 with another $60 for thyroid check. Do you have any ide what this could be??

He could have an infection in the nervous system, he could also be very weak and anemic. He needs to be seen and treated. Discuss the finances with your vet.

Shortly after putting one of our cats down the other cat quit pooping in the litterbox. She urinates in the box but poops in the hall outside the box. I have tried cleaning it, changing the type of litter, none of this has helped. She has also started howling at night which she never used to do.

Some cats really do miss their friends. Try adding a second box so she has one for stool and one for urine. Try hiding her food all around the house at night so she has something to do--she can hunt for hidden snacks.

I have two 5-6 month old cats, brother and sister. My boyfriend and I adopted them at 3 months and they have been the sweetest most social cats. They came fixed and potty trained, totally fine sharing a litter box. Just recently the female started peeing on our bed and pooping in one particular corner of the house. We first noticed the pee when our friend brought her dog over with her for a day. But now our cat won't stop. We've also both been gone more often during the day so they haven't been getting as much attention from us. My boyfriend is threating to get rid of her so I'm desparate to find out what I can do. So far I've moved their box, bed, food and water out of our master bath to the downstairs bath and have kept our bedroom door shut. We lock them in at night and anytime no one is at the house for an extended period of time.

The best thing to do is offer more boxes in more locations. As cats get older they don't always want to share. Also, just because you catch one cat once does not mean that the other cat does not engage in this behavior too. 

Think about a box in the locations she is using inappropriately. And be sure to spend quality time with her even if you are busy. The more you confine her the harder it will be to cure this problem. Also, if you are away, then leave projects--TV, video, hidden treat and toys, boxes to explore. Keep her busy and happy.

I have a kitten and he's 5 - 6 months old. I found him on the street. We recently moved in with my sister and together we have 5 cats and 1 toy maltese. Since we moved here he has started to suckle on my clothing. The problem is he wakes me up at 6 am. My question is will he outgrow this or will I have a 12 pound cat waking me up at 6?

It seems that suckling is a sign of affection in many cats. You could set a food dish on a timer so that at 6 he has a snack instead of you.

I have a large male cat, about 12 years old who has lived as an indoor cat with me since he was a kitten. I have not had any other pets. A few years ago, some friends brought a cat friendly dog into my house, and my cat viciously attacked the dog. I had to separate the two, and was also bitten pretty severely.

Now, I am looking to move in with my partner, who has a small dog. I have made one attempt at 'socializing' the animals, which ended with my cat attacking the dog. Is this a hopeless situation? What can I do to promote cohabitation?

For safety, try putting the dog into a cage for half hour, of course don't let the cat attack, but keep the cat busy and distracted while she peeks at him once in a while. Next session, try the cat in the cage. If well tolerated, then switch every day. Look for signs that the cat is purring, rubbing the cage, resting quietly. That will be a sign to move to the next step.

For the past two days one of my cats keep sneezing - nose is cold and wet and seems healthy. Other cat is not doing this. Both cats are sisters and about four years old. Had them since kittens. Only difference is new cat litter.

Could be allergy--she needs t a check up first. If all ok, go back to the other litter for a month, if ok, try the new one again. 

We have two 3year old cats that are brothers. About 6 months ago they began peeing/spraying by our back slider door. Then they started spraying/peeing outside of the side window. We have tried completely soaking the area with Nature's Miracle over and over, but the urination continues. We started bringing them down to their liltter as often as possible and when we bring them down there, they use their boxes. When we don't bring them down I find about 2 pees in a 24 hour period, which I know isn't enough. Recently my sister got two male cats as well and they are smeliling them on things and now peeing on other things lilke diaper bags, and coats. We are at a loss of what to do. I love these cats and don't want to get rid of them, but our house smells and we are locking them up in the basement, which is not good for any of us. Please help!

Thanks,

Liz

Bringing them to the boxes won't help .Your cats are marking--trying to send messages. You need to try to get rid of the outside cats. And maybe close blinds or restrict your cats from going to these provocative areas. 

it may help to put a litter box with no hood in the area in question. Maybe your cat will mark in the box if you give them a backsplash to target. 

If that does not work, then you may need to consult with your veterinarian for a more detailed plan that may even include medication to reduce arousal.

I have two cats who like to get me up between 3 and 4am to eat. I tried not feeding them then but they will act out to get my attention. We feed them now twice a day, once in the morning and once at 6pm. They have kibble out all day. What can I do to get some sleep? I tried putting them in a room overnight but they were tearing my carpet to shreds and scratching the paint off the door.

Enrich the environment at night--hide food filled toys, hide toys, offer boxes to explore, shelves to explore. Set dishes to open with treats at various times during the night. Rotate the toys so there is a new one every day.

My boyfriend and I found our year old cat when he was only about two weeks old. We bottle fed him and taught him how to go to the bathroom and how to eat, the works. Now he is a year old and he has become increasingly aggressive towards me but is completely fine with my boyfriend. He bites me until I bleed and refuses to let go. He even bites my face! I have no idea where this aggression is coming from, we have had him since he could open his eyes. I do not know where to turn and it is not getting any better. PLEASE HELP!

Orphan, hand raised cats don't learn to inhibit biting. They can be dangerous. Begin to train him as though he were a dog so that he sits and does other commands for you to earn treats. You may even use a clicker to help you. 

Be sure there is no medical problem, and if aggression continues, bring him to a behaviorist. 

We have a male nutered Tabby about 5 years old. We adopted him 2yrs. ago. Over the past two years he has on occassion used a bed in the house to pooh. He uses the litter-box to pee. Over the past 5 months though, he has poohed in various places throughout the house. Usually on the carpet or a bed. Sometimes he crys then we find the pooh. This has happened almost everyday. We started confining him in the bathroom with a litter-box and food while we are at work. He will use the litter-box during this time but when we come home and let him out he will pooh somewhere in the house again. HELP!!

If this is a new behavior, then he needs a check up. He may be experiencing pain and is uncomfortable when he defecates. Also, be sure you are keeping the boxes very clean and that there has been no change in litter.

i just got a new cat about a week ago its about a year old and has been fixed. i can't figure out what is wrong with her she will come to us demanding to be pet and when you pet her she will snap and just start clawing and biting you. but she does not show any sighn of being annoyed with the petting before she does. the other day she cornered me in the kitchen and started rubbing up agaist my leg and when i ignored her she went nuts on my leg is this a problem i can fix?

You may be able to help her but it may require that someone evaluate her in person. Meanwhile, instead of petting her when she comes to you, play with her. Toss a toy or wave a wand toy. If you see her rubbing your leg then again, change the subject--switch her to play mode. And be careful.

We recently got a 9 week old kitten. He's been in our household about 2 full weeks. He's trying to get used to the 8 yr old female cat that hates him.

For some reason while I'm trying to sleep he wants to get in my face and touch my nose, lick my eyelids, ears, etc. I tried blowing in his face to make him stop but then he just sticks his paw on my face.

How can I make him stop?

Don't blow on his face or he may become afraid of you and bite you. If he wants a friend, maybe get him a kitten or a toy to cuddle with, or else keep him out of the bedroom at night.

My cat is not using the liter box to poop. The cat is pooping in front of the box, in the same room, or the room where he primarily stays (his choice). Frequently, the cat is home by itself a lot but the box is cleaned daily and he is fed daily. However, the behavior does not change when we are home. There does not seem to be a reason or common trend. Where do we start to change the behavior!

You need to try changing the type of litter or type of box. Buy a second box and put him directly next to the first box. Use a different type of litter and wait 5 days, if no luck, try another litter. Most cats like clay scoopable. Next, try a different type of box--maybe a bigger one, or open one if yours is closed. 

A nonprofit group that I helped start recently took in a 14 yr old male lab mix who lived tied with a heavy log chain around his neck. Now that his wound has healed and his worms have been treated, he acts about 7-8 yrs old. He has a typical lab personality and is smart. He has learned several commmands.... sit, stay, come, etc. However, no matter how I try to get him to stop pulling the leash, he still has moments when he bolts and pulls me with him, especially when I first start our walk. I use a 20' leash so he can run around and play, but there's no question that years of living with a heavy chain around his neck has contributed to tremendous strength when pulling a leash and no amount of correction or treats can stop him from his "new" life of just being a dog. :) I use a collar and a halter.

Thank you, Stephanie

Speak Out And Rescue (SOAR)

www.speakoutandrescue.org

You may try an easy walk harness.

Our cat is about 1 year old. We understand that cats are nocturnal, and we have no problem with her playing at night. The problem starts when she comes into our bedroom at night and deliberately tries to wake us up. She doesn't want food, she just wants us to be up wither her. She pulls things off shelves, tries to knock picture frames off the wall, and tries to get at wires. We have put nubby mats on the dressers, which helped for a while, but now she doesn't care about them. If we shut her out of the bedroom, she jumps at the door knob and cries. Ignoring her doesn't help, and neither does spraying her with water. Please help, we need our sleep!

First, don't give her play time before bed. Stop at least one hour before you turn in. Second, set up all kinds of fun things for her to do on her own while you sleep. Dishes can be set to open and reveal treats food or toys. Set out boxes to explore, and food treat to hunt down. 

When you are awake, never play with her or pet her just because she is demanding .Let her learn that you will invite her when you are ready. This can be a tough habit to break if you are not consistent.

My year and half old ragdoll male cat puts his favorite toy (a little mouse with cat nip in it) in his water, and food dish. It started with just the water dish. He'll drop it in then pull it back out on to the floor. Now he puts it in the food dish as well. This is a toy that he plays fetch with. My husband, and I think he is trying to water, and feed the little mouse. What do you think?

My own cat used to do that. I am not really sure why. I agree--it seems as though he is trying to be nice and share. 

I have 4 cats 1 of them has started to become aggressive with the other 3 hissing and also batting them. This extremely bothers me they've all grown together from birth and are approximately 4 yrs old they all get the same attention by me and have never been mistreated I feel so bad for my other 3 but also feel sad for Bubba what is going on and what can I do? Please help

most cats hiss when they are afraid. Another cause is physical discomfort so have the fourth cat checked by your vet. Then, be sure that the other cats are not bullying her.

I moved my 14 yr. old cat neutered cat from my parent's place in NY down to TX with me. He's been the sweetest and most affectionate cat his entire life. Always following ppl around and nesting with us on the couch if we are watching tv. He has never had any anti-social behavior towards anyone until now.

Since I've been living on my own I've acquired a cat and (1.5 yr.) and a small sized dog (1 yr.) both spayed females.

Once I moved my older cats down here he's been so grumpy it's actually breaking my heart. He growls and hisses every time anyone tries to pick him up or when one of the younger pets gets close to him. He stays in bed all day and doesn't socialize with anyone. The female dog and cats gets a long great. They are not aggressive at all.

I was wondering will he be able to adopt to the new environment and return the old self? Should I get some calming agents to help with the process or will this be a permeant behavior change.

Thank you so much!

Maybe he is not feeling well. He should have a good check up. Most cats get used to new environments just fine if they are healthy.

I recently adopted a rescue dog who had been kept most of his life in a create. I'm wondering what the best way to socialize him is. Do you think more is better, or take it slowly? Specifically, I'm trying to get him used to being upstairs at my house. My office is down, so he spends most of his time there. My partner spends most of her time up, and I want him to have more exposure to her. He is still pretty timid around her. Also, when we have company, it's always upstairs. He had been venturing up there, but is very skittish, more so now because the baby gate crashed to the floor this morning. It's a setbaack; he won't even go up there now. I'm just not sure if I should be taking it more slowly, or take the tack that the only way for him to get used to things is to continue to expose him.

Take your time. If he was not socialized as a baby he may never be really normal. So give him his shelter and work with him little by little. Have a leash on so he does not bolt, and give him a safe mat or bed to lie on, then bring him back to his den after an hour so not too much stress. You may meet with a behaviorist in person to set up more specific exercises relevent to your home.

We have a ten year old cat, female, who grew up with an older cat who recently died. She went through a period of sadness but now appears to be more playful and interactive. One problem that has persisted is meowing excessively. We have tried containing her in our family room at night which helped some but she will still start meowing in the early hours of the morning. She has access to food and water so she isn't hungry. If we get up she appears to want to go out in our garage. She will cry in there also but at least then we don't hear her very well. We wonder if we should get another cat to keep her company.

She may miss your other cat. OR, she may have a medical condition such as hyperthyroidism. The first thing to do is have your veterinarian check her over and do some bloodwork.

I have 3 cats from the same litter, 2 female calicos and 1 black/white male. The runt, a female, was fixed a few months ago. She has always been loving, never aggressive or moody. Last week, for no reason, all the cats attacked my lab and pit pull. We didn't know who started it. The next day, the cats were all fine with the dogs again. The cats & dogs sleep in our room and tonight the runt, attacked the lab for no reason and then attacked the pit bull. The dogs are scared to death and the other 2 cats get in on the fight for no reason. help!! They have always gotten along great with our dogs and "Precious" the runt has never shown aggression to any of the dogs and they have always gotten along great. Her sister doesn't like our 4th cat and she has been known to attack our older cat and of course, when she does, the other cats get in on it also. So, I pretty much keep them apart. We are just at a lose to understand why all of a sudden, Precious, wants to attack our Lab! They used to play together, and the lab has always been very gentle with her. The pit bull has always acted like a mother to the 3 cats, she has taken care of them since they were 8 weeks old. She is now scared to death of them. What should we do? I honestly couldn't blame the dogs if they attacked in retaliation, but I don't want to see that happen. We just don't know what to do! Please help!!

have your cat checked for any possible infection or reaction to surgery. If all is fine, then maybe your little girl was frightned and thinks the dogs did it. This is a serious problem and first thing to do is separate the aggressive cat so she has a chance to relax. Then you need to reintroduce her to the dogs as if they had never met before. I strongly advise you seek in person professional assitance.

We have two male cats one older, one 18 months.

My daughter is unable to keep her female cat any longer and we have her here but the boys wont leave her alone to even eat or use the litter box they just stand guard over her. we have tried seperating them but the young one keeps getting in to her.

How do we get them to accept each other

You need to introduce them little by little. You must separte them except during lessons which are carefully controlled. So bring them together for a delicious meal, then separate. First the bowls need to be far apart. Gradually bring them closer over time. 

I have a cat (3 years old, healthy female) who exhibits strange behavior. She is very friendly and loving, but ONLY in certain places in the house (the bedroom and computer desk, but not the couch or kitchen). She has always been very timid, so we allow her to exist how she pleases in the home, and give her lots of love in those "good" places when we're there.

However, my husband recently took a week-long work trip, and she began socializing with me everywhere, all the time. Now I notice that she refuses to be out around the house when he is home, while roaming more freely when its just me at home.

The fear is most strange because she is very loving to him in the "good" places as well. (She basically molests him at bedtime every night.) He is very gentle and kind to her, feeds her, loves on her, etc.

Do we just go on with this strange pattern, or is there a way to ease her anxiety? I'm about to try cat pheramones, we've done all the socializing possible. I've joked she thinks he's too tall, since she usually loves on him while he's sitting/laying down... but I would also be very tall to a cat, so that doesn't make sense to me.

Thanks for any advice, I know this is a weird one.

Kaycie

She could be uneasy for his size or voice. Pheromones would be a good idea in all the less good areas. Don't be pushy with her. Teach her to run to her safe places on command so she actually heads you off rather than tries to escape. Your husband can say "chair" and then bring a treat, or just toss one as he walks. 

Miss kitty has been an inside cat since birth, (5 years)with only the occassional venture outside; when she goes out she is not afraid, and seems to enjoy her time; however, my husband has recently developed allergies, and I need to transition her to a "porch kitty" living situation; she would have a heated enclosed bed, completely out of the weather and be allowed to come and go off the back porch as she pleases. Will this completely traumatize her? She is a little neurotic at times, and only seems to like a few people, so I dont want her to become even more antisocial. Any tips on acclaimating her to the new outside environment?

She will probably adjust as long as the rules are clear. Be sure to visit her often, and give her plenty of toys and fun snacks to eat. 

a month and a half ago, my family moved to a new home. the cat seemed to adjust well for the first few weeks. Now recently he has been pooping in our beds. He has always gone outside in the past, and is still doing that, but now when he goes outside to potty, when he comes back in he poops in our beds. we are wonering what in the world is wrong with our cat, and how can we fix it? please help!

Make sure he is not ill, and that he has not picked up any parasites in the new environment. There may be a cat in town that scares him so he rushes home to defecate rather than risk being ambushed. Or  he may not like the location of the litter box. Be sure the boxes are clean and easy to get to. 

I have had my male cat Indy since his was 3 weeks old. I never had an issue with him eliminating outside his litter box except once when he had a UTI.

Now 3 years later and a new cat later he has started again. He has been caught urinating outside the box repeatedly and will sometimes go in the box. We recently changed the litter to go more environmentally friendly. He was using the box a few times and now within the last week has been urinating and pooping outside the box.

I have no other problems with other female cat Jasmine. We use to have issues with her peeing outside the box but it's like she has passed the bad habit on to him.

Many cats don't like environmentally friendly litters so switch back and see what happens.

I have 2 cats,brothers. raised together 3 yrs old and I was outside with them on a leash . When one came toward the other he started to hiss. When I brought them in Lyle went after Lukie. Lukie hid and when he came back out they fought again. Now Lyle won't let him eat or come out at all. Before this they got along fine. PLEASE try to tell me what is going on. I love them both and can't think of giving 1 up because of this behavor, but I am afraid to leave them alone together.They are spaded so it can't be a male thing. Is llike Lyle doesn't reconize his brother and thinks he's a strange cat. Its been going on for 3 days now and I am a wreck. Please help,

Patricia Imbrunone

That scenario is common when one cat gets frightened. They need to be reintroduced slowly as if they were strangers. That can take days or weeks or months as trust needs to be built. Start with short sessions, keeping them busy with food and toys, then separating them until the next session.

So my 3 year old cat have started pooping outside of the litter box. So the first time I noticed this was when my husband and I rearanged out basement. We don't go down there much and we found a very large spot where one of my cats or both ahs been going to the bathroom.Whenever I spelled the oder I thought it was coming from the opposite side of the basement where the litter box is. I thought maybe I wasn't keeping the litter box clean enough. I started fixing that and now they are still going on the floor. I took both of them to the vet and one of my cats has an infection so I gave him antibiotics for 2 weeks and I didn't notice the poop on the floor as much. But now he is still doing it. I really don't know which cat it is. When I cleaned the box this last time there was bearly anything in it. So that means either one or both of them are going on the floor more than in the box. What can I do??? I have put the box next to the place on the floor where they are going and they still choose the floor. My husband is going to make me get rid of them if I don't figure it out. What's going on?

Made sure the boxes are clean, large,  and that they like the litter. You may need extra boxes, at least 3 total if you have 2 cats. There may be a medical problem too since the antibiotic helped so tell your vet about this. You can also set up a camera to see which cat it is and whether the cat tries the box first but then leaves, which says something is wrong with the box.

I have 4 wonderful cats that I adore and have rescued and raised since they were all about 3 weeks old. I love them dearly and hate that I am thinking about rehoming them because of this problem but I don't know what else to do. For the last 6 months or so they have been urinating and pooping outside of the litter boxes. They don't always do it and I have no way of telling which one it is. They also occassionally urinate on the bed or sofas. It seems their favorite spot is in front of the front door of our apartment. My cats range from 11 years in age to 3. There is also a small dog in the house but none of them are affraid of him and he isn't displaying the same behavior. The cats are all male and neutered. I am so distraught about the situation. I have 4 different litter boxes, I'll admit I am probably not cleaning them as much as I should but even when I do it still doesn't stop the problem. Also, I am unable to get the smell of urine out of the carpet and sofas. I know that as long as they smell it there they will continue to use the same spot so any help or suggestions on what to use to remove the smell would be great! Please help me with this! I am desperate to fix the situation so that I can keep my precious babies. I love them like they are my own children.

You will not solve this unless you keep those boxes clean. You need to have 5 boxes total, they mjust be available meaning no one has to go all the way to a basement to use them. And they must be clean--twice daily scooping at least. 

You will probably need to learn which cat does what as some of the elimiantion may be toileting and other may be marking. Set up a camera to catch the culprits in the act. Then we can treat the right cat for the right disease.

Hi,

I've had my dog for 5 years. He's had itches before, and been treated with Advantage for fleas, without it being any big deal. a few weeks ago it seemed he was getting bitten up by fleas. I gave him flea baths, which didn't work. I gave him a higher dose of advantage (hes on a cusp where the choice is too much or too little - he threw up). He kept scratching, and started hiding in the closet. Now he'd begun yelping in pain, which he'd never done before.

He started making piercing screams every now and then, which I think is a heightened flea-bite reaction OR a different kind of critter biting him. Desperate to help I put soothing goop where he'd been biting himself and didn't bathe him, for fear of washing off the Advantage, waiting for it to work. Took him to the vet. They told me he had fleas and needed bathing. Gave him Capstar (kills all fleas on dog in 24 hours).

Dog going nuts, me going nuts for next couple of days. Dragged him out of closet, and doused him with flea-spray AND put Frontline on him, which kills more kinds of bugs than advantage. Dog now spending most of the time in closet, refusing walks. Normally AVID for walks 2 x daily. Dog seemed ill, food-avoidant after all the poison. Growled at me when I tried to extract from closet for food or walk.

New normal: dog never forgave me for torments. Sometimes walks, but will periodically let out a scream and then sit down and look at me pleadingly. Seems to think I cause these things. Sometimes will take walks, but about half normal. Shakes with fear if I try to groom him. Does NOT show signs of flea infestations. Does not bite or chew has he did when he clearly had fleas. I don't see parasites. I just hear screams. I've kept giving him Frontline.

Any ideas?

You need to bring your dog to the vet. He may have a condition that is not going to resolve with Frontline. It is not normal for a dog to scream in pain from a parasite. 

I had to put 1 of 4 cats down because of health issues now my other cats won't use the liter box they are pooping in my bathroom so I put the liter box in the bathroom and one is still pooping outside the box. how do I get them to use the other box again.Is there a scent issue ? If so what do I use to get rid of the scent of the deceased cat?

That is an unusual response. I wonder whether the deceased cat was a cat who kept harmony, and now your other cats are arguing and not able to gain access to the box. You could try a new box. Or, you could add a couple of new boxes--one in the bathroom, one where the original box was located, and maybe even one extra for good measure.

in the morning when my children leave for school and at night when everyone goes to bed and the house is quiet, one of my cats always picks up a soft fuzzy article of clothes or stuffed animal and drags it around the house. he seems to prefer something long that trails between his legs and he constantly makes a loud meowing kinda noise as he walks with his "toy". is this a sexual behavior?he is about 3yrs old ¬ neutered. he wakes us up at night. i dont understand the behavior so unsure how to stop it.

Many cats seem to yowl with their favorite toys. I don't think it is sexual since it does not involve mounting, and is done by all genders. I think it is just a happy cat playing with his friend.

My 11 month old boxer puppy has been diagnosed with bone cancer. Is it possible bone cancer is congenital? Our vet and another vet specialist says his case is very rare expecially for how young he is. If you have any information it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

V/r

Frankie Garcia

Bone cancer is not likely congenital but there can be a genetic susceptibility. There are specialists in oncology who can help you with details of heredity.

I have a 11 year old cat which I had for 10 years,

About 2 months back a friend went into a nursing home and we took her 8 years old cat in.

Problem: My cat won't stop chasing her and trying to start a fight, Ohter cat is so afraid of her she ends up going botty any where.

HOW DO I STOP MY CAT FROM CHASING HER AND TRYING TO START A FIGHT.

Richard.

Separate them for a couple of weeks. Let the new cat explore while you older cat is safely confined. Then, when there are scents all about, begin some careful introductinos. Just across the room for meals, then separate. Gradually increase the time they are together, and separate them while they are happy. Keep your cat interested in things other then the new girl. Once they break the chase / flee cycle, then may be able to get to know each other.

My husband and I found a starving, wormy stray kitten last December and ended up adopting her. She has had very few problems so far, and aside from a little excessive meowing the only thing that concerns me is that she seems to have some food-related issues.

With the cats I had as a child and a young adult, I've always been able to fill their bowl up and then top it up when needed, leaving the cat to come and go as it please. This has always worked very well, and my cats have always been healthy in terms of their weight and activity level.

My new cat always eats all the food we put in her bowl, even if there's too much and it makes her feel uncomfortable. She gobbles all of it down very quickly and if we're not careful about how much we give her, she ends up stumbling around belching and looking sick. She hasn't made herself really sick yet bnecause we're pretty good about giving her the right amount, but I'm worried about the behavior and I'm afraid that one day she's going to gorge herself so much that she ends up hurting herself. Is there anything I can do to correct this behavior?

You may start by getting some food filled balls so that she gets to work for her food. You will need to keep track of the total intake of course. But if she is not presented with a blast of food at once, she may be able to take time to discover she is full.

my wife and i noticed a stray cat hanging around our house about a year ago. he has always been very skittish around us until this evening, when he came up and rubbed against us, meowing and calling. prior to this evening, neither myself nor my wife has been able to get within 15 feet of him, though we have tried.

we have left food and water out for him for the duration of the last year, but only about half the time do we notice that its being eaten. we are wondering what would make this cat so friendly after being distant for so long.

Maybe he has been watching you and discovered that you are not so scary after all. 

I chose other because my male orange tabby has gone from being sweet and lovable to...well...bad. I recently moved in with a roommate who also owns a cat - long hair female. They seem to have a good time playing together, chasing each other around. They've also taken to eating each other's food and my male cat has started using her littler box to poop (I believe he still urinates in his own for some reason). The female has begun urinating outside the box and I'm assuming it's in response to him using her litter. My male cat has also started up-turning her food and water so that they are a mess when I get home from work. I know it's him because I've got him doing it before. Why does he do this?? In addition, the female has recently started to lick her left hind leg quite a bit recently. Could this be an allergy related to eating my cat's food? I can't figure it out - maybe she is stressed out? It seems she is itchy and it is overbearing because she will stop mid-chase to lick furiously at it. My roommate won't take her to the vet because they have to put her to sleep to do anything since she is so defensive and skittish. Help!

Most cats scratch and lick themselves when they are itchy, so she will need to go to the vet. I think you need at least one if not two more litter boxes. As for the food dishes, that behavior may occur if the new cat does not like the dish--is it too deep and tickling his whiskers? Or because he does not like the food.

We have a black lab named Tank, he's a very sweet dog but he chews everything. We have bought him tons of bones and chew toys, but all he wants to chew is our furniture and belongings. We've even tried the bitter apple spray which has no effect. Can you help?

If he chews even when you are home, you need  a variety of toys, rotated often so they seem fresh and new. If he chews when you are away, he may have separation anxiety and in that case, you need to talk to your vet about helping him relax when you are gone.

I know very little about my cat, other than he's male and is huge; he was a stray that dropped by my work and I took him home with me. This was 1 1/2 years ago. My co-workers believe he was neutered after he was grown. Anyway, he has an issue with scratching the side of my bed, only at night at random intervals. He only scratches my husband's side, and there's no way to catch him in the act because we're sleeping. I have tried sticky tape, but I can't sticky the entire side of the bed. I've tried no-scratch spray (and even added more garlic for the stench!) but it doesn't help. I have also tried that pheramone stuff - yeah, returned that the very next day. I do clip his nails but he still damages the bed. We make sure he has plenty of food before we go to bed, but that doesn't stop him. I've gotten to the point where I yell at him to stop, get out of bed, chase him into the living room and then toss him into the bathroom for a few hours so we can sleep. We can't just leave him outside our bedroom because he'll sit and scratch at the door - my landlord will not be happy to have to replace that door. Besides buying softclaws, is there anything that can change this behavior? You would think that if its attention he was after, he would understand that getting locked in the bathroom is not a good result of that. He's a smart cat - I think if locking him in the bathroom was going to work, he would already be fixed.

Thanks!

He won't understand your locking him up. That will just be frustrating. It sounds as though he gets attention for this behavior, and probably that is what he wants. Try keeping to your plan of no attention for the behavior. LEave him lots of fun toys at night, and put a scratching post made out of the bed material just next to the bed as you protect the bed itself. Once he likes the post, you can remove the tape from the bed.

my cat is pooping outside of her litter box, anywhere in the house including right by her food and right in front of me. i have 3 different litter boxes for her and 3 different kinds of litter, to no avail. i am beside myself and don't know what else to do. she has been to the vet and initially she was constipated which started the behavior. but she has a clean bill of health now. how do i get her back to good litter habits?

You may need to try different types of boxes too--get a very large low box, and be sure boxes are available near the spot she has been using for defecation.

I have a dog that i got from a foster home, he is about 7 or 8 months old, he is a chocloate lab/german sheperd mix... i love him very much, but he has a compulsive chewing problem, he has many chew toys but does not touch them, he likes the chew blankets, pillows and rugs, he pulled the cable wires right off the house and chewed threw them in a matter of less than 5 min.

I think you really need to bring this large boy to a behaviorist in person. The chewing may be related to a medical problem, including dental disease, so a check up comes first, then we need to determine whether your dog has anxiety and may need some medication. If he is biting, then he absolutely must be evaluated--just using a muzzle can be frustrating for a dog and make aggression worse.

For some reason my 14 mo old cat keeps turning over her water dish. I don't know what to do.

i can only put a little bit of water out at a time or she dumps the water all over the floor

YOu can also get a water bottle--some cats seem to enjoy dumping the dish.

We have a 2 year old blind cat - she is the neatest cleanest cat we have ever had. BUT we have two dogs too. One big and one small.

The cat (Harley) spills the water bowls all over the kitchen - I think she is playing - but I don't know what to do - I have tried spanking her but she keeps doing it - I have new hardwood floors and it is a mess!

Thanks

Please don't spank your cat. She cannot help herself and if you scold her she may become traumatized. You could use a placemat. Or you could get a bottle so she licks the water. Of get a fountain so she licks the stream.

How do I get my rescued dog (age 3-4) to not bark and raise her ruff at other animals when she is on a leash? When she is loose, she displays no aggression and just wants to meet and greet and play.

I live where there is a strict leash law, so she needs to walk on a leash when we go out. She whines and pulls at her gentle lead and her ruff goes up which makes other owners not want to have anything to do with us.

Thank you

Help her relax by teaching her to sit and stay for treats when there are no animals around. When she is very good at that, try asking her to sit and stay when animals pass by her. 

My cat started to poop on the carpet outside the litter box when I started taking care of my daughters cat. The cat is now gone, but I can not get my cat to quit pooping on the carpet. He still urinates in the litter box. Please help me, I am going crazy!

Mary Welle

Try adding a second box in the area. If that does not work, try changing the depth of the litter--maybe there is too much litter. 

I adopted two kittens about 3 years ago, within two weeks of each other. The first one brought home was a neutered male and followed a couple of weeks later by a spayed female. Both have always been playful - however the female is content to play on her own with her toys. The male cat is aggressive toward the female, chasing her, pouncing on her & biting her. The female is constantly running from the male and hissing and growling at him. We have verbally scolded him when we catch him doing this and have even tried squirting him with water but the bad behavior continues. We have recently tried a plug-in from the vet but it does not seem to be helping. We thought about adopting another female in hopes that he would not torment our little girl all the time. What should we do? He does not seem to be physically hurting her by drawing blood but just constantly torments her. She will go off and hide to sleep and to get some peace from him.

If the boy is truly playing, then another cat could possibly help. provided they liked each other. If he is truly aggressive, then you need to keep the cats apart except when you are there to intervene. Play with him a lot, distract him before he starts to chase, and give her a safe place to rest so that he cannot get to her.

Very well socialized dog with dogs at the home(daycared/boarded dogs), leashed walks with varied groups of dogs, hiking, agility, conformation classes and off leash romps with other dogs from a very young age. No negative experiences. Registered therapy dog. Trained with positive methods. Dog from 9 weeks presented low frustration to stimuli; anxiousness, whining and other behaviors. Dog became dog aggressive around 6mths. Stimuli can lead to re-directed agg. to other dogs also. Neutered at 11 mths(was shown once). Blood work done, thyroid ok. Is there a genetic component to aggression? Dam was dog aggressive.

All behavior has  genetic and environmental component. Tendencies to be aggressive in certain contexts can run in families.

My son adopted a 6wk old male kitten from an animal shelter a couple months ago. He wasn't consistently use his litter pan (would 'go' behind the TV on the carpet). After keeping him in the bathroom during the day, with his litterpan, he then started to scoop out the solid waste & shove under the closed door out into the hall. My son cleans the litterpan every evening. Any help would be much appreciated.

It sounds as though this guy wants it very clean. Try putting 2 or 3 types of boxes in his favorite "mistake" area. Learn what he likes regarding box style and litter type. Then, put several boxes in several areas so he comes across a box when he is ready to go. That should help him develop the correct "habit".