Behavior problem

Question
Hello.

We have 8 cats.  Six of them are well adjusted and great pets.  However two of them are very skidish.  Lately they have started urinating on our bed, in the livingroom and the bathroom.  They are brother and sister and we had them for 4 years since kittens.  We also have their brother who is well adjusted.  We were told that there was another sibling who was killed by a wild animal before we adpoted them.  They are both fixed, and squat.  They do not spray.

I think the female is at the bottom of the dominance ladder, and the other cats treat her badly.  The male gets along with the other cats.  He is just scared. The male will only be petted on the bed, the female only on the bed and stairway.  All of our other cats will be petted anywhere.

The only change we can think of is that we blocked off under the bed where they would hide.  When they started urinating, we unblocked it, but that was some time ago.

We have 4 litter boxes for the 8 cats which are completely changed twice a week and scooped at least several times a day.

I really don't want to get rid of them.  But we can't keep cats who urinate aroundthe house.  I worry about what will happen to them since any new family may have them put down or just let them run wild.

Thank you.

Bob

Answer
With 8 cats in the house, you really should have NINE LITTER BOXES.  The rule of thumb is ONE MORE box than the number of cats in the house--regardless of the number of cats in the house.

The inappropriate urination could be due to a medical problem such as a urinary tract infection or feline lower urinary tract disease.  Therefore, you should take them to the vet for an examination and urinalysis.

To help reduce underlying anxiety in the house, I would recommend FELIWAY/Comfort Zone diffusers as well as addin RESCUE REMEDY to the water dishes.

In addition, you can try CAT ATTRACT litter to help draw them back to the box.  www.preciouscat.com