Calicos Who Pee on Curtains

Question
You mention Calicos who urinate on Curtains and in corners.  Mine has been doing this for years and when I buy certain kinds of things they help and she does gets lots of attention from me.  However she and the other Calico are in a turf war from time to time.  Furthermore, sometimes other animals get in the garbage on the porch and this particular cutie, loves to look at the window.

Answer
Mary,


It is a common behavior problem called Redirected Aggression. It is  when a cat sees a stray cat outside that she can't get to to defend her territory. Normally a territorial cat (which calicos are) will get aggressive with another animal in the home. In her mind she is attacking the stray cat not the resident cats. It is a reaction, not a behavior. The stress of the other cat(s) and her way of 'marking' is more than likely why she is peeing in corners and on the curtains. It's probably the curtains of the the window that she can see strays out of. The way to stop that is to cover the window.
 
There are calming aids that you can use for her also:

"Bach's Rescue Remedy" is extremely effective in the relief of stress or trauma, both in humans and in animals. Two or three drops in a bowl of water often provide quick relief. If your cat does not like the taste (the alcohol content is almost negligible after dilution), you can rub one or two drops behind the cat's ear. People who have tried Rescue Remedy on their cats, swear by its effectiveness. You can get it at a people's health food store or online.

"Feliway" spray is a "friendly pheromone, developed by Farnam, Inc. It mimics the facial pheremones cats use to rub against things and leave their scent (which is calming to them). Feliway is believed to be effective in reducing  stress-related behaviors. Or "Comfort Zone with Feliway" is a wall plug-in which diffuses the pheromone throughout a room. You can get it from a vet (they use it too), PetSmart, Petco, etc., or online.

Carol