Male Cat w/2 Bad Habits

Question
We have two cats, one female (perfect cat) and one male (Jeckyl and Hyde).  The two cats get along well and like each other.  We have had both for about 8 years

My question is how to curb two very bothersome behaviors (believe me he has many more) with Toby the male cat:

1)  He will mark his territory on items on the floor in the house.  Whether it's a bath mat, an area rug, a towel on the bathroom floor, etc.

2)  He will scoop the water out of the water dish and onto the floor and lick his resulting wet paw as his method of drinking water.  He creates pools of standing water on the floor.  We have tried the flowing water fall cat water dispenser - and he still scoops the water onto the floor.

HELP.  We are seriously thinking we are done with 8 years of this, but our other cat would likely be lost without Toby (they get along so well).

HELP!

Answer
Hello.  You really need to consult the vet.  Urinating inappropriately, as Toby is doing, is more often related to physical problems than vertical marking is.  Treating the underlying problem usually solves these issues.

Also, if he has not been neutered, doing this is likely to help.

If the vet rules out medical issues, such as urinary tract infections, stones, and cystitis, then there are a couple things that may help.

One, make sure you have at least 3 litter boxes.  A good rule of thumb is one box per cat, plus one.  

Second, you may want to try a litter called Cat Attract.  It's a litter formulated with herbs to draw cats back to the litter box if they have not been using it consistently.  You can find a retailer through their site, www.preciouscat.com.  It's guaranteed to work or your money back.

Third, I recommend to use a product called Feliway.  This is a synthetic facial pheromone, which cats use to mark their property.  It eliminates inappropriate urination problems in many cats when due to territorial marking or anxiety.  You can learn more and order at www.felineway.com.  For you, I would suggest buying both the spray bottle and the plug-in diffuser, called Comfort Zone.  Comfort Zone will keep a constant flow of the calming pheromones in the air (you won't be able to smell it, but the cats can).  The Feliway spray should be used directly on surfaces where the cat has urinated and on any new items that may seem tempting.  Mist any new carpets, etc., that you bring in with Feliway to prevent Toby from marking them.

If these don't work, I suggest to talk to your vet about a medication for anxiety.  There are numerous drugs to choose from - Valium, Elavil, Buspar, Anafranil, and Prozac among several others.  Prozac has shown to be the most successful drug for treating litter box problems.  Not only is it the most successful initially, but it is also shown to be more successful in the long run.  When weaned off the medication (which the majority can be after a few months), cats who were on Prozac have far fewer relapses than those who took other medications.  And Prozac has no side effects, while the others may.  I have used Prozac in my cats successfully in the past.  All were able to discontinue the medication after 4 months of treatment.

For your second problem, I understand your frustration.  I have cats who do the same thing.  There isn't anything you can do to stop it.  The thing that has made the problem manageable for me is, I place the entire fountain in a 3" deep roasting pan.  The cats still splash in the water, they still drink using their paws, but the water only gets as far as the roasting pan, saving the floor.

I hope some of these things help you.  Please give them at least a couple months to see if they work, before you make any decisions.  Only 1 out of 10 cats who are relinquished to shelters in the U.S. find a new home.  The rest are euthanized, and a cat who has had behavioral problems is probably not going to be that 1 in 10 who is adopted.