my cat is behaving out of sorts

Question
QUESTION: hi
i recently moved, and whereas my cat was used to living alone with me for 2 years, he is now in a much bigger apartement with my two new roomates. i understand he need to adjust, but after a month, he should be better behaved, and he still defecates all over the house (especially on beds). He was sick last week and vomited bile all over, and more recently he began urinating everywhere. I had noticed that he wouldn't use his litterbox is it was too full, but I am extra careful and change his litter twice a week. I dont understand because he has never acted this way. There is a new agression in him as well, where he will ambush and attack my roomates. I believe it is an adjustement and he will get over it, but I am beginning to think this is hopeless. What should I do??

ANSWER: Soleil,

You don't say how old the cat is, but the older the cat the harder new adjustments are to make. And they don't take stress as well as a younger cat.

First, I would keep him confined to your room for about 2 weeks to let him acclimate to his new surroundings and give him a chance to calm down. Feed him, water him, and keep a litterbox in there temporarily while he is confined. Preferably get a kitty condo/cat tree so he can look out the window and get used to the new noises and smells of the apartment.

Then gradually expand his area. Let him go into one other room at the time. Letting him loose in a new, big area is too overwhelming and confusing all at once.

I would also bring one roommate in your room at the time to 'visit', while ignoring the cat. That way the cat can get used to her/his smell and voice slowly. Then they won't be such a threat to him. Also have your roommates feed the cat. If they feed him, then he will see them as an extention of you which will help the adjustment along quicker.

This process of getting him to adapt is going to take awhile since he is so stressed and upset at all of it. Take it VERY slow.

You may also want to take him to the vet for a checkup. His behavior may be because of a medical issue and not a behavioral one that coincided with your move. I would also speak to the vet about putting him on a short term prescription of 'kitty Prozac'. It is commonly used to calm cats who are highly stresssed and/or have emotional issues.

Another helpful thing would be to get some Bach's Rescue Remedy, which you can get at a health food store (people use it too) or online.

Bach's Rescue Remedy can be given in the water during any time of stress. You can use up to ten drops every time the water is changed depending on the level the cat is stressed. If your cat does not like the taste (though the alcohol content is almost negligible after dilution), you can rub one or two drops behind the cat's ear. The remedy can be given by mouth, which is the most effective method. Only a few drops (4-8) are necessary, and need not be swallowed, but only must contact the mucous membranes (gums, tongue, lips). Be careful not to contaminate the dropper by touching it to the animal (if this occurs, rinse the dropper in very hot water before returning it to the bottle). You can also add a dropper full to the water dish, or a few drops on wet food (there is no effect of dilution). You can add a dropper full to a spray bottle filled with bottled spring water, and use it to spray a room, carrier, car, around litter boxes or plants, or other problem areas. You can even put a few drops in your hand and pat the animal on the head and around the ears with it--the head is very sensitive to energy and will absorb essences in this way.

For most behavioral problems, you can give 3 to 4 times a day for 2 to 4 weeks, or add a dropper full to their drinking water every day until no further signs of distress are present. If the response to the remedy is adequate by that time, you can begin to wean off by decreasing the frequency of administration. You may need to add a dropper-full to drinking water or give once a day long-term for some problems.

There is no improper or wrong method of applying the Bach Remedies. It is not necessary to be precise in counting the number of drops in any of the dilution methods. You cannot overdose the Bach's Remedies, they are non-toxic and have no side effects.

Also you can try Feliway Comfort Zone for Cats: Feliway is a "friendly pheromone, developed by Farnam, Inc. It mimics the facial pheremones cats use to mark territory. Feliway was originally developed to discourage urine marking by cats, since it is believed cats will not "spray" areas they have previously marked with facial pheromones. It is also believed to be effective in reducing other stress-related behaviors. Comfort Zone, with Feliway, is a wall plug-in which diffuses the pheromone throughout a room. You can try PetSmart, Petco, etc. for it, online, or a vet's office (they use it to).

I hope this helps.

Tabbi

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks a lot. My cat is 2 years old, and following your advice, he is now confined to my room, where he is adjusting well and in better spirits. I was wondering how to go about re-introducing him to the rest of the house in a couple weeks time. I dont want him to become overwhelmed all over again, but introducing him one room at a time would be almost impossible given the size and random design of this apartement. He is athletic and would just jump over any barrier we would put up to confine him in a small part of the house. I am hoping that if he becomes comfortable in my room, then that will be his 'home-base' that he can feel safe in when the rest of the house feels overwhelming. Thanks again for your advice, so far it is working well.

Answer

dog crate   Soleil,

Good, I'm glad he is doing better.

Another suggestion would be to get a dog crate. I am attaching a picture of mine that I use to cat-sit or introduce a new cat. I purchased mine at Petco. A cat can be comfortable in it with a small doorless carrier inside of it to hide in, a litterbox, food and water dishes, and still room to move around.

Or a large cat carrier would work for short periods of time.

Put the cat in whatever you use and place in in different rooms. Go longer periods of time in rooms that get alot of traffic (like the kitchen and living room). That way the cat (safely) will get used to the smells, voices, people, and the daily movements around the apartment. Try opening the door after awhile and see if the cat comes out on his own. Leave the door open so he can run back inside if he gets scared (and also leave the door open to your room...his 'safe haven' for the same reason). Hopefully his times out will be longer until he feels comfortable and won't need to run and hide anymore.

Tabbi