Cat running away and new kitten

Question
Dear Tabbi,

I have three cats, Koby male 8 years old, Molly female 2 years old, and the newest member to the team, Twix female 8 weeks. Each of my cat's seem to have their own little problems so I hope you don't mind answering a few questions.

My eldest cat, Koby, always comes into my room during the early hours of the morning and will chew/lick my hair and my face and is very consistant about it. The only way I can prevent him from doing this is by putting my pillow over my head but then he constantly complains and cries. He also seems to cry and seems a bit depressed when I leave the house so says my family.

My other cat, Molly, is always constantly finding ways of escaping the house and returning a few days later with cuts and scraps all over her, I was wondering if there is a way to train you cat not to leave the house perimeter or not to run away. I was also hoping to train the new kitten to not run away also, the eldest cat I'm not to worried about he sticks pretty close to home and has no interest about the outside world.

And finally the new little bundle, Twix. I have started feeding her dry cat food and soaking it for 5 minutes in water before giving her it. I have been keeping a close eye on her and she never goes to the bathroom. I thought she probably was going somewhere else but i searched her little room and found nothing. Also she will pee in the litter box but that's about it. It's starting to concern me a lot.

Thanks for your time.

Answer
Mary Jayne,

Koby: It sounds like she might have separation anxiety. He could be a sort of 'kitty bi-polar'. I am including a link to an article about separation anxiety. Cut and paste, or type the whole link into your address bar:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1310&articleid=2372

About his morning behavior: you need to completely ignore him and show no reaction (that is what he wants) and you have to be consistant about it. He eventually will stop. If it is because he is hungry, leave a dish of dry food always available. Then the cat can nibble when he's hungry and not pester you. But more than likely he just wants you to get up and give him some attention.

Molly: Is Molly spayed? If not, that would account for the escaping. She may just be a hunter. They NEED to go hunt to satisfy an inbred urge. If a cat has all it's creature comforts at home, they have no need to wander. If they do, it's usually not very far. Does anyone have caged birds or something similar in the area? Sometimes that will attract them.

Twix (cute name!): Give her the juice of a can of people Tuna in oil; put mayonnaise on top of her paws, get her some Swanson's Chicken Broth, or get her some Laxatone (or similar) from the pet store. The important thing is to give her a lot of liquids. If nothing has happened yet, then definitely take her to the vet.

Tabbi