Q: About 3 months ago I got a kitten because I thought my older cat needed a companion. I was wrong. They are fighting and the older cat also urinates in front of her litter box about three to four times a week. I have two litter boxes. The new kitty uses both litter boxes but the older one uses just the one.
She also is not grooming herself very well and will not let anyone brush her. I can’t get her groomed by a professional because she suffers extreme anxiety when I take her out of the house. Please, I need to know what to do. I can’t keep scrubbing my floors a couple times a day and I don’t want her to feel pain from the matted hair.
Thank you,
J.I.
A: Well, no good deed goes unpunished, does it? It sounds like your older kitty is definitely trying to send you some loud and clear messages that she doesn’t like her new housemate. Let’s see what we can do to figure out why she might not be accepting the change, and hopefully get them on the road to coexisting peacefully.
First, let’s talk about her health issues. How old is she? It’s true that cats can become dangerously stressed, and in very geriatric cats it’s important to respect that. However, if her quality of life is compromised, we need to find a way to address it.
There are several options for grooming when animals don’t tolerate travel or being handled by strangers well. There are mobile groomers who will come to your house. There are also groomers who work in veterinary offices who have the benefit of being able to sedate the animal under a medical professional’s watchful eye.
There are also grooming kits and videos for pet owners to learn the basics of grooming themselves.
In your kitty’s case, if she won’t let you brush her and stresses easily, my suggestion would be to find a veterinarian with a groomer who could possibly prescribe a mild sedative for the car ride and sedate her in order to do a safe, quick, efficient groom job. As an added important bonus, they could also check her over to make sure there are no diseases contributing to her attitude and new litter box problems.
Now, let’s address some things that might be going on in the environment. If your older kitty is urinating right in front of the box the younger cat is also using, it may be another statement that she doesn’t want to share with the kitten.
It’s recommended to have a litter box per cat in the house plus one, so in your case I would have three boxes. Make sure they are large enough for the cat to get in and turn around comfortably in, and for older cats make sure they are low walled enough to get in and out of easily.
Litter box placement is also key — you want different locations in the house where the cat will not feel trapped or cornered when using them. Frequent scooping (especially if the scent of the other cat is an issue) is important as well.
Cats are also strong proponents of the tenant that “Sometimes the best defense is a strong offense.” Your cat growling, striking, and chasing the kitten may actually be a sign that she is scared of her. Kittens are adorable, but they are also full of energy, wildly curious, and their antics could be interpreted as pretty threatening to an older cat.
It is important to have your older cat associate the kitten with good things. The easiest way to do this is with meals. Take up her food for several hours and once she’s good and hungry, feed both (initially, maybe with the kitten in a carrier or on the other side of a screen door for safety).
Try to engage them in play with a string toy together. Most importantly, make sure your older cat has a safe place to get away from the kitten when she wants, where she can use the bathroom in peace, and that she gets plenty of attention from you.
I hope this helps create some peace; best of luck to you and your cats.
Meg Geldhof, DVM,
One of a Kind Pet Rescue
medical director
Please send questions about your pet to Kathy Antoniotti at the Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309-0640; or send me an email to kantoniotti@thebeaconjournal.com. Please include your full name and address and a daytime phone number where you can be reached. I will forward your questions to the expert I think is best suited to answer your particular problem. Phoned-in messages will not be taken.