Problem with cat peeing on carpet and being overly dominant.?

Question

I have two cats, one older 14 and one 3 years old, both spayed females. The younger cat has taken to harassing my older cat. She sits right over her when she eats so we separated their food dishes and put my older cats in my bedroom. Then she would head her off at the pass so to speak when she was headed for the litter box. We had my older cat in my bedroom so she had her own space without being pounced on and chased. Now the younger cat is weaseling her way into my bedroom too. she will go in there and eat the food of the older cat and has started peeing on the floor in my room. she has peed in two other areas in the house and then just yesterday she peed in my toddler sons bed. My older cat had been in that room more and more since the younger cat is worming her way into my bedroom, aka older kittys safe space. She is very dominant and aggressive towards the older cat and now is peeing everywhere. What can I do?

Answer 1

Hi Jodi......please first consider all the possibilities such as:
- changes with litter brands
- location of the litter box isn't private enough
- some cats like to have one box to defecate and another to urinate
- cleanliness (some cats are very finicky and prefer a super clean box)
- as a general rule there should be one litter box for each cat plus one extra as a back up
-senior cats over the age of 10 develop age-related disorders/diseases such as chronic renal failure (CRF), hyperthyroidism, diabetes, etc.

Feline CRF: http://www.felinecrf.org/what_is_crf.htm
Feline Hyperthyroidism: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/thyroid__signs__symptoms_and_d.html
Feline Diabetes: http://felinediabetes.com/diabetes-info.htm

If all these have been ruled out, there's a chance that your cat may have developed another underlying medical problem which can contribute to accidents outside of the box. Cats will associate pain while using box and change their habits as a result.

Here's an article about why cats inappropriately soil outside their litter box by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html

House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. It includes urination and/or defecation outside the litter box, as well as urine spraying.

Why do cats eliminate outside of the litter box?
One common misconception is that cats soil in inappropriate places for revenge. It is tempting to conclude, "He defecated on the living room carpet to punish me for leaving him for the weekend." But this kind of calculation requires sophisticated cognitive abilities that cats aren't believed to possess. Furthermore, this conclusion assumes that cats view their urine and feces as distasteful, when in fact they do not. It is only we humans who view it that way.

Medical Problems
So why do cats urinate or defecate on your bed or carpet? Medical problems are one possibility. Inflammation of the urinary tract may cause painful or frequent urination, inability to urinate, bloody urine, and crying during urination. An affected cat is likely to eliminate outside the litter box if he comes to associate the box with painful urination, or if he has an increased urgency to urinate. In addition, kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases often lead to increased drinking and urination. Inflammation of the colon or rectum, intestinal tract tumors, intestinal parasites, and other gastrointestinal conditions may cause painful defecation, increased frequency or urgency to defecate, and decreased control of defecation. Age-related diseases that interfere with a cat's mobility (for example, arthritis, nervous system disorders, or muscular diseases), or with his cognitive functions can also influence his ability to get to the litter box in time. In short, any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal elimination behavior can lead to house soiling.

Litter Box Aversions
Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three.

...please consider visiting the website for further details

Answer 2

You can only put up with that so long and then you have to take action. Usually the action is to give one of the cats away. I had a cat once a real sweetie, and during a cold cold winter I found a kitten freezing just outside my door so I took her in. Over the five years she and my cat got along...and both were fat. One day my older cat came to me with freezing paws and I never gave it a second thought. Yes the newer cat had kept her at times from her sandbox and also ate her food but I put out enough food that both would eat. And I was busy working and cleaning up messes. Within months my older cat had passed away, unbeknownst to me, she starved. I learned by that, and I offer the same suggestion to you. One cat at a time.

Answer 3

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