Teeny backstory: my cat (5.5 years old, male, had him from kittenhood) got attacked by a large dog a few of weeks back. He was fine physically, but went into shock and we had to take him to the vet for that. It took him a week to go back to his old self, more or less, but he's definitely changed after the incident.
There are two main changes. One he's become more cuddly, demands attention all the time and is pretty much always at home (previously, he was usually either sleeping on the windowsill, or outside somewhere). I've nothing against that part. Two, he has started sh*tting on our kitchen tabletops. It has happened twice now, about a week ago, and again today.
I heard that cats do that as some sort of revenge, but I'm at a loss as to what this might be for. I would really like to hear opinions on why he might be doing it, and how to stop it. My father said that the next time this happens, he's putting the cat in a shelter, he's not going to tolerate this.
Feliway is a natural pheromone which proper chills cats out. You can get that without seeing a vet. You can get a plug in or a spray. Or Zylkene like LegoGirl said above. Or Dorwest do a load of herbal products.
Obviously this only works if it's all stress related.
Have you got another cat in your house too? Sometimes in multicat households they can start getting funny about litter trays etc for no apparent reason
They don't like citronella or citrus stuff, maybe putting some oils like that on the work tops would help.
incidentally, he sh*t right next to a lemon, and buried it with grapes
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When cats have a scare they often need to reclaim their territory. Mine had a run in with a fox and pissed all over the kitchen for a while.
He did chill in the end though.
he hasn't been pissing, I don't think. just this.
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Does he have a litter tray inside in case he is afraid to go out?
no, he doesn't. But he goes outside no problem, just now, after what he did on the tabletop, he left to go outside for a walk. When he came back I threw him back out after showing him the table. He knows that drill, but I don't know if he's understood anything.
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Also you can get something like zylkene which is a herbal anti anxiety anti depressant thing for cats, that might help.
I'll look into it, thanks. I know of a pharmacy nearby with a veterinary department, I'll see what they have.
my mother thinks that if a cat has started doing this, it's only going to get worse, as he's not a kitten anymore. Her opinion is that he's gone a bit crazy. He's not really washing himself now either, does that point to kitty depression/other unwellness?
Have you got another cat in your house too? Sometimes in multicat households they can start getting funny about litter trays etc for no apparent reason
no, only one cat. And two [small] dogs, whom he doesn't exactly like, but isn't hostile/anxious towards, he just ignores them. He also doesn't have a litter tray, as he's been going outside since he was a kitten.
Yeah I'd get the Feliway diffuser. Will just be a reaction to the stress. You could try rescue remedy in the water bowl too. If you catch him doing it just gently move him outside or to a litter tray. But if you don't actually see him do it "showing" him afterwards he won't understand.
Please tell your mum that its 99% likely that he will get better and stop doing this....its like human anxiety, people need the toilet more, want more reassurance etc. I would keep an eye on him and if he gets up on the table put him on the floor or outside.
My older cat had a run in with a dog that got into our house and she would only poo in the sink for about a week but she got better.x
There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you.
But there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.
I aint no abacus but you can count on me.
It's a natural reaction to something that shocks them. One of mine had a near run-in with a car about a year ago, & she would follow me around for days afterwards, & poo & wee in the house too, & meow when I wasn't giving her attention. She settled down after a while. If it concerns you, you could get some spray to try to stop him doing it. x
It's a relief to hear from several of you that it settles down. How long did it take, would you say?
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Originally Posted by makedamnsure
Yeah I'd get the Feliway diffuser. Will just be a reaction to the stress. You could try rescue remedy in the water bowl too. If you catch him doing it just gently move him outside or to a litter tray. But if you don't actually see him do it "showing" him afterwards he won't understand.
I'm definitely going to go down to the vet pharmacy tomorrow and ask them about it. What is this Feliway diffuser exactly?
I am wary about putting anything in the water bowl because the three of them (cat and two dogs) share it, and the dogs naturally drink more, so that would only work if it would definitely do no harm to the dogs.
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Originally Posted by griddlebone
Please tell your mum that its 99% likely that he will get better and stop doing this....its like human anxiety, people need the toilet more, want more reassurance etc. I would keep an eye on him and if he gets up on the table put him on the floor or outside.
My older cat had a run in with a dog that got into our house and she would only poo in the sink for about a week but she got better.x
Thank you. I'll tell her all that I've read here. I already asked her that if worst comes to worst, to be patient and I'll take him when I move out in several months time. My brother loves him a lot too, so hopefully the shelter would be a complete last resort that they wouldn't do without letting me know.
Last edited by Ninja Orange : 25-10-2012 at 09:28 PM.
Reason: griddlebone posted while I was writing my reply
Put a litter tray down. Hew just might be too anxious to go outside for a while. My cat's sometimes piss inside when they are anxious or their territory is threatened. Like last christmas there was a fox seen around and all of the cats in our road started acting weird. They all stopped when the fox went.
It might take a while for him to calm down but if you put down a litter tray and he knows it's safe to go there then he will.
The world is just illusion always trying to change me.
You will find wonder wherever you can, and spread joy whenever you are able.
I felt emotions of gentleness and pleasure, that had long appeared dead, divide within me. - Frankenstein.
He didn't go outside at all the first week, but then he started going outside the same as before. I would understand if he went to the toilet in the house because he was nervous, but only if he actually stayed inside all the time. In fact, he's outside right now, and has been at least since 6pm today. He goes in and out at will, no problem. Which is why it made me think that he did it as some sort of revenge for something, because he left the house right after.
Cats do not have perception of revenge like humans do. Our cats still went outside, just pissed all over the house as well. Cats are strange creatures but putting a tray down for a little while should help. Unless you want him to sh*t all over your house...
The world is just illusion always trying to change me.
You will find wonder wherever you can, and spread joy whenever you are able.
I felt emotions of gentleness and pleasure, that had long appeared dead, divide within me. - Frankenstein.
Yep, absolutely. Going to the toilet puts cats in a vulnerable position. It might be that he feels safe to go outside but not safe enough to go the toilet out there.
Rescue remedy is perfectly safe for the dogs (and humans) too. Feliway is based on pheromones I think if its similar to the dog equivalent.
my mother thinks that if a cat has started doing this, it's only going to get worse, as he's not a kitten anymore. Her opinion is that he's gone a bit crazy. He's not really washing himself now either, does that point to kitty depression/other unwellness?
He's not a kitten, no, but he's not that old either most my cats have lived to around 3 times his age!
I agree with everyone else, it's probably anxiety related and it would be worth getting a little tray for now until he feels more secure. I've had 2 cats do this one after she had a traumatic experience, one started going to the toilet in the bath but as soon as I gave her an indoor little tray she stopped. However, she never went to the toilet outside again... just used the little tray. The other started to go in the kitchen sink took him a couple of months before he started to do his business outside again
Feliway is based on pheromones I think if its similar to the dog equivalent.
Feliway is an synthetic pheromone, so you are right.
I have no other suggestions to make other than what has been said, but do make sure that you get the diffuser not the spray if using Feliway. I recommend that you get it online (places like amazon, ebay and vet specific websites sell it) rather than getting it via a vet because very often it is cheaper.
I havent tried Zylkene (trying it for the first time this year due to one of my cats being afraid of fireworks), but if your cat is a bugger to worm then you may be better off abandoning it entirely. Zylkene is a tablet form, whereas Rescue Remedy is a liquid put in their water. If you are wondering where to get Rescue Remedy try your local Holland and Barratt, or Boots.
Wannabe CPN : -)
"He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life." - Homer Simpson "I hear those voices that will not be drowned" Sanity is a nasty disease. The world would be a happier place without it. - Rilic
RIP Kat 4th July 1987- 11th June 2013
I went down to the pharmacy today and they gave me the only thing they had for anxiety in cats & dogs so hopefully it'll help. It something called Nutri-Calm, and it's a liquid. Not too sure what it's made of, I tried asking but the pharmacists seemed to not know exactly either. B vitamins mostly, it appears.
My cat is good at taking tablets; if this thing doesn't help, I'll look into getting tablets elsewhere, it would be preferable to putting something in water because my cat rarely goes near the water bowl so there's no guarantee that he'll even consume any.
Feliway is a replica of what cat mothers release whilst their kittens are suckling. I think it has calcium roots, but the idea is to try and replicate the feeling from when they were feeling full, warm and sleeping after suckling from their mothers when they were kittens.
Adaptil is made from Dog Appeasing Pheromone. I think it works something similar.
The diffuser you just plug in. You can't smell it, but it diffuses throughout the house. Or you can get room sprays to spray the room twice a day.
He might just eventually get over it. If something 10x my size came running over to attack me, I'd probably be crapping myself a week later aswell.
Hope the thing the pharmacist gave you works. If not, feliway is available from online, pets at home, vets etc.
most my cats have lived to around 3 times his age! 
took him a couple of months before he started to do his business outside again
