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Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/peeing
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Question
Hello Tabbi. Not sure if you were the one I spoke about this to last time, but the same problem I had a few months back is now back. My cat Pebbles is having accidents again. Last time we discovered it was stress from the situation at the time was causing her stress and she peed everywhere. Now we have moved into a new apartment, stress levels came down and everything was fine. But now she is peeing again. Granted we are still stressed a little but not as bad as last time. Plus she had stopped for a good while. Now I am unsure why she is doing it again, and I doubt she has an infection because she still uses the litterbox when we are awake, but she pees at the foot of the bed at night... can you fill me in on why she might be doing it again and only at night?
Courtney,
An emotional cat will react to anything she perceives as stressful, whether you are aware of it or not.
Can she see stray cats at night out a window that she can't get to, to defend her territory? She may be reacting to them, and peeing is one way they do it.
Do you have a night light on where her litter box is? She may be frightened of something she perceives/senses in the dark or in the room where her litterbox is and won't go there at night, or by herself. In the daytime, it would be OK. I would try putting a little litter box in your room at night on the floor at the foot of the bed and see if she uses it. That will tell you more about what is going on.
Tabbi
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Dear Tabbi
Expertise
My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.
Experience
Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).
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* One of the top 50 Experts Of 2008 *
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