Expert: Ali - 9/2/2008

Question
I have a cat who is 16 mos old, who I adopted from a shelter when he was 3 months old (he was neutered before I got him).  At the shelter he was in a cage by himself near the front, instead of in the "kitten condo" in back with all the other kittens.  A staff member told me it was because he'd been fighting with the other cats (when I had him in for boarding my vet confirmed that he is aggressive toward other cats).  But when I picked him up at the shelter, he wanted to be held and he was incredibly loving and sweet, so I adopted him, as I live alone and have no other pets.

Soon after bringing him home, he began biting me, pretty severely.  I thought it was play aggression and armed myself with squirt bottles and filled my pockets with toys to redirect his attention.  However, as he has matured, the aggression has gotten worse, and most of the time has nothing to do with playing.  I notice it typically occurs after I speak sternly to him or stop him from doing something off-limits, and he only seems to try and attack me.  The attacks are pretty severe, I have scars all up and down my arms and legs.  Lately I have even had to use items at hand (gym bag, suitcase, pillow) to try and 'block' the attacks, as I can tell when they are about to occur because his eyes become nearly all black. I think his aggression is in some way related to dominance, but I have no idea how to alter his behavior.  He will not attack me when I am pointing the spray bottle at him, but I thought after this much time, the spray bottle would have created a negative association and trained him not to bite.  (He is very easy to train, he sits, stays, and comes to me on command).  It may be worth noting that at times where he is not aggressive, he is incredibly friendly, sitting in my lap, wanting to snuggle, and even licking/love-biting my face.  The vet has confirmed that he is healthy.

Is this something that can be trained out of him?  My coworkers and friends are worried, as they see me with scars and cuts all over my arms and legs, and to be honest, there are times that I am afraid of him.  I just don’t understand the reason behind his aggressive behavior, especially since he is so sweet the rest of the time.

In addition, he has started relieving himself in my bathtub at every opportunity, even when his litterbox is fresh.  This has only happened in the last few months, and when the bathroom door is closed, it is not a problem.  I have racked my brain and can’t think of any factors that have changed in our routine, living situation, etc. that might be causing this behavior.  Is it possible that this is related to the aggression?


Answer
Jennifer,

I am not sure that the aggression and house soiling are linked. Given the extreme nature of the aggression I do think that it's important to err on the side of caution and at least consult an animal behaviorist. Your vet can provide you with a referral. It's not in your best interests or in the best interests of your cat if you allow this behavior to continue unchecked. Unfortunately I am not able to see the behavior, how the attacks start or what seems to prompt your cat to up the intensity. An animal behaviorist is specifically trained in animal behavior and can offer a behavioral modification program that should turn the bad behavior around fairly quickly. In the meantime I would recommend that you purchase a few cans of compressed air (the kind used to get dust out from inside of electronics) at your local discount store. Be sure that the canisters are only filled with air as any chemicals will be dangerous and inappropriate for what I am about to suggest. When you see signs that your cat is about to attack you I would suggest that you give the compressed air a blast in his direction and pair it with a lower pitched "NO! BAD CAT!" or something to that effect. Avoid high pitched squeaky sounds as the cat will associate those sounds with the submission of his weaker littermates. This will result in a fairly loud hissing noise and may redirect your cat's aggression at least temporarily. Small portable air horns work too, however if you live in an apartment your neighbors may not appreciate the loud noise during the evening hours. I hope that a few cans of compressed air will at the very least prevent further injury while you wait to see the behaviorist although if they work well enough that your cat seems to settle down then you may be able to control unpleasant behaviors without seeing a behaviorist for the time being.

As for the urinating in the bath tub my first instinct would be that the cat has a urinary tract infection or a problem with crystals in his urine, however since you mention that your vet has given him a clean bill of health I am going to assume that these issues have already been considered and eliminated. Another common reason for urinating or defecating outside of the litter box is to mark territory which is infinitely more common in cats that haven't been sterilized which isn't the case with your cat according to your e-mail. Sometimes cats will soil in specific areas and continue to soil in those locations based on smell alone. I would recommend that you try using an enzymatic cleaner to permanently remove the odor that is causing your cat to urinate outside of the box. An enzymatic cleaner uses beneficial bacteria to digest/destroy the components of organic compounds like urine, feces or vomit that are responsible for leaving behind odor or stains. I have found that a product called Petzyme works quite well and has so far been safe on my carpet and upholstery for cleaning  the occasional vomit stain or accidental piece of poop that makes it out of the litter box and ends up being wiped off onto the carpet.

Sometimes house soiling in cats comes down to the fairly obvious but often overlooked issue of litter boxes. If your cat's food is located near the litter that will generally cause him to use the toilet elsewhere. Cats are very clean and would prefer not to eat where they go to the washroom. Scented kitty litters, air fresheners and other products that contain perfumes or dyes can cause discomfort in cats that are sensitive to these chemicals and they will react much the same way as chemically sensitive people. Unfortunately chemically sensitive cats will often soil elsewhere as a result of the discomfort produced by their chemical/perfume sensitivity. Litter boxes should be located in quiet, private areas of the house. I usually recommend that cat guardians use unscented clumping kitty litter (there are numerous materials, whichever type that you/your cat would prefer to use is fine). Litter boxes must be kept clean, urine pucks and feces should be scooped out of the litter boxes a minimum of once a day. It's not a bad idea to try offering your cat another type of litter box and see if this makes a difference in the number of times per day he urinates into the tub. For some cats the answer to house soiling is that there are too few litter boxes in the house for the cat's comfort. I usually recommend that cat guardians have one litter box per cat plus one, and in the case of house soiling kitties I expand that to one litter box per cat plus one per level of your home, at least temporarily. Some cats prefer to urinate in one litter box and defecate in the other so adding another litter box or two might be all that your cat needs to stop urinating outside of the litter box.

Given the whole picture in your case I still think that it's not a bad idea to speak with your vet about the possibility of a referral to an animal behaviorist. Your vet can offer effective treatment options using certain medications. It's important to be aware that many of the drugs administered to cats with the intention of changing house soiling/anxious behaviors are small doses of human anti-depressant/anti-anxiety drugs. In view of this you need to do your research and be aware of any potential risks or side effects that could result from the use of these drugs. Above all you need to be comfortable enough with your vet to ask any questions that arise prior to, during or after your cat's treatment. You may also want to try consulting with a holistic vet. Essentially what the term "holistic vet" means is that a practitioner has been trained in conventional medicine as well as alternative therapies ranging from acupuncture and massage to homeopathy. Sometimes an approach that focuses on the whole animal can be helpful in eliminating the woes of inappropriate elimination and issues with aggression in your cat. I wish you luck and I look forward to hearing updates on how you and your cat are doing. I really hope that you and your vet are able to find solutions to these behavioral issues as it is very clear to me that you love your cat dearly and you only want the best for him... It's important to realize that wanting the best for him is similar to your needs, I am fairly certain that your cat wants to please you and that he would rather not bite you or use the toilet outside of the litter box...