Expert: Jessica - 5/13/2010

Question
Bib has now started to vomit daily, which I attribute to cleaning up the kittens issues" poop and such", but I'm not sure. She appears to be losing weight daily which is a concern. She has made the distinction of attacking my hair, which I don't understand but have allowed her. I don't have a lot anyway. She now growls at the kitten at every situation, which concerns me, no aggression yet, but seems  immininent. The situation with Squeak and her appear to be unresolveable as Squeak becomes very  distant and wants nothing to do  with Bib. Very, Very apparent as Squeak hides for several days and does not appear until she feels its safe for her. Bib did a number on Squeak and Kicked Squeaks Butt  when the kitten was born and Squeak  retains this and will not allow admission to Bib. She hides whenever Bib is allowed to surface , for several days, will not even eat. I don't know how to handle this situation.It seems apparent Squeak will not ever accept Bib as part of the family at this juncture. HELP???????

Answer
Hmmmm...the baby should be urinating and defecating on his own, now, and using a litter box.  If mom is still cleaning up after him this way, she is exhibiting a behavioral problem called coprophagia.  If the baby isn’t using the litter box and mom is eating his feces, she may be doing it strictly to clean up after him.  The best way to correct this, of course, would be to get baby using a litter box, which he should be doing pretty consistently by the age of 5-6 weeks old.  If necessary, you could consider using a training litter, such as Cat Attract.  It uses an herbal attractant to get kitties to use the litter box and is money-back guaranteed.  You can learn more at www.preciouscat.com.  It’s widely available in the U.S., but if you’re unable to find the litter in your area, there is a Cat Attract additive that you can find online and have it shipped to you.  You mix this with your own unscented clumping litter.  A word of caution – be very careful the kitten doesn’t “sample” his litter.  Kittens tend to have a little taste of everything around them, and clumping litter can be dangerous if ingested.

However, if the baby IS already using a litter box and mom is eating his feces out of the box, the problem will be difficult to treat.  The cause of coprophagia is unknown, so there is no known way to resolve it.  Quick removal of feces from the box would be the best solution, but the only real way to do this would be to get a motion-activated self-cleaning litter box, such as the Litter Maid.

After all that…if the vomit doesn’t seem to contain stool, her vomiting is likely caused by something else.  For her to be grumpy against the baby indicates she is probably feeling quite poorly.  Unfortunately, it seems to be vet time.  Weight loss can certainly be caused by nursing.  We see this all the time.  But it would probably be minimal with a single kitten litter.  It’s a concern when you have a vomiting cat, because it can indicate a bigger problem.  Hopefully this is just a stomach virus, and it will pass with some anti-nausea medications and perhaps some fluids under the skin to support her health in the meantime.  Most vets also like to administer antibiotics that target germs that affect the gastrointestinal tract in case the problem is bacterial or protozoan in nature.  With significant weight loss, it may be wise to consider some blood work, as this coupled with vomiting can indicate kidney or liver disease.  Finally, be sure to keep an eye on the litter box – are her bowel movements normal?  Vomiting can be caused by severe constipation.  If she hasn’t had a bowel movement in a few days, this can become a very serious situation very quickly.

As for the fights between Bib and Squeak, keep them entirely separated for now, and I would concentrate on introducing the baby.  And again, see if you can use the scent transference with the cloths to help Squeak accept Bib by scent, first.  Also, the switch-a-roo with their spaces can be really helpful.  I'm not sure if you are using the Feliway that I'm sure I have mentioned (www.feliway.com), but the diffuser can help a great deal to help calm tense cats during introductions.  After a few weeks, see if Squeak will react so badly if you place Bib in a carrier and allow them to see each other with this barrier between them.  Most cats have a real problem if they are first introduced face-to-face without any warming up by scent or sight with a barrier such as a cage or window between them.  Try to find ways to get them used to each other without allowing them to actually interact.  Hopefully you will make enough progress that they will no longer hiss or hide.  Sometimes this can take several weeks.  Only then should you try to introduce them directly.  There is that small fraction of cats who will never accept another cat in the household.  It will be sad if Squeak is one of them.

I hope all goes well!