Has Moses found the promised land?

[Sara Manasseh]

Hello! I must tell you about Moses. Perhaps you can help me to find a way for Moses to stay under the care of his present owner. If we can't figure that out, then he will need a new forever home. But, together I think we can figure out how he can stay where he is!

Moses is a small, mostly-white shorthair with a gentle and affectionate temperament. He was rescued as a kitten from a barn where he and his siblings were in the process of dying from neglect. Moses was the only kitten that survived.

He soon acquired a housemate, Molly, who is an equally small and affectionate shorthair. They have shared a warehouse together for a year or so. They get human companionship, toys, and medical care where they are, as well as plenty of space and lots of things to nap on. And they are indoor cats. It's not an ideal home, but it's a least a home of a kind.

But Moses has begun peeing on some of the items that are in the warehouse waiting to be sold. And he has peed on the cabinets that hold those items. He has also been scratching in some places.

Moses has been fixed, but Molly hasn't. Could Moses be peeing on things merely because he lives in the same space as a female cat that hasn't been fixed?

Another possibility is that he pees in the wrong places because every so often a third cat, Ellie, is in the warehouse along with Moses and Molly. The person who owns Ellie brings her to the warehouse now and then when guests are staying in her apartment. Ellie is fixed. Could Moses be peeing in response to Ellie taking over some of his space?

As far as the scratching behavior, I have been planning to try to convince my friend to block Moses access to where he has been scratching, is that's possible, and then to provide him with very enticing alternatives for scratching on.

I know you may have several questions at this point, in order to be able to give input or advice. I need to take a look at exactly where Moses is scratching. And I need more details about his inappropriate peeing behavior. But perhaps you have some info or suggestions based on what I've written so far?

My friend will be away until the middle of next week. But I'll have a chance to "inspect" the warehouse before then.

By the way, hello to all my rescue angel pals who helped me find a home for Cora, the stray blind kitty!

Yours,
Sara

[leslie]

HI THERE SARA! This would be best posted under either general or behavior. Since it may be more than behavior, I would guess, general. do you want to start a new thread there and just copy and paste what you wrote here? My guess is he is peeing because of sporadic E. kitty visits, but did you say it started before then? I am having a problem with a male of mine prefering not to use the litterbox, opting for floor instead (around litter box). I think he is pissed off at me when he doesn't get attention... or is when new litter is used? (Have to use a calendar and track this somehow) also- #1 reason- Medical! See a thread Jen posted in cat behavior- "never assume" She assumed a cat who had always peed in wrong place was being "behavioral" when he suddenly peed on bathroom rug- not one of the regular wrong places. Took him to vet to find out he needed medical care! So that is # 1 task!
Keep us posted!

[Sara Manasseh]

hey, thanks for the advice! i'll post this under general or behavior. 'seems like it should be easy to figure out what's up with Moses and how to make him happier and also easier to continue to care for...

[Uabassoon]

I would reccomend that Molly gets fixed, she could be going into heat which is causing Moses to pee. I would also take Moses in for a vet check because his peeing could be cuased by a UTI. I would also reccomend putting some scratching posts in the warehouse for him. If he doesn't have anything at all to scratch then it's only natural that he would want to scratch things that he shouldn't since he doesn't have anything at all to scratch on.

[kt_luvs_kitties]

First off, I would take the kitty to a vet and get his urine checked. It could be a urinary infection.
I think (just from what you said) that it is probably from the other kitty not being fixed. One of my girl cats (puff) never had a spraying-urinating problem until we got our little boy(stash). He was too young to get fixed, so we had to wait a month before doing it. She would squat and tinkle all over our carpet, bed and esp. our clothes that we would wear and would have our "scent" on it. She just wouldn't stop. But right after we got him fixed, she has not had an accident since. But if you wait too long to find the culprit, it can become a "learned behavior" and will never be able to be stopped. Even a fixed male cat can become intimidated if another male is around his "woman". And marking their territory is just showing ownership, even if they are fixed.
The scratching is something I don't have much advice on, because my cats STILL scratch my furniture and my cabinets, even though they have 2 cat scratchers, just because I let them do it and never put a stop to it. They do sell softclaws from the vet and off ebay, that may help to save the furniture. Do they have several scratching posts around? (it may help to rub your scent on the post to encourage scratching) Hope this helps a lil. Good Luck!!!

[Sara Manasseh]

Thanks so much for these ideas! I'll take them back to my friend. All she needs, i think, is a little hope, and encouragement to spend some of her sparse money rather than giving up on Moses.

I'll urge her to have his urine checked ASAP, and also to have Molly fixed. Scratching posts with attractive scents, and something to cover the door Moses has been scratching on, seem needed. Also, he seems to need more attention.

If the urinating problem still isn't fixed, then the possibility that Ellie is the problem should be looked at. Moses and Ellie have known eachother for awhile, but it's possible that Moses isn't welcoming her.

I think I have the info I need at this point. I wanted to have other peoples' opinions before i made a case to this friend.

Thanks for responding to this even though it was posted in the wrong forum...

Sara

[leslie]

oh I missed the part about a door he is scratching- my scamp goes for door frames! I have been lazy about this but plan on using carpet tacs to cover his scratching areas in the frames with some carpet remnants. The frames are "shrinking" from his damage. Double sided sticky taped slowed it down but eventually that eroded under his repeated efforts!