I have a male cat about 8 years old. About 98 percent of the
time he uses his potty box. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern when
he doesn’t use it
– day or night. I wash out the potty box daily and scoop out
feces and cover up urine with litter several times a day.
Q: I have a male cat about 8 years old. About 98 percent of the time he uses his potty box. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern when he doesn’t use it – day or night. I wash out the potty box daily and scoop out feces and cover up urine with litter several times a day. I use Scoop Away and he seems to prefer it to coarser brands of litter. I’ve used REPEL II cat and dog repellent in areas where he urinates, but it doesn’t seems to have any effect.
A:
There are several possible reasons for your kitty’s occasional dysuria, or “failure to comply.” First, intact males are far more likely to urinate inappropriately. They feel a need to mark territory and their urine scent does just that. At his age, it’s unlikely that neutering will change any behavior, but I would still recommend this surgery for him.
Cats can be finicky about their litterbox. If the litter is not to their liking, if it’s too coarse, too fine and dusty, too aromatic (perfumes are the worst), some cats will intermittently avoid the litterpan. This would be similar to that situation where a neighbor annoys you because he plays his stereo too loudly. Most days you might be able to tolerate it. But some days, you just feel like screaming at him to turn it down. It may be that some days, something in your environment drives your kitty to go off and do “his thing” somewhere else.
Additionally, there are physical problems that can cause cats to eliminate outside the box. Urinary tract infections, bladder stones or a condition called Feline Urologic Syndrome; all can make a cat with good habits go bad.
Bottom line here is this: Have your little guy evaluated by his veterinarian. Talk to the vet and take the appropriate steps to eliminate any reason for his occasional dysuria. He may have a physical, behavioral or stress-related problem. And solving this dilemma may take some trial and error adjustments to his environment. But be patient. It sounds as though he’s a good boy … 98 percent of the time. That’s a good start and with a little help, he’ll hopefully hit the 100 mark.
Q:
My cat is absolutely addicted to brewer’s yeast. Can this be harmful? Have you heard of this before?
A:
Cats can develop obsessive/compulsive personality disorders just the same as dogs and even people. An addiction to brewer’s yeast is not very likely. But obsessive behavior is very possible, especially if you reinforce her actions. And you may be unknowingly doing just that.
Your note described her licking the top of the canister at first, then actually vocalizing in a way that sounds as though she demands more. I’ve seen this behavior many times before, and sometimes it’s related to a behavioral quirk. Here’s an example.
A good friend has a young cat that she found as a 5-week-old feral kitten. This cat is now an adult and has become a loudly vocal kitty that “demands” feeding and attention. I’ve witnessed this cat literally scream out to this woman until she opens the door to the room where the food is kept and fills the bowl with kibble. Interestingly enough, this cat never exhibits this behavior with the man of the house. She’s tried to “command” him, but he has loudly told her “No!” each time and she’s learned that he’s not a willing participant. So she always goes to the woman who responds to her vocalization. Her husband is largely ignored.
This cat’s behavior is typical of an alpha dominance. Because the woman responds to (or rewards) her cat’s behavior, the kitty continues to act obsessively. If this feline’s actions weren’t rewarded, she’d stop (and probably try something else). I’ll bet the same would be true with your kitty as well.
By itself, brewer’s yeast is pretty safe unless ingested in large quantities. Even then, its ill-effects are limited mostly to stomach irritation and possible vomiting and diarrhea. So don’t worry about the yeast, but you might want to try some benign neglect when she talks to you. Or you can discuss behavioral modification with her vet. It’s really quite simple and might make her a happier and healthier (and quieter) little girl.
