Advice Please:
My roommate and I moved in together and were struggling with integrating our animals.
I have two male orange four-year-old dogs, a black two-year-old female, and an eight-year-old pit mix
He has four male black 11-year-old twins, a male black 1-year-old, and a female tabby 9-month
Our problem is with the twins, which we call them because they are the only two from the same litter, and they won’t stop marking everywhere. The good news is that they are getting along with my cats and even my dog; they play and eat together, though there is still some tension between them.
the main issue is the twins, we have tried cleaning more often, trying different litter and moving around where their food and water go, we give them toys and lots of playtime and treats but they still feel the need to mark and it only his two, his other two and my cats have done no marking whatsoever but we’ve caught them multiple times, his bed and by their food but a couple of times they’ve gone in the kitchen by the sink
Any advice on how to get them to not?
Apology Please: Yes, all our animals are fixed, and his cats had already been doing this before I moved in with mine. It has just gotten worse.
6 Likes
They just got fixed a month or so ago
4 Likes
Testosterone can take a month or two to fully clear from their systems. So if you just got them fixed a month ago it can still be lingering.
Also, 6 cats + 1 dog is a lot in what’s probably a smaller apartment. That can lead to stress and stressed cats mark.
4 Likes
Yeah unfortunately we cant move, so weve been trying to give them more creative spaces and toys and hidey places, plus 4/6 of the cats are already used to her cause weve lived together before
3 Likes
Are they fixed? @OliverWhisker
2 Likes
Have they been checked for UTI’s? Stress can cause UTI’s which can make them pee on different surfaces to see if it doesn’t hurt there. Sinks and tubs are common targets.
1 Like
Yes all the animals are fixed
2 Likes
Are there any other symptoms to look for other than just peeing?
2 Likes
Cats pee 3-5 times every 24 hours; anything more than that can signal a health issue.
How many boxes do you have, and how frequently are they scooped?
2 Likes
What’s the litterbox to cats ratio
2 Likes
We have a total of 6, 3 are in his room, they’re not actually peeing more regularly during the day, they’re all relatively regular, it’s just that every few of days one of them just pees somewhere they’re not supposed to.
2 Likes
Probably territory marking then. Unfortunately all you guys can do for now is use enzyme cleaner made for cat pee where he’s peed (including furniture and clothing) and wait for his hormones to calm down
2 Likes
Bet! Thank you for your help!
1 Like
Are all of the animals spayed and neutered?
1 Like
All the animals are fixed yes
1 Like
I see in another reply that the peers were just fixed. As previously said, they need a full two months to eliminate the testosterone. However, this may be an ingrained tendency as a result of waiting far too long to have them neutered. If this continues for more than two months, your roommate may need to see a behaviorist. You don’t mention whether this behavior began after they were neutered and taking them was the appropriate behavioral step, or if it began after they were neutered. A behaviorist can aid in both circumstances.
In another comment when you say “3 are in his room” do you mean that these twins are locked in his bedroom 24/7? Is this their norm, or are they used to having the run of the house? How are introductions going to get them out with everyone else?
1 Like
So I did mention that this was a behavior before I moved in; it has just gotten worse, and as far as neutering, my roommate only had so much of a choice in the timeline because he took the cats off someone’s hands who had chosen not to neuter them up to that point; he did the best he could with what he had. Finally, no, we don’t lock them up. Would that be cruel and unusual to do to animals? I claimed 3 LITTERS are in his room, and there is a chain on the door. This allows the cats to freely enter and exit my roommate’s room while keeping my dog out of their domain.
1 Like
My bad on understanding that, I thought it meant three cats. But yeah, if you come to the end of two months and it’s still happening, a behaviorist is probably gonna be the best option. In the meantime, maybe see if there are any Jackson Galaxy videos on the subject?