Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, August 22, 1993                   TAG: 9308190160
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Karen L. Davis
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Long

CAUSE OF CAT'S ANGER HAS MANY POSSIBILITIES

A: Aggressive encounters between cats in the same household often influence spraying and litter box behaviors. But treating the aggressive behavior may not be enough to stop the bad toilet practices, particularly after they become a well-established habit. Work on both problems at the same time, but treat each one separately.

Generally, when a housebroken cat eliminates outside its litter box, it is either "marking" its territory or displaying a preference for a particular spot, surface or litter material. Often, the behavior is symptomatic of anxiety or physical discomfort.

Always consider medical reasons first. Urinary tract infections are a common cause, and prompt veterinary treatment can reverse the problem before it becomes an established habit. Once disease is ruled out, pursue the behavioral approaches.

You are right to provide more than one litter box for more than one cat in the household. Place the boxes far enough apart to give each cat a sense of privacy and individual territory. Observe carefully to determine whether one cat chases the other away from the litter box. If this happens, place the boxes in separate rooms or at the farthest ends of the house to widen the distance between territories.

Sometimes aggression triggers territorial marking. And your first KAREN L. DAVIS statement, "My neutered male cat beats up my neutered female," suggests aggression is a contributing factor in this case.

The male's actions suggest that he claims the area outside the cat door as his territory, and he defends it by attacking any intruder that ventures into his space.

The female is probably intimidated by his aggressive behavior. And if his scent is in the litter box she is expected to use, she probably will avoid that as well. In turn, she has claimed certain areas in the house as hers, and she lets the male know this by "marking" her territory with her urine.

If the aggressive behavior can be changed or avoided, the female is more apt to begin using her litter box again after you treat the soiled areas.

Did the cats get along well together indoors and outdoors prior to the onset of these behaviors?

If they were friends before, outside as well as inside, they can make up and be friends again. But if they've never been particularly compatible, if they've had frequent aggressive encounters beyond ordinary play, chances are you have one cat that is "bossy" or territorial. And the female's inappropriate elimination is a physical expression of the stress and anxiety she endures under this living arrangement.

If you believe the cats are truly incompatible, you may need to keep them apart permanently, by making one an indoor cat and one an outdoor cat, for example. You may even need to find another home for one. But before you go to these extremes, try treating the aggressive behavior first.

If the cats get along OK indoors and fight only outdoors, stop using the cat door for awhile and turn each cat outside separately. After about a month, try the cat door again and see if the aggressive encounters resume.

If the cats got along OK outdoors before, your chances of successfully changing the aggressive behavior are better, although you can only speculate as to what caused the rift in their relationship.

If the cats are no longer getting along well inside or out, a separation period, followed by a careful reintroduction to each other, may help reinstate their friendship.

Let each cat have its own territory and litter box for awhile without intrusion from the other.

Temporary confinement to a smaller area also may help retrain the female to use the litter box. Try this trial separation for about a month to see if it helps calm down the cats and lessen their anxiety toward each other. Then gradually re-expose them to each other under supervision and observe how they interact.

At the same time you are treating the aggressive behavior, work on the litter box problem.

After you thoroughly clean the spot, make the surface less appealing to the cat by covering it temporarily with plastic, aluminum foil, sandpaper, window screen or double-sided sticky tape. If possible, keep the cat completely away from the area for awhile to break the habit. For further reinforcement, make a loud noise to startle her away from the area every time you see her approach it.

A different approach is to change the significance of the location from a marking area to a feeding area by placing food and water bowls there. Cats don't like to eat right next to a toilet. Punishment is not always effective and may only result in making the errant cat fear you.

Send general-interest questions to the Pet Podium, in care of the Features Department, Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.

Karen L. Davis is a Roanoke free-lance writer and pet owner. Her column runs twice a month.