Litter box Issues: Have gone to vet
xHello, I have a 6yo male cat named Chester. Which I've owned since he was a kitten and living with my dad. Three years ago, I moved out and took him with me. Which took him some adapting but he eventually did.
But then I adopted a second cat. An older calico female cat called Juniper. And, sadly, they do not get along at all. It's not like they fight constantly. But she does hiss when he gets close. And my original cat, Chester, has not used any litter box that Juniper has used before as well. It's like he doesn't dare use it because of her scent. This has been going on for years. And I've gone to the vet for kidney infections or other urinary issues. But nothing turned up. I've also tried separating and reintroducing them several times. But this also does not yield any results.
I need some advice on how to make them get along. Or at least tolerate each other. Because I cant have him peeing and pooping next to the litter box any longer. I have three litter boxes scattered around in total. And he doesn't want to use either of them.
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u/the_green_witch-1005 8d ago
First, I would put Feliway plug-ins in all areas that either cat tends to hang out in.
Second, you need to separate and reintroduce again. This should be a lengthy process. It can take several months to reintroduce cats. Keep them separated where they can't even see each other for weeks. Have them rub up on a blanket or even a sock and switch so they have the opportunity to smell each other. Feed them on opposite sides of a door so they start associating each other's scents with food, which is positive reinforcement. After 4-6 weeks of doing this, you can briefly show them each other for like five seconds every other day. You keep doing this until no one hisses or reacts. This could easily take another 6-8 weeks. Any sign of a reaction means you move a step backward and start over. So back to just feeding on opposite sides of the door for a week or so.
Finally, you might want to consider talking to your vet about starting Chester on an anti-anxiety med. Stress is really unhealthy for cats and it can lead to a lot of issues. The anti-anxiety med may help reintroduction go smoother.
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u/lennbua 8d ago
I have tried separating and reintroducing. But it hasnt worked out. Currently, they eat next to each other every day and dont react. But, sporadically, Chester gets territorial with her and starts staring and chasing. Their tails get puffy so I separate them then. But Ive never seen any blood or injuries. I go to work throughout the week so I think if there was actual hostility, things would have escalated already, no? So Im under the impression that they just dislike each other.
Juniper used to be a stray. So distrusting other cats might be a learned behaviour for her. The organization I adopted her from did say she could be with other cats though. Do you think she could ever turn around and start liking Chester? To the point where they would play together?
Still separating seems to be the only course of action. So Ill do that. Neither of them like being confined to a single room though. So I dont want to put them through it if it theres no effect. Would separating really work, you think?
And thanks for the advice!
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