Cat Fight!

Q: I have two male cats and four females. They are all neutered. However, Cullen (male) and Bella (female) have a habit of peeing in random places. It does not seem to be a territorial issue as they do it almost anywhere in the house. For example, they recently eliminated in the middle of the living room. Also, my other male cat, Jake, who is the more aggressive of the two boys, likes to pick a fight with Cullen, does this have anything to do with Cullen’s erratic elimination habits? How do I get them to be litter trained again? And how do I get them to get along?
Zulkifli Bin Daud 24 July 2012

Q: I have two male cats and four females. They are all neutered. However, Cullen (male) and Bella (female) have a habit of peeing in random places. It does not seem to be a territorial issue as they do it almost anywhere in the house. For example, they recently eliminated in the middle of the living room. Also, my other male cat, Jake, who is the more aggressive of the two boys, likes to pick a fight with Cullen, does this have anything to do with Cullen’s erratic elimination habits? How do I get them to be litter trained again? And how do I get them to get along?

A: First of all you need to provide adequate litter pans in the house. The rule of thumb is to have one litter pan for two cats as they prefer privacy. Put pans in places that are accessible and discreet. Cats can be picky; they won’t pee or poo if they find their litter pan is dirty, or if they do not like the particular texture or smell of the litter used.  Some may be too dusty or the texture too sharp, so when the cat enters the litter pan, the texture of the litter will put them off. Choosing the correct type of litter is also important. 

Once a cat eliminates outside the litter pan, chances are they will do it again. The odour of their pee will remain and cats will choose the same place to do it again. It has to be removed using special odour removing agents which can be found in pet shops. To facilitate this, you may want to reposition your cats’ litter pans to areas of their choosing. Another possibility could be that your cats are suffering from urinary tract infection (UTI). It might be a good idea to have your vet check on Cullen and Bella.

Cullen's erratic elimination habits are not the reason why they are being aggressive towards each other. Sterilised male cats usually do not display dominance or territorial behaviour. If the males were sterilised late, their hormones would have already kicked in and it is likely that they will spray to mark their territory and fight for it when they fell threatened. When this happens, it may be hard to correct their behaviour, but it is not impossible. Take note that peeing and spraying are totally different behaviours. Give them more room, feed them separately and try to avoid having them in the same place at the same time for a start.