We have 2 cat; Nissan (F,10yo), and Precious (F,1yo). Nissan is fairly antisocial, but non-aggressive, she mainly lives in our bedroom and we keep a food bowl there for her, she uses a litter box, but mostly goes outside to do her business.
Precious, pretty social with guests, eats in the kitchen normally, same bathroom habits as Nissan (although she's been known to pee in the bathtub from time to time.
Precious got pregnant and had a litter of 5 kittens recently, and in addition a stray showed up on our front porch with 4 kittens(3M,1F) (still nursing) in tow. Since it's winter we let the kittens in and would let the mama come in and nurse, feed her and let her back out to do whatever. We have since found homes for 2 of the kittens, and have decided to keep the other two.
The new kittens are still too young but we have homes lined up for all of them and they'll be gone in a couple of weeks.(they are in my daughter's room away from the rest of the cats in the house. We added new bowls in the kitchen for "the boys" and 2 food bowls just for Precious in the room with her kittens. We have 2 litter boxes, in the kid's bathroom, and in the laundry room.
The boys have used them exclusively since the first time we showed them where they are, but Nissan has started to poop on our bed(my side only) and Precious is going on the other side of the toilet in the kid's bathroom, 2 feet away from the box.
Precious also instead of eating from her bowls is coming out and eating food from ALL the other bowls, she is also jumpingon the table when the kids are eatingand trying to take their food, and on my counter trying to get into things (I can't keep things on the counter wrapped in foil/ziploc/takeout containers).
The boys aren't perfect, but pretty well behaved especially considering how our older cats have been doing recently. I'm at my wits end.
I can't keep sheets on my bed, because evertime I have to wash them they get either pooped or peed on within 24hrs, and I'm cleaning up poop from the bathroom floor. Nissan belonged to my husband before we me, and was our only cat for the last 7 years, so I'm trying not to make her feel like the other cat's have replaced her(why she has her special accommodations).
Precious was found in a cage outside a gas station while my dad was on his deathbed last year and was a grief decision, but with these 2 I'm at the point I don't want Nissan on our bed at all, (I've put bed areas in several places around the room), and I have seriously contemplated finding a new home for Precious.
I feel bad because a pet is a commitment, but I also have 3 kids(girls13,4 & 11mo) and one on the way, and the cats are piling along of stress on top of an already pretty stressful year I've had. I could really use some pet advice.
1 Answer
The change in toilet behavior is the cats' expressions of stress.
Not only has one of them given birth and is extremely protective of her litter and territory, but you also allowed an unknown cat with her own litter into the house and thereby their territory. Not burrying the poop or pooping in very prominent places like the bed is a form of nonverbal communication. "This is my territory and my stink will make sure you don't forget!"
Stealing food can be a symptom of malnutrition. You surely know how pregnant women suddenly crave strange foods because their bodies need more nutrients for the baby or milk production. The same happens to cats. You should feed the mother(s) special food for pregnant cats and when the kittens start eating food, you should feed them special kitten food for a few months.
Please keep in mind that your priority must be finding new homes for Precious' kittens, not for the stray kittens. As part of their natural behavior, cat moms will become aggressive towards their own kittens at 3 - 4 months age and chase them away to avoid inbreeding and competition for territory and food. You'll have to seperate them at that age or find new homes for them. The stray could simply be released at that time.
One last well-meant advice: However many cats you decide to release into the wild, it would be best for all of them if they were desexed. Caring for a stray mother and her litter is one of the biggest reasons for the formation of stray colonies in cities all around the globe. Please contact a local animal welfare organization and either have them pick the mother and her kittens up to be spayed and neutered or ask them if they offer financial aid for you when you spay or neuter them.
