Help calming down attention seeking cat at night / bedtime?

• LB

  Lori Brady

  1/14/23, 1:06 PM

  I don't know what to do.First thing medically he is approx. 9 years old. He has always had this horrible problem of blowing snot out his nose everywhere.  Always all the time.  I know he has somewhat of a runny nose sometimes,  but not always. He was in bad shape when i got him he wouldn't had made it thru another winter there.  I personally feel he does it like a old man blowing snot out a nostril in the wind when nobodys looking. But i go OMG! YOU BETTER CLEAN THAT UP And he licks it up before i get there with the clear.

  I've had Ziggy since last year. He adopted my dog and myself at a RV Camp and we let him join our team. I knew he had a tight bond with me.  He always tucked me in bed at night. Yes. Tuck me in bed. Neck to toe. Then perch himself on my hip watching the sidedoor. Til I take a deep breath. Now he chews my hair, has to be on me can't have eye contact or he will plow everything over to get to me so to get attention.  Like I don't give him any. He plays fetch, knows his toys names brings them but he is now starting to MARK HIS TERRITORY ME, MY BEDDING BY MY PILLOW, CHEWS MY HAIR, Cherps like a bird drives me crazy. Is the a anti-pheramone or something that I can get or something to do to get him not to do this? I can't get another cat. I can only have two pets. Personally I think he'd mount it if he's this with me. He does t dare with my pom-pom. She'd kill him.

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• LS

  Linda Simon

  1/14/23, 11:17 PM

  Hi there Lori, my name is Linda and I'm a cat with 10 years of clinical experience.

  It sounds like Ziggy is quite a character! There are a few things to go through here.

   

  With regards the snot, this is very abnormal.

  Cats may have a very small amount of clear discharge from time to time but there will be a medical reason behind this much snot.

  We'd consider e.g. a nasal polyp, dental disease, chronic infection or allergies.

  This is something he needs to be seen about in person so we can examine his nose and mouth, perhaps taking a swab.

  It may be he needs a polyp removed, a dental or some medicine like antibiotics or steroids.

   

  With regards the inappropriate behaviours and unwanted attention, be sure to keep him occupied so he doesn't have the energy for this!

  This is done by enriching his environment with interactive toys such as laser pointers and battery operated mice, as well as food puzzles, cat mazes and cat trees. Some cats also enjoy catnip toys.

   

  Be sure to have a 'zero tolerance' policy. It is no good to tolerate his unwanted behaviours sometimes but not others. Make sure the 'rules' are clear and if he is doing things we don't want him to (like chewing hair for example) we stand up and leave.

   

  With regards urinating where he should not, this need to be looked into.

   

   

  Oftentimes, this will be anxiety related, especially when occuring alongside other behavioural problems.

   

  The rule of thumb is that there should be one tray per cat and one extra. 

  Cats are often incredibly fussy and won't use a tray because it is dirty or another cat has used it before them, so keeping the trays as clean as possible will help. Some cats have a litter preference, so the answer can be as simple as changing the type of litter you use.

  Make sure the lip on the edge of the tray is not too high- perhaps now he is a little older, he is struggling to stand in the tray and posture.

   

  If you think he may be stressed, consider getting a Feliway adapter plug-in, often stress is the root cause of toileting issues. I'd also start him on some natural calming supplements such as Zylkene.

   

   

  Having said the above, it would be important to rule out underlying health causes. If the poos are solid, there is no straining and he urinates a normal amount, it is likely more behavioural than medical. However, we'd want him checked over for e.g. cystitis (bladder inflammation), a UTI or early arthritis.

   

  All 'accidents' should be promptly cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner, to eliminate the odour and prevent re-soiling.

   

  I really hope this helps!

   

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