Territorial dominance may be at core of cat-astrophe

Dear Cathy: I love my four cats but am at my wit’s end. My brown tabby is so mean to my black cat that she is afraid to leave the kitchen. Since the black cat is afraid, she doesn’t go to the litter box. She relieves herself in her food bowls instead.

How can I convince the brown tabby that the black cat isn’t a threat? How can I convince the black cat that it is safe to go to the litter box? I want to avoid moving a litter box into the kitchen. Also, I don’t understand why the black cat is afraid of me. She dodges me every time I try to pet her. I scolded her for relieving herself in her food bowl. Other than that, I have been nothing but nice to her.

I am also having trouble with my elderly cat using the carpet between the basement steps and the basement, instead of using the litter box. — Marian, Lincoln, Nebraska

Dear Marian: With several cats having litter box issues, your home may have stress. The stress doesn’t have to come from you, although it definitely can. It also can come from other pets who may be bullying each other. Bullying between cats is very subtle; one cat may stare down another cat to keep that other cat from using the litter box.

Begin by creating a calmer environment for everyone. Do not scold, yell or berate your black cat for relieving herself in her food bowls. She is already stressed, and harsh words or tones will only worsen things.

Are all your pets fixed? If not, do so immediately, as this helps help reduce territorial aggression.

The general rule is one litter box per cat plus one. So, you should have five litter boxes. The more litter boxes, the more challenging it will be for your brown tabby to guard them all.

Next, place feline pheromone diffusers around the house. They can help reduce conflict.

Because lack of exercise and stimulation can create pent-up energy in a cat and cause stress between cats, make time to play with each cat twice daily for 10 minutes.

Multiple cat households benefit from having upper areas where they can cross a room. Add cat trees around the house or clear off part of a bookshelf, so your cats have high places to explore.

It may benefit everyone if the brown tabby has a timeout in a bedroom for a few hours daily. Be consistent with the schedule so the other cats learn when they have free roam of the home.

Finally, take your senior cat to the vet to rule out any health problems.