Sometimes out of the blue a cat will stop using the litter. Most owner just think "oh, an accident!" and clear up. then it happens again, and again. For cats learn to feel a certain substance under their feet. for most cats this will be the litter itself. But if, (for some other reason) the cat has not been using the litter, it will start getting used to the feel of, say, carpet, and once carpet is the substance which triggers urination or defecation, you are in trouble. So all "accidents" with litter need quick investigation and quick remedy.

IS THE LITTER CLEAN?
It must be cleaned daily, or even twice a day. The cat may leave it's bottom over the side because it doesn't feel the 
box is clean enough. Some cats will tolerate a dirty tray, others will refuse to use a tray that already has one lot of
dirty material. So see if adding a second tray will solve the problem.

IS IT TOO CLEAN?
Are you putting in deodorants, disinfectant or scented litter? A litter tray should be dry and clean but with an aroma of urine and faeces. It should smell like a latrine. If you are cleaning the tray with disinfectants remember to rinse it thoroughly so their scent disappears.

 IS THERE ENOUGH LITTER?
There should also be enough litter, some cats will stop using the tray if you are too mean with the litter.

HAVE YOU CHANGED THE TYPE OF LITTER?
Change back. If you want to change it, start by adding one handful of the new litter, then two, slowly changing over several weeks.

 IS IT THE RIGHT LITTER?
An outdoor cat may not like commercial litter. Try sand or earth. Then slowly change once the tray is being used (see above). In general cats prefer thin-grained litter to large grained.

 IS YOUR CAT USED TO DOING IT OUT OF DOORS?
For an outdoor cat (whom you want to be an indoor cat) transfer some soil/sand from where they go. The familiar smell may trigger use. Some cats will use potting compost or peat, rather than other litters. Add some soiled material so the tray smells like a latrine.

 IS THE TRAY IN THE RIGHT PLACE?
Some cats stop using the litter tray if it has been moved (for them) to an unsuitable place. Put it back. Cats do not like a tray which is close to the feeding bowl.

IS IT THE RIGHT LITTER TRAY?
If the problem is that the cat won't use the litter tray (and therefore goes elsewhere) check that the cat is happy with the litter. Experiment with covering up the tray, either just the sides or the top as well, using a cardboards box cut to fit. If the litter tray is unused, maybe transfer some material from the place the cat does go, into the box.

ARE TOO MANY CATS USING THE SAME TRAY?
There should be one litter tray per cat as a minimum. Some cats wont go with other cats. A tray for each cat and one over makes extra sure.

DOES THE CAT NEED A SECLUDED TRAY?
Experiment with a cardboard box, one that fits tightly over the litter tray as a cover. If this stops her sitting on the edge or doing it over the side, then buy a litter box with a fitted cover. Use the same kind of litter and place some of the soiled litter in the new box just so that it smells right to her.

DOES YOUR CAT HAVE CYSTITIS?
Symptoms include straining, pain when urinating, blood in urine, frequent urination, urinating in the wrong place. More common in longhaired, overweight, neutered males. Check with vet, cystitis attacks occur at stressful times.

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then remedy the situation as quickly as possible. If not, then the likelihood is that your cat is marking its territory either with urination or defecation. That problem also requires instant action and article 2 will deal with it.

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CLEAN UP FIRST
Be thorough. Cats are programmed to soil where they have soiled before, so if you have to get rid of as much of the smell as possible. If you plan to use Feliway spray after cleaning. Place the water bowl, feeding bowls, perhaps with dried food, or cat beds there. Cats don't like to soil near their bedding or their food.

If you don't want to use Feliway and will use your own cat's facial gland scent, scrub everywhere there has been urine with biological washing liquid. then scrub again with surgical spirit. Send soft furnishings and curtains off to be dry cleaned. Throw away soiled rugs or send off for thorough cleaning. Never use disinfectant or any kind of household cleaning product with scent in it. The scent of pine, for instance, smells like a latrine to cats. Dry with a hair dryer if necessary. The vet also sells odour products that block the odour to cats (not always humans). These are also worth using as well as the biological washing liquid.     

TREATMENT
Clean the soiled site, as above. Spray with Feliway or use the cotton cloth technique daily for 30 days (twice daily if necessary) on the site used for spraying. Add a bit of Feliway at cat chin height round the cat's walkways to make it feel relaxed. This need not be quite so lavish or so often. As well as Feliway or facial gland scent, put food bowls and cat beds on the places where the cat soiled.

CHANGE THE CAUSES OF SOILING TO PREVENT IT STARTING AGAIN
Soiling is a cat's response to stress. If you don't deal with the underlying causes, then it will probably start up again. Sometimes soiling is caused by a change in the household, a new house, or a change in routine in which case the cat will eventually settle down. The difficulty is knowing exactly what is bothering the cat. Siamese and Orientals are particularly likely to get easily upset. This is where the help of a behaviour counsellor is well worth having if you can afford it. Sometimes pet insurance pays.

CATS CAN BE UPSET BY THE FOLLOWING

Fear of other outside cats. Keep the cat flap closed. Your cat may be spraying because of competition from another cat in the neighbourhood. consider using a magnetic cat flap to keep them out. Staywell produce a good one. Or keep the cat flap closed so that your cat feels safe, and his territory is clearly defined so it doesn't need marking. This will mean supplying a litter tray and letting him in and out by the door, but the cat will feel safe. If you have only recently installed a cat flap keep it closed.

IS IT TERRITORY MARKING?
Cats spray from an upright position, tail held high and quivering. It is a way of marking territory so that the urine will be against a wall or object. Upright spraying is always marking behaviour. squatting urination can sometimes be marking behaviour, particularly if the cat is marking either new objects or in places smelling of the owner (like the bed). Squatting urine marking territory is usually small amounts that are extra smelly and sticky. A cat usually has a vacant expression on its face and a twitching tail when it is doing marking urination, upright or squatting. In addition to this, marking urination is often done at entry and exit points like doors and windows, on new items, on objects that are on a cat walkway, i.e. the normal path it takes round the house. Or it may spray where the owner's scent is strong like on the bed. Or it may spray on new items like the posh new settee!

Cats also use poo to mark their territories in the same ways as spraying - at doors or windows, on the bed, on the sofa.

RULE OUT PHYSICAL CAUSES
If your cat is squatting and urinating large amounts, it may just be relieving itself rather than marking its territory. always check that the cat is in good health with a vet just in case of cystitis etc. Ordinary urination usually occurs in secluded places like behind furniture or in rooms that are rarely used.

Sometimes cats urinate in the wrong place because they can't get to the litter tray in time - old age, geriatric confusion or pain from a strained ligament. check "Questions to ask if your cat stops using the litter tray."

So I shall talk about spraying but in this I include squatting urination when it is marking and also territory marking with faeces. Spraying is not always easy to eradicate. If you can afford it, it is advisable to get from a cat behaviour counsellor.

Get help fast. the longer you leave this, the more difficult it will be to change. If you decide to try to treat this yourself, do not go in for half measures or try to save time or money. Half measures will not get you anywhere! Put in the effort NOW, if your cat has been spraying for some time.
Never punish. this will encourage even more spraying.

WHICH CATS SPRAY?
Un-neutered toms spray most. But castrated males and females (spayed or not spayed) will also sometimes spray.

ARE YOU SURE WHICH CAT IS DOING IT?
Have you SEEN it?. If you can't rig up a camcorder, there is a fluorescent marker dye from the vet which can be put in food and which comes out in urine, which can help detect which cat is doing it.

If you have more than one cat in the household do not assume you know which cat is spraying unless you have seen it happen. If necessary confine each cat separately to a room, in order to find out which is doing the business. Sometimes one cat spraying will set off the other and both or all are doing it.

TREATMENT

There is a product called Feliway which vets can prescribe, which helps stop spraying. It comes in a spray and in plug-in form - Feliway Diffuser. You will need to use both for 30 days or more, sprayed daily on all the urination areas. In severe cases or if the cats are indoor cats use it twice daily. The aim is to use Feliway as often as the cat is patrolling and marking its territory. If the cat is marking three times a day, then use it three times a day. Be lavish. If you don't use enough, it will not work.

The alternative treatment (much more work but no cost) is to use the scent off the cat's own facial glands. This may be more effective, but it is only possible if your cat will not be spooked by it. Take a soft clean cotton cloth (hankie?) and gently pet the cat under the chin, round its eyes and cheeks. Then wipe this cloth on all the urination areas. Do this daily. If you have a nervous cat, anxious about petting, this may not be possible, so use Feliway. Do not persist, in this case, as the cat will become stressed and spray more.

HOW TO PROCEED
Clean the urine site, see previous article, then spray with Feliway and plug in a Feliway Diffuser, or use a cotton cloth technique daily for 30 days (twice daily if necessary) on the site used for spraying.

IF THE SPRAYING HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME, START TREATMENT IN ONE ROOM
Make the cat feel safe in its own territory by putting it in a small room or in a large indoor pen which has been thoroughly cleaned of urine marks. Confinement means safety to the cat. Put its bed in the room and also supply litter. Use Feliway (or cotton cloth) lavishly in the room/pen before putting the cat in. Keep the cat in there for two or three days being careful to change litter frequently.

Then slowly allow the cat access room by room to the house, cleaning each and lavishly spraying with Feliway daily and supervising it to begin with in each room. Take about a week to re-introduce the cat to each room. If you hurry this, it may not work. You are going to need a great deal of Feliway on the room already used by the cats, then on each new room as you give the cat access. Each room will need spraying for at least 30 days on all urine marks. The aim is for the cat slowly to perceive the house as a safe zone with protecting owners.

CHANGE THE CAUSES OF SPRAYING TO PREVENT IT STARTING 
Spraying is a cat's response to stress. If you don't deal with the underlying causes, then it will probably start up again. Sometimes spraying is caused by a change in the household, a new house, or a change in routine in which case the cat will eventually settle.

The difficulty is knowing exactly what is bothering the cat. Siamese and Orientals are particularly likely to get upset easily. this is where the help of a behaviour counsellor is well worth having if you can afford it. Sometimes pet insurance pays.

Act now. the longer spraying or pooing goes on, the more difficult it is to stop!

SOME REASONS WHY IT HAPPENS

Fear of other outside cats. Your cat may be spraying because of competition form another cat in the neighbourhood. It can be intimidated by cats staring into windows or by outside cats spraying on doorsteps etc. Wash down the outside of the front/back door to clean up any smells left by neighbouring cats. Put down anti-theft Prickler strips so neighbouring cats won't come so close and think about putting large plant pots as alternative spray sites further back in the garden. also place anti-theft mats on any surface - roofs, walls, etc, from which outside cats may be staring in. Use a magnetic cat flap to keep intruders out. (Staywell produce a good one).  Or keep the cat flap closed so that your cat feels safe, and his territory is clearly defined so it doesn't need marking. this will mean supplying a litter tray and letting him in and out by the door, but the cat will feel safe. If spraying started after you installed a cat flap, get rid of it. 

Sight of cats/wildlife/dogs. Sometimes a cat is spooked by the sight or smell of neighbouring animals. In which case the spraying will be near a window or a door. Block out the sight of a potential threat by covering the lower panes of the window etc. One cat was spraying on the windowsill because a neighbouring cat was jumping onto the window box and peering in.  

Fear of indoor cats. Sometimes a cat feels threatened by another cat in your household. this doesn't mean that the cats are fighting, just that one feels under pressure, and this may be difficult for an owner to recognise. the fearful cat needs a retreat. Try putting a cat flap with a magnetic collar into the airing cupboard or similar. Also make sure there is one litter box or more per cat, more than one bed per cat, and more than one feeding dish per cat. More than eight out of ten households with seven cats have a spraying problem - reduce the numbers.  Rehome some or one of your cats. If the cat is soiling because of competition within the household between cats, then you may have to consider rehoming the competing cat or maybe letting them live in completely different rooms. A cat that is being ambushed near the litter tray may feel threatened. Proper catfights with real wounds are deeply upsetting. sometimes it is the arrival of a newcomer, which upsets the cat social scene. In this case, rehome the newcomer on the grounds of last in first out. 

Building works or decorators indoors. Keep the cat away from the altered rooms till paint smells, etc have died down. Spray Feliway in the newly decorated room or do the trick with the facial glands and a clean cloth. Consider putting the cat in a cattery next time.

Visitors. Occasionally cats will soil over Christmas, etc when there are visitors. consider using the cattery over Christmas or periods with visitors.

New objects. If your cat sprays on new objects, such a new furniture, shopping bags, etc, clean these these items thoroughly and treat with Feliway. Shut away any further new items at first. Before giving the cat access, spray with Feliway or use the cotton cloth trick. also add your own scent to the item by rubbing on or leaving or draping on a dirty T-shirt or pyjamas smelling of you! The other possibility is that the cat is spraying the carrier bags because you are putting them down on the doorstep before opening your door - and you are putting them down where outside cats spray. So clean up any area where you put carrier bags down before entering the house

New routine or home sitters. Sensitive cats can be upset when left behind with sitters, when their owners are on holiday. their core home territory feels no longer safe. Use a cattery next time. It doesn't matter if the cat sprays in a cattery! 
   
Attention seeking. Occasionally spraying becomes an attention getting device. The cat will look at you as he does it. In this case you probably need expert help! Indoor cats are probably more likely to do this. Try to give the cat other focuses for its attention, not just you - more games, install a cat flap, etc.

New cat flap. Get rid of this or shut it down. If it is a transparent flap, making it opaque using Humbrol Glass Etch sometimes helps.

Electrical appliances and radiators. These may be sprayed on because when they heat up They emit odours that attract the cat. Warmed up items include radiators, kettles, cookers, toasters, etc. Clean the area around. Try Feliway or the cloth trick, assuming that you can use these on a safe area of the electrical item. Do be careful of electric shocks!

Hormones. Cats sometime spray pregnant women in the first three months of pregnancy. Usually this stops later on in the pregnancy. If a companion animal - dog or cat - comes on heat the cat may also spray them. See if flooding the room with scent from a Feliway Diffuser helps, or, better still, spray the animal on heat.

Medical problems in another cat. It's just possible that a medical problem in the spraying cat's companion may produce spraying.

Anxiety about the litter tray. Make sure the litter trays are as attractive as possible. Read earlier article Questions To Ask If Your Cat Stops Using The Litter Tray.
 

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Petting is very enjoyable to humans to less enjoyable to cats. It relaxes us, but it stresses up some cats. If a previously friendly cat suddenly starts biting or scratching, it may have some injury, such as a hidden abscess, that means your touch is painful.

There is also Petting and Biting Syndrome, when the cat responds to petting with aggression, This is a cat that is in conflict. It wants attention but it fears it too. The cat may want contact and love, but after a certain time it gets frightened. At this point it bites or scratches suddenly. This may be the result of a wild kitten hood and probably this kind of cat's desire for space should be respected. Some stray cats, however, have had kitten hoods in a home but then have suffered at the hands of man while they lived in the street. These cats, after months in a safe new home, may accept petting more easily. But never, never hurry them. Some cats have sensitive areas - tummy and hind parts - which produce aggression. Avoid these! Longhaired cats may have been roughly groomed in the past and be extra likely to bite or scratch if they feel threatened. 

Be careful how you pet these cats - with no enclosed arms and probably not on a lap. Do not pick it up. Try stroking only the head and down the back. Always let the cat remove itself when it has had enough. If you are patient, the cat may learn to tolerate slightly longer sessions of petting. Develop your relationship in other ways, not just petting. Non-cuddly cats will enjoy play. Have regular play sessions with string, fishing rods, etc. The other way to develop a relationship is to use food treats to train a cat to do simple tricks. Greedy cats really enjoy these and will actually solicit training sessions! Less greedy cats probably won't bother to do it. to train a cat to do tricks requires endless patience, no punishment whatsoever, no forcing (i.e. putting into position). A lot of things you can do with dogs will simply mean the cat leaves the room!


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Scratching is the way a cat conditions and shreds its claws. You can reduce (but not extinguish) the need for scratching by keeping its claws cut. Ask your veterinary nurse how to do this, if you've never done it. An indoor cat will need to scratch something, so buy or make a scratching post or a scratching pad large enough for the cat to scratch at full height. If your cat likes catnip, try spraying the post to get the animal interested. Praise it and give it treats when it scratches the right thing. Avoid a carpet covered one since the cat may start scratching at carpets in general. Encourage scratching by painting vertical stripes, using a felt tipped pen, up and down the post. Place this in front of, or over the previous scratching area which should be covered with a non-scratchable substance like thick plastic from a DIY store, garden netting or tinfoil. When its new scratch post is well established, you can remove the plastic cover. If this goes smoothly you can then move the scratching post, a few inches a day, to a better area of the house. If the cat continues to scratch the old area, this is because it is more attractive than the old post. If you can do so, cover this area with something that can be transferred to the scratching post, i.e. a piece of carpet, which is then tacked on to the scratching post (though note carpet may encourage scratching on other bits of carpet). Then you move the scratched material to the scratching post. Try putting Repel-all or oil of citronella on the old surface. rub orange peel on it. Tack cooking foil on the affected area. There is a product called Sticky Paws available from Scotts of Stow on 08705 449111 - good for soft furnishings. Or buy double sided carpet tape from a DIY or carpet store. This is what I use on furniture and it works. 

Some cats scratch indoors because they have failed to learn how to scratch trees out of doors. Try placing bark in front of the scratching area, to get them interested in trees. Spray catnip on tree trunks, in dry weather, if the cat likes catnip. Reward  with treats when you see it scratching a tree. 

Some people suggest using a water pistol on a cat scratching the wrong place. This will only teach it not to scratch in your presence. It may upset a nervous animal. Scratching is also a way or marking territory, particularly if the cat is feeling stressed (cats can be stressed by a local bullying cat, a new cat companion, a change in the family, and a change in the household arrangements). If a cat is scratching for these reasons the water pistol technique will make it even more stressed. A stressed cat needs needs reassurance - closing the cat flap to keep out a bully, tender loving care to get over household changes, etc. Feliway, available from vets, mimics the scent mark made by cats when they rub their chin against something. Where they rub, they rarely scratch. Feliway may help to stop cats scratching the furniture. Use a single squirt on the affected area each day.

Finally some cats scratch to get attention. Saying No or shouting at it IS attention. If your cat is an attention seeker make sure you don't "reward" it. Walk out of the room when it scratches.

SCRATCHING WALLPAPER
It's said that cats are particularly attracted to wallpaper with a vertical pattern - so avoid up and down stripes if possible. There are two methods of stopping cats scratching wallpaper other than simply covering it with netting or plastic. One is to bang in long nails into the wall above the scratches, and hang bits of string down so that the cat has to push its claws through the string. they don't like this. the second method is to get double sided sticky tape and put it on the floor, where the cat's back legs are while it scratches. You must provide an alternative scratching area otherwise it will just scratch on wallpaper elsewhere.

SCRATCHING OUTSIDE DOORS
Cats scratch outside doors to get our attention. We then let them in. So scratching outside a door trains humans very well indeed. The only possible way to stop this will be to stop rewarding the scratching DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. This is going to take so much human self-control that it will be difficult to manage. If it really matters to you, then buy some transparent thick plastic from a DIY store - the kind that covers carpets on heavily used walking areas. Tack this down the front of the door where the cat scratches. Then place double sided sticky tape on top of the plastic. Cats don't like sticky surfaces. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. It will take two to three weeks at least for the cat to learn that scratching doesn't pay off. Open the door to let the cat in when it is NOT scratching.

WALKING ON MANTELPIECES ETC
To stop cats walking on mantelpieces, make seesaws from pencils and cardboard sheet. Booby trap one end with empty beer cans. The ides is to make the pencil the fulcrum with the cardboard on top of it. Cats dislike unstable surfaces. The beer cans are there so that they fall off with a clatter when the cat jumps off the other end of the cardboard. Or try putting aluminum cooking foil along the mantelpiece. Cats dislike walking on it.

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Your responsibility should be primarily for the cat or cats already in your care. Think hard before asking a very elderly cat to put up with a new companion. Kittens will be accepted better than an adult cat, but kittens often pounce on and pester old cats. Some old cats will mother a kitten, others definitely won't. It can take months and months for harmony and sometimes the cats will never be friends. Cats that are used to a multi-cat household will be less upset than a cat that has lived alone. Getting a kitten from a cat rescue like Cats Protection ensures that it will be taken back if the introduction really doesn't work out. A male-female mix is probably better than all female. 

THE INTRODUCTION
The best way to introduce is to give the cat its own room, so that it feels it has safe territory. Shut doors, windows, and block chimneys before letting it out. If possible make a retreat hole like a covered cardboard box with entrance hole. Put familiar toys (if available), feeding bowls, etc, in the room. Put the litter tray in the room. You can't expect a cat to go outside in the first few days, and if you let it out, you may not see it again. Mix the smells. From the point of view of the cat, anything that smells strange is an intruder. Give the new cat something to sleep on which smells of the old cat, then vice versa. Use the same grooming tools on both cats. Pet one, then go to the next room and pet the other. Transfer used litter from the new cat tray to the old cat's tray and vice versa to mix smells.
Vets sell Felifriend, a spray or wipes, which send a pheremonal signal to a cat that another animal (or person) is non-threatening. Some behaviourists have also used it with success when introducing strange  cats to each other or trying to resolve inter-cat conflicts. Or you can try Feliway, which  is not quite as good for this kind of thing but it reduces anxiety and will therefore help. Spray it at chin height on things a cat would rub with its chin, all around the room where the new cat is.

Introduce the new animals together when the new cat is used to his room and territory. Watch the body language closely. Make sure there are escape routes for whichever cat wants to run away. Do not leave strange animals together alone. You must be there to make sure accidents don't happen. Staring, puffing up fur, hissing, growling, etc, may happen. This is OK as long as it isn't transferred into aggressive action. Do not pet the newcomer in front of the old cat to begin with. Give the old cat extra affection. When the animals begin to accept each other, feed them in the same room. Supervise feeding and make sure there are escape routes for the cat that wants to run away. Slowly bring feeding bowls nearer (in the case of two cats not cat and dog). this will take up to four weeks.

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For healthy hair the easiest way to feed your cat is with a complete diet. It will say "complete" on the tin or on the packet. If it doesn't, it isn't. Cats eating dry food must have fresh water available. Regular brushing, daily for long hair, les often for short hair, is essential. It will reduce the hair on the furniture and will help you bond with your cat. It will also reduce the incidence of hairballs, which are regurgitated by cats when whey swallow too much hair in grooming. 

Knots and matted fur form in long haired cats. Longhaired cats really do need brushing for about five minutes all over every day to stop the knots developing in the first place. If you miss any areas, or miss more than one day, mats develop quickly. For these use a pair of blunt nail scissors, and cut away at the mats little by little. cutting out mats is better than combing them out. If you comb them out, you are more likely to hurt the cat and make it unwilling to be groomed. If mats are allowed to stay, sores will occur underneath. Daily grooming is less stressful because knots do not have chance to form A severely matted cat will have to be anaesthetized by the vet before the mats can be tackled properly. If necessary clip short the fur around the cat's bottom, to prevent mess there every six weeks or so.

If your cat dislikes being brushed, use prawns or cat treats as a reward. It must be a really desirable treat. Hold the treat in your hand and while the cat nibbles it, brush the cat. If you have a rescue cat that won't be groomed, often because of pain caused by rough grooming, first deal with any existing mats with the help of your vet. then slowly start the cat being accustomed to being touched by non-grooming items while you hold a treat in front of it. The point is that  while the cat may immediately disappear if it sees a brush, it won't feel that way about a banana (it must be a mega good treat). So start touching several times a day with the banana, or spoon, or biro. when the cat is used to these, move these an inch or so through the hair. then start using a grooming tool preferably of the kind which the cat hasn't seen before). Treat and touch, moving over an inch of the hair. Very slowly increase this. Holding the treat in the left hand, let the cat nibble it while you brush down the back. This is usually the area where most cats will tolerate brushing. Only when the cat fully accepts this brushing, possibly weeks later, proceed to brushing the neck ruff. The next step is to hold the treat at ground level so the cat has almost to lie down to reach it.. When this response is established, hold the treat so that the cat has to lie on its side and brush a little along the side of the body before giving the treat. Next hold the treat in such a way that the cat has to lie on his back to nibble it, when he does this, reward him with the treat. Then brush around the tail a little, still holding the treat where the cat can nibble it, before giving it. Most cats will respond by moving their back paws nearer their head, thus exposing their tail area. You can take off any mess with a metal comb.

You will need endless patience to make sure each stage is established before you proceed to the next one. If the cat is focused on the treat, preferably nibbling it, it will not bite you. It will take weeks, maybe months. to get to the stage where daily grooming is tolerated. However for long haired cats, daily grooming is essential.

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Allergies are the most common cause of skin disease in cats. there are three main types, but cats can be affected by multiple allergies.

Flea allergy. Fleas cause up to 80% of skin problems in cats.

Food allergy. Reactions to foods or additives cause either skin problems or vomiting and diarrhea. It is unusual to see both in any one cat.

Atopic Dermatitis. causes by an allergy to house dust mites, pollens or moulds. Other causes of skin problems include lice or mites, fungal infections, autoimmune or internal diseases and cancers, but these are much less common than allergies.

SYMPTOMS
The hallmark of an allergy is itchiness, although some cats rarely scratch or lick in front of their owners. Fur balls or hairs around the tongue, teeth or mouth may be signs of excessive licking. Some cats will appear to go bald, although licking is really breaking of the hairs. Fleas can cause small crusts along the back whereas crusting and ulcers around the head and neck may suggest food allergies or ear mites. Some cats develop large red, moist and weeping sores on the belly and legs.

FIRST LINE DIAGNOSIS
Your vet will want to rule out lice and mites, and treat any infections before investigating allergic diseases.

REFERRAL
Just as in human medicine, there are general and specialist vets. There are a number of veterinary dermatologists throughout the UK. Referral appointments can only be made through your own vet, who may suggest a referral, or you can ask them to make an appointment for a specialist opinion.

1. FLEA ALLERGY
Rigorous flea control should be the first step, irrespective of whether fleas can be found. It only takes a few fleas to set off a reaction in allergic cats. The best products to use on your cat are long-acting sprays and spot-on remedies prescribed by your vet like Frontline, Stronghold or Advantage. Over-the-counter products are ineffective and may even be toxic. Eggs and larvae in carpets and furnishings should also be treated. Sprays with an insecticide and growth inhibitor, such as Indorex, Acclaim, Canovel Pet Bedding and others, are most effective for these. There is also another product, Program, (available as a pill, a liquid or an injection) which does not kill fleas but stops their eggs hatching in the first place. This prevents fleas from re-establishing themselves. All these products are available from your vet. Flea control trials usually last for 4-5 weeks. Remember to treat all the dogs and cats in the house and continue indefinitely. Stop treatment and the fleas will return.

2. FOOD ALLERGIES
The next step is to investigate food allergy. Your vet will recommend a trial diet using foods new to your cat. Home cooked diets using a single protein (e.g. meat or fish) and carbohydrate (e.g. rice or potatoes) with water to drink are best. Give the same amount as tinned or half-again as much as dry foods. Hypoallergenic diets are available from your vet if necessary. Other cat-foods contain a variety of ingredients that vary from batch to batch and are not suitable. Trial diets should be fed for six weeks. Cats should not be fed anything else during the trial. Cats that hunt or are fed elsewhere may need to be kept indoors.

Allergic diseases will wax and wane, so an improvement does not necessarily mean the cat has food allergy. A relapse within 1-2 weeks on the original diet confirms a food allergy. Once stable again on the trial diet, introduce ingredients such as beef, lamb, dairy products etc. one at a time to discover which the cat reacts to. These can then be avoided. Alternatively, a commercial hypoallergenic diet can be tried.

3. ATOPY OR ATOPIC DERMATITIS
If skin problems persist then allergy tests should be used to identify what your cat is allergic to  (the allergens)  for treatment or avoidance. An experienced veterinary dermatologist should carry out allergy tests.

a) Skin testing. Cats are sedated and the fur on the side of the chest clipped. Several dust mite, insect, pollen and mould extracts are injected and any reactions noted. Most reactions occur within 20 minutes although some may take 12-24 hours. Skin tests are very specific, but some cats have negative tests.

b) Serological tests. A blood sample is taken and sent off for laboratory testing. The tests show which allergens are producing antibodies in the blood. Serological tests are not quite as exact as skin tests, and are not necessarily cheaper. They are useful if skin tests fail, or if the cat's skin is in such bad condition that a skin test cannot be run.

1. Basic Treatment
Thorough flea control is important in all cases of allergic skin disease. Regular worming and a high quality balanced diet will also be of benefit.

2. Lifestyle Management
Some allergens can be avoided. dust mites and pollens are ubiquitous, but keeping cats out of bedrooms and carpeted rooms, using solid or washable cat beds, vacuum cleaners with filters and improving ventilation will help.

3. Immunotherapy
Most veterinary dermatologists use immunotherapy to desensitise your cat by giving regular injections of allergens identified by skin or blood tests. Most cats tolerate the injections very well. Your vet will usually administer the first few injections in the unlikely chance of an allergic shock, or anaphylactic reaction, but most owners give the injections at home thereafter. Mild itching and injection site nodules are minor problems. Approximately two thirds of cases respond to immunotherapy.

4. Anti-inflammatory Treatment
Anti-inflammatory treatment may be necessary if your cat does not respond to immunotherapy. Short-term treatment may be used during flea control or food trials.

a) Antihistamines. Many of these drugs are available from pharmacists, but the doses in cats are different from people, and they should only be used under veterinary supervision. Your vet will try 3-4 drugs to select the most effective. Side effects are uncommon but include sedation and vomiting. Only about 50% of cats respond to antihistamines, although the response is better if they are combined with essential fatty acids.

b) Essential fatty acids. These are fish and plant (e.g. Evening Primrose or Borage) oils. Veterinary products are preferred to cheaper brands that vary from batch to batch. The initial course is usually eight weeks  although again no more than 50% of cases respond

c) Steroids. These are cheap and effective, but can have serious side effects (including weight gain), excessive drinking and urinating, infections, diabetes, liver and skin problems) and are generally used as a last resort. Many cats tolerate low doses of steroids, given on alternate days quite well. Using other treatments often  reduces the dose required. Cats on long-term steroids should have regular check ups.

OTHER TREATMENT OPTIONS
Without controlled studies it is difficult to know if alternative remedies are of any benefit. Many human remedies can be quite toxic in cats and should only be given under veterinary supervision.

STRESS
Fur pulling can be a response to stress. I have some suggestions if this is so but first rule out other possibilities. Cats can be stressed by a change in household routine, new household members, new homes, time in cattery, or trauma from something like spending time at the vet or being locked in  a cupboard. Other stresses are high frequency sound, death of a human or animal companion, bullying by fellow cats whether inside or outside the house, Boredom, long periods with little to do, can also produce stress reactions.

PAIN
Ensure that your vet examines this possibility

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Cats that have lived together happily can sometimes have a breakdown in their relationship. Sometimes an outside intruder (another cat, a dog, or a fox) frightens the cats so much they turn their anger on each other. If the cats are indoor cats, they may see the intruder through the window and then attack each other.

Aggressive play can take place which looks bad but isn't too serious, i.e. play attacking, with some hissing and loose fur. But sometimes the victim cat ends up terrified, and permanently unhappy. The severity of the aggression must be judged by the unhappiness of the victim.

Group dynamics can also change when a new cat joins the household. Or when a mother cat starts chasing away a grown-up kitten. Or when a cat is pregnant or nursing kittens. Or even when two cats are housed separately in a cattery and then brought back together again. Sometimes time (i.e. when pregnancy is over etc) will put this right.

Sometimes the cause is smell. Cats identify friend and foe by smell. Friends smell of each other and of the home territory. One cat is taken to the vet and comes home smelling of the vet and is therefore identified as a foe. Or one cat goes out and gets a different smell on it (i.e. like horse manure) and comes home smelling like an unfamiliar enemy.
Once a fight has taken place, then both cats are more likely to fight a second time.

IS THE VICTIM SUFFERING?
Does the victim need veterinary treatment?
Are there wounds -- bitten ears, broken skin, blood etc?
Is one cat spending less time in the house because it is afraid to enter?
Is the victim spending its time hiding somewhere like under the bed?
Is the victim no longer grooming itself?
Is the victim too frightened to eat when the other cat is in the same area?
Is the victim too fearful to use the litter tray?
Is the victim no longer willing to approach you, because of fear of being attacked  by the other.
Do you come back into the house to see signs of conflict?
Is the aggressor patrolling an area of the house so that the victim only has a small area of living space?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, this is serious aggression. If it has access to out doors the victim will soon leave home. My own feeling is that if you answer yes to more than three questions, you must rehome one of the cats. The victim is leading a life of almost constant fear. It is just not fair on the victim to expect it to live in this way. It is selfish to let this state of affairs continue.

METHODS OF IMPROVING A RELATIONSHIP THAT IS NOT TOO BAD.

1. Do not punish them when fighting. If you do, they will associate the other cat with the fear and pain of punishment. Ignore minor scuffles, because otherwise they will stage fights to get your attention or wake you up in the morning!
2. Reduce competition. Make sure there are plenty of cat beds, scratching posts, a litter tray for each cat, lots of feeding bowls and water bowls.
3. Feed the cats close together so that they associate closeness with the pleasure of eating. If there is an area you wish them to share (like the bed), call them to this area and give them treats only when they are both in the area and close to each other.
4. Give them tidbits at times when you see them sharing a sofa or a windowsill etc.
5. Mix scents using ordinary scents. If the cats have separate sleeping areas, swap bedding from one to another. Wash your hands, then stroke one cat followed by the other. Stroke one cat round the chin and cheek area (where the scent glands are) then stroke this scent on to the other. Then visa versa. Do this as often as possible without the cats feeling harassed.
7. If they are indoor cats, or both spend a lot of time in one room, install a Feliway Diffuser, which will make the general atmosphere more relaxing. Relaxed cats are less aggressive.
8. Guard against intruders or frightening wildlife by blocking off the sight of these, closing the cat flap permanently, or installing a magnetic cat flap so only the household cats can use it. This is important, because if the cats are attacking each other because of intruders/wildlife this will often end up in a genuinely bad relationship between them.
9. If a vet's visit triggered the aggression, take both cats to the vet's surgery just for a trip and make sure vet smells are wiped over both. (Explain this to your vet!). I have come across one pair of cats, where this put back the old loving relationship!

ACCEPT A DISTANT RELATIONSHIP
Cats can sometimes work out a relationship which is remote but not abusive. They may live in different parts of the house, or in different rooms, with separate litter trays. If this is an acceptable relationship to them, and neither cat seems to be suffering, then it should be acceptable to you.

IMPROVING REALLY BAD RELATIONSHIPS.

Do all of the above, if possible. Then do the following as well.

For cats that can barely be in the same room together, or eat together, you can try reintroducing them using a large cat pen. This should contain cat bed, litter tray and food.
Place one cat in the pen and put the other in the same room. Feed both of them - if they won't eat when they are close, feed them at a distance they will eat. Feed something extra special like raw prawns, or an expensive cat food they do not usually eat. Do this for fifteen minutes, then change them round. Do it daily and as the cats get more used to it, feed them closer together.

SETTING UP SEPARATE AREAS.

Here are some ideas

1. Put a cat flap in the garage, install bed etc. and make one of the cats an outdoor cat. If the situation has been caused by taking a stray into the house, this will be a sensible solution. The stray is homed but out of doors.

2. For cats that are used to collars Install a magnetic cat flap into the airing cupboard/wardrobe/ spare room. Let the victim have a bolt hole to itself. Install bedding and litter tray there. This will only work if the aggression is not too severe. If it is severe, the poor cat may simply live in the cupboard all the time.

3. Keep cats in separate areas with separate cat flaps. To be fair, you will have to divide your time between the two areas. Work out a timeshare arrangement in the garden so that one lot of cats is never out there when the other is.

Separate living arrangements may not be a humane solution. It depends on the circumstances. Forcing a pampered cat to live in the garage, for instance, would be cruel, but it would not be cruel to let a stray (used to living rough) become the garage cat.

REHOMING
This may cause you pain and suffering but may be the only way to relieve the pain and suffering of the victim cat. Truly caring owners should be prepared to do this. Cats Protection will be able to help you to rehome the cat. Find a neighbour who will take the cat on. Some cats truly blossom when they live alone.  

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This is a weird behaviour - the cat starts clawing its own mouth, often till it bleeds. Some will pull the skin and fur off the whole of the side of his face. Burmese also sometimes chew their nails right down to the quick (not ordinary chewing) producing bleeding paws -- this may or may not be connected with the face clawing. The mysterious face clawing behaviour seems to occur mainly in Burmese and may be an inherited disorder so it would be a good idea not to breed from these individuals.

This mysterious behaviour tends to be interpreted differently by different specialists. Behaviourists see it as a behaviour disorder possibly set off by seizure. Oral cavity and dental experts see it as a problem with the trigeminal nerve, which supplies the face. So owners may go down several roads to get treatment. Before doing any drastic veterinary procedure like pulling teeth, it would be worth collecting information. This may be a disorder that has several contributing factors. Or it may simply be a brain seizure without any external trigger, firing off randomly within the brain. Several cases have been seen at the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (see Useful Links) by vet Robin Walker and behaviour expert Peter Neville. They believe that it may be a brain seizure of some kind, which somehow triggers misdirected predatory behaviour. 'It is as if the cat thinks its head is a mouse,' says Robin Walker.

Write to Sarah Heath a vet who is studying this syndrome at 11 Cotebrook Drive, Upton, Chester, CH2 1RA. It might be a good idea also to consult COAPE (see Useful Links) as they are still interested and Robin Walker might be willing to liaise with your vet.

For indoor cats it may be worth making sure that their predatory needs are fulfilled. Cats in the wild will make roughly 30 pounces a day (successful and unsuccessful) on their prey. If the cat is an indoor cat, use cat toys like the Cat Pouncer and the Cat Dancer to encourage him to pounce 30 times. Even if this doesn¹t help, you will be enriching your cat¹s life.

Some cases occur in multi-cat households where overt or subliminal aggression or stress between cats could be a factor. There could also be been anxiety about the impending onset of an attack. Cats will learn to read the signs of an impending attack and react accordingly, like a human migraine attack.

If you think stress between household cats is playing a part, get the advice of a cat behaviour expert. It is possible to reduce stress by giving a cat a bolt hole ­ i.e. putting an electronic cat flap into one room where the stressed cat can retreat. But to diagnose what is going on you need a cat behaviour expert.  

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PLAY
An aggressive cat needs to work off his predatory instincts in play. Get him a fishing rod toy. Throw balls of paper or kitchen foil for him. A play session should take place at least once every day.

WATCHING
Make sure your cat can look out of the window and see other things. Put a bird feeder up for him to watch. You can buy feeders that stick to the glass. Provide sitting places, preferably on ledges and shelves rather than the floor, at the window with the best view -- i.e. with things going on -- passers-by, dogs, wildlife, other cats.

SCRATCHING POST
Provide these. Spray with catnip spray, if your cat needs encouragement and if it is sensitive to catnip. Consider buying one with a carpet lined hidey-hole higher up. Cats are particularly fond of being high up. Position it so the cat can see out of the window. It will also give expression to its climbing skills.

HIGH PLACES
Cats like looking down on us. Supply shelves to sit on at various heights, with different textures - fleece, carpet, rush matting. You can put little steps up to a high shelf, using small pieces of shelf, so they can leap up one by one. This is almost as good as having their own tree indoors. Aim at a vertical complexity.

HIDING PLACES
Cats like to hide. Supply cardboard boxes, large paper bags (plastic ones aren't safe).

TOYS
These don't have to be expensive. Christmas tree balls are easy to bat. Provide cardboard boxes with holes to get into, newspapers to tear, and ping-pong balls. Suspend toys from a string (hemp rope not plastic which might block their insides). Bought toys include crinkle bags, fur covered mice, etc. The shape (i.e. like a mouse etc) won't influence the cat as much as its texture and ability to be moved around. CHANGE TOYS DAILY.  Have four boxes of toys and use one box per week. A new toy interests a cat more than a familiar toy. Try using a light pen, so that your cat chases light. Do not to this too often otherwise it may become a compulsion but once a week would be fine.

MAKE A FOOD POLE
Fiona Warstat, who teaches companion animal behaviour at Minehead Adult Learning and Leisure, has adapted the food pole used for big cats in zoos for moggies at Glastonbury Cats Protection. It is a small tree trunk large enough for a cat to climb up or down, with holes drilled into each side, big enough to insert a paw! Dry food is inserted into the holes. The pole has to be anchored on a firm base, solid enough to withstand the cat jumping on and climbing up. "Some cats need careful introduction using a highly palatable and well loved dried food," says Fiona Warstat. "Use very shallow holes to begin with then make them deeper, or have a combination of shallow and deeper holes over the pole, and only use the shallow at the start." It can also act as a scratching post or be adapted for hanging toys.

FRANTIC BOX.
Take a large cardboard box and put shredded newspaper, newspaper balls etc. into it. In the bottom put some dry food pellets. Encourage your cat to use it as a place to play. Cats enjoy jumping into boxes. This gives your cat an alternative play area and it may spend less time shredding the wallpaper. This is another Warstat idea.

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12. HOW TO PROTECT YOUR CAT FROM BULLYING NEIGHBOURING CATS

If local cats are coming in through your cat flap, they may be looking for food. So do not leave food down during your absence. Feed your own cats at set times and pick up uneaten food. If the invading cat is an un-neutered male or a visibly hungry stray, contact Cats Protection.

Protecting your cat from a neighbourhood bully is not easy. Claire Bessant of the Feline Advisory Bureau suggests "See if you can negotiate a time-sharing agreement with them, so that they keep their cat in for an hour, say, when you get home from work, so that you can let your cat out then."

If the invading cat comes in at night, keep your cat in all night locking the cat flap. It is preferable to keep cats in at night anyway -- most cats are killed on the road at night. Wildlife suffers at dawn and dusk from their hunting.

If necessary only let your cat out either when you are there to protect it or when there is an open door or window so it can make a hasty retreat.

HOW TO DETER AN INVADING CAT AS IT ENTERS - THE CRAFTY DIY OPTION
The most effective idea to stop invading cats, if you have patience and guile, is to use a sensor alarm, which is only turned on while the resident cat is securely kept in a different part of the house out of hearing range. If you don't keep the resident cat well away from the alarmed cat flap, it could trigger the alarm. Then it may never use the flap again and it might refuse even to go into the room with the flap. So the alarm is used as a one-off to deter the invader, and switched off from then on.  Remember - you must NOT terrify your own cat.

First of all study the habits of the intruding cat. Use a battery operated door alarm, a magnetic door/window sensor alarm, selling at about £6.99. It is essential that there is an on/off switch with this. Focus sells suitable ones. Fix it alongside the cat flap and only turn it on, when your own cat is safely out of range and when the intruder is likely to visit. As soon as the intruding feline goes past it, the alarm will be activated - loud enough to see him off forever! The key to success is being careful to keep your own cat out of earshot, and having the patience to wait till the intruder intrudes!

Another aid is to invest in a long distance water pistol and ambush the cat. Empty tin cans with pebbles can also be thrown from a window, not aimed directly at the invading animal, but nearby so as to scare him off with the noise. This method may not entirely stop an animal entering but it may insure that at least it doesn't come into the garden while you are there to bodyguard your own cats.

A reader who had a deaf cat, rigged up a portable tape recorder to a motion switch attached to the cat flap, recorded a real din of people shouting etc, and this deterred all invading cats! But this would only work if you have a deaf cat.

IF YOUR CAT BULLIES NEXT DOOR CATS
If you are the owner of an invading cat, then give a water pistol to your neighbours and ask them to use it. Arrange a time-share so your neighbours know what time of day your cat will be out, and can keep theirs in. Neutered cats are less likely to be bullies. If your cat has not been neutered, get him fixed quickly. Finally, give information above to your neighbours to help them take precautions such as not leaving food down and keeping the cat flap closed at night.  

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