# Behaviourist



## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

As things are still not great and the inappropriate toileting has returned I have spoken to Pet Plan about getting a behaviourist. They are happy to cover it providing it is recommended by a vet but as of yet I haven't officially spoken to one about it. How do I go about getting them to refer me to one? As it is only Elsworth on the policy how do I go about sorting Elise's inappropriate toileting? Will they focus just on Elsworth or both of them? Elsworth and Elise have the rockiest relationship as he keeps chasing her and jumping on her so the two are very much interlinked. Elsa isn't any trouble, other than the odd flare up of cystitis she is fairly easy going, no toiletting issues, tends to leave Elsworth alone but does sometimes pick on Elise. Will the behaviourist give me advice about their relationship and the relationship between all 3 and not just focus on Elsworth's behaviour? 

There is a behaviourist at my vets so I am going to ring her on Monday and see if she will be covered by Pet Plan and make an appointment to discuss things further. 

Hopefully we can get things started in November and start to work on improving everything before we think about adding a human baby into the mix. This needs to be sorted before then as I can't have them toiletting in the house with a baby and I won't have as much free time to deal with their chasing etc. 

I really hope we can work things out without rehoming any of them.


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## Ragdollsfriend (Feb 13, 2014)

Back in January when I contacted my vet to be put in touch with a pet behaviourist I was very specific I wanted somebody with lots of experience dealing with cats in particular. That lady who came to visit us focused on both cats, their environment (our flat) and even their food.

Perhaps before you commit to letting a behaviourist come to your house, check if he/she agrees to have a chat over the phone first. You'll be able to ask a few screening questions about the experience and methods. Or perhaps your vet has some testimonials available from other cat owners. Just to be on a safe side, I spoke to one of the cat owners who had worked with the cat behaviour expert I selected. 

I think a good behaviourist will try to collect information on the dynamics between all your kitties to analyse the habits and triggers and to get a full picture.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

AFAIK all reputable behaviourists require a vet to refer a cat to them, and will want a copy of the cat's medical records.

Look on the Internet at the various association sites and read about the behaviourists - some concentrate on cats, others are more into dogs.


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

Ok so I have found one who covers my area and is a member of the ACPB as required by Pet Plan. They ask for a vets referral so now I suppose it is getting my vets to refer us. How easy is that to do? Will they be reluctant to refer us as they are not the ones benefiting?


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

oggers86 said:


> Ok so I have found one who covers my area and is a member of the ACPB as required by Pet Plan. They ask for a vets referral so now I suppose it is getting my vets to refer us. How easy is that to do? Will they be reluctant to refer us as they are not the ones benefiting?


When I was having problems with Meeko ,my vets were more than happy to refer him to a behaviourist.
It might be worth asking your vet if they have any behaviourists that they regularly work with or can recommend.


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

buffie said:


> When I was having problems with Meeko ,my vets were more than happy to refer him to a behaviourist.
> It might be worth asking your vet if they have any behaviourists that they regularly work with or can recommend.


They have one in their practice as I asked for a recommendation but for Pet Plan to cover it they need to be a member of the APBC which they don't appear to be as their name does not come up on the website. We could really do with going though the insurance as funds are really tight at the moment.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

oggers86 said:


> They have one in their practice as I asked for a recommendation but for Pet Plan to cover it they need to be a member of the APBC which they don't appear to be as their name does not come up on the website. We could really do with going though the insurance as funds are really tight at the moment.


That's a pity,the one my vets work with is a member of APBC .
I'm not sure whether you will be claiming on insurance as an "on going" condition ,Meeko was not being treated for behaviour problems although I was being given advice by my vet .I had the excess to pay on the insurance so it wasn't actually worth claiming as although the initial consultation was £85 he only had one consult,the rest was done over the phone so to claim would have been pointless.


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

buffie said:


> That's a pity,the one my vets work with is a member of APBC .
> I'm not sure whether you will be claiming on insurance as an "on going" condition ,Meeko was not being treated for behaviour problems although I was being given advice by my vet .I had the excess to pay on the insurance so it wasn't actually worth claiming as although the initial consultation was £85 he only had one consult,the rest was done over the phone so to claim would have been pointless.


Actually you raise a good point, the excess is £75 so if it is only one consultation then it obviously isn't worth going through the insurance. For some reason I have it in my head that it is going to cost a couple of hundred plus but it might be worth just having a chat with the in house vet behaviourist as a consultation with Elsworth and see what she suggests. I know that these 3 cats are capable of living together and toileting fine as it happens. There are times when Elise totally ignores Elise, poos in his tray and she wees in the tray. I took this picture of her the other day lounging in the middle of the floor in the office with the door wide open. She wasnt in the least bit concerned that Elsworth could get to her. He tends to leave her alone when she is lounging, most days she is all stretched out on the sofa in there quite content, he is either asleep somewhere or playing and Elsa is usually asleep on the sofa. During the day I have 3 very happy and relaxed cats, there is the odd scuffle but they usually occur in the evening because that is when Elise is more active, thus more of an interest to the Monster.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

oggers86 said:


> Actually you raise a good point, the excess is £75 so if it is only one consultation then it obviously isn't worth going through the insurance. For some reason I have it in my head that it is going to cost a couple of hundred plus but it might be worth just having a chat with the in house vet behaviourist as a consultation with Elsworth and see what she suggests. I know that these 3 cats are capable of living together and toileting fine as it happens. There are times when Elise totally ignores Elise, poos in his tray and she wees in the tray. I took this picture of her the other day lounging in the middle of the floor in the office with the door wide open. She wasnt in the least bit concerned that Elsworth could get to her. He tends to leave her alone when she is lounging, most days she is all stretched out on the sofa in there quite content, he is either asleep somewhere or playing and Elsa is usually asleep on the sofa. During the day I have 3 very happy and relaxed cats, there is the odd scuffle but they usually occur in the evening because that is when Elise is more active, thus more of an interest to the Monster.


I would ask to speak with the behaviourist to see whether they feel more than one consult would be needed,as you say at £75 excess you may not be claiming on insurance anyway.
Hope you can get this problem sorted,I found the input of the behaviourist was well worth the £85 ,she could see things I didn't and suggested ways to cope with them,definitely well worth the money.


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## rox666 (May 22, 2012)

Surely you can just ask your vet for a referral. If you just explain the situation regarding insurance then I see no reason why they wouldn't do it? They are there to assist you in caring for your animal's well being and I would be really surprised if they didn't refer you at your request. I know if it were me I would be going the insurance route because I wouldn't want to be worrying about having to try and limit it to one consultation.

Good luck, I'll be really interested to hear how it goes and whether whoever you go with can help you solve the problem.


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

rox666 said:


> Surely you can just ask your vet for a referral. If you just explain the situation regarding insurance then I see no reason why they wouldn't do it? They are there to assist you in caring for your animal's well being and I would be really surprised if they didn't refer you at your request. I know if it were me I would be going the insurance route because I wouldn't want to be worrying about having to try and limit it to one consultation.
> 
> Good luck, I'll be really interested to hear how it goes and whether whoever you go with can help you solve the problem.


I am certainly hoping so! I am a bit of a worrier so the "what ifs" always cross my mind.

I found poo on the bed this morning so from now on all doors apart from our bedroom are being closed in an effort to get him to use his tray. I wondered if it was putting it in a storage box but he did this before that and has pooed in the tray whilst it has been in the box. Will see how we get on with closing the spare room and office door and picking up bath mats. We were doing fine since changing to clay until my friend came over, the odd poo but since she has stayed it is nearly every day. I have my dad visiting for a week soon and 3 friends for a weekend so no idea how he will react to that. I want to be able to have people to stay over without it making the cat upset.


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## Isisini (Jun 3, 2014)

Our vet referred us no problem - I found the behaviourist online, and then asked the vet to refer us.

It was definitely worth the money, I was driving myself a bit mad reading all the advice I could find, having someone to objectively assess what was going on was very helpful.

We had to note for the insurers which cat was having behavioural problems, but the behaviourist asked us lots of questions about both cats. Our behaviourist reckoned that toileting problems were almost always 'a cat thing' i.e. to do with their behaviour with other animals, so she was very keen to see how ours interacted. In fact she believed that it wasn't their relationship that was causing the trouble at all - it was Monty's constant anxiety about the strays in the neighbourhood trying to take his territory.

There is a guide here called 'What to expect when you visit a behaviourist' which I found very helpful: Cat Behaviour Explained - Expert Help - Vicky Halls Cat Behaviour


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

Isisini said:


> Our vet referred us no problem - I found the behaviourist online, and then asked the vet to refer us.
> 
> It was definitely worth the money, I was driving myself a bit mad reading all the advice I could find, having someone to objectively assess what was going on was very helpful.
> 
> ...


I am looking forward to seeing a behaviourist so they can hopefully help me understand all the cats better. Like you I have read so much stuff and tried everything suggested but it just doesn't make any difference.

I am making logs about the issues, when they happen etc so I can go over it with the behaviourist.


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

oggers86 said:


> Actually you raise a good point, the excess is £75 so if it is only one consultation then it obviously isn't worth going through the insurance.


Don't discount it too quickly!

The one I found near me was £280 for the initial consult 

Sadly this is beyond my budget atm so not gone further with it - touch wood she is calm (as she ever is) atm so fingers crossed it lasts

I'm pretty positive they will have to look at the behaviour of all the cats to be able to assess what is causing the problem

Keep my fingers crossed it helps


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

Lilylass said:


> Don't discount it too quickly!
> 
> The one I found near me was £280 for the initial consult
> 
> ...


Ouch! Well the good thing is that Pet Plan should cover us if we need to. Once I get a referral and am in touch with the behaviourist then I can double check they cover and then see if it will be necessary.

I have often wondered if my personality rubs off onto them. I get stressed so easily and am a bit fed up at the moment with the house not being near finished and the cats not getting along and weeing/pooing in places so that probably doesn't help. Oddly I walked past Elsa this morning and she hit me! She has never done that before even if I accidentally stand on her so not sure why she felt the need to take a swipe.

Maybe I should rehome myself so they can all live stress free and happy with my laid back husband!!!


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## Torin. (May 18, 2014)

A good behaviourist should try and address everything - because even if it's not directly what they were called in for, the behaviours of any other animals in the house will definitely be (somehow) affecting the one in question.



oggers86 said:


> I have often wondered if my personality rubs off onto them. I get stressed so easily and am a bit fed up at the moment with the house not being near finished and the cats not getting along and weeing/pooing in places so that probably doesn't help. Oddly I walked past Elsa this morning and she hit me! She has never done that before even if I accidentally stand on her so not sure why she felt the need to take a swipe.
> 
> Maybe I should rehome myself so they can all live stress free and happy with my laid back husband!!!


I think it can do, just in terms of being perceptive and picking up on general vibes. And I say this as a person who is really super good at that sort of thing. But that doesn't mean that it's necessarily all negative. My Flicka so stressy (and when she's stressed she sprays and is sick and gets cystitis and can have separation and food anxieties...), and I also deal appallingly with stress and just ugh. So by the logic of you perhaps slightly blaming yourself you could say that the combination here would be appalling. But on the flip side, if you pick up on stress easily, it might well be that you're more intuitive about the general feeling in your house, and have picked up on a potential issue sooner than someone more blasé might have done. Just because you (or, not-you) as a person haven't picked up on it, doesn't mean it's not there. So, er. Lost track a bit of what I'm trying to say, but basically, can you try and look at yourself more in that light? Might help with your feelings about the situation in any case. And I don't know, I mean, all of my behaviour support has been through the rescue rather than independently (plus lifetime cover there, if I wish), but it's a situation that I have to live with if I want the cat, and so given my stressy easily-picking-up-on-things nature, it's calmer this way.

Er, going to stop talking now!


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

Torin said:


> A good behaviourist should try and address everything - because even if it's not directly what they were called in for, the behaviours of any other animals in the house will definitely be (somehow) affecting the one in question.
> 
> I think it can do, just in terms of being perceptive and picking up on general vibes. And I say this as a person who is really super good at that sort of thing. But that doesn't mean that it's necessarily all negative. My Flicka so stressy (and when she's stressed she sprays and is sick and gets cystitis and can have separation and food anxieties...), and I also deal appallingly with stress and just ugh. So by the logic of you perhaps slightly blaming yourself you could say that the combination here would be appalling. But on the flip side, if you pick up on stress easily, it might well be that you're more intuitive about the general feeling in your house, and have picked up on a potential issue sooner than someone more blasé might have done. Just because you (or, not-you) as a person haven't picked up on it, doesn't mean it's not there. So, er. Lost track a bit of what I'm trying to say, but basically, can you try and look at yourself more in that light? Might help with your feelings about the situation in any case. And I don't know, I mean, all of my behaviour support has been through the rescue rather than independently (plus lifetime cover there, if I wish), but it's a situation that I have to live with if I want the cat, and so given my stressy easily-picking-up-on-things nature, it's calmer this way.
> 
> Er, going to stop talking now!


I think I understand what you are saying, you could be right in that my easily stressed nature means I pick up on when they are stressed more easily. Hubs is very laid back so does not see what I see, he thinks it is all fine when I dont think it is.

I have just spent forever typing up a whole load of information for the behaviourist. I have written stuff on the cats background, when they came home, their relationship between one another and then gone into details about all 3 cats, their personalities, the problems they have had, when they occurred, why they occurred etc etc.

Hopefully it can help us fix these problems and also help the relationship between the 3.


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

Behaviourist coming on Thursday!!!


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## Ragdollsfriend (Feb 13, 2014)

oggers86 said:


> Behaviourist coming on Thursday!!!


That's great and paws and fingers crossed you'll get constructive advice. I'm so excited for you


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

Ragdollsfriend said:


> That's great and paws and fingers crossed you'll get constructive advice. I'm so excited for you


I am really excited too! For ages I have been wondering if there are enough trays, enough sleeping places so I can now get a proper answers. Hubs will be happy too with a professional opinion even if it means we need more trays or something.

At the moment all 3 cats are asleep, Elsa is on the sofa, Elsworth in his hammock and Elise on the sofa in the office. It's times like this when I know things are not that bad (and I relish the peace, they are so much cuter when they are asleep  )


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## Ragdollsfriend (Feb 13, 2014)

Hey Oggers, good luck tomorrow!


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

Ragdollsfriend said:


> Hey Oggers, good luck tomorrow!


Thanks 

Would you believe I wrote a whole load of questions and left them at work?!

I am having wobbles that I am going to get judged on having a pedigree and for not letting him outside! I don't want them to be all "he needs to roam" without looking at other options. When writing his background I mentioned how his mum was super chilled but his brother was a bit freaked out but he is a very successful show cat so being around strangers is something he is ok with. I don't want them to judge the showing world as bad..

Can someone please slap me and tell me to stop fretting??


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Here - a gentle slap 
I hope all goes well, I've been following your story with interest - good luck and you will be just fine I'm sure


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

oggers86 said:


> <snip>
> I found poo on the bed this morning
> <snip>


Was this a normal size & texture or 'rabbit droppings'? If the later he sounds constipated and I'd get him a vet check.


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

OrientalSlave said:


> Was this a normal size & texture or 'rabbit droppings'? If the later he sounds constipated and I'd get him a vet check.


All of his poos have been completely normal, bed or otherwise. Had a good few days since I shut the spare bedroom door.


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

moggie14 said:


> Here - a gentle slap
> I hope all goes well, I've been following your story with interest - good luck and you will be just fine I'm sure


Thanks!!! I am sure it will be fine.


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

oggers86 said:


> All of his poos have been completely normal, bed or otherwise. Had a good few days since I shut the spare bedroom door.


Just a thought....

He has always done small round poos and usually goes once in the morning and once at night. I have never seen him straining and he is fed a 99.9% wet diet, sometimes he gets a bit of dry or dry treats like Dreamies but mostly his diet is plain wet food (Macs, Ropocat, Omnomnom, Granatapet, Animonda Carny, Bozita, Smilla and Butchers Classic this month as I am low on the rest. They have a water fountain which he drinks out of when he is thirsty.

I see no difference if I add water or not so as this has been his normal poo since putting him on the above foods 8 months ago it never occurred to me to think it was odd. The pooing on the bed coincided with a friend sleeping in his room and has been on and off since.

Can ask the behaviourist though as she is also a vet


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## Torin. (May 18, 2014)

How did it go?


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## Ragdollsfriend (Feb 13, 2014)

And I've been waiting for an update too


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

Hello, the update!!!

So, the lady was very nice and all the cats seemed comfortable with her presence, Elsa didn't move from the sofa, Elsworth came to investigate when I took her on a showround and Elise didn't scarper although we were at the opposite side of the room. 

A lot of the things we touched on was stuff I had thought about/tried already so we have come up with different ways to go about the problem. 

So Elsworth pooing could be down to an uneasiness about the trays as they keep moving which happens usually as a result of something changing. Whilst we have 3 trays it is the upstairs ones that gets the most use by him and Elise which means technically he only has one litter tray as the other one is Elise's. For now I am keeping 3 trays but moving the one from the bathroom to the landing so that it doesn't need to get moved every time someone stays over. I am switching all trays to clay as it seems to suit both cats and Elise will then have her own tray in her room and Elsworth can use the one on the landing and the one downstairs if he is ok with that. We have to keep things the same for 8 weeks and then review and then come up with a new plan if needs be and then review that. 

As for him chasing Elise we need to give her her own bit of territory to increase her confidence within the house. He chases her despite her warnings as he knows she is the less confident cat but we also need to increase his play time so that he has an outlet for his energy. Cat proofing the garden should help with that as he has an extra area to go and more things to do.

Elise is obviously an issue in that every time he sees her he chases her so we need to give her the option to stay in her own part of the house without ever having to come downstairs if she doesn't want. I am going to feed her in the office, put a tall scratching post in there so she can scent mark and we need to think about the possibility of putting a cat flap in the window so she can get out of the house that way. She thinks this is a great idea and would really help increase Elise's confidence. Hubs wants to try just letting her in and out of the window for now but my concern is what happens when we are out or asleep, I dont want Elise to feel stuck and then start weeing again. We think the weeing is down to not only an unsureness about the outside but also an unsureness of the cat flap because it is also Elsa's cat flap. We can put another flap in the front door and programme both her and Elsa into it so that Elise has 2 ways in and out of the house. Elsa is fine as she is top cat so she basically has right of way wherever she goes and as a result does not feel in competition. 

The problems among these cats are really not that bad, they just need a bit of extra space. If the others start seeking her out in the office then we need to have another think. Obviously I could just close the door but long term that means she is stuck in her own bit and not included in the rest of the household. If things get to this stage then it would be worth considering rehoming her as an only cat where she can be included in the house but that is really the last resort. It may well be that things dont improve but there are no homes for her in which case we will have to go down the closed off route but the behaviourist thinks just modifying the way we do things will help a great deal. 

So off to Zooplus I go to get all the bits I need


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## rox666 (May 22, 2012)

It sounds like she just pretty much confirmed what you had already been thinking then? But at least now you have a professional's opinion as well to back you up and give you confidence that what you have been trying to do is correct. 

Hopefully that will push hubby into agreeing on the cat flap idea because I agree with you in that you can't rely on one of you being there to let her in and out. She needs to know that she can come and go as she pleases.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Thanks for the update. Sounds very interesting. Fingers crossed you will find a solution that keeps everyone happy xx


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## Ragdollsfriend (Feb 13, 2014)

Great that your expert was so willing to look at all 3 kitties and see the world through their eyes. It's just what you wanted, isn't it? I bet as soon as you introducing improvements to their environment you'll see cats get along much better. Wishing you all the best xx

So how much did it cost if you don't mind me asking?


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

Yes she did pretty much sum up my thoughts but it is useful to know and there were a few things I hadn't thought about. 

Total was £85 in total for about an hour visit together with a progress plan.


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## ALR (Apr 16, 2014)

This is really interesting. I'm looking forward to hearing about progress

Would a microchip cat flap in the office door solve the issue for Elise? That would be an extra cat flap though and I'm sure you guys have a lot of changes to process through. 

Good luck:thumbup1: and keep us update please


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Sounds as though the behaviourist has come up with the very same ideas we suggested on here.  Good to know we are on the ball!!  But I can see that perhaps the opinion of a paid professional carries greater weight with your hubby.

I do hope you are able to implement some of the ideas, I am sure they will help.


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

ALR said:


> This is really interesting. I'm looking forward to hearing about progress
> 
> Would a microchip cat flap in the office door solve the issue for Elise? That would be an extra cat flap though and I'm sure you guys have a lot of changes to process through.
> 
> Good luck:thumbup1: and keep us update please


It depends really, the advantage of that would be so she does not get disturbed but she can still get out of the office. However, if she has everything she needs in there, plus the ability to get out she may not want to in which case we can just close the door.

It wouldnt be something I would aim for long term, if we basically had to separate her full time from the others I would have to really think about her quality of life i.e. is there another home where she does not have to be excluded? If not then obviously she is better off here but we shall see. 



chillminx said:


> Sounds as though the behaviourist has come up with the very same ideas we suggested on here.  Good to know we are on the ball!!  But I can see that perhaps the opinion of a paid professional carries greater weight with your hubby.
> 
> I do hope you are able to implement some of the ideas, I am sure they will help.


I think they will as well although to be honest at the moment things havent really changed as she still needs to come downstairs to get out. I have just arrived home to find her and Elsa shut in the lounge so I am guessing there was a ruckus between her and Elsworth. I think it would be really beneficial to put a cat flap in the window and close the office door overnight which is when Elsworth is upstairs just so that he doesnt hear the flap and go and harrass her. He doesnt actively seek her out, if he cant see her or hear her then she is out of mind.

I have ordered a new scratching post for her and some extra litter and am trying to feed her up there so she doesnt have to come down for food. Hopefully if she gains in confidence Elsworth will be less likely to bother her and I can have them milling around together like he does with Elsa. Now it is just a matter of telling hubs to get a cat flap in the window but he is so sodding awkward and despite a behaviourist saying it was a good idea still thinks it isnt really necessary. Why exactly did I pay money if he is just going to ignore her advice?! :mad2: [/COLOUR]


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## Ragdollsfriend (Feb 13, 2014)

Hey Oggers, don't beat yourself up  Behaviour changes won't happen overnight and you know it. You've paid for good advice and if you & OH follow it step by step you have every chance of success. 
After all, the plan is called the "progress" plan and not the "miracle" plan :wink:


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

oggers86 said:


> > Now it is just a matter of telling hubs to get a cat flap in the window but he is so sodding awkward and despite a behaviourist saying it was a good idea still thinks it isnt really necessary. Why exactly did I pay money if he is just going to ignore her advice?! :mad2:
> 
> 
> I sympathise, it must be very frustrating for you!  It seems such a sensible solution that I wonder why he objects e.g. is it the cost, or having to do the work, (or getting someone in to do it) or that he's worried it will spoil the look of the window perhaps?
> ...


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

He wants to keep the cat craziness to a minimum so I think it is that. Elsworth did a poo next to the litter tray again last night which was fully scooped with no other cats nearby. I have now changed all litter to Golden Grey and added a 4th tray in a different location which he has just used for a wee. 

Ideally I want him to stop using the tray in the office so that Elise can have that plus the outside all to herself. We need to put a flap in the window definitely and then I can use a doorstop to keep the door mostly closed so that it hopefully puts Elsworth off going in but Elise can still get out.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

oggers86 said:


> > He wants to keep the cat craziness to a minimum so I think it is that.
> 
> 
> Tbh, the best way to do that is to have just one cat, and no other pets, then you have no issues with anyone feeling their territory is invaded or threatened.
> ...


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

chillminx said:


> oggers86 said:
> 
> 
> > Tbh, the best way to do that is to have just one cat, and no other pets, then you have no issues with anyone feeling their territory is invaded or threatened.
> ...


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

I've just found poo on my bath mat 

He now has 4 trays, 2 uncovered, 3 upstairs, one downstairs all with GG in. They were fully scooped before I went to bed last night so surely if he has 4 trays to choose from one of them will be clean and it stands to reason that his access isn't blocked especially as the girls go out at night. 

I am wondering if he is constipated due to him doing small poos but when they are fresh they are soft, they just harden up if left. When I watch him go he has no problems and gets out of the tray as perky as ever. 

I really have no idea why he is doing it, from Sunday to Tuesday all poos were in the trays and nothing has changed. No decorating, no moving of the trays, we had visitors on Sunday so he hid under the bed but nobody since. He has been left on his own for 2 days as I've had an early shift but he did this when I was off work for 2 weeks so it can't be that.

He was trying to get my attention by knocking things off my bedside table but it was early so I ignored him. I thought he had done a poo in the tray as I think I might have heard him digging and then I could smell poo. Maybe he is having an aversion to the tray sometimes? 

I feel like I am at a dead end now, I just don't understand why he can be fine some days but not others?


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## Ragdollsfriend (Feb 13, 2014)

oggers86 said:


> I've just found poo on my bath mat
> 
> He now has 4 trays, 2 uncovered, 3 upstairs, one downstairs all with GG in. They were fully scooped before I went to bed last night so surely if he has 4 trays to choose from one of them will be clean and it stands to reason that his access isn't blocked especially as the girls go out at night.
> 
> ...


It's as if I'm reading a story about my Daisy. She is fine with her trays then out of suddend she recalls we have bath mats and she tries to do her business there :scared: I just think she loves the feel of fluffy organic cotton under her paws  So as a short-term solution I pick up the mats off the floor as soon as I'm done in the bathroom. I even managed to train hubby to do the same :biggrin:


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

Ragdollsfriend said:


> It's as if I'm reading a story about my Daisy. She is fine with her trays then out of suddend she recalls we have bath mats and she tries to do her business there :scared: I just think she loves the feel of fluffy organic cotton under her paws  So as a short-term solution I pick up the mats off the floor as soon as I'm done in the bathroom. I even managed to train hubby to do the same :biggrin:


I think we will have to do the same as well as shutting the spare bedroom door if needs be. The behaviourist suggested it might be a stress thing either he is picking up on the others stress or he is stressed himself but other than the inlaws visiting for an hour or so on Sunday there has been nothing to stress him out. The other two dont seem stressed although for all I know they could have had a run in with another cat..

No idea!


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Ring the behaviourist and see what they have to say.


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

OrientalSlave said:


> Ring the behaviourist and see what they have to say.


Good point, will give them a ring tomorrow.

ETA: Definitely going to ring them and ask if he needs to ve checked over as he has just done another poo but in the litter tray this time. He only did his last poo after 4am so it seems odd he needs to go again.


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## oggers86 (Nov 14, 2011)

Brief update...we have had poo in its proper place for the last few days and I have been adding butternut squash to his meals to increase fibre. Him and Elise are still hit and miss but they seem to be fighting a bit less. Tonight they have been sleeping on the cat tree together, she is a bit higher but next to him and I swear they had a tiny play, batting paws with each other with no growling from her at first until she got bored. They were both in a very playful mood but I think she needs a bit of convincing before she decides she definitely wants to play with him. 

The last few mornings she has been sleeping on the bedroom windowsill and him on the bed, I don't even realise she is there but I am sure he does but chooses to leave her alone.


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