# Rehoming Snowby?



## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

I've hesitated a long time before writing this post, but I figure I should reach out for any suggestions anyone may have, in one last attempt to save a situation that I am afraid is beyond saving. I think I need to rehome Snowby.

Some of you may have read my journals during the five months Snowby was behind a baby gate in my bedroom last winter/spring, since Blizzy would go after her several times a day and she wasn't socialized and was defensive/aggressive. Last July I finally was able to let them both roam in the house together, unsupervised, together with Hersh and Little Hersh. Snowby has stayed downstairs since then, never returning to the bedroom, and until Thanksgiving she would move around the main living level.

I went away for four days over Thanksgiving, and when I returned, Snowby had become almost exclusively a counter cat, staying in the kitchen or on a shelf in the adjoining family room. She would no longer walk across the foyer from the kitchen to use the litterbox, and for the first time went on the kitchen counter instead. All because Blizzy would chase after her maybe two or three times a day, and Hershey would also jump on her, to play, whenever she was on the floor. It's funny, because she still eats meals normally, on the floor next to Blizzy and Hershey, and she will sleep on a kitchen chair with Blizzy on an adjacent chair. 98 percent of the time, things seem fine, and she knows how to bat at Blizzy and Hershey to keep them away, when she cares to.

But she still refuses to walk across the foyer to use the litterbox. I tried moving the box into the kitchen but on the floor, and she still doesn't seem to use it, not even at night, when for 8 hours she is alone in the kitchen, with the guys upstairs with me. 

She has peed on the kitchen counter and on my dining room sideboard, rather than use the litterbox. When I carry the litterbox over to her, she quite willingly jumps in and uses it, so she does not have an aversion to the litterbox per se, just the idea of having to travel on the floor and make herself "vulnerable"--even though she will play in the family room, on the floor, sometimes in the evenings.

I am at my wit's end, since I cannot keep carrying the litterbox over to her for her to use. I do not have a good elevated place in the kitchen for a litterbox to sit, and I don't like that idea, since it is not sanitary, though it seemed to me the most logical solution.

Snowby is such a sweetheart, a lap cat, a purr machine, gorgeous, and she has become so well socialized generally over the past year, to the point that she even grooms and sleeps with Little Hersh now, so it does hurt me deeply to have to rehome her. And I have Blizzy trained so that he hardly ever goes after her anymore--yet the couple of times a day are enough to have permanently modified her behavior.

I am trying now, little by little, to get her to use the litterbox when it is not elevated to counter height to begin with, but I cannot get her to hop down onto the floor to use it.

So, does anyone have any guidance on how I can get her to get back to using the box on her own? I am going away in three weeks, only for a day and a half, but I can't have her going in inappropriate places just because I am not there to help her.

Otherwise, I have concluded, after trying to avoid doing this for so very long, that she would be better off as an only cat somewhere else. I hate, hate to do it, and she ironically shows no signs of stress that I can see--good appetite, purrs frequently, she does go several times a day, etc. So it drives me crazy that she has become so reluctant, despite being able to hold her own against any of them, that she won't use a box on the floor.

Sorry to have taken so long, but this has been bothering me for two months and I have tried to solve it, without success so far other than being her litterbox servant.


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

Wow - that is a major problem. I understand your distress.
It seems you have diagnosed the problem very well, but what to do about it? 

The only thing I can thinik of is to force Snowby to stay by herself in either a room or a large cage until she gets used to using the litter box normally again. My brother had great success re-training a cat to use a litter box by confining her to a large dog crate for several weeks. 

But that doesn't solve the problems Snowby is having with the others, especially Blizzy. I have no experience disciplining cats, but it sounds like the others need some correcting.


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## ChelleBelle (Sep 14, 2009)

NRD, I didn't read in your post you had tried taking Snowball to the vet. I know it might seem behavioral (probably is), but Brandy had litterbox issues once and it was a health issue. We thought it was protesting the new kitten we had just added to the household. Just a thought.

As far as training on help her, I have no advice. Perhaps as the other poster said to put her in a room by herself with the litterbox and her food and water and see what she does. To "retrain" her.


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## Nan (Oct 11, 2010)

I wouldn't want to leave a litter box on the counter either. But maybe on top of the refrigerator? (Of course that might turn into a problem when she ages as an old kitty and can't jump.)


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks much for the suggestions. I think I will bring her up to her old room, the bedroom, today, and see how she reacts. 

As for seeing the vet, she had her annual physical and vaccinations on Monday. She is fine.

As for litterbox on the fridge, that is the one area no kitty has tried to reach so far, so I can keep tall cereal boxes and chips bags there without fear. It's so high it would be a major pain to clean, and I'm sure litter would get all over in hard to reach places. But it's a very creative solution, so I appreciate the outside-of-the box thinking--or in this case, above the box!


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

Even if you re-train her, she will still have her fear of Blizzy. 
That is at the root of the problem.


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

I know. That's why I think I do have to rehome her, after a year of effort. It is very frustrating, especially after days like yesterday when they were in close proximity numerous times, staring at each other, wary, yet nothing bad happened, and I kept coming over and petting both of them. FYI, I should add that I tried months of feeding them treats together, play together, etc., and that's how I got them to this point. I just could never stop the two-three times a day chasing by Blizzy. Then, to top it all off, every few days Snowby gets really bold and walks right up to Blizzy and bops him with her right paw for no apparent reason. He flinches and walks away. I ask her (rhetorically) why she can't do that when he goes after her. Instead, he decides to get his revenge later on, by chasing her again....


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Cats do the darndest things....I'm talking about the bonking Blizzy on the head when he isn't doing anything. Yes and they do get their "revenge" later. Did you try objecting to Snowby's behavior when she looks like she's about to bonk Blizzy? Perhaps by calling her to come to you or redirecting her focus with a toy, or even a sound (like pssst, pssst) would be enough to stop her bonking. When Blizzy decides to go after her, did you go after him, and stomp your feet and give him a hard stare while saying "No!"? If he stops or walks away and behaves himself, you can then call him to come and invite some play, or throw a toy, to redirect his mind. Sometimes you can modify a cat's behavior if dominant cat respects you as the alpha in the house who won't tolerate that kind of bullying behavior. You may not get Blizzy to stop chasing completely, but you might get him to stop if you intervene with your voice or other action. The fact that Snowby has enough gumption to even approach Blizzy shows she's not that afraid of him, so she may not be that distressed by his chasing. If she were laying on her side urinating on herself during one of Blizzy's attacks, and extremely fearful of even moving around anywhere, I would agree that her life is stressful and miserable and she should be rehomed. That's not the case here, as you say, she's a healthy, happy cat otherwise.

Cats are pretty regular about_ when_ they pee. My girl always like to go when I'm scooping the litter box in the morning. Try and make a note how often and when Snowby pees. Can you set up a litter box just for her, say in a closet or somewhere that's not accessible to Blizzy and the other cats? When you go out, confine her to that one room (or when you're going to be away). When you're at home keep the door closed so Blizzy won't be able to use the litter box. Put her in the room (or even in the litter box) during the times when you think she will pee. She may get to the point of meowing at the door for you to open it if she has to go. I think it's worth a try. Good luck!


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

This is great, catloverami. You're giving me some ideas, which is what I wanted/needed. First, a couple of observations. 

Do I object to Snowby's behavior, when she is about to bop? Yes, when I see it. It is so infrequent, I am sometimes unprepared. As soon as it happens, I tell her in an angry voice that she's a bad girl, and she looks up at me, with her one big yellow eye, one blue eye, as if to plead "He's the trouble-maker! Why are you mad at me?" I will even walk away from her, showing my displeasure. There are times when she is on the counter, shies away from Blizzy when he stares at her from the floor, and then as he starts walking away, she walks to the edge of the counter, leans waaaay over the top and stares back at him, while he is not looking. I find it hysterical, but I also see it as part of the cycle of dislike and taunting/counter-taunting, so on those occasions I immediately go up to her and tell her "no, bad girl". She does stop then.

Do I go after Blizzy when he's about to go after her? Always. He has long since learned to stop as soon as I tell him to. In fact, while I don't believe in anthropomorphizing, I think he developed the equivalent of an inferiority complex during the five months of baby gates, since he would be scolded so often and would appear to be the odd cat out, since she was in my bedroom sleeping with me, and he was excluded. I do think it possible he held this exclusion against her, adding to the problem, even though I tried to compensate at other times. Sometimes he would go after her and then stop and shrink away from me as soon as I told him he was a bad boy. My problem is that my interventions have been successful but, as you said, I haven't stopped it completely. Added to this is the complication that Hershey does not chase her, but he frequently wants to wrestle with her whenever she hops down to the floor. She long ago learned not to be fearful of Hersh, but she doesn't like to wrestle, she has made abundantly clear, and so the gauntlet she faces when she is on the ground is not just Blizzy, who in fact leaves her alone most of the time, as noted. Hersh more often will hop on top of her to wrestle (and yes, I say no to him and try to stop him), just causing her to hop up onto the counter again.

Have I noted her bathroom habits? Yes, she seems to pee twice a day, once in the late morning and once in the mid-evening, usually an hour or two after mealtimes. Poop once a day, unpredictably. Today I brought her in her carrier up to my bedroom, where she lived during Babygate. First time she's been upstairs since last July. She took it in stride, explored some but stayed on the dresser and cat perch, for the most part. I let the guys trail in with her, as I didn't want her to become fearful of them again up there and I was there to supervise. No one went after her, though Blizz stared a lot, and she in return. I took her to her old litterbox in the bathroom--it was late morning, the time she usually goes--and made sure none of the others was around her. But no luck. OK, just a first try, but at least we got out of our current rut. After about 30 minutes, I announced to everyone it was time for their lunchtime snack, and the guys immediately ran down the stairs. Snowby looked at me from the dresser as I was in the corridor. I encouraged her to run after us, saying "lunchtime, let's go". She got excited, finally jumped down and ran down the stairs behind the rest of us. Once in the kitchen, she is fine at mealtimes with them, as they all bat at one another while waiting for me to feed them. Thirty minutes later, I brought the litterbox over to her, and she jumped in and peed--I put it on the floor as soon as she jumps in.

I will soon try to leave her alone in the bedroom, door closed, for periods of time when I am away that are near her bathroom times, to see if I can get her to use her old litterbox again on the bathroom floor. She has already learned to anticipate my personal litterbox servant service, so I have got to stop that very soon, as I am afraid she is now dependent on it--not good, but she's only peed once on a counter the past six weeks, so that was my first priority. One step at a time. I just don't know if the combo of Hersh and Blizzy may be too much for her ever to overcome, though.

One last point. Blizzy spent the day at the vet's Tuesday, getting his teeth cleaned, an experience he hated. He was SO grateful to come home again, he's been as affectionate the past two days as he was the first week I adopted him. He just started sleeping on the bed wit the other guys at night about a week ago, so he finally seems to be feeling like a true member of the family. I am trying to keep him feeling that way and not taking any previous exclusion out on Snowby any more, since as I said that might have added to the problem in the past. Just lots of love when the two are together, except when danger lurks. We'll see....


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

I think the wonderful progress you've already made in the relationships between the cats supports continuing the effort.

If I were in your shoes, I'd do two things - first, get a urinalyses done. Peeing on smooth, cool surfaces is classic UTI behavior and the fact that Snowby is on the floor at other times indicates she's not afraid of it. It would be odd that she'd avoid the floor for only one activity, you know?

Second, as has already been suggested, I would put Snowby in her own room - the smaller the better - or large dog crate to "retrain" her to use the litterbox. Even if she has a UTI that's causing her to avoid the box (by trying to avoid the discomfort she's now associating with it), you'd need to take this step... might as well start on it now.

Keep in mind, however, that if it is some type of UTI, trying to retrain her without addressing the root cause will definitely fail, so getting that urinalysis would be a priority.

Good luck! I can't imagine how I'd feel if one my beloved furbabies starting peeing/defecating on my counters! 

AC


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

NRD, your last post went up after I started composing my post, so I didn't see it...

It looks like you've already begun to step down on the cat corrections a bit, which I think is a good idea. Cats are sensitive creatures and scolding them often negatively affects our relationships with them more than it changes the unwanted behavior.

In place of the scoldings, you can try redirections. Call the kitty to you, toss out a treat, or throw a toy across the room for the cat to chase.... anything that moves their focus away from the other cat without scaring or menacing them.

Again, good luck!

AC


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks, AC, for your encouragement and words of wisdom!

I don't want to sound stubborn, but I'm pretty convinced she doesn't have a UTI. This is not a classic UTI behavior, IMO. She has no problem whatsoever with the litterbox per se, as long as it is brought to her. She digs and uses it just like she always has. She also shows no discomfort or hesitation about using the box while in it--no crying, no reluctance, just digging and going, but she hops out very fast afterwards, to avoid the risk of being jumped by somebody.

What she has a constant fear of--except at mealtimes--is in fact being on the floor. She avoids the floor for almost all activities, almost all the time, except at mealtimes and treats times, and she has a hair-trigger for hopping back up on the counter at other times, as she doesn't like getting jumped. So, based on pretty careful observation over a long period, that is the crux of the problem.

That's why I am going to go the route of isolating her in a room on her own with a litterbox, to retrain her. The fact she only has peed on the counter once the past six weeks tells me it's a last resort for her, when she feels trapped by their presence and is unwilling to walk across the hall to the study where the box has been. She has only peed on counters a total of maybe four or five times since Thanksgiving, all but one of which were while I was away and the first few days back, but it is the fear factor that has me so stymied.

I don't want to give her up, either, having gotten everyone this far, but I need her to go into the box on the floor on her own again.

Thanks much again.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

You have my total sympathy and understanding for your situation. And kudos to you for how long you've been trying.


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

I have no suggestions, I just wanted to let you know we are sending good thoughts your way.


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks again, AC. Redirection it is. I did also used to use toys and other distractions, but I did enough scolding that it may well have had an effect.

And Marie, I appreciate your understanding. To be honest, the main reason I didn't post this problem sooner is I always felt it paled in comparison to what you were going through with Gigi. This is hardly a contest, as we know, but I felt, until Thanksgiving, that my situation was at least manageable. As you know only too well, you feel totally trapped by the situation. Mine had turned fairly positive, and I was enjoying it. Less enjoyment with the peeing. My concern is I will be traveling from time to time over the next 20 years, and if every time I go away Snowby reverts in her behavior, that is unsustainable. Everyone is in such a good mood this week, it kills me to think of letting her go (she's the best looking of any of us, by far, and purrs the best!), so I reached out to you all. Let's see if being back in the bedroom sometimes retrains her.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

You've done very well to figure out what her problem is, and it's good that Blizzy and Hersh listen to you. I agree for whatever reason it is _the floor_. Maybe because it is slippery she feels if she gets jumped on there she can't get up fast enough or escape? I think if you can get her to use the box either in the bathroom or your bedroom, and keeping the door closed, so the other cats don't go in there, she will come to feel comfortable it is her "safe room", and that she will meow at or perhaps scratch at the door to get your attention to open it. I did read somewhere of a cat (or maybe it was a dog?)....whatever, it doesn't matter, to paw at a bell that had been attached to the door knob by a string or ribbon to signal it wanted to go outside. Might not work with cats, as the others may just thing it's a neat playtoy and keep batting it. :? I think if she _meows_ to get into the room that would be great. Many years ago when I did have indoor/outdoor cats and before I installed a cat door, the cats would meow all the time when they wanted "out". Hopefully Snowby will meow that she wants "in".


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

> ...I always felt it paled in comparison to what you were going through with Gigi


I think your situation is much worse, I don't know what I'd do if there was also a peeing issue!


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

NRD, I really sympathize. I've never had inter-cat issues because I've only had one at a time, but I've had more than my share of peeing issues ... to the tune of having to replace a couple pieces of large furniture. Peeing issues are a game-changer, unfortunately. I know the total frustration you must be feeling, and yet we hesitate to do anything about it because we love the kitties so much. As my husband said at the time, "There is absolutely no answer. I can't take her back to the shelter, and I can't live in a cat pee house."

I can just offer Murphy's story as an example of great rehoming. His first owners had 2 cats, both adopted as kittens, and Murphy was never happy having the other one around. He was competitive and unhappy. Because he was the sweeter of the two cats, they decided he was the candidate to return to the shelter since he would probably get adopted quicker. And then we came along, 1.5 months later, pulled him from the lineup, and gave him the home of his dreams, kitty-free, king of the house, pampered and spoiled to within an inch of his life. Just sayin', that sometimes rehoming is the kindest, most productive thing to do.


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

I have a few suggestions. We've gone through something very similar to what you're describing with Torri and Jitzu.

Jitzu never liked Torri, right from the first day I brought Torri home.

Originally Jitzu was just upset and would ignore Torri...no issue right. Normal. Not so much really. When Torri was around 1 year old (right around the time I brought Doran home) I realized Torri was super skinny. Turns out she had gotten sick, and Jitzu hadn't been letting her eat.

Since then Torri has been the only cat allowed in our room. She has her own litterbox, and she gets fed in there seperately from the other cats.

The past year we've made a lot of progress with Torri, but IMO the big thing that helped was her knowing that she had a place she could go to where she would be completely safe. She asks to come in and go out, and will do so if she's had enough of her siblings.
Her issues are mostly with Jitzu, who used to chase her mercilessly, but also with her brothers. They just want to play and wrestle, but she is very nervous and skittish and doesn't want to wrestle. (Muffin is 15 lbs, and Doran is 10lbs...Torri got weighed at 3 years old and 6 lbs. No wonder she doesn't want to wrestle!)

Lately the boys have grown up a lot, resulting in that they can now play with her and they uinderstand they have to be gentler with her than they normally are. Torri has gotten much braver, especially in the past 3-6 months, so I'm very hopeful that things will continue to improve.

IMO there are a few things that have specifically helped.
1. Having her own room. She knows she is completely safe there. No other cats are allowed in, so she never feels cornered or overwhelmed in her sfae place. This is the best thing we ever did for her, and she loves having her special mummy and daddy time.
2. Building her confidence has helped soo much. I did lots of training with the other cats, the boys especially, but I hadn't done much with Torri because she seemed uninterested. Then I realised I was doing this wrong. I spent time with Torri in our room teaching her and building her confidence, THEN we moved training out into the main house with the other cats.
3. Training the other cats. The boys learned that they have to be gentler and let her innitiate playtimes. They're still working on it, but it's definitely helping. And when Torri is around that is when we really get down to training. Training here means fun, cookies, and learning. So the best things happen when Torri is there too.

As far as the litterbox issue I feel this could be solved if she felt safe enough to go to the box. Having her own room and her own box IMO would get rid of this issue. Then when she is out in the main house and she needs to go you could place her in her safe room and know she'll use the box rather than hold it until she just can't hold it anymore. (BTW coinstantly holding their bladder until they aren't capable of holding anymore can cause issues like infections and incontinence...vet check maybe just for that.)
Building up her confidence, and giving the other cats jobs to do when she's around will help her feel less watched and monitered. I know I wouldn't feel very safe if someone was always watching me, regardless of how much actual chasing went on.

With Jitzu she always starts by watching Torri from afar, that's when you need the intervene, before it escalates to hunting and chasing.

I think you're trying really hard to fix this issue, and I know exactly how hard it can get. Good luck! Feel free to PM me if you like


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## suwanee (Jan 22, 2011)

NRD said:


> I don't want to sound stubborn, but I'm pretty convinced she doesn't have a UTI. This is not a classic UTI behavior, IMO. She has no problem whatsoever with the litterbox per se, as long as it is brought to her. She digs and uses it just like she always has. She also shows no discomfort or hesitation about using the box while in it--no crying, no reluctance, just digging and going, *but she hops out very fast afterwards, to avoid the risk of being jumped by somebody*.
> 
> What she has a constant fear of--except at mealtimes--is in fact being on the floor. She avoids the floor for almost all activities, almost all the time, except at mealtimes and treats times, and she has a hair-trigger for *hopping back up on the counter at other times,* *as she doesn't like getting jumped*. So, based on pretty careful observation over a long period, that is the crux of the problem.
> 
> That's why I am going to go the route of isolating her in a room on her own with a litterbox, to retrain her. The fact she only has peed on the counter once the past six weeks tells me it's a last resort for her, *when she feels trapped by their presence* and is unwilling to walk across the hall to the study where the box has been.


First, I agree that she needs her own room with litter box, a room where the other cats are not allowed to go. She does need to be allowed out to visit, though.

Another thing no one has mentioned is using a covered box near the kitchen when she is allowed out of her room.

A cat that feels it may be ambushed while using the box will often refuse to use the box. It's a common call to the behavior line at our shelter. Sometimes it is a dog or small child that ambushes kitty while in the box. A covered box often solves this issue. Even better if you can elevate it even a little bit off the floor or place it in a crate facing backwards, or in a corner where the opening to the litter box is hidden.

Good luck, you are doing a great job in trying to keep her. I know how difficult it has been for you.


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## Sharpie (Jun 13, 2010)

I don't really have any suggestions to make (others who have had experience with litterbox/intercat relation issues have given plenty of great advice!) but I just wanted to let you know that you're in my thoughts! Good luck. I'm sending purrayers your way.


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Wow, just logged on again, and this is WAY more commentary than I had expected to receive. It's great, because I felt I was close to a dead end, and yet I know there are always new ideas sitting there waiting to be discovered.

Sinatra-Butters, sharpie, I appreciate the good thoughts. Snowby reads me so well. I came back into the house, said a few nice words to her as she sat on the counter, and she hopped over to the kitchen table, showing me she wanted to sit in my lap. I sat down, she climbed onto my chest, reached up with her paws, gave me a nuzzle with her nose, closed her eyes and invited me to stroke her, purring and sticking out her little pink nose. How can you not love a little white furball like that? 

Marie and October, yes the peeing is a deal-breaker. The inter-cat tension was annoying and frustrating, but the peeing, which came from out of nowhere--not a single accident the first 10 months--changed everything. I know them pretty well, and what I think happened while I was away in November is not litterbox blocking, but rather Blizzy went after her several times and Hershey tried to wrestle with her. Without me to stop them, she got stressed and stayed on the counter to avoid them.

Catloverami, librarychick and suwanee, some great ideas, I'm putting on my thinking cat on how to implement them. All my letterboxes are covered, so that is not an issue. I will definitely give Snowby back a safe room, at least for portions of the day and on a reasonably predictable schedule. I just don't want to isolate her to the point she loses the socialization skills and confidence she has in fact gained the past year.

I could put her back in my bedroom, except now the three guys sleep with me there every night. They don't need to be there during the day and in fact are seldom in there unless I am, so maybe that's what I'll do. The alternative is the guest bedroom, where she could be truly isolated in a room with a litterbox and an outside window. Problem is this was Blizzy's safe room from Day One, and he still goes back there to nap in the afternoons and early evenings. She doesn't know that room well, though it would be the easiest room to keep her isolated with no disturbances. I may try my bedroom first, since she knows it, and see if that works during the day. SHe can then spend each evening downstairs with the rest of us and sleep down there at night, as she does now. As for training the other guys, I have been trying to do that for months, will think about what more I can do. As for confidence, believe it or not, she is way more confident now than she was the first few months. What else can I do for her confidence?

Hey, at least I now have a plan of action, which is better than where I was 12 hours ago! I'll let you know if this works, meaning if she starts using her old bathroom litterbox as of tomorrow.


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

I would recommend for her safe room using your bedroom, all the time. I know the rest of them sleep with you know, and kicking them out is never fun, but she needs alone time with you as part of building her confidence.

With Torri bedtime is her special time with mum and dad, and that is when she's the most confident.

As for other things to build her confidence try clicker training. I know many people think training cats is silly, or that it doesn't work..but it does! If you can teach her a few simple things, like touch and sit, then when you see her becoming a little anxious you can ask for those. Instead of being scared she'll think "Hey...I can do that! I know this one!" and that will boost her confidence.

Check out this video, this kitty is brand new to clicker training:




 
You can also teach this to your other cats, so if you see Hershy walking up to her wanting to wrestle you can instead as him to 'touch' and he'll run over to you instead.

I've been doing this with our cats, and it's helped a lot!


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

*Update!*

Well, an exciting development a few minutes ago (which goes to show what kind of life I must lead, to find THIS exciting--but really, it IS), Snowby just hopped down from the kitchen counter onto the floor, went over to the litterbox I'd placed in the corner of the kitchen, and pooped! She ran out of the box back onto the counter lickety split, followed closely not by Blizzy, not by Hersh, but by her friend Little Hersh. I praised her lavishly. She left the poop uncovered, and I really had to laugh when Little Hersh went over to and into the litterbox, covered up the poop himself, and then exited the box without doing any business of his own.

So maybe she's not as far away from being retrained as I had feared. Though I don't like the box in the kitchen, I only put it there in the evening and night so far, not during the day, and I will resume Friday taking her to the bedroom for a few hours by herself, to get her reaccustomed to her old stomping and poop/peeing grounds.

And thanks, librarychick, for the video on clicker training. I do think I'll give it a try with a couple of them sometime soon. I already recognize how they pick up the signals. For instance, I have started giving each of them dental chews an hour after dinner. We play an interactive game first. I start with Snowby, and the others then gather round. I am in the third day of giving them the chews. Tonight, the instant I put down the wand after playing, four kitties ran to the cabinet where I keep the dental chews, knowing what was coming next! It's the same principle, and they catch on super fast, when food is involved. I could never hold out the can of food like was done in the video, though, as Hersh and Little Hersh would just attack the cat food can and forget all about everything else, lol.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Yay, Snowby!!!! :grin:


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

That's fantastic news....baby steps. Hope Snowby will continue to improve in her confidence.


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## Sharpie (Jun 13, 2010)

Thats great news! I hope things continue to get better.


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## suwanee (Jan 22, 2011)

All right Snowby!! *hugs and snuggles* Something about a corner is safer, not so many angles of attack.

No one likes to feel someone will walk in on us while we are in the potty. I put up curtains to divide the litter boxes from the rest of the room. Wait. Maybe I did that for me.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

I read _some_where (hey, maybe it was the Cat Forum!) that to make a skittish cat feel safer about a litter box and not to feel like it will be ambushed by another cat, is to have a covered litter box faced into a corner with just enough room for cat to get in and out of it. That might work?


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## suwanee (Jan 22, 2011)

catloverami said:


> I read _some_where (hey, maybe it was the Cat Forum!) that to make a skittish cat feel safer about a litter box and not to feel like it will be ambushed by another cat, is to have a covered litter box faced into a corner with just enough room for cat to get in and out of it. That might work?


Ha ha, that's what I said yesterday on this thread. :wink


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

*Further Update!!*

Let me quickly tell you all what a great day WE are having. As I type, Snowby is actually in the computer room with me, exploring and playing--for the first time in this room since maybe last April! This could all go wrong quickly, though--the main reason it is going so well is that Blizzy, the eminence blanche, is asleep in his cat bed just across the hall. I don't know why the commotion in here has not aroused his curiosity. BUt I intend to control the situation when he arrives (famous last words!).

So what has happened today that is so great? Well, Snowby spent the first half the day in the kitchen, on counters but also on the floor. At one point she hopped down, went over to the litterbox, sniffed around, looked around (no one else was there), but decided better of it and hopped back onto the counter. I was disappointed. Mid-afternoon--OMG, bulletin--as I am typing this, she has gone to the top of the cat tree for the first time, stood up and pawed at and touched the ceiling! A first! Who is inhabiting this girl's body?--OK, back to normal programming--mid-afternoon, I brought her carrier into the kitchen, in prep for taking her upstairs to the bedroom. She jumped down and went into her carrier by herself! This is the same carrier in which I took her to the vet this past Monday but used again to take her to the bedroom Wednesday. Go figure.

Once she was in the bedroom, she explored like the old days, roaming around. I had closed the door, so she and I were alone. After 15 minutes, I left her (and found the Brown Brothers on the other side of the door, most curious as to why the bedroom door was closed to them). I went out for a couple of hours, and when I returned I went back to the bedroom and kept the door open.

Hersh and Little Hersh bounded in (Blizzy has slept through all of this). Snowby and her friend, Little Hersh, started playing. Hersh wanted to get into the act, but I kept him at bay. After about 10 minutes, Snowby went into the bathroom when I walked in there. I closed the door behind me and she immediately went over to the litterbox, jumped in and peed! Just like old times. I opened the door again, and everyone was fine. When I went downstairs, the Brown Brothers and Snowby followed me into the kitchen. Shortly thereafter, Snowby disappeared. Turned out, she had run back upstairs to the bedroom, to the cat perch in the window, her old resting ground--first time she has run back upstairs from the kitchen since last July! When I came back up a few minutes ago, she and the Brown Brothers followed me into the computer room, where she has been having a great time ever since.

Where has this confident girl been? I know the answer, it's a veneer a millimeter thick. Any little thing causes her to leap onto a higher perch, though she doesn't get frightened like she used to.

This is a shockingly quick development, though, as I said, Blizzy is still sleeping and hasn't interacted with us up here yet. The best thing is her willingness to move from room to room for the first time since last July. Maybe shaking things up just a little bit was all she needed. I will continue to give her a couple of hours upstairs on her own, though, so I can more easily leave her alone in the bedroom for two days when I go away in a couple of weeks (a cat sitter will take care of them).

Thanks so much for the ideas and helping galvanize me to shake things up. It's a blast seeing her so happy. I've just taken a couple of pictures and will try to upload them shortly.


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

*Pics!!*

No, I'm convinced it's not the floor itself. It's Blizzy and Hersh. Her wariness around the litterbox in the kitchen this morning was the crux of it, as I saw them not block her from it but chase her when she came out, back up onto the counter. That, she hates.

And--drumroll, please--here she is, making a reappearance, after many months, Ms. Snowby:

I am once again Queen of the Cat Tree:










And I like to pose, here I am with Hersh:










But wait a minute, what are you doing up there, Hersh?










OK, I can live with that--I don't like it, but I can live with it:


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

OK, I can sleep here, as long as you will sleep, too!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

OMGosh! What a wonderful, wonderful update!!! I was reading your post as fast as I could, so excited for you!!!


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

Yay, what awesome news! Keep it up Snowby!

We're all rooting for you, honey!

AC


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

*But the complications resurface--of course....*

Thanks, thanks a lot!

This evening has been more challenging, for two reasons. Of course, Blizzy had to wake up sometime. He came downstairs when the rest of us were there, and for some reason Snowby decided to run upstairs. He high-tailed it after her, like the old days, with me in hot pursuit. Nothing bad happened, in that she hopped onto the bathroom counter, and he stopped short of the bathroom, with me telling him no. But this is exactly what I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to break for the past year. I did as was suggested, did not scold him much, but took him downstairs and tried to distract him to play his favorite game of chase with a furry mouse. But he was unhappy, since I HAD told him he shouldn't have done what he did, and in a rarity for him, he played for about 30 seconds and then just walked away. After dinner, he went up to his room and climbed into his round cat bed.

So I have a cat--Blizzy--who chases even though he knows he shouldn't, and then he gets depressed when I try to stop it. I gave him lots of praise and pets, going into his room to see him, but for a chaser he is also a sensitive soul.

Then there's Hersh. While all he wants to do is play with Snowby, not hurt her, he must have gone over to her 10 times this evening. I'm beginning to think he's more of a problem than BLizzy, just due to the frequency, at least now when the novelty of Snowby being on the floor a lot more is still there. ANd when I diverted him away from her several times, he got discouraged and spent the evening away from me. So I can't win for losing with either guy, despite not even raising my voice and trying to redirect them.

That's why this is so complicated. But still, today was a very good day, I know this doesn't change overnight, we'll do it again tomorrow... and the next day...and see.


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

This sounds promising! I love the pics of Snowby and Hersh, thanks for sharing them with us!!


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

*Arrrggggh!!*

Good news/bad news. The good news is I went out this am, left Snowby in the bedroom, and when I came back she had pooped in the box. With everyone in the bedroom as soon as I had come home, she went to the box and peed, a great result.

The bad news is that Blizzy tried to chase her three times in the space of five minutes, once dashing right by me. It drives me crazy, as this is what I've been trying to control for a year now. They keep staring at each other, even though I constantly interrupt their stares. I tried praising him when he was just sitting; he still can't wait to go after her, at times. So long as she is using the box--and she may have used it in the kitchen to pee overnight, was hard to tell-then I can focus again on the chasing. It's just a year of this has been so hard to take.

As a sidelight behavioral observation, when I opened the bedroom door, the three guys ALL used the litterbox within three minutes, one after the other after the other. It was take a number! They normally only use it in the early morning, then just use the one downstairs. I suppose they were all reclaiming the scent as theirs, once she had pooped in it.


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## SpellQ (Dec 12, 2010)

Have you considered trying to clicker train them to come for a treat? That way you could always have the clicker with you and when Blizzy starts to chase a click could distract for a treat.


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Good idea. Librarychick mentioned it, too. I do intend to try it. In the meantime, I may just carry a treats bag in my pocket, as it has the same effect on him. He will come running from anywhere in the house when he hears that bag rustle.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Definitely good news about using the litter box, the bad news is the chasing by Blizzy as you say. I think you need to ban the boys from the bedroom, as this should be her "safe room" where she feels she is safe to poo and pee in her _own_ box without being disturbed or chased. I would keep the door closed at all times....when she's in there by herself or with you getting some special loving, and when you're home and she's free in the house. I don't think it helps her that you let them use her box. From time to time you can put her in there to do her business. 
I had a situation quite a number of years ago now somewhat like what you have. A neuter who despised his half-sister after she had several litters of kittens and was spayed. I could not pet her, speak to her without him going after her he was so jealous. But he didn't just chase, he attacked her mercilessly to the extend she would lie down and pee all over herself in fright, and then he would stop. Most of the time she kept out of his way and he tolerated her as long as I didn't pay any attention to her in his presence, but occasionally when he did attack her he didn't like it when I went after him stomping me feet and yelled at him. I had to give her one-on-one attention out of his sight and hearing. I didn't let them sleep together at night in the same room. She was a very changed cat after he died, and showed how happy and free she felt by comimg in our laps for attention and sitting on us and being very affectionate. She never dared do that before as she knew she would get attacked. In my situation I didn't feel she would do well to be rehomed, and the neuter had been one of first show cats and I really loved him as he was a real character so I wasn't going to rehome him either. Hope the treat bag works. I wish you all the best!


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## suwanee (Jan 22, 2011)

NRD,

I'd just like to say once again that I think Snowby needs a safe room. Her own room where no other cats are allowed in. That was what I meant on page one, and I've heard it reiterated several times by other posters.

Not just for one day, or for a couple hours. That room is hers. If you have chosen your bedroom, then that is the spot. If this room won't work long term, then pick another room. Really, she needs time to overcome this terror, and one day wasn't long enough. Weeks, or maybe even months is more like it. I think she should learn to defend herself during her time spent outside of this room if you would let her, but the confusion and panic of you trying to sidetrack her attackers, grabbing them , removing them etc., has taught her that if you aren't there, she can't solve the problem by herself.

Start again with 
1. Give her several hours alone in her room daily. Cats are by nature solitary. They don't need a lot of company.
2. Don't allow the other cats to visit in her room. Ever. Door closed.
3. Keep a litter box in a corner near the kitchen when she is running free.
4. I would stop defending her from her chasers if I were you. But I'm not, and I don't have to live with them. I've never stepped in to solve a dispute with an animal unless I saw blood being drawn. Usually they will work it out after a scuffle or two. If Snowby feels there is a 100% safe part of her day, she may become more confident.

Was Snowby or Blizzy unsocialized as a kitten?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I think you're making great progress, NRD. Baby steps, right? You know your cats better than anyone, what certain looks mean, body language, etc.


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Yes, Marie, thanks. I wrote the following in response to suwanee's and catloverami's posts. Sorry, it's a bit long, but I thought their heartfelt advice, which I am only taking in part, merits a more thoughtful reply by me.

Thanks, suwanee and catloverami. I'm sorry I didn't acknowledge more specifically before the adivce mainly you two gave me to create a permanent safe room for Snowby. And I also appreciate the factors that motivate it. I don't think my situation is quite as dire as suwanee's characterization, and that is probably my own fault in how I have, or haven't, described it. Let me give you more background and then at least give my rationale for trying to adapt your advice, and that of others, so it hopefully works best in my situation. I am sorry that what follows is so long, but since your advice is so heartfelt, I feel I owe you a longer explanation of why I am trying to handle the situation with a variation of what you are advising.

To answer your question, suwanee, as far as I can tell, Snowby was never socialized until I adopted her. She was picked up as a stray at roughly one year old, a year ago, brought to the shelter from which I adopted her from a cage she had been in for only two weeks. She was three weeks pregnant when she was spayed just before coming home with me. She did not know how to play with any toys, I had to teach her. Blizzy was adopted two weeks later. They both had their own rooms at first. My "slow" intro of the two of them turned out to be way, way too fast for Snowby, who was so defensive aggressive, hissing hysterically, that I was scared out of my mind, never having seen that before. 

Snowby had her own room, therefore, for the first three months, my bedroom (Feb-April). I bought baby gates, based on advice from this Forum, and installed them a month after the intros started. By then I also had Hershey. After 45 days, Snowby learned to trust Hersh, so he was allowed in with her. They both started sleeping with me, and she was fine with that. Hershey started to teach her how to interact with other cats, as he wanted to wrestle with her. SHe would bat him away but was never really scared of him form then on. She still had her own room, except with Hershey having access, from April--July. So that's six months. During that time I was gradually introducing Blizzy, with all good things at the gate, etc. It was the end of July when the baby gate came down, because Snowby and Blizzy could be in the same room together almost all the time without chasing.

Snowby never had an accident, from Feb-November. That includes the four months everyone had run of the house (Little Hersh came in late July). Snowby tok a looking to Little Hersh in under two weeks, so the painfully slow socialization process paid off, in that she learned a lot about dealing with the guys over that period.

Snowby went from a scared cat to being able to navigate the whole downstairs in the period from Feb-July and then July-November. I did not intervene in the July-November period, so Snowby had figured out how to survive and to use the litterbox throughout that period.

It was only when I went away in late November that the peeing on the counter happened. Snowby still knows how bat at BLizzy and keep him away when he comes after her--and after months during which she hissed at him constantly, she hardly ever hisses nowadays, she doesn't have to. Blizzy has gotten spots of blood on him from nicks a few times, but these has not dissuaded him. But it's never gotten worse than that. But that was enough to put SNowby off the litterbox end-November.

Snowby is still fine around them 98 percent of the time--including tonight, when she practically pushed Blizzy off his food bowl to get at some raw food I had given them all. She has still come a very long way in her socialization from where she was a year ago.

Against that background, I have a very hard time accepting that I would go back to leaving her in a safe room as a permanent solution. Yes, I can argue she was perfectly happy living in the bedroom all the time, despite the fact she was getting very little exercise that way. She could even live there with Hersh and Little Hersh having free access. Just not Blizzy. ANd she is very happy downstairs now, almost all the time.

I understand the utility of a safe room for at least part of the time. But it can't be my bedroom. Hersh and Little Hersh now sleep with me every night, tucked into either side if me, and Hersh simply has to be in whatever room I am in. Whatever solution I devise, I don't want the solution to make my overall situation worse. The only other room upstairs I can use happens to be Blizzy's room. It was his original safe room and is now where he sleeps each night, when he isn't joining the other two guys and sleeping on my bed--something I've tried to encourage him to do, for his own socialization, and he's just started doing the past three weeks.

Snowby is by herself downstairs every night for a good eight hours, and she is also alone for about four-five hours a day in the afternoon/early evening, when the guys nap upstairs. So Snowby is already alone for over half the day. I am now adding to that another several hours int he late morning. That's a lot of time alone. Also, Snowby more than holds her own with the guys at mealtimes. She bats at them just like they bat at each other, and she is on the floor next to them with no problem at all. She also comes down onto the floor to play at times, though this is when she gets nervous, since Hersh and/or Blizzy can jump on her. 

Finally, she has only had a few accidents since late November, and all but one were within a few days of my absence. I have moved form a situation last winter where I did have to intervene all the time, to one where until a coupled of days ago I had not intervened at all for the past six months. Indeed, Snowby holds her own with BLizzy and especially with Hersh when they go after her. The reason I did intervene the past two days is that by bringing her back into her bedroom with the door closed, I was bringing her back to the days when Blizzy first used to go after her there, and they reverted to that early behavior.

I guess bottom line is that I'm not willing to close off my bedroom permanently to the three guys in order revert to giving Snowby that room by herself, I don't feel it's necessary since she holds her own almost all the time nowadays, and it only took the couple of hours in her safe room to get her back using the litterbox regularly. I'm also not willing to evict Blizzy from his room--if he has resented Snowby for being excluded form my bedroom the first five months, he will dislike her even more if she now takes over "his" room.

I know you are trying to help me, and I do appreciate it, so I am not trying to be argumentative. I am just trying to adapt the useful advice to my own situation. Snowby has come so far the past year, and has started using the litterbox again so quickly, that I am hopeful the safe room for a few hours a day, plus full-time when I go away, will be enough. But I am not willing to disrupt the wonderful relationship I have with Hersh and Little Hersh in particular, in order to deal with her problem. Final point--I have said little about Blizzy's background, because it is unknown. I adopted him at seven months, and he appears sociable with Hersh and Little Hersh, though he has always been amore stand-offish cat. I thought about rehoming him rather than Snowball if things don't work, but Hersh as well as Blizzy jump on her--though in Hersh's case it is for play--so I concluded rehoming him would not truly resolve the problem.

I may not have convinced you, but that doesn't mean you have not affected my thinking--you have! So please continue to offer your honest advice on this, and I do hope you understand better why I am trying to handle it this way.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Thanks for your very long and complete explanation. I didn't realize that Snowby was confident enough to push them out of the way at feeding time or off their own food or be comfortable with them on the floor, so that does make a difference, and it seems she has come a long way from when you first adopted her. At least things are working out better now that she's using the litter box again, and best to leave her in the kitchen at night. I think she will continue to gain confidence, maybe she'll come to regard the kitchen as _her_ room.  The cats' relationships will continue to change, and there may come a time that Blizzy won't chase her so much if Snowby continues to stick up for herself. I hope so....I know how stressful it can be always having to juggle things around and having cats not getting along as well or as fast as _we_ would like.


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks for your understanding, catoverami. I do appreciate your interest and the time you take to read and respond. As for the hope over time Blizzy will chase less and less, from your mouth to their ears! In fact, that is what had been happening for months and is why what happened in late November was such an unnerving setback for me. We'll see. For now, Snowby is back using the box--she seems to have peed in the kitchen box overnight, another great sign.


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## suwanee (Jan 22, 2011)

Go Snowby! Sending good potty thoughts her way!

Thanks for the long explanation, that was interesting. I may have jumped into this maybe not knowing as much as some here do about your situation. I didn't expect to solve the problem, just give ideas, so thanks for being so caring with us. 

I am sure you will figure out a way that works for all of you. The revelation that Snowby (& possibly Blizzy) came to you unsocialized explains a lot. They aren't too educated about boundaries! My cats have issues, and they are extremely well adjusted for the most part. Little buggers.

I worked in a shelter. The word "rehome" just gives me tiny panic attacks. As you can imagine, many animals end up in shelters with behavior problems that could have been solved if the humans had been willing to work with the animals' natural tendencies. Too often the animals won't do as humans think they should, but it is just their normal psyches and not a reason to 'get rid of' them. It is really disheartening to work in such a place and see what happens to these animals who are just acting like normal cats would given the circumstances they came from.

It sounds like you are not thinking of rehoming her right now, and for that I am very pleased. Keep doing what you're doing, and I'll start sleeping again. :wink


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

*One More Good Update*

First, thanks suwanee, for your understanding as well. One of the great benefits of this Forum is so many people are truly trying to help, not carp or criticize. That means a lot. And that means I understood you likely had not read my daily dairies of last winter and spring and thus weren't familiar with the trials and tribulations I went through at that time. It was truly difficult. I have spent hundreds of hours on this, literally. And that's why, a year later, I still find it incredibly frustrating that Blizzy will still go after her, very rarely but just often enough for it to be a real problem.

That said, the good update is that Snowby both peed and poo'd in the bedroom bathroom box this morning while I was away. When I came home, I let the guys in, and the Brown Bros--Hersh and Little Hersh--made a beeline for the box, both using it at the same time--cat behaviorists, anyone, want to analyze this? Blizzy sniffed but didn't go in. And yes, he chased her again, not right away but 15 minutes later. Just after, we all--and I mean all, including Snowby--ran downstairs and had our lunchtime snack of Evo dry. Snowby and Blizzy batted at each other, just like Blizzy and Hersh did, and all ate normally. So, for now the litterbox problem seems to be back under control, and I am left with the long-term issue of Blizzy's chasing.

Suwanee, I adopted Snowby from a kill shelter, so I would never return her there. I did speak to them, and I am in touch with the fostering rescue agency from which I adopted Blizzy, so that if Snowby does end up being rehomed, it would only be through them. They are no-kill with a guarantee of taking back any adopted cat, no questions asked. Do I want to put Snowby through that and part with her? The answer is no, but neither do I want another 20 years like the last one. It's a borderline issue in my mind, with the border being crossed if/when it reaches the point of ruining fine furniture. I won't even get into the 10 sculptures that have been broken by Snowby during this period. She's a beautiful girl, this problem was not her fault, and she has indeed come a very long way--plus I still melt when she looks at me with her one yellow and one blue eye, and she sits on my lap, purring, as I eat each and every meal. I've thought of rehoming Blizzy, too, but he actually has further to go in showing his emotions--he's still a very reserved cat, so I suspect he has his own issues from kittenhood. That's why I find it such a good sign that, after a full year, he has finally started sleeping on the bed with the other guys and me each night for the past three weeks.

I won't do another update for the next several days unless there is something significant to report--in the meantime, I think the safe room each morning has restored Snowby's litterbox patterns for now, so thanks so much, guys!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Out of curiosity...why rehome Snowby and not Blizzy? It seems she only has trouble with him....


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Good question, MowMow. I've gone back and forth on this one. The main reason is that even when Blizzy is upstairs in his bed sleeping, Hersh still jumps on Snowby as well when she comes down onto the floor. So he gets to her more often than Blizzy does, even though his motive is not to hurt her, and she still stays up on the counters. It's a close call, though, since Little Hersh has taken to sleeping next to Snowby on the kitchen chair in the early afternoons. Of course, everyone likes Little Hersh, he gets along with Blizzy, too. So my fear has been that rehoming Blizzy might still leave me with a counter cat with occasional litterbox problems. Since he has his own issues, I have been unwilling to confine him to his room for the several months I was advised it would take to find out if she would improve with him not on the scene.


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## suwanee (Jan 22, 2011)

Poor Snowby. Kitty-girl, there are some men at whom I would gladly hiss hysterically to get them to leave me alone. It wouldn't work with them either, I'm afraid.


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## Modra (Jan 17, 2011)

I think the stress of having 2 scarry cats around is not fair to Snowby and relocation is the best option for her. Prolongued stress can turn her ill. 
By the looks of it they would never get along, sorry


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

suwanee said:


> Poor Snowby. Kitty-girl, there are some men at whom I would gladly hiss hysterically to get them to leave me alone. It wouldn't work with them either, I'm afraid.


I bet if you crapped on their kitchen counter it would....


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

*Another Step Forward*

I was sitting at my computer this afternoon, when suddenly a white ball of fluff appeared. It was Snowby, who had actually come upstairs on her own and found us (Little Hersh was in my lap, Hersh asleep behind me--Blizzy was asleep in his room across the hall). Snowby hopped up into the cat tree beside me, into the cat condo she had last used maybe 10 months ago. Her friend, Little Hersh, went up to play with her, and the two of them had a grand time for a good 20 minutes. Then all went to sleep. She looked so content, it all looked so natural for such a big step. I was able to entice her downstairs sometime later without waking Blizzy, who most likely would have chased her down--so this was another positive experience for her--and me!

Mowmow, events like this do make me question whether I would be rehoming the "right" kitty if it's Snowby. She and Little Hersh have bonded. Even though LH gets on with everyone (Everyone Likes Little Hersh), it's more meaningful for her, given her non-socialized past. 

Of course, if I could keep this up long enough for Blizzy to learn to behave, I wouldn't have to rehome anyone! I took a few pics of Snowby and Little Hersh playing, and if they are not too dark, I will try to post later.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

I'm glad to read that things have progressed w/ Snowby, NRD! I'm thinking of you guys!


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

*Pics--A First! Snowby and Little Hersh on Cat Tree*

Today was the first time Snowby had been in the computer room in maybe 10-11 months, and it was the first time she and Little Hersh played in the computer room. What made it so exciting was that Snowby came up the stairs on her own to find us, again the first time she has done this. 

Here are the pics I was able to take:


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Awwwww! That second picture has one of the best smiling cat faces *ever*!


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Way to go, Snowby! I hope mommy is lavishing lots of kisses and caresses on you for being so brave.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

I just read a lot of this thread at once. It seems things are taking a turn for the better now, what great news! I hope you're able to continue getting such great progress with Snowby and that your other cats can learn to stop chasing Snowby around. I don't have any suggestions myself, it seems most things I could think to mention, and a lot of things I'd never think of, have already been discussed.

By the way, cutest cat ever award to Snowby in that second picture!


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## Modra (Jan 17, 2011)

wow, just read your latest posts. That sounds great, she seems to have found some confidence finally. This is great news, maybe you will not need to rehome her after all.


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Snowby sends her "awww, shucks, thanks" for the compliments! She would blush, if she could. She also told me that her cuteness just reflects her inner beauty, and it's my fault if I've been unable to capture and convey her full outer contentment until now. Fortunately, she is very forgiving, at least of me if not of Blizzy. She lets me brush her whenever I like. Just don't try to trim her nails--she thinks she still needs them!


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