Serious cat dilemma

I think it would be a good idea to have a litter tray in the house and try to get the cat used to using it.
I have always had one close to the kitchen doors even though my cats went outside they were always kept in at night

No !! Not euthanise definitely ! Possibly re-home but even that seems cruel as Cat 1 was there first - try the various cat sites and sprays etc Is cat 1 male or female and neutered ??

I'm with Elegran on this - hope you manage to resolve the issue soon. It doesn't seem to matter how often you say it, or what explanation you give, some posters just seem happy to jump on the criticism bandwagon. Nils illegitimi and all that - bosies from a fellow cat lover. !

In my somewhat considerable experience, once a cat develops the habit of peeing indoors, whatever the cause,you will never,ever, break the habit! Getting rid of the second cat will not change a thing now, and rehoming the first cat will just pass the problem on to his new owner, especially with him having to cope with losing his “mum” and settling in new territory. Sorry to sound so negative but any honest vet or animal behaviourist will tell you, the first person to find a solution to this habit would become a billionaire overnight!!!

A side issue. Serious cat - dilemma OR serious - cat dilemma.

Got me thinking. One of my gran's favourite remarks was It's enough to make a cat laugh. Does anyone think they are sometimes not serious?

Seriously, one of OP's cats will have to go. Last in first out.

Putting the cat to sleep shouldn’t be an option really but perhaps homing cat no 2, contact the ragdoll rescue and they will probably be able to help.
Like someone else has said try a Feliway plug in it might calm cat no 1 down a bit .
He’s obviously marking his territory and wanting to place himself as top cat .
Good luck

I once had a cat that started to pee everywhere. The vet diagnosed kidney failure and unfortunately he had to be put down.

Another to do is encourage children to keep their bedroom doors shut this cut down on the amount of cat wee in those rooms. Outside cats will probably be able to be retrained to trays and separate trays. I feel sorry for your DD and cat 1, 8 is quite old to rehome and if he’s so attached to just your DD he may never be happy again 😢😢

My DD had a useless vet 2/3 years ago- i advised she changed vet- she did and discovered what was wrong with 2 of her pets (not this type of problem) but the point is- a vet who 'has'nt been much help' is no good to any pet, nor owner! I find feliway just a waste of money, certainly on older cat, and yes as others have suggested the older cat needs a thorough check up with a different vet- this could be kidney trouble or bladder problem, after all he is well getting on in cat years so this could have been brewing & getting worse over time but could be a medical problem he cant help, bless him, and he's wondering why the 1 person he adores is not helping him?! I would NOT assume that after 2 years he is still not getting along with the other cat that is the problem! I have always known cats in our house, from when i was a child my mum always had a cat, my kids grew up knowing cats in our house.The only times weve ever had another cat with our beloved now 16 year old cat he never did this, he treated them like his baby, washing them etc.I ask the question- WHY did DD get the 2nd cat in the first place? Particularly if the cat1 is territorial? Did she think it would make him less so? In which case i would have thought it was apparent pretty quickly that things were NOT changing and could have rehomed the 2nd one much earlier?Or was new cat 2 the idea of her husband or sons? I wouĺd not have entertained that suggestion of a 'new cat'if i was her until the old boy had at least passed on naturally years later. Anyway either you could take on cat 2 for her, or rehome it somewhere you/she could trust, but definitely see a new vet to see if this is a physical/medical problem cat 1 has first.Poor boy maybe he cant help it.Imagine what it would be like if you were really old, and had this problem and no one who was caring for you was helping you at all? But were talking of 'helping you along your way'? Or rehoming you? Our lovely is 16 now but 82 in cat years- luckily he is much healthier than i am at just 60, but i cant imagine ever getting rid of him in any way, and first thing i'd do is change vet and get to the root of his problem! Not just assume its because he still doesnt like the other cat after 2 years!

🙀😿

Unfortunate situation. It would be unfair and more distressing to rehome the first cat who adores DD. Why should that cat be effectively punished and emotionally affected by what has happened. The cat that should be rehomed is the second one who is younger and has no problems. The first cat will stop marking territory especially if getting rewards and fuss and attention after cat 2 has gone. I think if the first cat is rehomed, that cat will have more behaviour issues as a result and may well end up having an unhappy life as a result unless lucky enough to have a very patient and understanding new owner with the time. It sounds like DD loves cat 2 much more and prefers the easy option.

As DrWatson said…..would be well worth looking on YouTube for My cat from hell videos by Jackson Galaxy, a cat behaviourist. It sounds like one of the issues he often deals with. After having cats health checked by a vet he sometimes suggests catification (which is putting up shelves and a high up walk way so cats can escape and feel safe) , playing with cats to tire them out, and using large cat litter trays.
Check if there are any cat behaviourists available in your area. Rehoming will be a last resort but if that’s necessary then try look at it in a positive way. The cats will be happy and safe, and the family stress levels will improve. Good luck

I think it would be a good idea to reintroduce litter trays. One per cat plus one per floor, well spaced and away from food and water (so two cats in a two storey house need four trays). A pain, but giving all the felines their own facilities might help to sort things out. It might be that the older one is distressed by something happening outside, unrelated to the kitten, which is why he's peeing indoors now. Generally speaking Ragdolls are supposed to be kept indoors because they're not assertive enough to interact safely with other cats.

I'd say let the chap stay where he is if your daughter really loves him. After all, he was there first?

Why don't you take in the new cat, if she's easy going she might get on OK with the Maine Coones?

If not, she would be snapped up as a rescue cat.
Please contact the British Ragdoll Rescue Club, I'm sure they could offer you the best advice.

Your own two adopted cats are reassuring examples of successful rehoming, and your DD’s younger cat will probably adapt quite happily to a new home.

I imagine that by urinating in the house, if not a health problem, the older cat is sending a message to the younger cat to go away - you’re not welcome here, which must be quite stressful for the younger cat.

Perhaps the urination will stop once that message is no longer necessary and cat no.1 resumes his original position in the household?

VioletSky

Are they inside cats?

With inside cats I would get more litter trays and that would usually resolve the problem as they will not want to share

I'm assuming the male is neutered?

If he just wants to mark his territory, that's normal cat behaviour with an intruder cat

Otherwise it could be anxiety in which case, something to ease anxiety like feliway would help

Also, lots of rewards for being close to new cat. Associate new cat with positive additions to the "colony"

Sensible advice. I had two cats, one indoor ( Burmese) and one allowed outdoor ( British Short Hair: far more road sense!). The latter used to pee everywhere. They both shared a litter tray and were fed in the same area. In retrospect I should have separated their eating areas and litter trays. And would have tried using a feliway plug in, although once the habit had become ingrained it probably wouldn’t have helped. They also had an outdoor pen that they both had access to, and that had a litter tray in it. When all of my cats had access to outdoors and no litter trays I never had a problem but I lost so many on the road I had to have a re think.

Ragdolls are notorious for spraying when they are upset ... it's not their fault, it's just how they are made. They are anxiety prone, like many of us! So, I would say - as a Mad Cat Woman who has taken care of cats for 40 years - cat 1 is distressed because (a) of the presence of cat 2 and (b) because cat 1 thinks their place at the top of the tree has been taken and 'Mummy doesn't love them any more!'

Without even meeting cat 1, I can tell you now, if you put them in the laundry room they will be so out of their minds with grief and anxiety, you'll never have clean laundry again. Please don't do it - for any cat, let alone a ragdoll, it would be cruel as, by now, they are used to being in the house and part of the family, with everything that comes with that.

Please, do not consider euthanasia. Many homes would welcome a ragdoll.

So, what to do? Try Feliway, but best of luck with that. Try a cat psychologist, but best of luck with that, the situation is probably too far gone.

For what it's worth, I think cat 1 should stay and cat 2 should be passed on to a super-duper, warm and cosy, extra-loving home. And cat 1 should be allowed to life out their little life as the only cat in the family. Betcha, soon as they are top cat again, all spraying and peeing will cease and there be a happy family once more.

My DD had a vet who had given them a 'thorough check over' but missed totally the cat had stomach problems and needed a completely different diet, and missed the fact that her newish puppy was in fact going blnd- So NO i would not rule out a completely thorough different check, and new tests, by a whole new vet, in a different vets practise.Animal trusts vets are very good and especially if your DD is keen to keep down the cost of several more tests/checks?Look them up to see if theres one near her.Or an RSPCA or PDSA vet clinic if she is lucky enough to have one near by, they would look into the older cats problem in case theres an error of doubt that its a actual physical/medical problem he has.? Please let us know how he gets on poor boy.😿😾

Just re read. Didn’t realise they weren’t house cats. I always assumed that Rag Dolls had to be house cats…so the problem is the older cat has an outside territory problem and is going inside because the younger cat has taken over his outside toilet areas?

*blind

One more thing, every cat should two cat trays for their very own personal use. So, in a two-cat family, there should be FOUR trays. Yeah, I know. But that's cats for you .... they are incredibly clean creatures. Also, their trays should not be near their food or their drinking water. Also, each cat should have their own plate of food and not be expected to share with another cat.

I'm sure the dog people will be rolling their eyes ... but then again, cats don't have to be taken for walks in the middle of winter!

Feliway Friends (not the ordinary Feliway) in several rooms in the house, as well as an equivalent but different diffuser called Pet Remedy.
At least 2 litter trays, one per cat and one extra one as well if your DD can manage that. I'm assuming that the cats are both neutered - if not, get them both neutered.
Make sure that ALL traces of cat pee have been eradicated from wherever Cat1 is peeing - if even a tiny trace is left (and the cat WILL be able to sniff it out even if a hunan nose cannot) it will continue to pee there to "top up" the scent and claim the space as its own. An enzymatic washing powder on anything that can be washed, and something like "UrineOff" or similar for carpets and soft furnishings.
Keep them separated, but don't punish Cat1 by shutting him away from "his" human.
Cat 1 is obviously very unhappy, and really, one can understand it. Its home has been invaded by an interloper.
An animal behaviourist can be very helpful. I used Vicky Halls when I was introducing a new female to my very bonded brothers. She was being very aggressive and attacking them both. A consultation helped me to sort out the issue.
~When the weather gets cold, leave the house and turn off the heating....I found that my cats preferred to be warm, and learned to snuggle up together for warmth...not sur=te if that would work with a Ragdoll, though, as they have long coats.
Good luck.

As previously stated they don't use litter trays. Separate feeding areas too.
It's the emotional aspect that's worrying me. Fair or not the newer cat is really loved by everyone. SiL and boys are now really fed up with poor old cat 1. Even DD is at her wits end. This is a very sad situation. Currently she's coping by cleaning up a lot and rewashing clothes and bedding etc but I don't know how long this can last till some sort of last straw. I'd love to think the situation is fixable but really can't see it. I suspect that his bag will be packed by autumn. 😿

Quote Fluerpepper:
Do you know anyone without a cat or other animal, or young children- who could foster him for a while to see how he is when on his own.

I think that's a very good idea.
RSPCA have cat fosterers. We bought one of our cats from a fosterer from of theirs.
There were cats and kittens everywhere I don't knowhow she coped.
Cat number 2 though and see if number 1 improves.
There are cat boarders to consider too but obviously charge.

This sounds very familiar! My daughter also had a gorgeous ragdoll cat. She started peeing everywhere, and the vet thought it was because my daughter had a little boy of two who was very noisy and the cat is very timid. It was becoming very stressful for my daughter and her vet suggested that the cat was stressed too. So the cat came to us for a 'holiday' and two years later she is still here BUT when I took her to my vet, she did an ultrasound and found stones in her bladder. She had them removed and has been perfectly fine since. And yes, she is till with us, as she is still very wary of the little one.
Am not sure why my daughter's vet hadn't picked this up...I think the stones were very small...but it might be wortth checking out. Good luck!