Ragdoll Cat Forums

*sigh*, another post about my crazy Ruby. I'm so sorry guys...LOL. and it's a long one.

I think that she's become aggressive since Pyjamas came home. She is often aggressive with me. She doesn't always like being held but sometimes she seems ok with it.

This morning she was crazy for attention, so I was playing with her and patting her.She was purring and headbutting my hands. Then I let Pyjamas out because he was meowing for us. I picked Ruby up and brought her to the window which I opened a bit so she could see the birds from a distance. After, I stopped to shift her in my arms (all the while giving her kisses and pats) and she suddenly growled at me. Then her pupils expand and she stares me directly in the eyes. She is really scary when she is like this Quickly I lowered her in my arms to avoid ehr swiping at me, and told her NO before I set her down. It's happened a few times before and she has swiped at my face . I know she is signalling she's had enough but sometimes she just snaps and goes from sweet to aggressive.

I guess I don't ever know when she is going to do this, so often times I am scared of holding her at all. How should I react when she is this way? Is there anything I can do to show her that her aggression is not acceptable?

Does anyone have any thoughts as to why she's like this? I took her to the vet last nite for a checkup on her eye and all seems fine. she eats well and plays with Jamas and otherwise seems normal. It's mystifying as she is just so temperamental, and oftentimes so unlike a raggie. I think maybe she gets scared I'm going to wash her foot or clean her butt or something, because she hates when I do that after she gets poo all over herself but I don't know what else to do.

This is fear. Focus on that in your response to it. Letting her move to where she feels safe at the moment is the appropriate response. It should correct itself with time as long as events do not confirm her fears, which will make things take longer.

Oh thank you Jan...that makes sense especially being that she has always been a very nervy girl. So I should just let her go to help establish the fact that I'm not going to hurt her?

Do you have any advice with how to deal with her if she steps in her stools? She still does this quite alot, and I have a hard time getting her to let me clean her. The only option I can see at this point is squirting her messy bits with water and shutting her in the bathroom to encourage her to clean herself. She hates being shut away though, but if I put Pyjamas in there with her then I'm afraid they'll equate using the box with getting separated from me. I just don't know how to get her to trust me with this sort of thing. I can't let her run around with poo on her paws as we rent and have dark carpeting which makes cleaning it near impossible (can't see where she may have tracked the poo).

Is this new behavior for Ruby or did she just not yet learn to cover her poop? If it's not new, you may need to teach her. Be there when she goes and use the scoop to show her it needs to be covered. Is the litterbox large enough for her to move around? And they should each have their own box.

Laura,

Sometimes she does manage to cover her poo really well, and sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes she covers it halfway, lol. I will try to show her next time she doesn't.

The litterbox I suppose is pretty big...it's an OzPet sieve litter tray which a ton of raggie breeders use here in Australia. I've only ever had outdoor cats before when I was little so I don't really have much reference for what a small tray might be in size.

There are two boxes upstairs, where they spend most of their time, and one downstairs. Sometimes she uses the box after Pyjamas poos in it. On a couple occasions she's had a poo right after he had a poo in the same tray. LOL....oh my gosh...that is a nightmare cause she gets it alll over herself...

Jums, I was thinking that maybe a food to firm up their stools might work for you, like Iams Hairball formula. If Ruby steps in Jama's or her own poo, it wouldn't leave a mess on her feet and no bum to clean either.

Also, does your litter cling fairly well to their poo? I'm using regular (NOT Multi Cat) World's Best Litter, and wow it really clings to the poo at the point it hits the box. I think the Multi Cat is too firm of a clump to be safe for kittens and the smell is strong because it has Yucca Root in the corn. Phoenix occasionally stills steps in his poo while he works to cover it, and this litter is so good for preventing poo on his feet. I was using the SWheat Scoop at first, and that wasn't as effective in doing so.

Could you buy LOTs of white or light colored throw rugs and lay them where Ruby walks once she's used the box? That way it's no big deal if she gets poop on the rugs, and the agression should subside because she won't worry about her bum and paws getting cleaned off.

Sunday Rose,

That is a good point about the food. I've got them on a mix of three types of high quality corn-free kibble at the moment. Their poos are mostly solid except there are some slighty softer ones now and then. I find that sometimes even when they step on their solid poos they get poo on their paws :-\

I have a different brand of litter than what is available in the US...I use Oz-pet pellets which I am pretty sure they don't sell in the US. It's the litter both my little fuzzies were raised on and it's really economical. When they manage to cover their poos up, it seems to work pretty well, but usually they don't so they almost always step in it. I know Pyjamas doesn't bother covering it when we are watching. he hates when we clean his paws so he runs after he uses the box so we can't nab him. I've been alot more calm with him though and am hoping he learns to stop running. He sometimes covers his poos overnite when he's in the bathroom. Ruby sometimes covers hers, it really depends. My boyfriend will try to pick ehr up before she covers it because he doesn't want her to step in it (she is so, so so hard to clean because of her aggression.) and I tell him not to because she needs to learn to cover her business. He doesn't always listen to me :\

The towels thing is a good idea but I'd have to keep Ruby shut in one room as we've got a two story (town house). It'd take a lot of rugs I'm thinking I may have to build a litter box with a 4 foot wide moat that goes all around it so she has to get her paws wet when she exits it. LOL.

Gosh Jumsjums this is such a tough situation. I think this is going to have to be a case of trial and error for you. I would try different types of litter - like try a sandy litter to see if it helps. Even if it's not what she grew up with, she may prefer to dig in sand and may be better at covering her drops. I like the moat idea of putting something around the litterboxes for her to track off most of the debris, just not with water or anything that might dissuade Ruby from using the litterbox altogether. If you can find a heavy carpet reminate that can be thrown away later be best perhaps. Be careful not to do anything that might make the situation worse. Like don't ever punish her for her transgressions. She won't understand.

The throw rug is a good idea. But since it's temporary, perhaps use cheap sheets or painters drop cloths that will cover larger areas and can be easily washed/replaced and thrown away when done w/o a big expenditure.

Consider trying to train your Raggies to use a human toilet and eliminate the litterbox altogether. There are threads on this forum that discuss it and there's this video that may help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p943wK0tSWQ

Since the aggression started around the time when Jammas came home be sure to give Ruby extra attention and make sure she has no reason to be jealous of Jammas. It's easy to lavish attention on the new baby and not realize Ruby is watching. Is she at all aggressive with Jammas? Also be careful not to let Ruby get over aggitated at any time. You'll want to watch her body language carefully and back off before it gets to the point of aggression.

Also, I know it's not easy and I know she hates it but you really need to clean her when she's messy rather than letting her clean herself. Try to make it as unstressful as possible. Use warm water. Try wrapping her in a towl like a swaddling. It's not a good idea to have her cleaning herself and ingesting it. Hopefully, you'll figure out a preventative solution soon.

Jums.....Hahaha about building a litter box with a 4 ft. wide moat around it! Hope things get a little easier for you very soon....you're such a good Raggie mom.

Laura,

I never once considered trying a different litter. The system works so well, I bought all the special trays for it (trays with sieves) and I like it (except the pellets are brown which makes it hard to see all of the poo bits), and Id be worried that Jamas will refuse a new litter and decide to eliminate outside the box again. But I think you are probably right. I just don't know where to turn from here. I'll have to do a bit of research on what's available here in Oz.

The moat was a joke. I got so frustrated one day I thought, is that what it'll take??? LOL

That's a very good point about the toilet training. That's another thing I need to consider.

We do spend as much time with Ruby as we can without shutting Jamas away during the day (it's not fair to him either as he's really attached to me). She loves her time alone with us at nite and is usually purring right after we put Jamas away. She is heaps more affectionate with him gone. They do fight a good amount, both of them instigate but I think Jamas is more of a bully at this point as he is trying to express dominance over Ruby. The fighting does get out of hand occasionally but usually at that point Ruby will run away from him (she's the one who gets REALLY worked up).

We try really, really hard to give Ruby lots of affection and we don't just focus on Jamas. The trouble is she's only ever interested in us when Jamas isn't around. We try to pick her up and give her lots of kisses and pats but oftentimes her patience is very short so it is really difficult ( she gets aggressive).

That's just the trouble Laura. I always clean her but it is beyond stressful. She will barely be still, she'll growl at me and I'm afraid she's going to swipe. She wriggles like crazy in my arms and I can barely do anything. She digs her claws into me and tries to climb over my shoulder and I get genuinely scared of what she might do. I'm at the point now where I hardly bother to wipe her, I just cut most of the poo off and clean what ever else I can. This usually takes a half hour...! The swaddling works great when my boyfriend is home to help me (we swaddle her when we brush ehr teeth at nite). We used to put her paws under running water but she doesn't let us get her that close anymore, and plus she is bigger and more powerful now to handle with any sort of ease.

With Pyjamas, he struggles a lot as well but he has never tried to claw me, and the only times I ever heard him growl was when we introduced him to Ruby. so he's a pain but not impossible. He nips me when I try to clean his eye boogers but that's the most aggressive he's ever been with me.

It's really taking a lot out of me. it's hard enough with Chris and I cleaning together but when I'm alone at home with them and have a poo situation sometimes I want to break down and cry because she's impossible. I've tried treats, and those don't help...she just wants OUT.

Thank you for your help and for listening to me. It seems like others on here just don't have these problems as I do and it's nice to have someone listen to me regarding it.

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Thank you Sunday Rose.

LOL I'm sure if I built one, they'd find a way across it. They'd figure out a way to build a boat and sail it across I'm sure ;-) Or they'd just poo on my bed. LOL!

I don't feel like such a great Raggie mom most of the time But thank you. I try my best with them.