I know this couple wants to do the right thing — you can feel it right through the letter — but I think a puppy is the WRONG way to add a dog to their family.

My husband and I are planning on getting a golden retriever within the next year. And just because I know you will probably ask, we think we have picked the breeder that we are going to get it from. We have been looking at different breeders in our area for a while now and he is the only one we have seen that gives health clearances. (A big plus since my German Shepard had hip dysplasia at 9 yrs old). We know this isn’t guaranteeing our dogs perfect health, but this makes us comfortable with the fact that he is not just running a puppy mill. Plus… he limits the amount of litters his dogs will have to three, and Jed is the only one we have come across that does that. Anyway, here is his web site; please let us what you think: http://www.windmillfarmsgg.net/

OK, to my real question: We are worried about our future dog when we are at work. We both work 10 hour shifts M-TH. That is a long time for a dog to be alone. We do have a big backyard, however, we live on a corner lot, and there is a lot of foot traffic on our street. We are worried about a few things. Our dog getting teased by people going down the street and this making our dog mean, or worse, hurting him. People are also trying to talk us out of a golden because they are runners and will get our and run away. My first instinct to fix both problems is to put him on a pulley with a chain so that he can not go to the south side of the yard… but this seems cruel! We want to come up with a solution before we get a puppy. PLEASE HELP!!

I think your concerns are misplaced – with both of you away most of the time I think a puppy is a really poor idea. He will develop bad habits, be lonely and possibly destructive and I think rescuing a Golden from a Golden Retriever rescue organization is a way better idea as a mature dog can tolerate that time alone better. Goldens do NOT run away more than other breeds. What kind of fence do you have and what sort of neighborhood do you live in that you think people will taunt or hurt your dog? What about a solid fence that nobody can see through? PLEASE drop the idea of a pulley and chain, it is horrible and dangerous, just as you thought. Especially for an unmonitored dog he can get tangled, strangle, etc. It can also cause aggression like any chaining does. Please call in to my shows so we can discuss this because I know you want to make the right choice and I’d be happy to help you.

Tracie

This came from Jill, who heard me talk about Spirit Essences and wants to try them.

Hi Tracie – I am trying to recall the name of the two herbal remedies you talked about on the air recently? The one you put five drops and rub on the ears or feet and one you put in the dog’s food.

I have a 14 month old puppy who has recently started growling and barking at other dogs at dog shows. If left off the lead she will warm up to the dogs and play. But it is embarrassing!

She has an enormous amount of energy. I don’t know whether she would have displayed this anyway, but she was given two sets of puppy inoculations too many (by accident) The vet did not think that it was a problem, and I am not sure that this is what affected her. I think it is when she is not exercised enough that some of this happens.

She is a gorgeous and sweet dog and is allowed to sleep on the bed or wherever. I have another puppy in the house who also has a dominant personality. So far this has not been a terrible problem, but she is coming back from a show and has been out of my house for three weeks, I would like to start giving her those herbs to see if it has any affect on her.

-Jill

I’d love to have more information about Jill’s dogs — what breed they are, for starters –- and whether they are spayed or neutered? Being show dogs, they may be intact, which would help explain some dominance issues. However, there are certainly some Spirit Essences she should be trying immediately, the most relevant being a set of 3 essences called “Ultimate Peacemaker.” It is a combination of Pacemaker, Bully Remedy and Self-Esteem. If you go to my website and to the Spirit Essence page there, you can read the intention of those formulas. Also, be sure you put DOGTALK in the coupon code box so you get the 5% discount.

I just had an INCREDIBLE experience once again with the essences tonight –- a friend came for Christmas with her sweet small non-threatening Black Lab Ollie and one of my dogs – Scooby Doo – was horrible towards him. When Ollie approached Scooby on his bed Scooby stood up snarling, showing his teeth and growling quite seriously. After trying to manage it with discipline and “go to your place” and putting a leash on Scooby, I suddenly remembered the Spirit Essences: I gave Scooby a little squirt in his mouth of Stress Stopper and rubbed some on his head, then I sprayed Scooby, Ollie and the dog bed areas with Safe Space for dogs. I had two witnesses – one of them Ollie’s owner – see Scooby stop the whole hostile routine, go into a comfortable sleep on his dog bed and lie right net to Ollie an hour later as if they were old buddies. It was simply mind-boggling! My enthusiasm for Spirit Essences grows by the day!

Tracie

I am an avid listener to your show and need some of your advice. We are in week 7 of an entire house makeover and our girl cat, Latte (age 11), is VERY unhappy each morning. When the project started, I moved the litter box and food to our home office (the only room not affected by the renovations). Each morning before the workers arrive, I put Latte and Domino (male age 11) in the office with the TV on so they would have a safe place to be. As you can imagine, the pounding, drilling, nail guns etc have had them freaked out. The usual routine for both cats is to eat and then go outside for a while first thing in the morning. Both request to be let back in after 30 minutes or so. (We live in the state park here in Memphis and have 4 acres of woods surrounding the house – neither cat has ever strayed off our property because we trained them to the boundary lines when they were kittens – a feat that amazes our neighbors.)

Starting a week ago, Latte went out and never came back in until the end of the work day (3:30 to 4:00). I called and called her and she would not come (normally they appear at the door within 5 minutes of calling for them). We had no idea where she was. After a week of this, we finally found her hiding in between the stacks of wood in our open air wood shed (a roof with open sides). And I mean WAY in the back. She would not come out for love or money. Every morning she yowls and yowls for hours at the doors wanting out. If she gets out, she makes a bee-line for the shed and won’t come out all day. My husband heard her yesterday and said it sounded like she was in heat (not possible since she was spayed as a kitten). By the way,

Domino continues to go out and come back in as usual now that the men have stopped coming every day. I know she feels safe there, but the problem is – it is not a safe place for her to be crawling around in. I am concerned the stacks of wood could collapse. I have put a tarp over the pile she hides in and tried to secure it – to no avail. She is quite a stubborn woman and works at it till she gets back in. We also have critters that are around that I would not want checking her out: fox (mom, dad, and 4 cubs that are still living in our woods), bob cat, raccoons, etc.) Our rule has always been to let them out after day break, bring them back in if we are leaving the house, and they are not allowed out after.

The workers are not coming on a regular basis anymore and our furniture is starting to get back in place in the house. We are letting both cats roam the house as usual  — but the behavior continues. My husband and I have decided not to let her out until she realizes the house is a safe place again. Is this the best solution? Is there anything else we should do? Would any of the Bach flower remedies be appropriate? I would think her crying would exhaust her but it continues for hours. I would appreciate any thoughts you have. She is a loving cat and loves to be outside stalking moles, lizards and other creatures. I hate to keep her in the house but do not like the idea she is hiding for 10 hours in the wood piles. (I am so desperate to let her out, I am about ready to go out there and re stack all the wood to be sure it is safe.)

Thanks in advance for any advise you could give us.
Cyndi from Millington, TN

“Dear Sally”- the Cat Behavior Consultant on CAT CHAT® – agrees that household renovations are almost guaranteed to send kitties into a tizzy. Her brother is a finished carpenter and did a lot of work on her house. When he would arrive the cats would disappear, except for one or two — we called him “Uncle Boom-Boom.” So I can understand Latte’s predicament. She does seem to be a more sensitive soul than Domino.

It might take her a while to calm down — she needs to know her house is safe again. Try some of the Spirit Essences like Stress Stopper, Scaredy Cat, and Changing Times (the link to these natural oils which you rub inside a cat’s ears are on Dear Sally’s page on my web site. Maybe try some Feliway – which the CAT BIBLE explains.

Maybe construct an outdoor enclosure with access to indoors, using Purrfect Fence or another brand. Try to keep her inside in a quiet safe zone until things are finally calmed down. Do NOT let her outside, wood pile or no woodpile — the chance of her running off and getting killed or lost are too high, especially with this commotion that has rattled her so much.

Tracie

I got this plaintive email from a pregnant lady who really has done everything she could think of to correct a cat who pees willy-nilly all over the place:

We have three cats and the oldest REFUSES to use the litter box to pee in.  We’ve tried EVERY litter on the market over the past few years from harsh chemical stuff to feline pine, husks and Cat Attract. We’ve had him checked over and over for any physiological problems and he always gets a clean bill of health. All three of our cats are fed Wellness Chicken and Herring (no grains) and have free access to water and are in excellent health and weight. The litter boxes are cleaned daily OR MORE and washed completely at least once a week and we have FOUR of them. Two are giant Rubbermaid boxes, one is a extra large regular one and one is a very large square plastic tub that is used to mix cement! The other two are litter box angels and have perfect behavior. The oldest one (about 6 years) hates the other two and we can’t get him to use the box no matter what. We’ve also tried Feliway (useless) and isolating him with his own TWO litter boxes (also useless). We just moved into a new 2400 sq ft home with loads of space and the problem hasn’t gotten any better. The other two also leave him alone and don’t ambush him while he’s pooping or peeing so I can’t see that as a problem. My only two options left seem to be give him away where who knows what might happen or put him to sleep which also seems beyond cruel. I am totally desperate for a solution with even greater urgency now that I am pregnant. As I sit here typing this, I can smell the cat urine wafting over the house.  What do I do?

My first thought was that this cat needs to be a solo cat, that he just isn’t suited to living with other felines. My second comment is WAIT A MINUTE HERE: these cats are all eating kitty crack! The poor lady thinks that because it is a name brand- and “grain free” (still loaded with carbs, often in the form of highly glycemic potatoes) that somehow it’s an acceptable diet. But it isn’t! It’s still a highly processed carb food that can be contributing to this cat just not feeling great. And my gut instinct is that she needs to give him away to someone who wants a solo cat and all will sort itself out. – but I asked CAT CHAT’S® own behavior consultant  Dear Sally if she  had any thoughts ad she did:

“That kitty is just not a happy camper in that household. He probably knows now that the bond with his humans is tentative. My gut instinct tells me he might be better off as a single kitty. I hate to suggest rehoming, but she does seem to have done “all the right things.” And I don’t see the situation improving since she is pregnant. Having a baby will surely aggravate things. However, some basic questions: What is she using to clean — is she cleaning thoroughly? Where are the boxes? One thing I’ve tried that works well (but takes time and observation): Cats pee 2, maybe 3 times a day, almost always in the morning and evening. When she suspects the cat needs to pee, put him in the box, even a couple of times, so he gets the idea. Pully, our Orange Tabby, is a bit of a Dufus. I swear he just forgets, plus he hates any poop or pee in the box. I’ve been ushering him to the box when I know he hasn’t “gone” in a while. Works like a charm. Plus I praise him big time when he goes. The ushering reinforces that’s where he needs to go.”

I just got this email from my wonderful follower Debs (Ginger’s Mommy, for those who hear her call in) and she is always lending a hand with other peoples’ cat problems. This was her question – which I threw over to Dear Sally (Bahner) the Official Behavior Consultant of Cat Chat® because she edited The Whole Cat Journal and knows ALL about products:

Here’s a bit of a stumper, Tracie: my girlfriend’s boyfriend – Kevin adopted a momma cat. No problem with her she’s an adult. But he also adopted her kitty that is still hardly a few months old. He is out perhaps 12 -15 hours a day. How can he feed the baby properly without using dry food? I gave him The Cat Bible and he loves it and totally agrees with the wet food vs. dry. But we have a problem. We can’t work around the fact that baby cats need to eat more frequently and he doesn’t have anyone around that can go to his home and do it for him. He just moved to a new neighborhood and doesn’t really know anybody yet. Grrr….what do you suggest?

So Dear Sally popped right up with the solution:

Piece o’cake: a timed feeder with ice packs to keep the canned food fresh.

Then Debs wrote back with the following concern – which Dear Sally says is pretty normal, for momma cats to reject their kittens after a while. Keeping them separated is a good idea, so his instincts were good – I would be uncomfortable with that unfriendliness, too! And yes, after spaying the Momma cat may very well mellow out and they can be re-introduced after some time apart.

Thanks.  I’ll forward the product details to him. The kitty is quite young actually. It’s actually not even three months old yet. Kevin is actually freaking out because being a first time cat slave he is very nervous about the Mother’s behavior towards the kitten. He said that she is being overly aggressive with it. She is stalking it and batting at it a lot. The kitty tries to hide and she goes after it in not such a playful way… no blood or serious injury. But he’s afraid and is keeping them separated. He said that according to The Cat Bible it’s too aggressive! So I suggested he give you a call. Hopefully he’ll call today at 1 when you have a bit more time.

She hasn’t been spayed yet and told that once she’s fixed that she’ll most likely calm down. Was that correct? He’s really loves them both and I think HE needs to calm down a little bit. Fortunately Kevin is very open to your guidance and loves The Cat Bible so I’ll call into the show and get your advice.

This recent letter is such a perfect example of what can happen if you let your neuroses and anxiety spill over onto your pets. The answer I gave to Bev was basically, “STEP AWAY FROM THE BOWL!”  Has anybody else eperienced food issues like this with their dogs? And how did you solve them?

Tracie-

Thank you for your attention…..I am losing my mind with my 8 yr old male yorkie-poo.  He has always been a fussy eater and in the past has gotten stubborn about eating for no more than a week at a time…this time it has been 4 months….I have taken him to the vet, blood work perfect, stool sample negative….haven’t done the ultra-sound yet….might be useful!!
He will not eat his dog food…tried different brands…usually eats dry with canned mixed.  He seems to like the dry cat food but the vet says that’s not good for him….this refusal to eat problem has turned into a problem that he won’t even go near his food dish because he fears I am going to stand over him or force feed him like I have been known to do in the past out of desperation!!!  He weighs 6.2 lbs now…was almost 7 lbs four months ago when this problem started.  Sometimes he even refuses people food. The vet has put him on a appetite stimulant…worked for a few wks and now replaced that with valuim….for the anxiety he displays going to his food dish…the valium doesn’t seem to do anything.

How long can a tiny dog go without eating and how do I get him to go back to his food dish without fear???  Do I put the food down and walk away, ignoring him and the food..I have tried that but as the day goes on I worry that he is starving and “try” to get him to eat…I think that is what is giving him the anxiety around his food dish.

PLEASE HELP ME……TIME IS RUNNING OUT AND I AM AFRAID HE IS GOING TO STARVE HIMSELF TO DEATH!!!!!!!!!  THANK YOU!!!!

Bev

This email came in addressed to me and Dear Sally and it definitely warranted both of our attention. It’s a reminder that animals are animals and if people don’t learn to read cat body language it can wind up as dangerous as it is for those people who don’t know how to read the warning signs from a dog who later bites.

I’ve been searching for advice on my kitten dilemma, and was hoping to find someone that could shed some light on it. I’ve had my kitty Marley since he was 8 weeks old, my boyfriend and I got him from a nearby shelter. Marley is now pushing 7 months (getting neutered this week). He’s been the most amazing kitten ever, he loved to be picked up, and pet, you could really do anything to this cat, he just loved any attention you could give him. We recently moved, and Marley was not impressed with us for that. The night we got to our new apt, he rubbed his head against my arm as if he wanted to be pet, so I pet him, within seconds he attacked me, bit/scratched all the way up my arm. He drew blood from me, my arm within seconds swelled up to the size of the stay puff marshmallow man.

I went to the doctors that AM, and they put me on an IV and loaded me up with antibiotics and said that I have cat scratch fever!! I’m now terrified that Marley will attack me again, and can’t give him the attention he wants from me. Do you think this will happen again, or do you think he acted like this because of the move? You can tell he’s been craving my attention, trying to rub against my ankles, but I refuse to even attempt to pet him, cause I don’t want to go through this again. When I walk down the hallway, he comes charging up behind me, which scares me, and then I think I might be scaring him as well. I’m now forced to walk down the hallway backwards, so I know when he’s coming up behind me. This is the first cat my boyfriend and I have owned so it really threw us off guard seeing him do that to me. I don’t want to get rid of him, because he really was the bet cat ever before this incident. Am I overreacting? Please advise.

Thanks in Advance
Carly

As usual, Sally has a bunch of questions that need to be answered for her to get to the bottom of this. I hope Carly will reply to this so we can help her further. Also, please note Sally’s very helpful links about Cat Scratch Fever – I can tell you that cat bites are twice as dangerous as dog bites and can even out people in the hospital.

Does Marley have a history of any kind of aggression? If not, I do think Marley was stressed by the move and over-stimulated by the new surroundings. He’s also still a kitten and probably somewhat rambunctious, but on the other hand might be starting to feel his yah-yahs since he’s not neutered yet. Carly shouldn’t avoid interaction. She should learn the signs of over-stimulation — dilated pupils, twitchy tail, airplane ears. Engage him using a fishing pole toy, which will fulfill his need for attention and toss some toys to divert his attention when going down the hall. Talk to him and gauge his reaction, then pet him briefly. If he seems tense, just say “good boy” pleasantly and walk away. My take is that he will calm down once he is neutered and gets used to his new digs. Here are a couple of interesting links on cat scratch fever:

www.cdc.gov/HEALTHYPETS/diseases/catscratch.htm

www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/cat_scratch.html

Based on that info, I kinda think it may have occurred from a previous scratch, or perhaps was an infection from the bite.

I got this letter from a Cat Chat® listener and feel bad for him – these “sudden aggression” issues seem to be cropping up and it’s painful and frustrating to deal with.

Hey there.  I love your show, although I haven’t had a chance to catch it for awhile.  I have been calling my friends about this and can’t get a real answer so I was wondering if you could help. I have two cats, both 3 years of age.  I adopted my first cat, whom I simply named “Cat” about two-and-a-half years ago. Next, I adopted Kelli about six months later when I was visiting friends in Portland Oregon.  Cat, who is male, and Kelli, who is female, have gotten along pretty good for quite some time although there seems to always be a bit of rivalry between the two.  Kelli was the “dominant” cat for awhile, but it seems things are changing now.  They would sometimes fight and wrestle with each other that seemed playful at first, but recently the playful fighting is more aggressive.  I always tried to break them up when it happened too.

On Monday of last week, I went out for an evening stroll and was gone for about 20 minutes.  Before I left, the cats were fine.  When I returned, Cat had Kelli cornered in the back bedroom.  Kelli was moaning and groaning in ways I had never heard before.  Cat was standing in front of her, about a foot at most, with his tail all bushed out.  Fur was everywhere and I Kelli had defecated on the floor.

I have been taking my friends in advice to keep them separated by shutting one up in a room.  It doesn’t seem to be working and Kelli gets very upset being shut up like that.  The next thing I have heard is to have them “declawed” which I oppose or the real drastic alternative of giving one up for adoption.  Is there any other options available?  They seem to be archenemies now with no hope of returning back to the way they were.

Thanks for your help-
Kevin

I wrote Kevin back:

Declawing would be the most perfectly dreadful thing you could do – the problem between them will not change just because you mutilate your cat’s feet (please see THE CAT BIBLE and the website for more on the horrors of declawing). In fact, declawing could even make a bad situation worse.

There is a Bach flower essence sold on www.SpiritEssence.com called “Ultimate Peacemaker” which you rub a few drops of inside each cat’s ear and massage into their paw pads. People say these natural remedies really have a positive effect.

I turned to Cat Chat’s own “Dear Sally,” Sally Bahner, for her thoughts on this situation. As always with Sally, she has questions before answers can be possible – if you choose to have a private consultation with her (which I really do recommend in severe cases like this) she can guide you through a process of figuring out what is going on and how to turn the tide.  Sally wrote:

What has happened since the last confrontation? Are they still separated? How do they act when Kevin is in the room? Almost sounds like something triggered the aggression.

It’s not unusual for a wrestling match to get a little carried away, but hand clapping or tossing a toy can usually break it up, any kind of a distraction. For now, it’s probably a good idea to keep them separated. Make the time they’re with Kevin happy and pleasant — a meal together (not too close), or some interactive play, nice music. Short sessions and

reward them when they get along. Until they’re reconciled or when Kevin is not around, keep them separated, but alternate who is locked up so they get used to the other’s scent.

Declawing in no way will solve the behavior! After all they still have teeth.

Kevin wrote me back (it seems the story has at least a semi-happy ending)

Thanks for the reply, Tracie.  My cats are doing better.  There is the periodic aggression episode, but I think that is because Kelli (‘The Queen’) just doesn’t want to be bothered.  They start rubbing against each other when it is meal time and during the day, they sleep with each other.  Just once in awhile, it seems World War III is about to start.  Oddly enough, I find Kelli can really start screaming and howling at about 4 AM.  Unfortunately, I am asleep at that time and don’t know what triggers it exactly then.  They are trying to establish who is the boss I guess. Fortunately, I believe it will not result in a bloody battle.  That is the good thing.

I got this multiple problem email from a nice lady in Canada whose basement has become one big litter box – Dear Sally helped me by posing a lot of questions. Stay tuned for the answers soon.

I’m having problems with my cat. He is 2 years old. My mother found him when he was just weeks old, he had fallen into her small pond in front of her house. Her dog took over the mothering, so he is fine with other dogs (he may think he is a dog). He does not like to be friendly to people. he bites when you pet him and will swat tat your heals as you walk up the stairs. He is fixed and De-clawed. Will he ever grow out of this?

Secondly – will he remember that he was outdoors, and always want to escape? I don’t like running around in the neighbours yards at 5 AM.(hahaha)

And last, my BIG problem…now we have a 7 month old puppy (Golden Retriever) and they love to play together. I make the dog stop when i think that the cat has had enough. but now he has made a habit of doing his business everywhere in the basement, and leaving a clean litter box behind. I have used a hot water vacuum cleaner on the sofa and chairs, and he will just go back and do it again. The basement is the only place that the dog will not go. Is he doing this because of the dog?  What can i use to get out the stains and the smell.

Thank you sooo much for your help,
Stephanie
Ontario, Canada

As I see it, there are so many things that Stephanie needs to know that THE CAT BIBLE can explain and then resolve. De-clawing creates more physical and emotional problems than the original scratching issue – all cats who want to go outside need a cat-safe enclosure like Purr-fect Fence (linked on my website). Basements are never good places for litter boxes. How much physical stimulation a cat can ‘stand” is quite individual and she needs to learn the signs that ‘enough is enough.” As for clean up, that’s an entire section of the book! So a lot more information would go a long way to helping resolve these issues.

Here’s what Sally Bahner, the Official cat Behaviorist of CAT CHAT® had to say about this messy situation. As usual, she cannot give answers without asking a lot of questions. [I recommended that Stephanie have a professional consultation with Sally because her issues are pretty complex and have been going on a long time.]

I really can’t figure out what’s going on here – is the cat declawed and going outside? Is the cat still living with the “mothering” dog and the puppy was added? What’s the extent of the cat “not liking people?” Do they know the signs of over-stimulation? Use fishing pole toys for play. Biting *may* be a reaction to declawing, but that’s water over the dam. When did the soiling start? Is the cat confined to the basement and the dog not allowed down there? Maybe the cat is reacting to be separated from his dog-friend? For cleaning, I’ve been using Simple Solution lately, which can be used in carpet cleaners. Good stuff. (That was the easiest part of the answer.)

I got a letter recently from a lady who got engaged and her cats have made her life urine-soaked – is it because they know her fiancee doesn’t really like them? Or do they need an outdoor enclosure from Purr-fect Fence…?

Dear Tracie & Sally,

I have 3 cats; two females, age 8 and 19, and one male, age 10.  The 8 year old female runs the house and picks fights with the 19 year old female every day.  She’s very high strung, possessive and jealous, and meows most of the time for attention, especially if I’m talking on the phone.  My problem with her is that she urinates everywhere in my home, and mainly in my bedroom.  I have now caught the male cat also urinating on my bed.  I have tried everything suggested on websites – I clean their cat box everyday, I use a Feliway diffuser in my bedroom, used No-Mark and other cleaners, but they are still both urinating all over the house. The vet can’t do anything and I’m sickened by the smell and at my wits end.

I have just gotten engaged and plan to sell my house, but I can’t show a stinky house to prospective buyers.  And now my fiancé wants me to get rid of the cats because he doesn’t want them to pee all over our new house that we will get together, and I don’t blame him.  But I really love my cats and don’t want to get rid of them.  Also, the male cat has a mild case of Epilepsy and is on daily medicine so it would be difficult for me to find a new home for him, even if I had to.  They have been indoor cats all their lives, but I tried putting them outside to see if they would like it, but they were terrified and would not do well anyway as I live on a busy street.

What can I do?  I need help with my cat’s behavior issues ASAP, and I don’t know where to go.  Otherwise, they are going to end up at the pound and my heart will be broken.
Thank you so much for any help you can give me.

Dear Sally says:

There are lots of questions here. Since the cats are older, how long as the problem been
going on? How does she define “all over the house”? Repeat peeing in same areas or different areas?

She referred to “cat box” — does she have only one? Could be as simple as adding additional boxes.

What is the male cat’s role in all this? — he’s probably peeing on the bed in response to the female, but how does he react to the two females. I have a feeling her fiance may have a role in the way the cats are reacting — how long has he been part of the scene?

Have the cats been left alone while Janet is visiting OR has the fiance been visiting a lot with Janet paying less attention to the cats? The 8-year-old seems to feel insecure, hence demanding her attention, peeing, and picking on the older female.

Given the real estate market, she will indeed have to get rid of the animal smells before she tries to sell the house (the local paper just ran an article about that). I doubt that she’d want to invest in an enclosure before she sells.

I do think that once she and the fiancé (clearly NOT a “a cat person”) settle into one place, the cats will all be on equal footing and perhaps less likely to be conflicted. A fence/outside enclosure can also be built in the new area. Wouldn’t hurt to add flower essences from www.SpiritEssence.com), but I don’t think things will settle down until Janet is settled down.