Cats in Boxes

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CK2 Jul 2023 9:38pm, 16 Jul 2023 2,127 posts	0 CK2 Long overdue but I finally got a photo of my mum’s cat - the other one made a brief appearance but is now hiding under mum’s bed. Some advice please - when I arrived I was overpowered by the cat smell in mum’s house. I can’t locate its origin but suspect the cats themselves are quite highly scented. Mum doesn’t seem aware of this and keeps litter trays, etc, very clean. Have any of you come across this?
sallykate Jul 2023 10:01pm, 16 Jul 2023 11,829 posts	0 sallykate What sort of smell? I only associate cat smell with wee or male spraying. If they're neutered then the latter wouldn't apply. Is there any chance they're weeing outside the litter box anywhere?
CK2 Jul 2023 10:03pm, 16 Jul 2023 2,129 posts	0 CK2 I did wonder that sallykate - I’ve been surreptitiously sniffing surfaces. They’re neutered girls.
CK2 Jul 2023 10:05pm, 16 Jul 2023 2,130 posts	0 CK2 Here they both are.
sallykate Jul 2023 10:19pm, 16 Jul 2023 11,830 posts	0 sallykate Have you smelt the litter boxes to make sure the smell isn't from there? That's the only other thing I can think of. My Ellie (who happens to look a bit like the shorter-haired cat) is quite fastidious and has been known to wee elsewhere if the litter's not to her liking.
CK2 Jul 2023 10:52pm, 16 Jul 2023 2,131 posts	0 CK2 Thanks. It doesn’t appear to be from the litter box and the smell reminds me of the pheromone spray from male cats so all rather puzzling. Will investigate further in the morning.
Hanneke Jul 2023 10:58pm, 16 Jul 2023 106,686 posts	0 Hanneke That sounds odd! I can smell the spraying of my neighbour's 6 tom cats that continuously fight over my garden. Lasya barely goes out these days and they obviously hide out and mark my greenhouse and my garden furniture, including the cushions. It is a particular smell definitely not associated with neutered girls. Is there a chance a neighbouring tom has been marking your mum's house? Can cats get in through a cat flap?
Hanneke Jul 2023 11:02pm, 16 Jul 2023 106,687 posts	0 Hanneke Oh, and while unloading the shopping from the car, one of the Toms managed to spray all over my car 🤢 One neighbour has 4 toms. They would sh#t in my veg beds but not much more. Then this other neighbour moves in with two toms and the fighting begins! It is often serious enough for me to wake up in the night for example... And my poor cat no longer safe in her own garden. And they spray EVERYWHERE! The whole garden stinks! Found spray up my front door the other day even...
Hanneke Jul 2023 11:02pm, 16 Jul 2023 106,688 posts	0 Hanneke INSIDE my car. I left the hatch open...
CK2 Jul 2023 5:30am, 17 Jul 2023 2,133 posts	0 CK2 Sounds foul Hanneke! Mum’s cats only went outside for the first time yesterday so all doors shut tight. Maybe that’s part of the problem as no air flow.