Author, Donkey, Bureaucrats, Administrators
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* '''Failure of odour recognition of a specific individual''': Individual odour may be altered or lost if a cat is taken away for grooming or veterinary treatment such as dental work. The cat may also return home with the odour of an unfamiliar cat on it. The returning cat may be regarded as an intruder. This causes aggression or the cat may never regain its previous role in the social group.
* '''Failure of odour recognition of a specific individual''': Individual odour may be altered or lost if a cat is taken away for grooming or veterinary treatment such as dental work. The cat may also return home with the odour of an unfamiliar cat on it. The returning cat may be regarded as an intruder. This causes aggression or the cat may never regain its previous role in the social group.
* '''Introduction of a new cat''': This may exceed the population that can be supported by existing resources, or the new cat may upset existing social relationships [through despotism, competition or by increasing stress in the group]. The same effect is apparent when a recently introduced kitten reaches maturity.
* '''Introduction of a new cat''': This may exceed the population that can be supported by existing resources, or the new cat may upset existing social relationships [through despotism, competition or by increasing stress in the group]. The same effect is apparent when a recently introduced kitten reaches maturity.
* '''Illness''': Conditions that alter the cat’s emotional state or interaction with other cats [[[Hyperthyroidism, senility, pain, hyperaesthesia, debilitation]]] or need for resources [conditions causing polydipsia or polyphagia].
* '''Illness''': Conditions that alter the cat’s emotional state or interaction with other cats ([[Hyperthyroidism|hyperthyroidism]], senility, pain, hyperaesthesia, debilitation) or need for resources (conditions causing polydipsia or polyphagia).
* '''Excessive population density outside the home''': existing overpopulation, new cats introduced to an area, or when a cat owner moves a group of cats into a new home in an area where many cats already live.
* '''Excessive population density outside the home''': existing overpopulation, new cats introduced to an area, or when a cat owner moves a group of cats into a new home in an area where many cats already live.
* '''Unfamiliar odours brought into the house''': non-resident cats may spray close to a front or garage door so that this odour seeps into the house. Owner’s shoes, clothing or bags may pick up odours from outside.
* '''Unfamiliar odours brought into the house''': non-resident cats may spray close to a front or garage door so that this odour seeps into the house. Owner’s shoes, clothing or bags may pick up odours from outside.
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<big>'''Treatment: Indoor Marking'''</big>
'''Treatment: Indoor marking'''
{| class="wikitable" style="color: black; background-color: white;" width="85%;"
| style="width: 20%; background-color: white;"|'''General Changes
General changes:
|
* Provide additional resources around the home, including extra resting, feeding, drinking and latrine sites. These should be located so that each faction or individual cat has easy access to its own set of resources close to a location where it spends time.
* Provide additional resources around the home, including extra resting, feeding, drinking and latrine sites. These should be located so that each faction or individual cat has easy access to its own set of resources close to a location where it spends time.
* Soiled sites should be cleaned properly ''[see box and handout in the appendix]''.
* Soiled sites should be cleaned properly ''[see box and handout in the appendix]''.
* The cats should not be punished or threatened and chased when spraying, as this may increase stress or encourage the development of spraying to gain attention.
* The cats should not be punished or threatened and chased when spraying, as this may increase stress or encourage the development of spraying to gain attention.
* Strategically install F3 diffusers [Feliway]
* Strategically install F3 diffusers [Feliway]
|-
External threat:
| '''External Threat
|
* Install one or more coded electronic cat flap to prevent entry by nonresident cats. Transparent cat doors should be sprayed with a solid coloured paint so that they are completely opaque, otherwise nonresident cats may threaten residents through it.
* Install one or more coded electronic cat flap to prevent entry by nonresident cats. Transparent cat doors should be sprayed with a solid coloured paint so that they are completely opaque, otherwise nonresident cats may threaten residents through it.
* Use glass etch spray to prevent outside cats from seeing into the home through windows close to where the resident cats have sprayed, or which overlook resources.
* Use glass etch spray to prevent outside cats from seeing into the home through windows close to where the resident cats have sprayed, or which overlook resources.
* Install scratching posts, vantage points and latrines in the garden so that territorial control is shifted from inside to outside.
* Install scratching posts, vantage points and latrines in the garden so that territorial control is shifted from inside to outside.
* If a stray entire male cat has moved into the area it should be trapped, neutered and homed away from the area.
* If a stray entire male cat has moved into the area it should be trapped, neutered and homed away from the area.
|-
Internal conflict:
| '''Internal Conflict
|
* Follow general advise on resource distribution, giving each faction its own feeding stations and other resources. Consider providing an additional cat-door if one cat is guarding it.
* Follow general advise on resource distribution, giving each faction its own feeding stations and other resources. Consider providing an additional cat-door if one cat is guarding it.
* Introduce activity feeding.
* Introduce activity feeding.
* Consider isolating and reintroducing cats in accordance with guidelines on dealing with inter-cat aggression.
* Consider isolating and reintroducing cats in accordance with guidelines on dealing with inter-cat aggression.
* If cats have spent time away from the group, reintroduce them appropriately.
* If cats have spent time away from the group, reintroduce them appropriately.
|-
Unfamiliar odours coming in from outside the home:
| '''Unfamiliar Odours Coming in from Outside the Home
|
* Regularly clean doorways, paths and walls where non-resident cats are spray marking [scrub with a solution of biological washing powder and hose clean].
* Regularly clean doorways, paths and walls where non-resident cats are spray marking [scrub with a solution of biological washing powder and hose clean].
* Fit draft excluder around doors and frames to prevent odours from coming in, and install a weatherboard to the bottom of external doors so that urine marks do not run down the door and into the house.
* Fit draft excluder around doors and frames to prevent odours from coming in, and install a weatherboard to the bottom of external doors so that urine marks do not run down the door and into the house.
* Take off outdoor shoes and put them on a high shelf when entering the house.
* Take off outdoor shoes and put them on a high shelf when entering the house.
* Apply a squirt of F3 [Feliway, CEVA Animal Health] to bags when they are brought into the house.
* Apply a squirt of F3 [Feliway, CEVA Animal Health] to bags when they are brought into the house.
* Allow new furniture to air for several hours before allowing the cats access to it. This allows plastic and other odours, that may trigger spraying, to disperse. Apply F3 spray [Feliway] to the furniture regularly until cats are voluntarily face and flank marking
* Allow new furniture to air for several hours before allowing the cats access to it. This allows plastic and other odours, that may trigger spraying, to disperse. Apply F3 spray [Feliway] to the furniture regularly until cats are voluntarily face and flank marking it.
it.
|}
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===Withdrawing Treatment===
Environmental modifications that are made outside should be permanently maintained, but glass-etch on windows, food bowls that have been used as spraying deterrents and other minor environmental modifications should be gradually removed after 6-8 weeks without spraying. Psychoactive drug or F3 diffuser therapy should be gradually withdrawn after 6-8 weeks without spraying or after the temporary environmental modifications have been removed. Drugs are withdrawn over a 4-8 week period depending on the duration of therapy. At least two dose decrements are required, first halving the daily dose and then doubling the dose interval. Feliway diffusers are allowed to run out completely, one at a time, after drugs and temporary environmental modifications have been removed. If inter-cat hostility exists in the household then F3 diffusers should be continued until the cats have fully re-established their previous allogrooming and allorubbing [[Feline Communication Behaviour#Affiliative Behaviour|affiliative behaviour]].
==Prognosis==
==Prognosis==