Dot and Buster are given free run most of the time now, and Buster's
established the living room as his HQ, with most of the rest of the
house under his control as well.  Dot's claimed a chair in the kitchen
as her HQ, and loose control of the rest of the kitchen as her domain.

Poor Dot.  She never leaves the kitchen on her own now, even when
Buster is shut in his own room.  I'll sometimes bring her to bed with
me, but she growls as she's carried through the living room, even if
Buster isn't there.

Buster's been a good boy with Dot.  He usually gives her as wide a
berth as he can when she's at her kitchen chair HQ.  He's clearly not
afraid of her though, but just doesn't want to be bothered with a
confrontation, because he always has pressing kitten business. :)  He
has no qualms about walking up to her or past her when he's
investigating something important.  When this happens, Dot will growl
at him and usually slink away.  She loses some of her fear of him when
I'm nearby though.  Sometimes she'll even go up to him herself to
chatter and complain in his face.  Sometimes, Buster's ears go back,
he shuts his eyes, and he leans a little backwards when Dot does this.
It looks like he's bracing himself for a buffeting from Dot, but she
doesn't touch him, and Buster won't retaliate.

A couple of days ago, I found a pile of poop in the far corner of the
kitchen near where Dot's HQ is.  I think it was probably Dot's,
although Buster occasionally visits that corner too, since that's
where the sliding back door is, and it's the best place to sniff the
outside and watch birds.

So I thought that maybe Dot felt vulnerable at the current litterbox
location, so I moved it within three feet of that corner.  I didn't
move it closer than that, since then it would block that door, the
kitties would lose their lookout spot, and it would be draftly when
the glass door was open.

But today, I smelled some pee in that location, and found that someone
had peed in the same corner.  So I cleaned that up and put the
litterbox directly over the corner this time.

I assume the messes were Dot's, but it's also possible that it's
Buster, I suppose.  It's a bit out of the way for him, but he did like
that spot too (as a hangout spot).  I wonder if anyone has any ideas
about what's going on?  Stress?  Marking?  UTI can probably be ruled
out, as there was both #1 and #2.

Buster has his own litterbox at the opposite end of the house where
"his" isolation room is.  Buster uses both litterboxes freely.  He
doesn't even care if Dot is right next to him while he's using her
box.  Dot is shyer.  In the past, she seemed to feel most comfortable
using her litterbox if I was around.  When I scoop her box, she would
watch, then step in and use the box.  She's a social litterbox user,
and a social eater too.

I'm a bit puzzled about this elimination development.  I wish I knew
who it was!  If it's Dot, I'd assume it's stress.  If it's Buster, I'd
assume it's some kind of territoriality.  I suppose it's also possible
that they've each done it.  Since the corner is near the "outside",
it's also possible it's a response to one of the neighborhood cats in
the area.  If it continues, I'll lengthen their separations again and
see if that eases it.

And I hope that someday Dot will not be so afraid of Buster.  He's a
pretty well behaved young cat.