please please help pet owners UPDATE YAY!

[trixipaws]

off to get ready for baby group in a minute but before i go, i really really wanna look for some help on this.

here is my original thread http://www.pregnancyforum.co.uk/forum/v ... hlight=cat

well he's worse if anything- we've spent £25 on a brand new massive cat litter tray with walls, coz he's a massive cat. we've tried extra strokes and attention, whiskas meaty pouches instead of cheap supermarket crunchy food, we took the lid off the new litter tray so he could see the litter is in there, we've even let him in our bedroom a few times- nothing has worked- i just caught him pissing against the cooker (about a metre from the litter tray ) on saturday nite he wee'd in the dining room and poo'd in the kitchen, yesterday he'd poo'd in the kitchen.

i really dont wanna get rid of him coz he's AMAZING with the baby, he's really really great with her and she loves him, i felt bad on her before when i punished him (i put his nose near his wee and threw him roughly out the back door and locked him out, he was meowing pitifully! cracked and let him in and stroked him shortly after ) she was crying and i felt like i was punishing her instead! like i was "being mean to 'her' cat" iykwim

what dio we do with him? dont want him to go, but we cant have a toddler running around in a house where theres no guarantee she wont slip in piss or tread in a poo (or pick up and eat! ) we gotta prioritise baby comes first- but wanna really exhaust our options before we boot him out- PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[Babylicious]

Does he have a urine infection? I've just been reading up on this and it says that it could be that he is marking his territory (with pooing as well)

here are some of the causes

A new cat or dog (or even baby) introduced to the house

Too many cats living together in close proximity
Separation anxiety

A strange cat getting into the house via cat flaps etc.

Moving house

here's what it said about treating it
Firstly make sure that you remove the initial threat that was making your cat feel insecure in the first place. This may mean making sure no other cats are getting in through cat flaps etc, or by making sure your cat is not left alone for long periods if it is suffering from separation anxiety. Obviously baby comes first!!!!


Secondly you will have to carry out a period of confinement for your cat to gradually make them feel more secure in their environment and to reintroduce them to the litter tray. Keep your cat in a pen or small room for about a week, with their toys, water and litter tray (feed them out of the pen in their usual spot then replace them back in the pen. Then gradually reintroduce them to the rest of the house. If new pets or children are the cause, then gradual introduction is required. All of these measures are designed to help the cat come to terms with the new situation and also to become less nervous in their home environment.

 

[Fluffy Bunny]

Hi Trixi, heres the link to a really good website you should have a read of http://www.catchat.org/urination.html have a look on the forum on this site as well as you will get good advice.

Is he neutered? the spraying could be part of him exerting his male hormones and marking his territory, definately get him done if he isn't as this would help. I suspect because hes weeing and pooing its more behavioural, is there any chance other cats could be getting in the house so he feels the need to do this? Or it could be that since you got rid of your other cat he now feels the need to mark out his territory incase you bring more cats in to the house.

Anyway, have a read of the link, hope you get things sorted.

 

[mrs_tommo22]

Ive had cats that have done that, and ive had to lock them in a room with the litter tray to re litter train them as such.

Ive no other suggestions as it sounds like a nightmare

 

[bonuspregnant]

Hi Trixie,

Apologies for this but... I HATE CATS!

I'd try and re-home him before he does too much damage and your house stinks forever more. The cat pee smell takes years of scrubbing and bleach to get rid of. Cat poo is dangerous to pregnant women and small children - toxoplasmosis, plus a cat can never be trusted near a newborn, they like the smell and i've heard of cats smothering babies while they're sleeping.

Sorry, just my opinion, please don't hate me!

Good luck with whatever you try/choose x x

 

[bonuspregnant]

Have a look at this link - ugh!

www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/pa ... mosis.html

 

[chickadee1976]

Is he neutered souns like hes marking his territory

 

[trixipaws]

sorry shoulda said yes he's neutered, and he's never done this before ever- we got him around the sime time we unknowingly conceived millie- so he's never not been around either a pregnant woman or a baby, it seems he's only started doing it since we got rid of the special cat (who he didnt like anyway! ) maybe he is just lonley then?
he's gonna hav 2 b on his own on mondays and tuesdays coz we both work those 2 days cant be helped. we could let him in the bedroom again, but for one its a pain in the bum having to bring the baby monitor up and set it upstairs (normally we lock cats downstairs and have bedroom and nursery doors open so we can hear waa-waa, cant hear with doors closed as its an old victorian house sorta big-ish and dont wanna leave doors open if cats can get in nursery) but another thing is- i dont wanna let him in the bedroom while he cant be trusted in my eyes he's not 100% litter-trained at the moment plus it shouldnt be like that it should be us saying to him "ur a good cat so u can come in the bedroom", not the cat saying "let me in the bedroom or else i'll be naughty!" should it?!?!

might take him to the vets first check he's not ill, then put him on antidepressants

thanks ladies

 

[sarafet]

have pm'd you trixi

 

[trixipaws]

well on tuesday my boyf took him to the vet, and was given an injection (the cat not my boyf! ) as he did have a water infection. he's also been prescribed prozac (yes prozac! and not a special kitty prozac but the same prozac as humans have!!!) in case it contimued- but im happy to say that since then he's had no "accidents"/"naughtiness"!

still being wary of him he's not allowed in bedrooms and we're watchin him near millie's playmat etc, but it seems to hav done the trick. wootwoot!

 

[Tadpole]

yay I'm pleased to hear this. hopefully it will all be okay now.

 

[clairescunny55]

glad everything is ok!

 

[kmac]

That's good news!
We've got 2 cats - I'm a bit worried about what happens when the baby comes, I really wouldn't want to get rid of either of them!

 

[sarah113]

glad everything is ok

 

[beanie]

Great news trixi

That's good news!
We've got 2 cats - I'm a bit worried about what happens when the baby comes, I really wouldn't want to get rid of either of them!

on the whole the majority of cats get on well with babies. The thing about them smothering babies is a myth. Cats do like warm places and will climb into cot if left too but they tend to curl up by the babies body and are not attracted to the babies milky breath as the myth goes. And if you have good hygeine and look after your cat well then the toxoplasm,osis risk is minimal.

I have had 4 cats since having my first child (we have lost one) and all of them have been fine. Seren has been scratched a few times but this has been as a result of her pulling at their tails or picking them up. When she was a baby they just ignored her, but now they like to be stroked. Its so cute.

 

[Hazel]

I've got two cats and I'm unable to keep them in the house. They have ripped cat flaps off the hinges trying to get out. The male gets very anxious being confined to the house and will have accidents and is sick, he has colitis (bit like IBS) and as much as I worry about them getting run over at night they would be absolutely miserable being house cats so have a cat flap that is open 24/7.

 

[Babylicious]