Why does my cat only poop on my daughter's bed?

Question

After we had our daughter my cat went psycho. She would climb in my daughter's crib and pee and poop. We spoke to the vet and they said that cats are territorial. Well, my daughter in now three years old and everytime we let the cat in the house she craps on my daughter's bed. How do I get her to stop? It is disgusting. I try to keep the door shut when she is inside but sometimes I forget. I just want her to stop doing it.

She never lets me see her do it! She sneaks in there so she knows it's wrong.

Buy another pet? Hmm, yeah that will resolve my problem. What do I do with the cat I have now? I have a dog and bird and neither one of them act like the cat does. I don't let my daughter sleep in it...OBVIOUSLY!!! I mean, honestly why even watse my time with your ridiculous answers?

My daughter doesn't even sleep in the bed and never has. She sleeps with me every night and has since she was born. She never slept in her crib either.

Answer 1

Hi there...you mentioned you only spoke with the vet, however has your cat been to be evaluated for a lower urinary tract infection or fecal exam for bowel disorders? Cats who inappropriately soil may also be a result of constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, lower urinary tract disorders, or another underlying medical condition.

First consider all the possibilities such as:
- changes with litter brands
- location of the litter box isn't private enough
- some cats like to have one box to defecate and another to urinate
- cleanliness (some cats are very finicky and prefer a super clean box)
- as a general rule there should be one litter box for each cat plus one extra as a back up
- cats who are over the age of 5-7 months that haven't been spayed/neutered will territorial/urine mark
- if it's a senior cat (10/11 years or older) they develop diseases such as hyperthyroidsim and chronic renal failure (CRF)
- other animals who are cause stress

If all these have been ruled out, there's a chance that your cat may have developed another underlying medical problem which can contribute to accidents outside of the box. Cats will associate pain while using box and change their habits as a result.

Here's an article about why cats inappropriately soil outside their litter box by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html

House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. It includes urination and/or defecation outside the litter box, as well as urine spraying.

Why do cats eliminate outside of the litter box?
One common misconception is that cats soil in inappropriate places for revenge. It is tempting to conclude, "He defecated on the living room carpet to punish me for leaving him for the weekend." But this kind of calculation requires sophisticated cognitive abilities that cats aren't believed to possess. Furthermore, this conclusion assumes that cats view their urine and feces as distasteful, when in fact they do not. It is only we humans who view it that way.

Medical Problems
So why do cats urinate or defecate on your bed or carpet? Medical problems are one possibility. Inflammation of the urinary tract may cause painful or frequent urination, inability to urinate, bloody urine, and crying during urination. An affected cat is likely to eliminate outside the litter box if he comes to associate the box with painful urination, or if he has an increased urgency to urinate. In addition, kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases often lead to increased drinking and urination. Inflammation of the colon or rectum, intestinal tract tumors, intestinal parasites, and other gastrointestinal conditions may cause painful defecation, increased frequency or urgency to defecate, and decreased control of defecation. Age-related diseases that interfere with a cat's mobility (for example, arthritis, nervous system disorders, or muscular diseases), or with his cognitive functions can also influence his ability to get to the litter box in time. In short, any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal elimination behavior can lead to house soiling.

Litter Box Aversions
Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three.

...please consider visiting the website for further details

Consider using Nature's Miracle Just for Cats found worldwide at most pet stores to remove the urine odours in the shoes and carpeting: http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441775019&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302025596&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023690&bmUID=1167132360710&itemNo=0&Ntt=nature%27s+miracle+just+for+cats&In=All&previousText=nature%27s+miracle+just+for+cats&N=2 It's an enzymatic neutralizer which works by breaking the urine protein down. Repeated applications are necessary for heavily soiled areas and items.

Answer 2

This is completely normal. Cats, dogs and children all react to a new baby. Some reactions are good and some are not. Your cat is mad at you. You need to find a way to turn her behavior. Put the litter box on a towel on your daughter's bed for a few days and have her sleep somewhere else. find a treat that your cat really likes and give it to her once a day at the same time. After you give her treat pet her and give some attention. This might help. Maybe allowing your daughter to give the treats might help too. (if the cat doesn't scratch or bite). If your cat is used to getting treats this will not work. After the cat uses the litter box on the bed move it to the floor in front of the bed and closer to its original spot every few days. If you keep shutting the door she will just want to go in there even more. Good luck

Answer 3

As your vet said it is being territorial and she doesnt like your daughter. Dont take it personally, it is as if another being is taking the attention of her parents away from her. If you keep sending the cat out, it will keep resenting your daughter. You have to introduce them and make them be friends, it is a slow process. Always pet the cat more than you hold your daughter while she is present until it doesnt feel threatened anymore by her. And be carefull while this process happens and keep the door closed. Slowly reopen it a bit of time a day and see how the cat behaves until it wont do it anymore. ( It might even help if you give your daughter some tuna or catnip to give your cat slowly so it doesnt bite her or something)

Answer 4

jealousy, pure and simple. was kitty your baby before you had your daughter? it is typical w/ people to baby their pets, and then when they have a baby all of the sudden their cat is just a pet. this causes resentment in the cat - yes they are intelligent enough to figure this out.

if it has been going on for 3 years, it may be too late to correct the behavior. to do so, spend quality time w/ the cat, just you and kitty, alone for a specific amount of time a day. use this time to do something kitty likes - brushing, playing w/ a favorite toy, etc. again, after 3 years it may be too late to correct.

how to stop? you really can't. just keep kitty away from the bed.

Answer 5

The cat feels as though ur attention is diverted form her. The cat used to be ur baby, and now that ur daughter is around, shes not getting enough attention. Try paying more attention to the cat. Next time u see ur cat doing it in ur daughters bed, take a spray bottel of water and spray the caat in the face....make it clear that u are angry

hope it helps

Answer 6

If it's an adult cat it is not a behavior that you will easily be able to break. Your best bet is making sure the door is closed at all times.

Answer 7

get rid of the cat If you don´t want your daughter to get sick, because if your cat has been doing it for so long and wherever your daughter sleeps it gets in it, it won´t stop doing it now. Maybe you should buy another pet, a bird or a dog.