My friend has two cats, who are constantly urinating all over the baby's toys, room, etc. She has tried everything, but is running out of options and doesn't want to get rid of them. They haven't had litter box problems before the baby came (who is now 14 months), and she makes sure that they do get attention, but is at her wits end. Does anyone have any suggestions??
2007-09-26 09:40:31 · 9 answers · asked by kristin3633 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
Odds are, the cats are acting out because they feel threatened and stressed, probably due to the baby's presence since they're going in her room. Or, depending on their age, that could be a factor, too.
I am currently having the same problem with my family's cat, who is 14 years old and has never peed or pooped anywhere but the litter box--not even once--until recently. We spent a fortune at the vet trying to find underlying medical causes, but everything came back fine. The vet concluded that she is probably experiencing a bit of kittie senility and accompanying dementia and/or feeling stress (which cats are apparently quite susceptible to) because we added a baby and a dog to the family in the past year.
As far as solutions go, your friend can talk to her vet about BuSpar, an anti-anxiety drug that is routinely used for cats with these problems. We tried it, and it worked--but I'll warn you that administering it was no picnic since we had to force her to swallow a pill, and it left her in a zombie-like state where she'd sit and stare at the wall all day. We ended up taking her off of it, but the problem has come back.
For non-drug treatments, she could try Feliway, a product which mimics the pacifying properties of cat pheromones and supposedly discourages urinary marking. I have just purchased it and cannot pass judgment yet, but it's supposed to have a calming effect on cats, and plenty of cat owners online rave about it. There's also a litter called Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract Cat Litter that is supposed to...well, attract cats to the litter, using herbs. It has a pleasant scent, and it works, but it's pretty expensive.
Hope these suggestions help!
2007-09-28 06:57:50 · answer #1 · answered by idotherock 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Once a cat stops going to a litter box, it is very hard to get them to start again, even if you clean where they urinate they can still smell it. there are some tricks, but with a baby they aren't that great (pepper on the floor). Drastic messures would be to redo the floors, especially if it's carpet, but that is expensive and might not even help.
Personaly she sould consider getting a new home for the cats, because the urine can be harmful to the baby. Not saying I don't like cats, I have too, but they use their litter box.
2007-09-26 16:59:12 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well there are outside enclosures they could get for the cats to go outside the house to use the box & come back in. Also try shutting them out of rooms you don't want them in. It's cruel but we had to do that with my cats too.
2007-09-26 16:44:08 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are jealous. They also proabably do not smell themselves in the room so they mark it. Try putting a little box or something of theirs like a bed or toys that they cats like in the babies room.
2007-09-26 17:17:39 · answer #4 · answered by meg 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i know this...the cats are jealous and are trying to let the baby know that he house is their territory...by peeing,they are marking their territory so even if you move the baby to another room,they will do the same as long as the baby is in that room so my suggestion is lock them out of that room...wash and disinfect all upholstery in that room and spray bitter apple and cayenne mixed with water at the door to that room...but make sure that the baby is also not in that room so that they'll know its out of bounds...for a few days,try closing the door after tucking the baby in,if you are worried of the baby's safety ,get someone to sleep with the baby....they'll get the idea and start sniffing around to get familiar with that area...don't make them into outside cats as they'll feel unwanted...cats are intelligent creatures so we must handle them tactfully
2007-09-26 17:22:03 · answer #5 · answered by Marie Q 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
take them to the vet, there may be an infection and the pain is associated with the litter-box.
keep them out of the baby's room, and remember they smell were they have been before and they want to repeat it.
i wish you a lot of luck.
2007-09-26 16:47:20 · answer #6 · answered by insane 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i dont know how old they are but if they arent too old she can try making them outside cats. if she doesnt want to do that if they are boys she can try getting them neutered, my mom actually had that same problem.. also if the litter box is not clean enough for them they will do that too.
2007-09-26 16:44:42 · answer #7 · answered by dontmesswithheather 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We had the same problem! There is a spray called KEEP OFF for cats and it works great. good luck!!
2007-09-26 16:44:02 · answer #8 · answered by Christina L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe they could be checked for bladder infections?
if it's a behavior problem, she might have to resort to buying a crate to keep them in overnight or when she can't watch them.
i don't know what to say, really... i'd talk with a vet.
2007-09-26 17:35:42 · answer #9 · answered by letterstoheather 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋