Babies and Cats-HELP

mdoroshuk

So I have two cats and a soon to be 1 year old son. Out of the blue one of my cats is pooping outside of his liter. He does not do it everyday and we have not changed anything that would throw him off.

I know it is him ACTING out because he is not the center of attention anymore but there really isnt much we can do about that now. I have heard that after you have children your animals act out, has anyone had this happen??

 They last thing I want to do is get ride of them but i cannot have a cat pooping on the floor when i have a 1 yr putting everything in his mouth!!! HELPPPP

 

dannie2011

I heard lots of good things about Feliway, it comes in sprays and plug-in type of diffusers. It helps calm cats and makes them feel safe. Maybe putting one of those in the room with the litter box would help. I never tried it, but have friends who do swear by them.They've used them when moving or adding new pets.

kmm2150

I wouldn't think of it as "acting out,' but maybe as being stressed/anxious at this increasingly mobile little person (LO)- a lot of times pets seem fine with a new baby, and then when they start crawling/walking, etc., the pets don't know what to think of it. 

Maybe make sure the cats have a space to go that is off-limits for the baby, and that LO isn't getting too close to them, invading their space, etc. How many litter boxes do you have? Sometimes cats get finicky, so maybe adding another box would help? I also always think it's a good idea to check with your vet anytime pets' potty habits change, just to be sure there's not something else going on.

dazidog

First I would check with your vet just to rule out any possible health problems and they may have some other good advice for you.

I second the pp on putting out a second litterbox. Here is a quick list of other things I would do: start cleaning the litterboxes every day, leave your cat in the room with the litterboxes more often so his/her chance of going in the litterbox is very high. You don't have to leave him/her in there 24/7 but the idea is they don't have much of a choice to poop anywhere else. I've even heard of some people buying or borrowing a large dog crate and putting a small litterbox in the back of it then having the cat stay in there on and off throughout the day/night. This is NOT punishment and shouldn't be used as such....it is to try and make the cat successful so using it interminently is better....do not use it just because he pooped on the carpet, he won't get it.

Also, like pp said, it can be a good idea to give the cat their own space away from the kids.

LMBecky11

One of my cats has acted out by peeing on the floor.... which as I'm sure you know, is terrible to get out of carpet. I am really heartbroken about it because we don't know what else to do but get rid of the cat, and she is very skittish around strangers and wouldn't do well in another home. She was a feral cat when I got her and tamed her. So I am with you. Its sad. I wish they would just behave.

JaysonandKristin

dazidog:

First I would check with your vet just to rule out any possible health problems and they may have some other good advice for you.

I second the pp on putting out a second litterbox. Here is a quick list of other things I would do: start cleaning the litterboxes every day, leave your cat in the room with the litterboxes more often so his/her chance of going in the litterbox is very high. You don't have to leave him/her in there 24/7 but the idea is they don't have much of a choice to poop anywhere else. I've even heard of some people buying or borrowing a large dog crate and putting a small litterbox in the back of it then having the cat stay in there on and off throughout the day/night. This is NOT punishment and shouldn't be used as such....it is to try and make the cat successful so using it interminently is better....do not use it just because he pooped on the carpet, he won't get it.

Also, like pp said, it can be a good idea to give the cat their own space away from the kids.

Agree 100% with this.  Vet first!!  Then, provide opportunities for the cat to succeed along with a safe haven. 

swimiz500

Definitely check with the vet first. This is a very common sign of a UTI in cats. After ruling that out, then you may have to deal with the behavior. We had a cat who did the same thing after DD was born, and we realized that we had been going an extra day in between changing the litter (just one of those things that happened when DD came along I guess). Once we got more structured again, he was fine. 

pbl2011

hi there! have you tried giving him a little extra attention? My cat was both jealous and curious once baby arrived home. At 9 months he still runs and sniffs her every time we walk in, i guess making sure we keep coming home with the same baby. Anyway, he's very loving and loves attention. If the baby has my attention, he will also require it. Why not let him cuddle up to us during a feeding or a story, or give him some treats while we play. he loves to chase them down and i can toss them with one hand and baby in the other