Cat peeing on baby stuff

[amc80]

Hi all,

I have two Ragdoll cats, a male and female, both six years old. Our female cat, Zoe, voices her displeasure by peeing on stuff to get our attention. As in if the litter box isn't clean enough, she'll pee on our bed. Point taken.

I had a baby in August. Zoe is apparently not pleased with the new member of our family. I caught her peeing on my glider cushion. Now, she's peeing on the changing table pad. I had a puppy pad up there (for protection from baby pee) and she went right on it. Nice of her to use the pad and all, I know...

Any suggestions? I asked the vet and he said that it is, unfortunately, normal cat behavior, however inconvenient for the humans. He mentioned some cat pheromones that can help as well. DH is fed up and ready to find a new home for her

 

[mary poppins]

Unfortunately, I don't have any advice for you. There are a lot of cat owners on PS, so I hope other PSer's can provide helpful information. I just wanted to say WOW, what a beautiful cat! Sorry she's causing such trouble.

 

[amc80]

Unfortunately, I don't have any advice for you. There are a lot of cat owners on PS, so I hope other PSer's can provide helpful information. I just wanted to say WOW, what a beautiful cat! Sorry she's causing such trouble.

Thank you. I love her and would hate to have to give her away.

 

[Laila619]

Ugh, this would make me not a happy camper. I have two cats, and thankfully they seem accepting of the baby. Your Zoe must be stressed out by the changes in the house. Have you tried the Feliway plug-ins? She is a very pretty cat, I hope she stops peeing on stuff! Some cats just don't do well in a noisy, action-packed house.

 

[amc80]

Have you tried the Feliway plug-ins?

Just bought some on amazon. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[JewelFreak]

Contrary to what most people think, cats are not trying to drive us crazy or get revenge when they suddenly begin to pee around the house. That requires understanding how humans think, which is beyond the cat brain. They are saying, in the only way they have, "I am upset. Hey, notice!" (Provided there's nothing physically wrong, such as a bladder infection.)

Cats, much more than dogs, are VERY dependent on routine. When it changes, they feel insecure. Did she used to get attention, play, affection, meals more on time, etc. -- before the baby that she does not receive now? You might try giving her more of whatever she misses -- it usually requires only a little bit more to reassure her, settle things down. Does not have to go exactly back to the old way -- but she does want to tell you that SHE used to be your baby & she doesn't understand why you don't have time for her now.

Puppy pad -- attracts her the same way it does puppies. They have odors in them to make pups want to pee on them -- a cat is bound to do the same. Try another type of fabric.

Give her a little extra attention & affection -- she will adjust in a little time. Also 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water is a good, cheap way to neutralize the smell of urine so she doesn't go back to the same place again.

--- Laurie

 

[amc80]

Contrary to what most people think, cats are not trying to drive us crazy or get revenge when they suddenly begin to pee around the house. That requires understanding how humans think, which is beyond the cat brain. They are saying, in the only way they have, "I am upset. Hey, notice!" (Provided there's nothing physically wrong, such as a bladder infection.)

Cats, much more than dogs, are VERY dependent on routine. When it changes, they feel insecure. Did she used to get attention, play, affection, meals more on time, etc. -- before the baby that she does not receive now? You might try giving her more of whatever she misses -- it usually requires only a little bit more to reassure her, settle things down. Does not have to go exactly back to the old way -- but she does want to tell you that SHE used to be your baby & she doesn't understand why you don't have time for her now.

Puppy pad -- attracts her the same way it does puppies. They have odors in them to make pups want to pee on them -- a cat is bound to do the same. Try another type of fabric.

Give her a little extra attention & affection -- she will adjust in a little time. Also 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water is a good, cheap way to neutralize the smell of urine so she doesn't go back to the same place again.

--- Laurie

I figured it was an attention issue...as in she's not getting as much as she was. She still gets plenty, though. We free feed them so food shouldn't be an issue...no changes there. I have definitely made it a point to pet her any time I walk by her. She still sleeps on our bed, lays in "her" same spot on the couch, etc. She still lays on DH whenever she can.

Thanks for the tip on the puppy pad! I'll stop using them. I've also put a box on the changing table to deter her from jumping up there, along with shutting the nursery door during the day.

 

[NOYFB]

I know you said that you talked to the vet, but did you actually take her in to get evaluated and get a urinalysis done? The reason I am asking is that it may be a urinary tract infection or kidney disease. Having just lost my kitty 3 days ago, who was also urinating everywhere, I had many conversations with the vet about this. Please consider taking her in to get checked out, just to be on the safe side, to make sure you are not missing a diagnosis that can hopefully be treated.

 

[JewelFreak]

Aww, LM, I'm so sorry about your cat. Tough thing, I know -- I lost my beloved boy in October & still am hurting bad. Hugs!!

AMC -- good advice about the vet. Sometimes cats get cystitis from stress. Sounds like you're doing as well as possible w/attention -- keep it up & whenever you used to love her up, like watching tv or something, try to continue or give her a little more.

Has she been introduced to the baby? Some cats just LOVE babies, others are totally indifferent. Try putting the baby -- if old enough -- on a blanket on the floor, stay there, & let Zoe have a sniff & meander cat-like around. Don't try to make her go near & no need to get nervous either & alarm her. Cats react best when they can go with the flow. It might reassure her to get a close look at the new animal in the house, if she hasn't already.

It's not weird -- lots of children are jealous when a new baby arrives. Takes time to adjust. We wouldn't be too pleasant if our DHs brought home a new woman to share the house & their time -- to a pet it feels similar; again, they think they are your baby. Hang in there, I'm sure it's a busy household about now!

--- Laurie

 

[webdiva]

She needs time to adjust and definitely get her checked out at the vet. Please don't think of rehoming her, she was there first and deserves to have time to work it out. Maybe have a friend observe if anything is out of the routine that may be bothering her, I'm sure that you're crazy busy with the baby (understandably!) and they may see something you may have missed. Best of luck, she's gorgeous!

 

[amc80]

Thanks everyone.

I have introduced her to the baby. She's actually very curious (you know, being a cat and all). The baby is now in the "death grip on everything and put it in the mouth" phase, which includes cat hair and tails. I think the cats will be thrilled once they realize that the baby will be an extra set of hands to pet them. Of course that will be a while from now.

Ragdolls are an interesting breed. They are definitely people cats and want to be near their humans all the time. I'm never more than 5 feet from either of them. My male, zack, even insists on joining me in the bathroom.

I ordered the pheromone stuff and it will be here tomorrow. I'm going to continue giving extra attention. I'll also make a vet appointment. I really do think it's purely behavioral and not physical, but you never know.

 

[TC1987]

It sounds like stress. Things that can be done:
Get a "cat playpen" big cage with benches and put her in there with her litterbox. She'll have to use the box. Let her out when you have time to personally supervise her and interact with her. It's not all that mean. It's better than other evils, like winding up at the animal shelter. (My female cat actually loves her cat playpen and claims it as "her" space. She goes in there and sleeps on the benches, and won't share with the other cats. LOL)

Determine if there is a pattern to it, and then nip her routine. My female cat started peeing on the carpet when I left her with my mother while I was working out of town. Her pattern was she did it immediately after a meal. So, confining her in the cage to eat, then long enough after meals forced her to use her litterbox, and thus fixed most of the problem.

Put her on Buspar or Prozac for nerves.

There is a Feliway collar that can be used on an individual "problem cat" if Feliaway-izing the entire house isn't feasible.

The vet needs to check her for stones. My boss's cat was full of them. Surgical removal of the bladder stones ended all inappropriate urination.

 

[bunnycat]

I'd agree with TC. Once you have eliminated the possibility of a physical problem, try to remove the possibility of "habit" by removing access to what makes the habit.

 

[ruby59]

I just wanted to add that when I became pregnant my doctor asked me if I had a cat. Apparently, the ammonia and other chemicals in the urine and feces can be harmful to the fetus. Breathing it in can also cause respiratory problems in young children. At the very least I would not allow the cat to enter the baby's room while this is going on.

 

[stepcutnut]

What a gorgeous cat! So sorry to hear she is misbehaving!!!

If you haven't---have her checked for urinary issues by the Vet. If all is OK, then it definitely sounds like a stress issue!

Unfortunately, we have been dealing with a similar issue with our female cat.

She became extremely attached to me when I got pregnant---she's a little hormone detector!~She followed me all of the time, talked to me constantly(both way more than her normal) she wouldn't even let me eat at the kitchen table without wanting to lay on my lap/tummy.

I miscarried a few weeks ago, I'm sure part of it was the stress my hubby and I had going on, but part of it was she didn't like the change in my hormones that she could sense.

So, she started showing her anger with me---wouldn't sit with me, wouldn't talk to me, didn't want me to pet her or give her any attention and the worst of it was...she started to pee on things! My jewelry work bench, another cats bed, our leather couch, our leather chair!!! I was livid-with all my sadness, I surely didn't need that to deal with too.

For her-we got her checked out for urinary issues, which she had in the past and all was well. Feliway seemed to make it worse for her, the boys on the other hand responded great to it. So who know there!

I started getting them special food for 'treat time' and having time outs during the day for them when I gave it to them---during this time I closed them up in their night time sleep rooms, to be on their own and have some quiet time. This seem to finally do the trick after a couple of weeks she is back to her normal cuddly, happy, talkative self. Just an idea

Good luck, if you can please give it some time!