That's actually untrue Laurie. I never referred to you by name in first post, only stated with regard to your solution of putting water in the tub and lid on the hamper, would probably lead to the cat peeing in another location. I address you by name in my second post only. I would appreciate your not commenting on my or any other person's sense of family responsiblity as I don't think you are qualified nor entitled. Be careful, you should never say never.

You act as though I would just take any animal for no reason but for unacceptable behavior and dispose of it. That is way too broad a statement to make about me since you don't know me at all. I don't consider animals "disposable".

Thank you for your permission to do as I see fit in my own home. It means alot.

labmomma, the FIRST WORD in your FIRST RESPONSE to this thread is MY NAME. Or are you thinking that my name really isn't Laurie?

And I have not used the word "never" in any of my previous posts to this thread until now. To what, exactly, are you under the impression that I am saying never?

I remarked on my sense of responsibility to my family and to my definition of my family as including the 4-legged members. If you extended that remark to include your behavior toward the animals you own, that's on you.

You have stated that you would euthanize a cat who urinates inappropriately. How is that not disposing of an animal for unacceptable behavior? You're writing in circles, and at the center of every circle is the "disposable cat".

Were you to ask me for permission to dispose of an animal with a soiling problem, I would not grant it.

Laurie

Yes Laurie you are correct. Senior moment. Thought OP name was Laurie now I see it is not. My mistake.

"What I DO have is a wonderful 4-legged family - not a PERFECT 4-legged family, but wonderful nonetheless. I would no more discard an imperfect 4-legged family member than I would an imperfect 2-legged one, but that's just me and my own sense of family responsibility." - Are you not implying that you would not never "discard" an imperfect pet? I guess I read into that statement that you would never consider doing anything remotely resembling euthanizing a pet? -

Also, as it happens, I am feeling quite well with the way I chose to live my life, and my own sense of family responsibility. Not asking for your permission or anyone else's for that matter. I capable of make decisions based on careful consideration of all the facts and circumstances.

I have euthanized a number of 4-legged family members over the decades, but never for the sake of my own convenience.

Laurie

If you take the cat to the vet for tests, you should have results within a day, two at the most. Then you'll know if it's a medical cause (which it's probably not, based on the timing). Talk to your vet about solutions for behavioral problems -- there are many drugs that can be tried that will resolve this type of problem. Personally, I don't think you need to make the immediate jump to giving the cat away as some here are suggesting, when popping a pill down its throat (or mashing it up and putting it in some wet food, which is what I do) every night will probably resolve the situation.

Laurie - IMHO cat urine in a home is a little more than inconvenient. It is unsanitary and is for the most part impossible to get out of anything.

Aside from those inconveniences, you speak of being a responsible person insofar as your family is concerned, are you not concerned about how sanitary things are in your home?

OP has a child that is either crawling in the home or about to. Would you want your baby crawling across a carpet that the cat has used in lieu of a litter box?

Also, OP has to consider how this cat and its behavior is impacting her family life. You seem to not consider her responsibility to her family (the human members, of course).

***As for cat medication. Yes, I agree is simple to give since I give one of my male cats Cosequin as a preventative for former problems with prior urinary tract blockage. It is a capsule that you can sprinkle on wet food or put in a bit of water since it is flavored. Not a med to control peeing, but if you ask your vet, some pills can be crushed and given, tho some cannot you must ask before you crush pills***

When did the problems originally show up? Shortly after bringing baby home or recently? Has the baby been ill or crying more than usual? Have you noticed the cats reaction when the baby cries?
I'd definitely try some of the 'remedies' mentioned, but if all this started over a short period, I'd first check the stress levels in your home and go from there.

Laurie makes a good point about the energy (stress) from DH and the effect it can have on any and all in the household.

Cat urine can be cleaned up with the proper use of pet stain and odor removers.

"Sanitary" is not a condition that is found in any non-sterile environment. My home is not sterile, and the fact that it is not does not cause me great concern.

I do not have a baby crawling across my floors, and the OP's cat is not peeing on her floors.

The OP assumed responsibility for the life of her cat. IMO, that responsibility is not and should not be absolved just because she also assumed the responsibility for the life of a human child. Both responsibilities should be met.

Laurie

I also agree that inappropriate peeing is a lot more then an "inconvenience." It is not the same as shedding on couch tracking litter through the house. It can cause some pretty expensive property damage.

It amazes me that people suggest that a person should just "live with it." I am all for trying everything you can (multiple litterboxes, medication, whatever)-- but having had two babies in the last six years I know I could never have "lived with" such a huge problem. I also know what it is like when two spouses do not have the same level of commitment to an animal (and they rarely do).

Maybe there is a medication that will help kitty until he gets used to having the baby around. It is certainly worth a try to ask.

Well......as the owner of one of those cats that is obviously acting out,I am in total agreement with Labmomma!
Your baby comes first,and your DH should be upset.I know mine is! You have to do what is best for your family.I know if I had a baby in the house my cat would have been gone long ago.Even now she is treading a very fine line.So I say do what you have to do Jenna and don't feel guilty!.......Lillie

Yikes, I hesitate to jump into this one. What about adding several more litter boxes around the house? One in the tub also. My son added a female cat to his 2 cat (one male, one female) household and the male started urinating in front of the fireplace. More choices of litterboxes helped alot but he eventually found a new home for the last female. For heaven's sake, don't put Pie down and DO try everything you can think of (for your own peace of mind too) before adopting him out. Of course your baby comes first. And of course animals sense stress (fighting, even subtle resentment, etc.), far better than we meager humans do.

Cat urine is often impossible to get rid of without very expensive remodeling. I used to sell Real Estate and found that in a house that smelled of cat urine, the number of customers who would even walk through the house was greatly reduced. I once bought a home where the seller had to pull out and replace a large section of oak floors as a condition of the sale.

The situation is a new baby and a husband who is very impatient with the situation. (Multiple litter boxes?????? Trying to keep only one from smelling was the most I would do when I had indoor cats.) This is a no-brainer as far as I am concerned.

Something else I have to throw in here.If I have a cat that is peeing because of any kind of "stress"(subtle resentment,jealousy,fighting,changes in environment,etc.)and the problem can't be solved,(or has been solved "temporarily" by reducing the stress,at the moment),and most likely that cat will revert back to those behaviors as soon as there is any sign of "stress" again,then I can't have that cat in my home! Sorry,that was a long sentence!
Laurie-The OP did say she knew the cat was "jealous" of the baby.
Maybe this cat isn't peeing on the floor right now,but it could eventually and that baby will eventually be crawling on that floor! I surely wouldn't want a baby crawling on a floor that had been peed on by a cat,(or any other animal for that matter!). And as someone else mentioned I would be very afraid,because the cat is jealous of the baby,that the baby's crib might be the next pee spot and possibly even while the baby is there! I just would not take that chance.
As to the urine stain/odor problem being eliminated easily,I beg to differ.I have tried every odor remover mentioned here and none worked.I even talked to a professional carpet cleaner and he said cat urine odors are almost,if not impossible to remove totally.One reason being that they not only pee on carpets and furniture but they also spray walls and other things.It stands to reason that the only way to completely eliminate the odor would be to remove all carpeting and pads and possibly wood flooring and replace it,and even then you can't be 100% sure the odor will be gone!
Just as an example.We bought a home once where the former owner was a smoker.The carpet was in fairly good condition and we couldn't afford new at the time so we had it professionally cleaned.We did replace all of it 3 years later.We repainted the whole house before we moved in.We first scrubbed the walls with a solution that is formulated to remove the "nicotine" residue and odor,then painted all the walls with a base coat of KILZ,which is also suppose to eliminate stains and odor.We even had A/C ducts and filters cleaned.Less than 6 months after this renovation you could walk in the front door and the smell of cigarettes would almost gag you.We didn't smoke or allow smoking in our home.Until the day we moved 9 years later,the smell was still there.If the odor of cigarettes couldn't be eliminated with all the measures we took,wouldn't you think cat urine would be even more of a problem since it is liquid and soaks into carpets,
furniture,drapes,wood and even between the seams and cracks of tile? My bath tub is fiberglass and I can't get the odor or stain out of it from the cat peeing in there! We could argue from now on about this and there still wouldn't be a positive solution!

Laurie -- you post - "Sanitary" is not a condition that is found in any non-sterile environment. My home is not sterile, and the fact that it is not does not cause me great concern.

Sanitary and sterile are two entirely different things.

Sanitary means in clean, healthy condition.

Sterile means free from living micro-oraganisms.

I think you need to at least have your house in a "sanitary" condition when raising a child. Are you not in agreement? I am assuming you have the two words and their meanings confused, or you would not have posted the above. Sanitary in no way implies a sterile condition.

As for your statement: -Cat urine can be cleaned up with the proper use of pet stain and odor removers. - I have to disagree as have many others who have experienced this particular smell. I guess we all have a level of what we are willing to live with insofar as our home's cleanliness...

jennaflower, if it were my cat, I'd have the vet check pronto.

Urinary tract infections almost *always* cause "inappropriate litterbox behavior".

Occasionally the infection is low-grade enough that the tests will show negative, but the cat is having pain & discomfort, & the behavior continues.

So if the test results are negative, & the vet cannot identify the problem, I'd have him put my cat on anti-biotics appropriate for urinary tract infection anyway.

At the same time, I'd get some Feliway, keep a little water in the tub, keep the laundry in a closed hamper, & tell hubby to be sweet.

This is not world war 3, it's just a solveable problem.

sylvia

ps: if the cat is gentle with the baby, I don't think he's jealous. Jealous/angry/POed cats, in my experience, are not gentle with the object of their dissatisfaction.

There's gotta be a physical problem.

Urinary tract infections almost *always* cause "inappropriate litterbox behavior".
Sylvia-I have to dissagree,since this was "not" the cause of my cat's problem and I have a $200. Vet bill to prove it!
Why is it that so many here think all the problems and innapropriate behaviors our animals have can be solved with medication when all other measures have failed? Do we not ever think of the possibility that they are animals and may just be doing what ANIMALS do?
I am certainally no expert but from what Jenna has said it would stand to reason that her cat's behavior has something to do with the arrival of her sweet baby,since up until that point he was always a good kittie. Jealousy,
less attention,stress or upheaval in the household,
WHATEEEEVER,has caused the innapropriate peeing,but Heaven forbid we blame it on the fact that the cat is just being a cat! Solution.......Get rid of the stress,ie. the baby,husband whatever is causing it and keep the CAT happy! (Just kidding:)!! OR find the cat another home,OR(Heaven forbid again!) have him euthanized because he will likely do the same because of the stress of being in a new home and nobody else is going to want your problem! Of course she can always put him on medication,which may or may not work,(I'm sure she has time every day with a new baby to pop him a pill or two or work for several weeks,months to find the "right" medication or combination that "works")and continue to live with the likelyhood that he will still pee in innapropriate places and stink up her home where her baby is playing and learning to crawl on the nice sanitary floor where the cat has peed! Her husband will continue to resent the cat and be upset with HER because she thinks more of the cat than she does of her family.And who knows,maybe it will end in a divorce or maybe even them being guests on the Dr.Phil show!

"The OP assumed responsibility for the life of her cat. IMO, that responsibility is not and should not be absolved just because she also assumed the responsibility for the life of a human child. Both responsibilities should be met."
Laurie IMHO that is a ridiculous statement! Responsibility for a human life has no comparison to that of an animal and if the animal is conflicting with the lives and well being of my baby or any other member of my family,guess who I choose without hesitation? I love my Pets but my first obligation is to my human family!
(((((Jenna)))))-I hope you can find a solution to your problem....................Lillie

Jenna.. if YOU feel that your first responsibility is to your baby, including keeping a happy HEALTHY home, and a happy healthy relationship between baby's mother and father, then you must do whatever it is you feel is best...whatever that may be.

I don't think it is unreasonable for your husband to be as upset as he is. Mine would be reacting same as yours. Not sure what I would do if I were you since I haven't had to deal with such a situation.

Wouldn't it be great if your cats problem is simply a UTI? But you can't be absolutely certain of that without a vet check.

Good luck.

Sorry, Lillie, but your definition of "love" in regards to your pets doesn't jive with any definition of love I have ever been taught. I was raised with a humane ethic that defined love as love, regardless of species. If I had a human child who scooted across a "sanitary" carpet in a poopy diaper or, heaven forbid, tossed a cup of grape juice across my new sofa, I wouldn't stick a needle in her arm and say, "Sorry, kid, but the sanitation of my home and the pristine condition of my possessions are of more value to me than your life." No, I would accept the certain and inevitable lack of sanitation that comes with poopy diapers and the ruination of personal possessions as part and parcel of loving a child, and I do the same for the love of my 4-legged family members. Love is love for me. That's how I was raised, and I couldn't be more grateful for it.

You are quite right about cats being cats. Cats as a species are known to often react to stress in ways we as humans find bothersome and perhaps even unacceptable. Which begs the question - why, if you know you can not live with the potentially unpleasant behavioral manifestations of cats for better or worse, would you ever bring one into your home to begin with? Why play Russian Roulette with a cat's life in hopes that (s)he'll never do anything to upset you to the point of killing the cat? Do you have so little regard for life that you are willing to subject a cat to your potentially deadly priorities?

You're right again. We could argue about this all day, and in the end you will never change my humane ethic, and I will never change your lack of same.

Laurie

I recommend Rescue Remedy that someone has already mentioned.

It is safe and effective and easy to administer, much better than trying to get a pill down kitty's throat.

"You're right again. We could argue about this all day, and in the end you will never change my humane ethic, and I will never change your lack of same."
You are right Laurie.We could argue about this all day and it could get really stupid! I resent that you think I am inhumane and think it is very rude of you to say that,especially since you don't know me!
I was also taught to love all God's creatures,but I
was also taught that those creatures don't come before the welfare of the humans in our family. When you get right down to it the animals we keep as pets were not originally meant to be pets.It is humans that decided that for them,and some humans who decided they should be treated like children,which is fine for them,just not for me.
Your constant comparison of animals to human children is totally ridiculous and in my opinion shows a lack of common sense on your part.
You have your opinions and I have mine but please don't judge me because mine aren't the same as yours! I certainally haven't judged you or anyone else on this board and I expect the same courtesy.
I am only expressing my opinion,but you have been rude and hateful! What you do with your pets is your business.You can let them soil your carpets and furniture,sit at your table and have dinner with the family for all I care.
Whatever floats your boat!I actually have a friend that lets her dog eat at the table,although not when she has company and I respect her for that.That's fine,if that's what she wants to do and fine for you to do whatever you want with your pets.Just don't belittle me because I don't feel the same way!If that isn't what I choose to do then that is my business.
And,by the way,I still have my cat and am still working on the problem,so I'm not throwing her away just yet.That isn't to say that she still may be leaving,just depends on whether or not we can fix the problem.Yes,I am really a cruel and heartless person.Thanks for reminding me!
Lillie

ojoy-Thanks,that was to be my next step! I had gone back over the posts just today and found this mentioned! I will call my local health food store tomorrow and see if they have it. If not I will have to drive to another city to PetSmart. I hope it works because I really don't want to have to get rid of this cat.

Hi Lillie, its so funny that you posted about your friend that lets her pet eat from her table except when she has guests. My MIL used to let her golden eat a proper Thanksgiving plate at the table - in the dining room but before anyone else even entered that area of the house. At first I though is she crazy, but then I saw her love for her dog over the years and somehow made sense to me? MIL is alone just her dog for companionship when she is at home.

As for the rest of this stuff, I've had enough. I am too intelligent to continue to argue especially when good arguments/suggestions seem to either fall on deaf ears, or in the alternative, are jumped on by some really scary judgmental people.

My best to you and good luck with your situation.

lillie, I didn't say that there are no other possibiilties besides UTI.

I said that UTI almost always causes inappropriate litterbox behavior.

I also said that sometimes a low-grade infection will not register "positive" on a test, but if you give the cat anti-biotics, the symptoms go away.

Why is it that so many here think all the problems and innapropriate behaviors our animals have can be solved with medication when all other measures have failed?

Because for MOST of us, that has worked.

I guess what I don't understand is, did you not know you were going to plan a family some day? If you get a cat, dog, or any kind of pet, you are making it a part of your family. You are taking responsibility for that pet.

Don't get one if you are going to be so willing to get rid of them when life is not easy. Having pets is not easy.

I think Laurie said it well -

"The OP assumed responsibility for the life of her cat. IMO, that responsibility is not and should not be absolved just because she also assumed the responsibility for the life of a human child. Both responsibilities should be met."

If you are not willing to make that commitment - then why are you getting a pet?????

boopadaboo ~

I guess what I don't understand is, did you not know you were going to plan a family some day? If you get a cat, dog, or any kind of pet, you are making it a part of your family. You are taking responsibility for that pet.

FYI, some folks don't plan on having children and then they meet the right person and change their mind. I'm not saying this is what happened but to think that all things are set in concrete with no deviations is not realistic.

Without going into whether she had the cat before she married or not, that doesn't really negate the problem with Pie. He is, seemingly, retaliating by urinating in various places that are unacceptable.

Perhaps she should put Pie in a small bathroom or crate that is large enough to accomodate a small litter box until he learns that the only place to go is the box. Some relearning needs to go on unless it is determined that there is a medical problem that can be helped or corrected by medication.

Having acceptable family dynamics is very important. I am sure that her husband has been supportive about as long as he can. I'm sure it didn't just happen a few times and he said that the cat needed to go.

Furkids are very important in the family but not more important than a marriage. I hope you aren't alluding to the fact that the entire family has to put up with that behavior for the next 10+ years simply because the cat was there before the baby.

Truthfully, I hope that a medical problem is discovered so that it can be treated. If not, then the OP will have to decide to either modify the freedom of the cat or try to correct the problem. If that doesn't help then, perhaps, the cat could be in an enclosed porch or patio and brought in when the adults are there to supervise.

Robyn

Jenna,

There was a great article at Slate awhile back on infant-pet relations. One of the points was that if you only pay attention to the pet when the baby is asleep, the message the pet gets is "baby gone, life good again."

From your message, I am not sure if you are looking for suggestions on how you might solve this problem or asking whether most people would rehome the pet given the circumstances.

If you want to try keeping Pie, I would visit the vet just to rule out any health issues, followed by some of the other suggestions posted here.

My vet's office has a section of its Web site devoted to inappropriate elimination. Here's an excerpt:

Making Inappropriately Used Area Unattractive or Inaccessible:

1. Block access to soiled area (closed doors, baby gates)

2. Feliway (synthetic pheromone available through veterinarians, pet shops) sprayed frequently in the area of inappropriate elimination - may work best if the cat who is urinating inappropriately is "marking their territory" (versus other reasons).

3. Other scent deterrents (citrus room fresheners arent popular with cats - putting one of them near the area that the cat is inappropriately urinating may help)

4. Other deterrents (such as "Sticky Paws", which is double-sided adhesive tape - may work to make the soiled area less appealing)

5. Use of enzymatic cleaner in adequate amounts (Natures Miracle/Anti-Icky Poo) to clean soiled area - these products work to neutralize the odor of urine or stool.

6. Change function of soiled area (use for play or feeding)

7. Cover soiled area (piece of furniture, plastic, tarp, aluminum foil)

8. Confine cat when unsupervised

Additional Suggestions:

1. Add "vertical territory" into home (cat trees, condos, etc.) - cats love heights and it definitely expands the available "cat territory", which in turn may decrease tendency for some cats to spray/mark or inappropriately urinate

2. Give cat his or her own "safe" space (separate conflicting cats)

3. Additional litter box(es) when owner out of town - pet-sitters may not be as meticulous about keeping the boxes as clean as the owner does and/or they may not clean it as often

If "Environmental Management" fails, and medical problems have been aggressively ruled out or resolved

1. Other "psychotropic" drugs to reduce aggression or anxiety (Prozac, Elavil, Clomiprimine) offenders

2. New home for cat - though it may be difficult to find an owner willing to take a cat with a history of inappropriate elimination, we have found that the offending cats problem will often be "cured" if put into a low-stress (as defined by the cat!) home with clean, adequate-size litter boxes, etc.

3. Referral to board-certified veterinary behaviorist

4. Euthanasia - last resort only

Prognosis

The prognosis for improvement is more likely if several of the following are true:

1. The duration is less than 1 month when treatment begins.

2. There are only one or two locations in the house that the cat uses for inappropriate elimination.

3. It is possible to identify and relieve the stress-causing situation.

4. It is possible to neutralize the odor caused by the urine or stool.

5. You have only one cat.

I hope this helps!

Jenna-In your OP you were asking for help in solving your problem with your cat. It was hijacked by a lot of people,including me,by getting away from the original subject and I would like to appologize to you. I know the dilema you are having and I can totally sympathize. You have gotten a lot of valuable information here. There are no easy solutions to the problem you are having,and I hope you will be able to resolve it and do what is best for you and your family............Lillie

Why is it some people constantly compare pets to children? IE: would you chop off your kids finger's if they did xxxx, would you murder you toddler if he peed on carpet.... On another post of mine where I complained about an annoying dog, people compared that to children misbehaving in a restaurant.

Human children and pets are not on the same level! And I should know because I have both a cat and 4 and 6 year old children. My children (as are all) are a work in progress. They are little imperfect humans that I am spending the next 10-12 years molding into hopefully, good people. That said, I do love my little kitty but my first obligation (if I had to choose) would most definately be to my family and marriage.

Again, the OP had a real serious problem, not an "inconvenience." It is NOT normal for a healthy (mentally and physically) cat to have accidents.

If your expectation is that all people who adopt pets must hold them to the level of human children -- I think you will be disappointed and adoptions will go way down.

In some instances, I might agree with you livvy. I think what gets me the most annoyed by these topics is when people post on one thread that they think another pet owner is irresponsible for their actions and then start their own the next day saying they are thinking of getting rid of their pet. I just can't reconcile the hypocrisy. I don't know why I even bother to keep reading, it makes my blood boil.

I do hope the OP finds a solution to their problem and I did not intend to get things off topic.

I did have a cat that peed in my hamper a few times and actually any box of new clothes I got in the mail. I removed those items to an area that he was unable to reach, and the issue went away (unless I forgot and left them out of the closet) I don't know what was/did/does stress him out, so I don't know if that would work for the OP along with some citrus spray.

I did have him checked out thoroughly first by the vet though.

"Again, the OP had a real serious problem, not an 'inconvenience.' It is NOT normal for a healthy (mentally and physically) cat to have accidents."

Well, inappropriate peeing and pooping is the most common behavioral problem among cats, so most of us who are cat owners will face this at one time or another.

My husband and I did recently when we moved. But honestly? I did think of it as an inconvenience more than a serious problem. I knew the disruption to our household had freaked someone out, and that once things started to get normal again, our errant whizzer would calm down. It was a pain to deal with in the interim and did take about three months to straighten out, but sure enough it ceased.

The only reason I think of the OP's problem as major is because it is causing stress on her marriage--that's serious, especially with a new baby in the house too. I do hope she and her husband are able to work out some kind of agreement to try a few of the suggestions posted here before they decide to give up their cat.

I see where Boopadadoo is coming from. Lillie lambasted me on my post about being an irresponsible pet owner for letting my cat outside, but now is considering getting rid of her cat for inappropriate peeing. Interesting.

I'm not saying I don't sympathize with cat owners going through this problem. If I had this problem with a cat and it was jeopardizing my marriage or adding stress with a new baby and I tried everything mentioned above and the behavior kept up, I would consider re-homing the cat. I have a cat who uses the basement floor instead of the litter box and I haven't rehomed her (the basement is unfinished and leaky and not a priority right now). Yet according to Lillie I am an irresponsible pet owner.

So Lillie, if you don't want to be judged, perhaps you should be careful not to harshly judge others.

Paige-I believe what I said in response to your post was that you were not willing to solve the problem with your "Psycho neighbor" by keeping your cat inside.In my opinion and obviously the opinion of many others who responded also that is/was the only way you could be 100% sure that your problem would be solved.I don't believe I ever called you an irresponsible pet owner,just that you weren't taking the responsibility of keeping the cat inside.I have outside cats,always have and probably allways will. I see nothing wrong with that,if that is your choice,but I wouldn't be complaining about someone letting my cats inside their house if I wasn't willing to solve the problem by keeping the cat inside and that is what I said. Sorry if you got the idea I was calling you an irresponsible pet owner or judging you. I was only expressing my opinion as to what I could see as the solution to your problem. Please accept my apology if I gave you any other impression.
Jenna-Again,I apologize for hijacking your OP. This will be my last response to this subject,PROMISE! And again,I hope you will be able to find a happy solution to yout problem..............Lillie

Always address medical causes when an animal starts doing something (urinating inappropriately, cranky, sleeping more, etc) it hasn't done before.

Regardless of the bickering here that has hijacked your question, cats do not have the human based emotions attibuted here. Anyway, I know very few people who pee on other people's things they are "jealous." Stress can create medical problems (for example, intersticial cystitis). That does not mean it is not a real physical problem.

Good luck with your family! Thanks for looking further into your cat's problem.

Laurie - what a pompous windbag you are!

It was quite obvious that labmomma asked that you stop responding to her posts, but you just couldn't help yourself.

You remind me of Rosie O'Donnell and I am SO SORRY for YOU!

Jennaflower - I do hope that you found the answer to your quandry SOMEWHERE in this mess of a thread. Congrats on the new baby!

June,
Did you not notice the thread is nearly a year old? IMO, your reponse is not above what you're accusing the others of.

So whatever happened to the cat? Op is probably long gone...

I'd like to know how this all turned out too.I still have my cat.She hasn't peed on the bed in a couple of months so she's still safe from my inhumane behavior.LOL
Yeah,I know I said I wasn't responding to anything else on this board but I'm a woman after all and we are allowed to change our minds.Right?

I know this thread is old, but my experience might help someone else. My cat started peeing in the tub (sometimes, otherwise in the litterbox) and pooping in front of the litter box on the tile floor. No medical issues (he was checked out) and the box was cleaned twice a day. DH (who wasn't DH yet at the time) and I decided to have the cat spend the winter at DH's house. The cat stopped the "inappropriate" behavior. As much as the cat loved me (I'd had him 14 years or so at that time), he was lonely. I worked long hours and was rarely home. Winter was off-season for DH, so he was home a lot. The cat was very happy to see me whenever I was there, but he obviously preferred it at DH's house. He'd lived in my place for many years, and the change to DH's house didn't bother him.

So, maybe if the cat was given away it wouldn't repeat the behavior at the new house. Or maybe if the home situation that was causing the behavior could be remedied the behavior would stop as well. Obviously you can't get rid of the baby, but maybe more attention to the cat would help, I don't know.

But I wouldn't assume the behavior is not correctible, because in my experience it is. Good luck.

Your OP says that your baby is 5 months old and your cat is becoming a problem. I have to wonder when the behaviour started. I think if he was doing this out of spite it would have started probably very soon after you brought your baby home, I'm guessing the first month (someone can add to this as I'm going with gut instinct here, I think jealousy would have shown up very soon after the baby came home, not 4-5 months later).

Either way if it was me I would have the cat checked by a vet before getting rid of him. If he's been a good kitty for 5 years then give him the benefit of the doubt. He deserves that much. At least then you can find a home for him (I think he'd be more adoptable as a cat who peed with a UTI rather than a cat who peed out of jealousy).

Of course your baby should be your first priority but not your only one. One poster here mentioned how her cat saved her baby's life and this cat could become a guardian angel over your child one day. I personally sleep better at night with Dustin by my side. Cats hearing and sense of smell are better than humans, definitely better than mine, and when his head perks up at night then snuggles back to sleep I feel safe. He might not be able to protect me but his sense of danger is better than mine.

Ultimate it is your decision and you have to make the one you feel is right for everyone involved but please include your cat as one of the 'everyone'.

To put the debate in perspective, I worked as a nurse and often covered night shifts in people's homes so the caregivers could sleep through the night while I cared for their loved one. One was an adorable 4 month old girl who was unfortunately born with a genetic disorder. I fed her through a tube into her stomach and watched over her at night. The other nurses and I agreed she was a lovely child but the parents would go on and on about how their toddler was so smart and talking, using bigger words than his age and how he was gifted. He was the perfect child every parent dreams of. I can imagine how heartbreaking it must have been for this couple to have a second child so challenged with, regrettably, a limited life expectancy. Speculation became fact and the couple put their daughter up for adoption. Is it because they loved her less? Is it because they couldn't cope with caring for a child that would probably not reach pre-school? Was she a blemish on the perfect family they envisioned when they got married? Who can say? Some nurses on the team thought the parents didn't want to bother with such a child and that they were cold and unfeeling to give away their child. I didn't know the family long enough to have an opinion but also know it wasn't my place to have one. I was there to provide a service for the wellbeing of this family. Giving their daughter up for adoption to a caregiver who could give this child the love and support and care she needed was probably the best thing for that baby, whatever the parents reasons may be. But they were judged for giving up their child.

Everyone has their opinion and everyone is ultimate responsible for their own decisions. By coming here it seemed you were looking for input, advice and a solution to stop the unacceptable behaviour so that is what some posters offered. Sometimes none of these suggestions help and the final decision is yours. I like to make decisions that are best for me with minimal negative impact on others, then again I'm the lady who apologizes to a spider when she kills it. If you've done all you can to make what you believe is the right decision then have no regrets. They only hold you back and prevent you from fully enjoying life.

Dear Sweetchastity, the baby is now a toddler.

You know, sweetchastity has put a lot of thought and effort into her answer. Even though the child of the original poster is about 2 1/2 by now, it is still helpful advice for someone else with a similar problem.

We get questions on Pets Forum about this sort of behavior fairly often. I plan to share some of the ideas with my sis, whose cat does something similar when they have overnight guests.

I saw this post resurrected and did forget to check the original date posted and read many of the other posts but not all of them. The issue stuck in my mind and it is a difficult one. I just wanted to add my thoughts, late though they may be. Sometimes it takes me a couple of days to go through a long post but I wanted to speak while the thoughts were in my head. I hope everything worked out and will continue to read this thread.

Your right petal. I m sorry sweetchasity for a flippant reply. The info is still good for others who might need it.

I do know how to spell most of the time! Replace your with You're, and add an apostrophe after I. I need some coffee...

I don't know how I missed this thread 2 years ago- my DD is about the same age as the OP's.

Years ago, when I was a kid, we had a neutered male cat who was peeing inappropriately and no medical reason could be found. It was deemed as something triggered by stress. The vet put him on a one month pack of cat birth control pills (Ovaban?) and it stopped the behavior entirely. I'm not sure if this is something practiced widely, or just something this vet did; I do know other people who have treated inappropriate elimination with the same method, with great success. I'm not sure why it often works, maybe it helps them relax and gives time for the habit to be broken? If someone is in a situation like this, it would definitely be worth talking to a vet about trying- and definitely better than automatically disposing of a cat.

jennaflower - What did you decide to do with the cat? When I read posts like this I always wonder what happened. It is like a story with no ending. I just saw that this post is almost 2 years old! And the OP never responded to any of the posts.

Young people about to marry and have kids, should honestly rethink the whole pet ownership thing and indeed in these troubling economic and polictical times their own morality, there are 6 1/2 billion humans on our planet, the earth can only physically substain 12 billion and what quality of life is that?, no pets, wildlife, no fresh air,water, no nature. indeed seriously if humans don't start fixing each other on a scale like we do animals one day cannibalism, and death will become the norm as food either becomes too expensive to get or runs out. Most of the humans in the world are starving and dying from diseases. Our very lives are so for so many of us dull and depressing at work, it seems amoral to have kids, not adopt but have kids.

Pets are wiser for couples to have IMO because they don't aid to the growing human problem, they don't grow up, get drunk, not liston to your advice, go to parties,do drugs/ect. Spoiling a pet is better then a child because pets unlike humans never grow up and leave you, the real world (if you never rehome) is their world of love and I can get whatever I want as long as it isn't violent, nasty ect. Do that to a human child and your doing one of the meanest things you can do to someone.

As for a pet getting along with kids, you can put the pet in another room, mix blankets that have baby scent, slowly introduce the two, ect.

Cannibalism?? People eating people?

Runsnwalken, you always give me a good laugh.

It wont happen in our lifetimes nor in many lifetimes to come but the first steps are being taken, Higher cost of living, dwendling food resourses,more wars, cannibalism has happened as resently as world war 2.( read it in a book on the matter) and besides starvation diseases or preadtors its natures way to control the populations of carnivores or omnevores. If nobuddy had ANY food whatsoever peoples brains and behavior would change, they would have no choices but to revert to prmitive instincts to survive. your get hairy and eat your muscles if you starve. Weird things happen to people who don't eat normally.

but its not going to happen to us if people put population limits on themselves, in a humane and eitical way. Things would have to get very bad before people,being so advanced and evolved would snoop to that level. Otherwise in another few thousend years, it might happen.