Our baby son Oliver was born in May - hence my infrequent vivits to the forum.

Since bringing him home Tiger and Lilly have been urinating on his chair, car seat, pram and cot. We accepted initial marking of territory but this has been going on for 5 months, and quite frankly we've had enough.

We'r constantly having to move, hide or cover Oliver's things and lock the cats out of rooms etc., which is difficult for us and not fair on them. Despite this we've had 2 'incidents' in the last 2 days.

Is there anything that can be done to stop them? Oliver's new cot arrives today, and if they use it as a toilet the house is going to be minus 2 cats

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Martin

This is one of the difficulties of couples adopting pets of any sort, as a mock "family", prior to having babies and starting a real family of their own.

Cats and dogs for that matter like order and don't like it when their place as "family" members gets dashed aside when the baby shows up. Babies are very disrupting influences on a household, they disrupt time, they disrupt relationships, they disrupt calm.
Cats and dogs are very attune to this. Especially, when they felt that they were "the baby" and the most important, loved member of the household. Hence the "stress" territorial marking, or other such jealousy, feeling of neglect, fear issues.

Dogs and cats often find themselves in rescue situations because of this "bad behaviour", and occasionally end up being pts when they bite or scratch the real baby.

If you are thinking in the next few years of starting a real family, then you should consider very carefully before you take on the commitment of kittens and puppies, as a "substitute" family first.
When things go wrong, unfortunately it is the animals that always suffer.

I'm sorry to hear this. My oldest cat started spraying when my first son was born. I thought we were going to have to re-home her but thankfully she did settle and she is still with me 8 years later doing fabulously! I hope your kitties do the same.
Sebrina

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ohh, sounds awful... Sorry, can't help. We just keep the cats out of Alyssa's room - the only thing they have any kind of access to are her play mats. One of them has fallen victim to cat wee - but only once in 10 weeks.

We've gotten very lucky. Linden LOVES the baby. The other two cats are a bit "meh" and really couldn't care less. We haven't had many problems at all - just the one incident.

Hope it improves for you soon... I couldn't lose my cats for anything.

it sounds to me like this may have started as a teritorial thing that has over time become a habit.

in short its something that is well in the remit of an animal behaviourist.

i would suggest contacting your vet and asking to be referred to one. my friend had a similar issue with her puppy and the behaviourist really helped. its sometimes covered under your pet insurance to!

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Martin

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oh martin,

i am sorry to hear this. i think i would be inclined to source a behaviourist too & i really hope it resolves.

good luck! xx

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We never really had this problem, when our daughter was born, our cat would lie in her doorway or under her cot, it was only when Emily started to get older and came to sit on my knee for cuddles the cat showed signs of jealousy, she used to swipe at Emily in order for her to move from my knee, or just push her off. I never had the urinating problems.

Even when my grandson is round, we have 4 bengals and we dont have any sign of that going on with him either. Maybe a trip to the vet would help! sorry couldnt help anymore.

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