Hi everyone,

I'm just looking for a little bit of advice please.

My cat Jake is 8yo we got him from the rspca when he was a kitten. He's been very much a part of our family ever since. He was diagnosed as having hepatitis when he was 3 and has occasional bouts of illness which is very noticeable as he goes off his food, is very sleepy/drowsy and cries. He isn't showing any of these signs which means he's not ill from this.

We moved house 4 weeks ago and he's really changed - We moved about 4 yrs ago and he didn't misbehave after that so don't understand it.

He doesn't have a litter tray usually but when we moved whilst he was getting used to the house we bought one and then when we let him out after 2 weeks (he couldn't wait and was crying at the door for a week before we gave in) we then got rid of the litter tray again and he seemed fine with this.

However, 2 weeks ago I went to get into my bed and he'd wet on our bed which was bad enough but today he's come into the living room and just poo'd on the carpet! The back door was open and he'd been out and about just before I don't know why he would have done this. We also found a holdall bag that he's climbed into and pee'd in. I'm so annoyed with him.

He has also start digging his claws into the carpets (especially the stairs) and the sofa/chair. He has also started swiping at the baby and trying to bite her (even when she's just sitting on the floor playing with her toys) she's never hurt him and really loves him she'll stroke him if she's on her knee but he wont let her near him without one of us (understandably lol)

Any ideas on what we can do?

Is your Jake a lovely sweet and gentle cat normally?

I'd reckon that he's suddenly unhappy either because of the cat smell from previous inhabitants or there's an incumbent much less sweet and gentle cat who already 'owns' the territory that your garden's in.

Unfortunately there's no real way of scaring off the other cat without scaring your lad too- so I'd say that you really could do with getting him a hooded litter tray that's somewhere quiet and seeing if that improves things.

thats what my hubby said but i really don't want a litter tray in the house with a little one kicking about - I will get one if it'll be best for him though.

He is usually a sweetie so it's a shock to the system. There has been no cats here before but there was a dog. Do you think that'd make a difference to him?

Mite do, cats are very particular about smells aren't they.
Try spraying round with Biological washing powder dissolved in water, the washing powder breaks down any enzymes (smells)...

Myabe it's stress? our cat used to wee on the floor and it was stress related. Maybe the move and new cats in the neighbour are just too much for him?

PM lotti and ask her about some stuff called Serene-um or something..she uses it on the dogs and it chills them right out..

Good luck, i know how annoying it is!

it is annoying and as i doubt very much he's ill it's even more annoying!

I have cleaned all the carpets etc due to the dog being here previously but maybe I should do it again.

Couldn't hurt. Maybe the kitty is just very unsettled... i don't know what else to suggest..

It does sound like he's upset about things and scared to go out to me (and the dog smell wouldn't help either). If you've got a carpet shampoo machine then I'd soak the trouble spots with odour killer and then add some to the shampooing mixture too.

Hiya,

Resurrecting an old thread.

Jake has started this up with a vengeance. For 6 weeks now he's using the house as a toilet on average 2-3 time per week. He seems to be targetting the babies things (she's 22 months so not a new addition) She hasn't done anything to him either so I don't understand it.

Today he'd been out for more than two hours and then when I let him in he came in and pee'd on dd2's changing bag. After a stern telling off from me and lots of cleaning :gag: we settled down.
When I went to the toilet about an hour ago I discovered he'd pee'd all over dd2's clothes that were on the floor from her bath, I cleaned it up and had a moan but left it at that, only to discover when I've come to put dd2 to bed he's poo'd on her pillow in her bedroom (the door is normally kept closed, I just forgot after bathing her)

Last week poo'd in her bedroom in the corner when dd1 didn't close the door. The day after he poo'd down the side of the TV and the baby picked it up prior to us noticing.

I honestly don't know how much more it I can handle from him. If she'd have eaten that :gag::gag::gag:

We've spoken to a vet who asked a variety of questions regarding his hepatitis and he said he feels it's not connected as he is eating and behaving normally. He is being his normal usual loving self except for this.

Any advice?

Hi Annie, we've got three cats, two girls and a boy and a dog. The male cat sounds so similar to yours, he's wee'd in shopping bags, on my son's bed and other strange places! One of the cats (not sure which) also occasionally pooed on the bath mat. I've resorted to putting a litter tray in the bathroom now. I know it's a bind but is there anywhere you could put a litter tray out of the children's reach? I hope things improve, it must be a boy cat thing :roll:

Hi Annie, we've got three cats, two girls and a boy and a dog. The male cat sounds so similar to yours, he's wee'd in shopping bags, on my son's bed and other strange places! One of the cats (not sure which) also occasionally pooed on the bath mat. I've resorted to putting a litter tray in the bathroom now. I know it's a bind but is there anywhere you could put a litter tray out of the children's reach? I hope things improve, it must be a boy cat thing :roll:
I wish that were true I really do...one of my cats has been doing this for almost a year and she's female, it seems that this is the symptom of a sensitive cat that is finding something stressful, and of course the more they do this the more annoyed and stressed owners become and the cat also feels this and feels upset about that too.
My cat started this in earnest when a lot of building work was being done on my house although she has always had her moments, after realising how unhappy she was I have tried to spend ore time with her talking to her and having her on my knee, even giving her treats to make her feel more wanted, I also locked her in the porch at night to save the house from being soiled but she would poo and wee on the floor i there right next to a clean tray.
After having a chat with Medusa I decided not to lock her in any more, I have combined this with watching closely and letting her outside for regular toilet breaks then calling her in fussing her and making her feel welcome, there has been less incidents and nothing I can pin on her for the last 2 weeks, not saying that it will continue...who knows but maybe you need to look at your relationship with the cat a little.
AnnieC I wonder if the cat is jealous of the baby it seems that way, things have obviously changed somewhere from his point of view and he is rather upset about it.

it does seem very targeted toward her. I cannot fathom what it is though. She's not near him as he doesn't like her, he has made that clear often enough, once she just walked past him he scratched and bit her so she's scared of him and leaves him alone.

I really cannot thing whats changed. He gets lot of love lots and lots of it. i don't have more time for it with working full time and having two children, whenever I'm sat down he's here with me.

I just don't know what to do.

Hi annie, we had this problem with our cat Angel, she is a girl btw, so its not just male cats. We tried everything with her then was informed of a brilliant idea, which worked wonders, we put her in a crate for a week or so, with her litter tray inside, and let her out to have her meals, so she got used to using the tray again, it really worked, she now doesnt do anything anywhere except her tray. I would suggest giving it a go. :)

I'll give anything a go at this stage. He's pee'd all over my daughters school stuff during the night. ;( I'm at the end of my tether with him.

Perhaps the cat thinks its the babies fault, for having to move to a new home.

Hey Annie!

What a nightmare!! Don't really know to suggest as i know he goes out and gets lots of love etc.... Wonder why he's suddenly started it tho?! Is it a marking/territory thing? or is he just letting you know that he's unhappy?!

I know how frustrating it is when cats mess round the house and am totally at a loss as to what to suggest...just wanted to say you have my sympathy!