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8.5 months pregnant and baffled by cat's behavior

post #1 of 11
9/15/11 at 8:33am
Thread Starter 
Hi all,

We adopted a male cat from the humane society back in May and we believe he is about 2 years old (they weren't sure). When we first got him he was very loving and affectionate but had problems with food. He was extremely skinny and refused to eat. We finally got him to start eating and it seems like in the past 1-2 months he has had a major growth spurt.

Since the spurt he has more playful and wants attention 24/7. While I try to give him as much attention as I can, my husband works all day and I am too tired from being pregnant to be able to play with him as much as he would like (which would be all day if it were up to him!). Here is the issue:

Around the time of his growth spurt he started peeing in a corner on one of the baseboards. We caught him twice and tried to remedy the problem by cleaning the area with baking soda so he would not go back to that spot. It seemed to work and my husband started being more diligent in keeping his catbox clean. Two weeks ago he started peeing in our bathtub, which he has done twice so far. We decided to go out and buy a different litterbox thinking that perhaps he wasn't happy with the one we had. So far so good.

On top of the peeing and the need to be played with 24/7, he seems to "punish" us every time we leave the house and/or go to sleep. I woke up this morning to water spilled on my coffee table from him knocking it over and he clearly had been on the countertops in the kitchen. I know this may not seem like a huge deal but it is stressful to me because I don't know what more he wants from me!

Is it possible that he knows the baby will be here soon and he is showing his jealousy/dislike of the situation? He tends to follow me around the house all day long and cries at me, and he is constantly trying to get in to the baby's room when I have her door open.

Sorry for such a long post and thanks for any help/advise!
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post #2 of 11
9/15/11 at 9:23am
Has he been neutered ?If not then he needs to be as male cats spray. If he has been.Then a trip to the vet to make sure he does not have a bladder infection that is often the reason why cats pee in places they shouldn't.. As to punishing you .Thats not what hes doing. Cats climb and walk around on high places its there nature .If your not home to make your cat get down then hes going to walk on higher places such as your counter tops tables ect. Knocking over water on purpose? he probably just bumped into the glass and it tipped over..
Cats do need attention and stimulation. Has he toys? Is he inside only?
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post #3 of 11
9/15/11 at 10:51am
When I was pregnant with both of my kids my husbands cats did this. He had 2 males who I loved dearly but right before the babies were born and afterwards they would pee on everything (they were neutered) and it got to the point to where they would pee on the babies things. We had to give them up after that one They also became super clingy and needy in my last month too

Pregnant women have much more hormones then non pregnant women and animals sense that there is a change coming.
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post #4 of 11
9/15/11 at 11:56am
Thread Starter 
I don't think it's a bladder infection, I would assume that it would happen more often if it were? I think he is just very picky about his litterbox and that if it's not completely clean at all times then he goes elsewhere.

I really don't want to give him up, as we chose to bring him in to our family and we can't just get rid of him because he's acting up; however, I've already made it quite clear to my husband that once the baby is here if he starts peeing on her things and/or destroys her things then he will have to go. I'm hoping it doesn't get to that point!

I'm going to make an appointment with the vet. I need to make sure he is caught up on all of his shots anyway, so it would probably be a good idea to check for the bladder infection just in case. Thanks for the suggestions
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post #5 of 11
9/15/11 at 12:29pm
Baking soda et al may make the smell disappear to your nose, but not his.
You need to get an enzyme cleaner made specifically for urine.
As long as he can still smell urine those spots may well continue to be considered toilet areas by him.
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post #6 of 11
9/15/11 at 12:55pm
Hmmm... a couple things....

Some cats mature very slowly, and since he's having a growth spurt he may be one of those. So, that said, he may look adult, but may have the playfulness/energy of a kitten. I know...I've got one. He's just FASCINATED with water in a cup. I think he just wants to see how far he can get his head in the cup, but it always gets spilled!

Also, if he's got even a slight bladder infection, for some reason, maybe the tub is cooler...and is more comfortable for him to pee there. It just seems like we hear that a LOT here. And it IS often a bladder infection.

There are interactive toys like, I think it's called panic mouse? And also, if you get a "Da Bird" I don't think you have to expend a lot of energy to play with him with that.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.
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post #7 of 11
9/15/11 at 3:42pm
Thread Starter 
We have something similar to "da bird", it has feathers and string on it. It's his favorite toy and we've already replaced it 3 times! lol. The only problem is that he only plays with it if we wave it around, which I have no problem with, but my energy is so low right now that I can't just sit there for an hour waving my arms around to entertain him. I do try to play with him as much as I can, a little here and a little there. I've been contemplating the idea of getting another cat so he has a companion, but I don't know if it will make the situation better or worse!

My husbands grandma suggested the baking soda so we tried it. He hasn't peed there since, it's only the tub now. I'm going to take him in next week and have everything checked out.
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post #8 of 11
9/15/11 at 4:52pm
Try a Cat Dancer, the complete kit comes with a 'paw' to stick it to things.
It's huge hit with even cats that don't often play.

Fling-ama-string could help as well.

The above two toys could send you into labor with fits of laughing.
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post #9 of 11
9/16/11 at 11:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arlyn View Post
Try a Cat Dancer, the complete kit comes with a 'paw' to stick it to things.
It's huge hit with even cats that don't often play.

Fling-ama-string could help as well.

The above two toys could send you into labor with fits of laughing.
HAHAHA!!!! I can see it now...recommended by obstetricians everywhere!
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post #10 of 11
9/17/11 at 4:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arlyn View Post

Fling-ama-string could help as well.

The above two toys could send you into labor with fits of laughing.
I have pet fling AMA string and have replaced the batteries probably 20x, not joking. Both my cats love it and when I turn it on, will play with it for 30-45min at a time. It has two speeds too, which varies the play type. I had to fix it a few times too, too worn out.

I have two cats so they are mostly chasing each other around, playing. Maybe get a second cat?
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post #11 of 11
9/17/11 at 7:59am
First of alll, stop taking everything the cat does so personally. He's a cat. He has a very different nature than you or I. Yes, he's going to get on the counters if you haven't trained him not to. And even then, he will probably do it when you aren't around. Does he have a cat tree? That might help. We found a great affordable one on amazon.

And I'm pretty sure he didn't spill your water on purpose, he was probably helping himself to a drink and it fell over. He saw a cup with water, was thirsty so he drank. He doesnt know the difference between your designated bowl of water for him and your glass. He just doesn't. A simple solution is not to put a glass of water on your side table.

Cats are an adjustment. They are different than you or I. They tell us things in very peculiar ways that we don't understand. Yet, we expect them to just adapt to us without training, without consideration for their nature and failing to understand they communicate differently than we do.

Do you have a laser pointer? It requires minimal effort from you but will keep kitty entertained and exercising.

Again, just relax, don't take his actions personally and try to look at things from his perspective before you get so upset.
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