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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

The litter tray

Two senior cats; one crawling baby

15 replies

HenriettaChicken · 13/01/2013 20:25

We have two lovely cats, an 11yo male and an 8yo female. Possibly siblings, who we took in from Cat Protection 5 years ago. We now have a 9 month old DS. Our cats have started fighting much more, and we now often find wee, vomit and poo on the floor. My DS has recently started crawling and very nearly crawled through some. It's not possible to keep cats out of every room & obviously it's pretty dangerous for DS if he eats their faeces before we find it.

DH thinks it's sadly time to rehome them for our son's sake. My heart is breaking- I don't know what is right. I don't want to rehome rescue cats... But maybe it's the right thing.

Any suggestions?

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PlaySchool · 14/01/2013 07:10

Maybe try a covered litter tray and see if they use that instead of the floor. Is there a reason for them wee ing and pooing on the floor? Are they threatened by another cat intruding for example?

Lonecatwithkitten · 14/01/2013 08:44

With cats that age it is worth getting a health check particularly as there is vomit involved, but also increased fighting can be related to thyroid unbalances so there could be a fixable medical reason that enables you all to continue to live happily together.

HenriettaChicken · 14/01/2013 18:33

Will definitely check out the thyroid issue.

As for other cats - there are plenty around. We have a cat flap that is supposed to only let in our two with their magnetic collars, but our female cat lost her collar and carried on regardless!

DS loves to crawl around the lounge floor, and keeping the cats out of the lounge is unfeasible (it's where they sleep) so we really want to sort this.

DH has been slightly more calm today - and is looking at ways to solve the problem that are less drastic. DS loves the cats and I tho k they're great for him so I'll be fighting their corner!

Any more suggestions? Will consider anything at this point...

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HenriettaChicken · 02/02/2013 12:28

UPDATE: We now have middening. Help!

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atacareercrossroads · 02/02/2013 12:41

Feliway? My cat did this when I went on holiday and it was due to stress. They are prob getting a bit antsy because of the crawling. I wouldn't rehome at their age as they would just be pts or be taking up much needed space at a no kill rescue.

I know what's its like to have cats behave like this, its hard work but if there are no underlying health issues you can get them through it. I'm glad I didn't give up on my cats as they all lived great lives once I got them sorted (took a few months) and only died of old age

HazeltheMcWitch · 02/02/2013 12:46

Do they have a safe space, away from DS? If they sleep in lounge now, is there anywhere else that they could have as their base? My gut feel, which might be off the mark, is that their anxiety is due to this crawly thing 'invading' their space...

Fluffycloudland77 · 02/02/2013 13:24

Zylkene tablets off amazon.

I don't think you could rehome them, not at their ages.

HenriettaChicken · 02/02/2013 14:19

A safe space? Well, there's a downstairs bathroom and hallway. But the hall is where they eat, and they used to have a litter tray in the downstairs bathroom, until they decided they preferred going outside.

Not sure how they'd feel about sleeping in either of those areas. I'll have a ponder.

What are these meds? Anti depressants?

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HenriettaChicken · 02/02/2013 14:21

Btw thank you thank you thank you for your comments. There's no way we'd rehome if it meant they'd be pts - but if they're unhappy with us the idea of them spending their twilight years with a lovely old lady or the like is quite appealing. But clearly cloud cuckoo land.

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MaBumble · 02/02/2013 14:25

I have two female cats and had similar problems, especially after visitors came and went for longish stays over a period of time. Feliway, a litter box downstairs and enough cardboard boxes/cat nests that they could each hide in and feel safe helped a lot. Plus lots of attention from their humans as required :)

Fluffycloudland77 · 02/02/2013 14:53

Their a milk protein based powder you sprinkle over their food. Our cat was very chilled out on them but he doesn't tolerate milk well and had a runny bottom after a few days on them.

Lonecatwithkitten · 02/02/2013 15:43

Have you been to the vet yet? There are now suggestions of arthritis with middening.

HenriettaChicken · 02/02/2013 19:30

That's a very interesting point.

We haven't taken them to the vet yet, as things initially settled down, but now are much worse.

Over the last few weeks our lovely Molly (the 8 y-o) has seemed to struggle jumping up to the window sills - more of a clamber now - and has made quite hard work of the cat flap. I'd mentioned to DH I wondered if she was becoming arthritic, but she wasn't complaining. We shall definitely book an appointment at the vet this week.

I'm also going to look into the other products mentioned.

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Lonecatwithkitten · 03/02/2013 00:59

Cats don't complain with arthritis they just do less. Yes if she struggling to jump that really suggests arthritis so defiantly a trip to the vets.

HenriettaChicken · 03/02/2013 10:09

Poor Miss Molly. Will sort it Monday morning.

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