Cats... your opinion please

[BPrincess]

Evening everyone

Just wanted some opinions on our cat situation.

We have a 17-year-old tom cat. He's fit and healthy in many ways, except:
Incontinent: (pees and poos often, on kitchen floor, and elsewhere if we let him out of the kitchen) He has a litter tray in there but seems to prefer the slate floor...
Highly neurotic: he yowls at night and cries a lot. Even when you're in the same room he constantly meows, to the points where you just have to put him in another room and close the door if he's not going to drive you mental.
Funny tum: he often throws up his food.

Apart from that, whenever we take him to the vet, he says how well he is for his age!

Anyway, I'm 29wks pg and while my partner does all the feeding/cleaning/clearing up after the cat, it's not been easy, and I'm constantly cleaning the work surfaces in the kitchen with bleach as he loves to sit on them.

Mw said I'd be immune to toxoplasmosis, so not worried about that, more by how we'd cope with the new arrival. With the noise and the mess, on top of the baby mess.

Does anyone have any advice?

No friends or relatives would have him, I'm sure. Is it terrible to wonder if it might be time to say goodbye? And would a vet even do this?

Opinions please!

[greenzebra]

Ahh poor old tom. I have a cat similar excpet hes not as old and only sometimes misses the little tray. He is a whinner though, very annoying. Luckerly hes my parents cat but we leave with my parents, Im 30 weeks pregnant. Hopefully we will have moved out by the time the baby comes, but if not, Im not too worried as I will keep the babies clothes and linen and stuff away from the cat so he cant sleep on it. Also have a cat net over the crib. I think as long as hands are washed after touching the cat and before you hold the baby, shouldnt have too many problems, untill the baby is older and moving around. But if its like any other cats I have know he will soon disappear and hide while the babies moving around.
Just keep the babies room cat free.

I think it will be a shame to get rid of the cat, hes been there along time. Im sure you will end up having a routine, and Im sure I have read that its good for a growing baby/child to have a pet in the house for immunity reasons.

[MrsVidic]

I'll tell you the story of my dd and Rooney the cat. Initially he wanted to sleep in the Moses basket before she was here then settled on the gliding chair.

Dd arrived and he was interested, sniffed her and then watched. After realising my boobs produced milk he would queue up behind her (lie next to her as she lay on my knee) to try to get me to feed him! Not a chance of that by the way!

Dd was weaned, Rooney loved her even more! She would pass him food!

Dd crawled and the tables turned, he spent more time up stairs.

Then she learnt how to feed him (without my knowlege) she would go to the kitchen and give him his treats!

She always tells me when he's waiting outside !

He is lovely with her and let's her pick him up, she's 19 months old. Her first word was cat and all her friends are mesmerised by him.

However, he only goes outside to the toilet, a litter tray would be tough and he is young and fit.

Good luck

[supadupapupascupa]

just a thought, but cats hate the smell of bleach and will rub themselves on it to get rid of the smell. Use non-bleach cleaners and he might not climb the surfaces so much.

in answer to your question, a pet is for life. sorry, but i am shocked you are even considering it. If you want to put him to sleep because his quality of life is such that it would be kind then fine.

just try to contain the mess away from the baby. it shouldn't be a problem until baby is on the move anyway and you can use gates t keep them out of the kitchen.

[MrsVidic]

Oh I second the immunity, dd often spoon feeds the cat behind my back then before I can stop her carries on eating! Oh and she tried to groom him with her Tongue once

[GoodVibrations]

Have you told your vet about the problems?. Peeing/ pooing so close to a litter tray can indicate psychological problems rather than incontinence.

We had a very similar situation (though ours started after the birth of DD) and our cat was diagnosed with depression. I was so sceptical I got a second opinion and it was the same. Our cat was intentially being sick to tell us she was unhappy (it was around the same time each morning). She was put on anti-depressants, we got her a basket in a quiet part of the house and gave her another litter tray (we have another cat). No problems since (though have another baby on the way so may well happen again.....).

No idea if that helps but thought I would share!

[rac2801]

hi
Although hes old and has a bladder problem its important to clean areas with the correct product as many contain ammonia(bleach) which means he will be attracted to the same place over again !! i would get a product from a pet store and go over the whole area as for work surfaces a lemon or citrus cleaner as cats dont like the smell and/or a water spray a quick squirt at the cat will make it a unpleasant experience!!
you should speak to the vet re the howling etc can get plugins unsure of whats in them ? but can settle neverous cats check re your condition or he might have other surggestions
hope is is of some help
good luck with the cat
and the new arrival
rachel x

[catinthehat2]

I would really investigate the poor old boy's diet, if he's throwing up and crapping inappropriately, might be able to reduce it which will make both of you happier

[BPrincess]

Thanks everyone for the opinions.

I initially thought it could be diabetes, cos he drinks so much (which is when he tends to throw up - he drinks loads after eating his biscuits, then I think it all swells up in his stomach and he's sick!), and we've seen the vet about it several times. Each time, he says the cat is fine, just neurotic.

We've tried all manner of plug-ins, non-bleach sprays, cleaning with non-bio washing powder, just warm water, everything, I swear. But nothing works. He's worse in winter, when I think simply not wanting to go out in the cold to pee/poo compounds the problem. But still, there's always the litter tray, which is rarely used either!

He's neutered by the way, so it's not marking. We think it's a combination of causes really - plenty of other cats in the area making him nervous, him being neurotic of nature, since a kitten, and possibly a little senil now, too.

Good to know that all the mess will be good for baby's immune systems - ther's one positive at least!

I will live in hope, with all your lovely stories!

Thank you.

[stottiecake]

just another thought - our cat got really depressed a week or so after ds's arrival. She just curled up in the corner and wouldn't eat or drink. She had a short stay at the vets (blardy expensive!!). They never got to the bottom of it and gave some antibiotics and she perked up and was back to her normal self after a week I think.

[Pootletrinket]

Our cats (young and healthy with DD's arrival but somewhat neurotic and naggy) could barely be seen for dust once baby arrived - had worried about night time etc but if baby was upstairs, cats would be downstairs and vice versa - they had their noses put out of joint that much, it changed a lot of the unwanted behaviour

[Laska]

Has your vet tested his thyroid function? It sounds a little like the type of behaviour when our cat's thyroid went off the scale. Might be worth getting him tested, and if it's very extreme make a judgement then.

[Petalouda]

Agree with Laska, yowling at night sounds v much like thyroid issues. All symptoms combined are very like the last years of our old cat.

V distressing for all involved. Not least the cat himself.

No real suggestions, except to make sure he's in an established routine, which continues after the baby's born. And see your vet again.

Also some good advice can be found in Vicky Halls' books.

Good luck. x

[Darlingdamsel]

Wow ... I do entirely get where you are coming from. My cat is 18, very much loved but becoming quite 'difficult' to say the least.

Literally before I realised I was pregnant, she started peeing everywhere. Then she started the yowling 24 hours, now refuses to go outside remotely and insists from 3 am every night on keeping me way by standing on my head (no joke,really) and litterally following me around looking pissed.

She does have a condition that will ultimate kill her and the vet has said she should have no more treatment. It worries me that a baby may just be the end of her, but to be honest - 80% of the days she is really energetic and loveable. So I have decided not to put her down but rather see how it progresses.

There is a point to this ... smile.

Two nights ago I threw her out of the bedroom (first time in 18 years) and into the living room/kitchen so I can finally get some sleep and will continue to 'draw boundaries' that will be good for the baby - regardless if the cat is happy. I now also give her dedicated petting time to make her feel really really loved up to hopefully prevent depression and stress. To deal with the yowling - I give her treats and attention when she is behaving and ignore her when she does it and it seems to be helping. Finally, my cat is hooked on St John's Wart and it definitely helps calm her down and you just put a peaker full in their water. For senile/neurotic cats ... its a live safer.

Good luck!

[Darlingdamsel]

Cough ... 'life saver'

I sm really tired ... smile

[nancy10]

I am super sensitive at the moment with our pets but agree with what everyone else is saying as long as you are sensible you'll be fine. I have always had cats so am probably immune to toxoplasmosis anyway. As long as you keep areas clean and wash your hands etc you'll be fine. I caught my ds sharing his burger at a bbq with our dog last summer, one bite for him, one bite for dog ( I obviously stopped him) but that didn't do him any harm. Am I right in thinking that bleach encourages cats to wee? Only my cat piddled on our bath mat last night and I had cleaned the floor yesterday with bleach. I had shut our kitchen door but hadn't realised he was trapped upstairs when we went to bed last night. So he might have just been desperate!

[nancy10]

I'm pregnant thats why I'm super sensitive!

[BPrincess]

Darlingdamsel I am about to google St Johns Wort for cats - sounds like a great idea!

Sorry to hear your cat has a terminal condition, I really am - hope you have some good times left with her.