to be thinking about offloading the cat?

[ellehcim]

Ok I know I'm about to get stoned by the animal lovers but our cat is driving me barmy. I know she can't help it but she's started throwing up and pooing everywhere. It started when I was pregnant with DS2 and hasn't stopped (he is now 3 months). She's now also started peeing on the coir matting in the hallway.

I've insisted that she stays in the conservatory for the past few months but its getting colder at night now. DH thinks I'm being completely unreasonable making her live in the conservatory but with a baby and a 2 year old I can't be searching each room before we go in it for cat crap. Am I being unreasonable? I have to say that she is a lovely cat and I do feel bad about it but I have enough on my plate at the moment and don't need to be worrying about DS1 touching a hidden pile of cat sick!

If your cat was too unhappy with the current arrangements, she would probably have rehomed herself by now.

I've heard of a couple of people moving the cat out of the main house for the sake of kids - bad exczema

The cats we had growing up always slept in the shed at night in a cardboard box lined with newspaper and old woolies. They have fur.

I thought this cat was banished to conservatory which is cooling with the season?

Actually I'm a softy and would install some sort of heater eg oil-filled radiator left on low for it to snuggle up to.

you mention that your cat is getting on in age a bit...that might be part of the problem....I think it's not unusual for older Cats, iykwim....
let us know how you got on wiht teh vet

YABU but I have to say I was in an identical situation a few years ago and I did the same

I couldn't help it. Some sort of pregnancy thing kicked in and I couldn't stand the cats near me. I like cats usually too. We had two at the time and they were both inclined to leave a pile of vomit about the house.

I tried to have them re-homed, then the oldest one, (who was v old) suddenly died. I fely terrible about that. The other one happily went to live with dh's brother, thank goodness and I know he had a lovely home there.

I just couldn't stand the thought of them near babies and coping with the cat vomit too. I was about to have dt's and already had a 3 year old.

Now, years later, we still have no pets. The dc want one, I know they do, but that experience put me off big time. I was shocked and felt very guilty at my reaction to the cats. While I still like cats a lot and am tempted, I doubt very much we'll have another pet.

ellehcim. there are two issues here. The first, do you want this cat? if you really feel you cant have him her in the house and you dont want to keep her, then re home her. She will be quite happy in a new home, cats are fickle creatures and just want food and the occasional stroke. Secondly, and this could be the answer, why is she suddenly doing this? Is there a medical reason for her sudden naughtiness? Maybe you should get the vet to give her an overhaul, it could be that she has a medical condition. I do totally agree with you re the children and i would think my approach would be - take the cat to the vets, if there is no medical reason for the behaviour that can be sorted, then i would rehome her. There will be a local cat rescue and most of them don't put the cats to sleep. Some of them will even arrange for the new home while you keep the cat at home.

Dont beat yourself up over this, your children MUST come first and if she is used to being involved more than she can be now, then maybe she would be better off in a new home.

Assumuing there's no medical reason why she's using your carpet as a litter tray it sounds as if your cat is unsettled by the children.

If so, then the only solution is to take her to a shelter where she can find a home with a more suitable family.

on a practical level this may help if you decide to try and keep the cat. Ask your vet about feliway, it is a feline pheremone that is used to help with this behaviour. Maybe it was the upheaval while you were pregnant that upset the applecart, this would help her feel more at home, you would spray or have a diffuser where she spends most of her time. Has had varying success rates, from rubbish to miraculous. There are other things you can do to prevent a toilet area. Wash the areas where she is urinating in biological washing powder and when dry, dab with meths, this breaks down any fats and proteins in the urine and stops the cat returning to their smell. The feliway does take time to work but when it does, its brilliant, apparently.

Just a thought.

YA absolutley NBU.
I had to have cat 1 put down a couple of months before DS1 arrived as she had a stroke but she had started behaving exactly the same as yours.
She absolutely had to go and in the end it was a stroke that got her and not rehoming. No way can you have that going on with a baby around - what about when he is crawling!
Take the cat to the vets as there may be a reason for the vomiting and pooing.
My other cat poos in our yard but I just make sure I get rid of it before the kids go out and play, if she pooed inside then she would be gone too. And I adore my cats, its just that you have to put your kids safety first - there's that disease they can get from cat poo that can lead to blindness (I think).

(My 'YABU' was an ironic one btw; you are not.

Irony doesn't seem to come over too well on a message board)

Oooooh I've started a trend!!

I'm still feeling so sad and guilty about my cat

I completely understand your situation, it is an extremely hard decision to have to make.

Taking the cat to the alternative vets tomorrow afternoon. Stool sample is a helpful suggestion however part of the problem is that its black and runny so not easily collected (or cleaned up!!)

I let her sleep in the house last night which I'm glad about because it was freezing here. Thankfully no little surprises waiting to great me (or at least none that I've found!) We've only last week had the carpet replaced from the mess she made last time we let her sleep in the house.