Cat poo on floor - im 40 weeks pregnant

[1990fran]

Hi all
I dont know if this is correct place to post pet related issue but here goes. Our cat is 10 and since I have fell pregnant she has been doing a poo on the floor, not every day but at least 3 times a week.. she is an outdoor cat never had issues before, I am in a converted garage so she comes in and out of the cat flap, she has her food and water in here and her bed, as soon as she sees that i have spotted what she's done she runs out the cat flap, she is my baby honestly she is so precious to us i dont know what has bought on this sudden behaviour change, she hasnt been to the vets as yet when i called vets they asked some medical questions vet concluded it sounded like a behavioral change and gave me tips Ive already tried and seen on internet, has anyone else experienced anything like this? Ive used cat deterrent, moved her food I've tried everything, she can't go in thr house as mum has 2 other cats she fights with this is her safe place i cant have litter box in here I have heard its bad for a newborn to be around litter, I am due to move end of year but need to get this sorted any advice id really appreciate! I give her loads of attention still, I am at the point of despair i cant have a baby being in a room where the cat does this, cant have litter, cant put her in the house, so stuck what to do :( thank you

Can you have a litter tray in the bathroom or something? I’m sure a litter tray will only be a problem once your baby is crawling?

Not sure why you can't have a litter box, obviously not were babies playing, but maybe in the bathroom? Difficult to say without seeing your layout, but there must be somewhere it can go. You do need to take extra hygiene precautions when emptying it while pregnant, but as your already cleaning poo of the floor, it won't be any worse then that.

Could you have a litter box with sand in it instead of cat litter? Cats love sand!

The bathroom is in the house the cat can't get in there because we have to keep the cat flap shut for the house as we have an indoor cat, only one of those uses the tray the other one meows to be let out, i read online that litter can be very dangerous to newborns? Not sure if its true or not however I would be getting a tray with a lid on etc an enclosed one if that makes any difference

I've never heard of litter being harmful to newborns, but suspect it may just be silica litter which is an issue? It can give of a fine dust which has been said to be carcinogenic if I remember correctly. Using a wood/corn/paper litter should be fine when your little one is crawling a child gate will stop access to where the litter tray is.

If you’re concerned about the substrate the cat litter is being safe for newborn then would wood pellet cat litter be ok? The cheap or Uber expensive cat litter stuff can be a bit dusty but wood pellet cat litter isn’t. Not all cats like litter trays with a lid on but can try that option - we used to have lid ones without the doors on and a mat that caught any stray litter caught on their feet on their way out. The disease they worry about in cat poo is also in soil so long as you wash fruit and veg throughly, wash hands before eating and after changing litter I can’t see the issue. A veterinary friend has a negative test for the antibodies when pregnant despite many summers having sheep give birth to lambs where the risk is far greater of catching it. It is a risk and worth being careful but you can remove the risk with good hygiene and gloves. We have several cats and have had litter trays for kittens with babies/toddlers with no issue. We glove and used nappy bags to bin poo outside immediately. If it persists, I would recommend a physical exam by vets where they take bloods, urine sample etc because it is quite a change in behaviour and you can’t assume it is just behavioural without fully ruling out medical reasons, especially in an older cat. Good luck with it all.