Hello all,
Please please help - I am at the end of my tether!
To set the scene, I am married with a DS (almost 3yo), a dog (5 years old) and two cats (8 and 4)
The 8 year old cat is the first me and DS owned and originally she was a house cat as we lived in a 6th floor flat. She's a British Shorthair and although I'm not a massive fan of pedigree cats we deliberately bought that breed as on researching it seemed that they are happy as indoor cats.
2 years after getting her, we moved to a house. We then got the other cat (a rescue moggy) and the dog. Then we moved to the next street to a bigger house an had DS.
Phew - well done if you've got this far!
I am now pregnant with DC2. The week I found out I was pregnant she started soiling in the house. Since we moved to houses with gardens she has always gone outside before - using the cat flap. She tolerates the other cat and dog, she doesn't hiss at them or anything but she wouldn't choose to be with them if she can avoid it, whereas the other cat and our dog are best buddies and sleep together and play together etc.
She is tolerant of DS, but won't let him touch her - she just runs away, she doesn't turn on him. She's never been a lap cat and she only comes to us for cuddles at night, in bed and then butts our hands with her head until we stroke her.
As I am pregnant, I can't clean up her soiling and DS is losing his patience very very quickly. Also, I am terrified DS will see a poo and pick it up (and put it in his mouth because that's what toddlers do!)
She poos in three spots: in the lounge, on the stairs landing and in a particular place in DS room.
We did some reading up online and followed the adviced to use bio washing powder to clean it up to hopefully remove the scent as much as possible and discourage her, but to no avail.
DH is at the point where he wants to lock her out of the house permanently. I don't want to do that - particularly as it's so cold at night in particular and becuase she's always been a home body - she rarely leaves our garden.
We can't have a litter tray - the dog would eat its contents (I know that's grim!) and I absolutely hate litter trays at the best of times but the smell of one at the moment would send me vomming to the loo permanently.
HELP! What can we do?