Why are cats assholes? 🙄

[MamaFoxToBe]

My cat is kept in overnight and used to sleep on the bed with us. Since having a baby 4 weeks ago we've been putting him in the living room overnight with his food/water and litter tray brought downstairs from where they're kept on the landing in the day.

He's not used his litter tray in months (as he goes outside) but it's always available to him as a back up. Last night when DP was bringing the stuff down the stairs ready to shut the cat in the living room he accidentally dropped the litter tray down the stairs and it broke (snapped all the plastic and the litter went everywhere, all down the stairs 🙄he enjoyed cleaning that up at half 11🤣).

We weren't too fussed about the cat not having a litter tray overnight and said we probably won't bother replacing it anytime soon because he doesn't use it. Well lo and behold DP goes downstairs at 4.30am to go to work and guess who has shit and peed on the sofa?! 😭😭😭

Cats are dickheads 🙄🙄 guess I'll be going out to buy a new litter tray today then 🤦‍♀️

Wrong question.

Why do we love them even though they are assholes?

Good question 🤣 here's the little twat sitting in the baby bouncer

On look at his gorgeous little face 😍

So much cuter than a baby

Aww, he’s a lovely twat, I mean cat. It rhymes.
I think it’s called Sod’s law.

In winter the cat likes to sleep on me, when it's warm she tends to sleep outside.

Anyway, as everyone does, I roll over in my sleep so the cat has to resettle herself on a different hip.

If she thinks I have moved too much she walks across my head/face.

I still find her cute.

Here she is inspecting the washing machine.

The reason why your cat crapped and peed on the sofa might not just be about having no litter tray. In fact, I don't think it was due to there being no litter tray as he never used it, you say, preferring to go outside. I think the reason is this: he is anxious and upset because of the change in routine and being locked out of the bedroom. The bedroom is full of human scent. It is the centre of his life. He now can't access it. He is seeking comfort and leaving his scent on the sofa which also smells of humans is a way of making himself feel better through reassurance. I am afraid to say that he is not an asshole. Here is another similar example: My cat sleeps in his litter box and defecates on a bed or by a door.

This is a postscript: your cat is not going to the toilet in the conventional sense. He is marking territory through defecating and urinating in a prominent position. The purpose is quite different.

Your cat didn't toilet on the sofa because it's an arsehole, it did it because you didn't provide an alternative and because it's nighttime routine has suddenly been flipped upside down with no warning or explanation.

It's used to sleeping with you. Suddenly a screaming baby comes into the house and the cat is relegated to sleeping downstairs alone.

Very good points but I really don't think that's the reason why. It's been almost 5 weeks and he's adapted fine to sleeping downstairs. He's also not at all bothered by the screaming baby because he's deaf. I do agree that it was probably because he had no alternative but we didn't bother to provide one because he hasn't used a tray since about July when he was kept inside for a week due to an injury, it's just always been available as a back up.

I'm not annoyed at the cat at all, it was a light-hearted post calling him an asshole, I love him to bits and know it was a one-off. He still has lots of attention and cuddles and I've been out and bought another litter tray today.

Pic of my two babies included 😍

I agree with this 100%! His whole sense of security has been threatened and he’s feeling it keenly. Give him extra time and cuddles and don’t restrict him from spaces he had access to before. Try trusting him.

Lovely pictures! 😻

It is the way of cats and we’re all a bit mad to put up with them.

You'll have to buy another bouncer for the baby!

Our Bengal slept downstairs for years, brief stints when we tried him upstairs to check if 4:30am was still getting up time. It always was.

That is one gorgeous kitty!* Hope he settles, with a new tray, soon. He looks adorable: is he good with the baby?

• one reason why we love them despite them being arseholes!

You stopped him sleeping in his normal bed, then smashed up his letter tray, and you’re surprised he’s upset and confused?

He sounds stressed.

Poor cat. Suddenly shut out of where it is used to sleeping. No access to litter tray. No wonder you had a mess. No cat should be denied access to a litter tray.

Yeah we smashed it up on purpose 🙄 god Mumsnet is a barrel of laughs. The cat is fine.

Thank you, yeah he's been fab with the baby. Has given him a good old sniff and a lick on the head! It definitely helps that he's deaf so doesn't hear the crying 😁

Don't worry, he's got one tonight. Was I supposed to go out and get one in the middle of the night despite him literally not using one for months? And he'll be back in our bed as soon as baby goes into his own room.

And just to update, he had the litter tray available last night but didn't pee or poo anywhere.

God there’s no way I would have my cat in my room at night, my cats always shut out at night!

Your photos are lovely!

It's like camping - there's nothing like toilets not being easily available, to make it the only thing on your mind, and make you need to go far more!

My 11 year old cat has suddenly decided he’s a hunter and brought two mice in in a week. He’s never really caught anything before. We recently moved into a rented house with a weird layout and our bedroom has the only door to the outside so we’ve had cat playing with mouse in the middle of the night around our bed 😭 and now he’s fast asleep resting after his adventures and we’re shattered 🤦🏻‍♀️