Urinating

Question
My cat is litter box trained but he sometimes pee's  on new beds or when someone he doesn't know sleeps here but lately he has been peeing more than usual. we use to be able to count the times he's peed but not now. He doesn't ever pee on my bed and i am his favorite. What can we do cause we have a baby on the way and my husband doesn't want to deal with him peeing on the baby's stuff and he says one time and he's gone :(

Answer
Andrea,

There are usually two possible causes of inappropriate urination.  The first is medical.  I think a quick visit to the vet with your cat looking for a urinary tract infection would be a good first step.

Secondly, and more difficultly, there may be a behavioral issue.  I am wondering if it may be a jealousy thing, especially if there is a new baby on the way.  I would make sure that if there are any new additions (even for one night), you give your cat extra treats and even deny him access to the room in which the guest is sleeping.  This will, obviously be more difficult in case of the new baby.  However, one other option is to put up a Feliway diffuser (available from most pet supermarkets) in the baby's room.  It is a pheromone based spray that is supposed to blunt aggressive or territorial tendencies in cats. But, above all else, make a big deal of your cat (extra attention, extra treats), when the new baby does come home.

In any case, I would make sure any where that the cat has urinated inappropriately is cleaned with an enzyme based cleaner specifically for pet stains and pet odors (available from most pet supermarkets or farm stores).

I am also giving you a link to a series of articles written about inappropriate litter box habits which may have some further suggestions:

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html


Good luck and best regards... Norm.