Why do cats pee on baby things? This is a potentially serious issue because I have just read a post on a baby site in which the husband told his wife that either the cat or he had to go because the cat was peeing on the baby’s things. Understandably the wife got rid of the cat and she was relieved to do so. Not a great situation because it is not certain that cats relinquished to shelters will be re-homed.
Some cat owners project their human thoughts onto the situation and believe that their cat is jealous and therefore spraying urine on the invading baby’s things. Parents might make this decision because sometimes siblings are jealous of a new baby. For felines it’s normally not about jealousy however; it’s about territory. Associated: can cats feel jealous?
This feline ‘behavioural problem’ may arise because the parents prepare for their baby’s homecoming by creating a nursery. They buy and install a lot of new baby stuff. The make the nursery out of bounds for the family cat perhaps because they are concerned the cat might harm the baby.
The cat is upset because (a) part of her territory has been taken from her and (b) her scent is removed from the room. To add to these initial issues, understandably the baby gets lots of attention in the nursery and the daily routines concerning the family cat are suspended.
The cat’s reaction is predictable. She wants to own her lost territory. Jackson Galaxy calls is ‘Napoleonic behaviour’. He must mean taking command of the circumstances and taking back territory .
The family cat overdoes taking back ownership and urine marks key spots in the baby’s room. The cat feels insecure and wishes to claim territory.
That’s the usual answer to the question: Why do cats pee on baby things? What can be done about it? You can take proactive steps which I discuss in the article referred to below. Please click on the link.
New baby: tips to prevent your cat becoming stressed and peeing inappropriately
