I find my cat disgusting

I’m 29 weeks pregnant and have 2 dogs and a cat. In November the cat, who is 5 and normally house trained, peed on the dogs bed 3 times in the space of a weekend. On the Monday we took him to the vet because we thought he might have a UTI. The vet couldn’t find any indication that he was unwell but gave him a shot of antibiotics and pain killers. A week later he was still peeing on the dog bed, despite us keeping the door shut he took every opportunity to get back in just to pee on the bed. Worried there might be something more serious wrong with him we took him back to the vet to get his blood and urine tested, £200 later we find out there was absolutely nothing wrong with him-he’s just taken to peeing inside. He hasn’t done it since but ever since I have kept every bedroom door and the kitchen, bathroom and dining room doors closed so he can’t get in. I just find him really disgusting, if he stands on anything I clean it with disinfectant and if I touch him I immediately wash my hands. I used to feel affection towards him but now I can’t stand him near me. I don’t feel like this about my dogs, if anything I feel closer to them since I’ve become pregnant, they are more protective of me than ever and stick to me like glue. I’m just feeling really miserable about the cat. We have friends who live 2 doors down who absolutely adore him and I know would look after him and love him if we gave him up but if this is a pregnancy thing and only temporary I’m worried I’ll regret giving him away at some point in the future. Has anyone else experienced this? Does the feeling go away?

[Binky1983]

Have there been any changes in the house recently? Or is there a new cat nearby coming into the garden? They could be stressed about something. You can get felaway which is supposed to relax cats, we use it and notice a difference in one cat if it runs out. Is he neutered?

There’s normally a reason for a cat starting to pee inside and if he’s healthy then it’s likely to be a behavioural issue.

It’s hard, but I think if you can resolve the peeing issue then you’re affection for the cat will return.

Good luck.

[Hidden in reply to Binky1983]

Thanks for your reply. I think probably he did have a UTI in the beginning but that had been resolved by the antibiotics and then it became habit. He hasn’t peed in the house since Nov so the actual peeing is no longer a problem, it’s the change in my feelings towards him i’m bothered by. Although he is my husbands cat more than mine I have always until now been a cat lover and up until the peeing I’d cuddle him, play with him etc but now I just feel like he is dirty and I don’t want him touching me or my things-especially things I’ve bought for the baby. I’m not normally this obsessive about cleaning or hand washing, it’s just that he grosses me out now. Its the thought of him standing in his litter tray then spreading bacteria round the house with his paws. We have a cleaner who comes once a week but I’m cleaning on a daily basis all the places he’s been and getting more and more stressed about living with and constantly cleaning after an animal I find so disgusting. But I don’t feel like it about the dogs so it’s cant be just an animal/hygiene thing.

[Billywhizz10 in reply to Hidden]

It's your mother's instinct. When my wife was pregnant she actually got closer to the dog, (which was always 'my dog') and it hasn't disappeared since the baby has arrived, they are much closer. Cats are a different matter entirely. We were looking after a friends cat , partly because we wanted our pup to like cats. By the time my wife was 12 weeks, we gave the cat back, I think because of the health risks with toxoplasmosis, its best to steer clear of the cat and to try and keep the fella inside to stop them picking up nasties that could effect you and baby. If we owned the cat, we probably would have kept her, but my friend only loaned her to us as he was having major work in his house and it worked out the builders had finished around the time my wife was 12 weeks

A quick google of cats and pregnancy would probably convince your husband its right to adopt the cat to the people a few doors down. Otherwise, what you're doing ( being very clean around the cat) is a good thing and sensible. If you can manage to carry on for the rest of the pregnancy , you may change once baby is home, if you can't stand him, get rid, you don't need the stress.

[Jay2017]

Congratulations about your pregnancy and so sorry to hear about your poor cat.

I also have a cat and a dog. My cat is an indoor one and when I was pregnant I was closer to my cat who was the first one to know about my pregnancy. He used to lay down on my stomach . Miss that now as he is very protecting of my little one (who will soon be 16 months and until recently didn’t know how to stroke him and was constantly pulling his hair)

I was worried about the taxsoplasmosis you can get your cat tests it at the vet. Which I dindnt as my cat only been outside when he was little as he is a tom cat. and my vet assured me there was nothing to worry.

You are concerned bout the cat bacteria. And using cleaning products to clean after the cat, this products may also be not advisable to use when pregnant. Please read the label.

Remember that cats are cleaner than dogs..... and sometimes men (as some of them do not wash their hands after peeing.

However sad, if you are getting paranoid about your little one (cat) and planing to get rid of him then do it sooner rather than later because you also are causing the cat to stress out.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

[Hidden in reply to Jay2017]

I realise I’m not being rational, and I don’t think it’s just about hygiene otherwise I would be paranoid about the dogs too. I’ve known about taxsoplasmosis since the beginning of my pregnancy but my husband has always dealt with the cat litter anyway so it’s not been an issue. Please don’t think the cat is being neglected, he is still treated like a prince by my husband who works from home and spends all day with him. I just feel like I’ve gone a bit mad, like I’ve developed OCD but only about the cat. Rehoming him would be a last resort and it’s not what I want to do, this is his home too and he’s my responsibility. Ideally I just want to stop feeling like this and go back to liking him. I’m really hoping it’s an irrational pregnancy thing that will go away after the birth when my hormones are back to normal. For example I can’t bear to chop up or even touch raw meat (although perfectly happy to eat it once it’s cooked) which is apparently really common and I’ve been reassured is only temporary. I can’t seem to find anyone else who’s felt like this about their cat during pregnancy (although plenty of people seem to feel like it about their partner). I think really i’m looking for someone to say: yes I was like that but it passes and everything will go back to normal. Anyway, in the grand scheme of things it’s not the worst problem to have so I’ll stop moaning now. Thank you for your response and have a very happy new year!

[Jay2017 in reply to Hidden]

Dont worry too much about it. As long as the cat doesn’t get aggressive towards the new born you both will be ok. To be honest with you I was a bit paranoid when my baby girl was born it only lasted a week or so as the cat didn’t allowed me to push him away.... lol he has been my little baby since 2007. As I said before he looks after my little one and sleeps close to her and before she wakes the cat let’s me know..... more efficient than the camera.

I know that you have plenty to worry, specially since it’s your first, lots of my friends kept telling me to relax at the beginning cause when she was born I went mental with detol 😂. To the point that one of my friends came over to visit and hubby asked if I had spay her with it as I left the can by the entrance door. (Never sprayed the cat or anyone for that matter).

If you are getting concerned about cat ocd you can always speak with your health provider and or check for mums and bumps group in your area.

Best of luck and happy new year

[hppy2hlp]

In my opinion your cat is making a stand. Proving a point, marking a territory