Determining The Cause Of Inappropriate Urination
Figuring out the underlying cause of inappropriate urination starts with a thorough history and complete physical exam, including a urinalysis that is run right away to look for crystal formation, blood tests to look for diabetes, kidney disease, and hyperthyroidism.
Often, we will also recommend bladder imaging, such as X-rays or an ultrasound, to look for bladder stones and possibly at kidney health.
If all tests check out, well explore possible behavioral causes. Here is where a house call visit from a veterinarian experienced in cat behavior can be very helpful in assessing life from the cats point of view.
Fortunately, there is hope for most cats that are urinating outside the litter box if the problem is addressed quickly, before it becomes a more serious medical issue or a habit, if its a behavioral issue.
Why Is My Cat Urinating On Its Bed
For humans, peeing on your own bed is very strange. However, it sometimes makes perfect sense to your cat! The reasons why your cat might start peeing on his own bed are the same as those that cause her to pee on your bed. Lets just run through those again, quickly:
- She feels that the toilet facilities are below par and need some improvement.
- There are other cats around. How can you expect her to pee without any privacy?
- Physical and emotional changes to the environment mean that she is stressed and wants somewhere safe to pee.
How To Get Rid Of Cat Pee Smell
A well-serviced litter box shouldnt give off much of a smell. Clean often and thoroughly, and you wont have to worry.
However, you cant say the same for other areas where a cat might choose to pee your bed, the dogs bed, or anywhere else. Once a cat urinates on a surface, the smell can linger for a long time. Generally, the quicker you act, the better your chances of getting rid of the smell.
One useful tip avoid using bleach, because this breaks down into ammonia compounds that smell very much like cat urine. This is likely to reinforce the idea that the location is a cat toilet. In other words, the more you clean, the more they pee!
Instead, soak the urine up with a paper towel then use an enzymatic cat urine cleaner on the soiled area.
Various specially formulated cleaners can remove the stain and tackle the cat urine odor. Some work better than others, so ask your veterinarian or local cat home for a recommendation.
Remember, once the smell of urine becomes ingrained, sometimes nothing works, and you may have no option but to replace the soiled item.
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Discouraging Urination On The Bed
When She Is Attachedtoo Much
When she pees on your bed, she could be overly attached to you.
How do you know if her attachment with you is the core reason why she pees on your bed?
Have a look at your clothes pile. If the pee odour is there, your doubts are correct.
Moreover, you might also smell your sofa, couch or study chair. If she is overly addicted, she would have peed over there as well.
But why pee when in love?
This question sneaks in too hard.
Well, she is missing you!!
When you are not around, she tries to sniff your bed, your pillow and pees there just to show her distress.
She wants you to spend more time with her. Maybe she would revert after that.;
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Your Kitty Is Not Being Spiteful
Many people naturally assume that a cat that is urinating on their bed is doing it out of spite; that she is angry about something and trying to get back at her owner. This is not the case. Rather, your cat is simply trying to cope with something, either a medical condition or some type of stressful situation, and felines cope differently than humans do.
Encouraging Litter Box Use
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Prevention Is The Best Medicine
Typically, in this situation, prevention is the best medicine. Your cats health and the set up of your home will largely determine if your cat pees on the dog bed or not. Therefore, your best bet is to ensure that you have plenty of litterboxes spread throughout the house. Also, consider washing your dogs bed often even using a harsh smell-fighting liquid like vinegar.
If your cat shows signs of being sick, take them to the vet as soon as possible. The last thing you want is for their UTI to get worse, which can cause a whole host of issues on top of causing them to pee places they shouldnt.
In the end, if you focus on providing the right environment for your cat and keep them healthy, the odds of them peeing on something are low.
Featured Image: Petteri Sulonen, Wikimedia Commons
Contents Overview
Jealousy And The Single Cat
As in the case of Nikki and Tiger, jealousy over other cats being added to the household can cause a cat to urinate on the bedding, clothing or other belongings of his chosen human. Cats do this to mark their territory and re-claim what they think belongs to them. Although some behaviorists may not agree, I do believe there is a certain amount of revenge involved as well when a cat pees on the bed, which is why only their special humans bed and belongings get targeted.
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They May Have A Medical Condition Affecting Them
If your cat is peeing somewhere other than their litter box, its possible that theyre not feeling wellwhich means a trip to the veterinarian might be in order.
Cat Behavior Associates suggests taking them in for a physical exam, including a urinalysis and other diagnostic tests to rule out things like urinary tract infections and kidney disease. They emphasize the importance of first checking for something physically wrong with your cat , even if youre convinced that the peeing is really a behavioral issue. After all, wouldnt you rather be on the safe side?
He Needs Another Litter Box
Believe it or not, some cats like to use one litter box to pee and a different one to poop. If you have a multi-cat household, some cats dont like to share their litter box at all. In general, its a good rule to have one litter box per cat plus one more.
One cat? Two litter boxes.
Two cats? Three litter boxes.
And so on.
If you have multiple floors in your house, youll want to spread them out so you have at least one per floor.
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Check Your Cat For Medical Problems
First, you want to know your cat is healthy. Urinating outside of the litter box is the most common cat behavior problem caused by medical conditions. Often it is associated with painful urination, urine incontinence, or urinary tract infection.
IMPORTANT: Every cat who experiences litter box problems should be examined by a veterinarian. Please let your veterinarian know if the problem appeared suddenly. Take note of any changes in your cats environment.
Understanding Your Cat’s Basic Needs
Cats are creatures of comfort, and if their routine suddenly changes or they find themselves under an unusual amount of stress, this can result in that nervous energy showing up on your sheets.;;”Cats have three essential needs: safety, security and stimulation,” K.C. Theisen, former director of pet care issues for the Humane Society of the United States, told The Dodo. “Safety is that they are not threatened or harassed, and have easy access to fresh food, clean water and shelter.”
“Security means they can get away from people or things they don’t like, can get to elevated hiding places and have a routine they can count on in the home,” she added. Stimulation reflects a cats need to be a predator, and chase and hunt toys in the home. A cat who cannot express their natural behaviors or is bored may act out inappropriately.
The good news, Theisen said, is once you attend to these needs, unwanted behaviors often go away.
What this means is that if youre able to pinpoint the need that isnt being met for your cat, youll be able to make the change that can help your cat feel like himself again.;
Here are some of the most common:
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Stress Or Anxiety Can Cause A Cat To Urinate Inappropriately
Another one of the main reasons that a cat may be urinating inappropriately is stress.
Have you recently introduced a new cat or kitten? Cats are territorial by nature, so if a new cat has recently been introduced to the home, the original cat may be marking its territory which includes your bed .
Moving to a new home, changes in the household or the people living in it, or even rearrangement of furniture may stress a sensitive cat so much that they end up urinating in your bed where they feel safe and comfortable.
Did you recently take on a new job or activity which means less time at home? A cat may be stressed due to the lack of attention or time with you as well. A lonely, sad cat may be anxious and exhibiting this behaviorally.
Consider any recent changes that may be upsetting your cat and if possible, keep things consistent. If changes must occur, spend extra time comforting your cat, providing toys and safe spaces, or try Feliway plug-ins. Many cat owners have had luck with Feliway, which releases a synthetic hormone that calms cats and relieves their anxiety.
Why Is My Neutered Cat Peeing On My Bed
Why is my neutered cat peeing on my bed? Eatroff, cats usually pee on a bed due to an issue that is rooted in anxiety and stress, which can affect several hormonal and chemical balances in the body. First, see your vet to make sure your cat is not suffering from an infection of the bladder or urinary tract.
Why is my cat suddenly peeing on my bed?;Its medical
If your cat is fully potty trained and suddenly starts to pee on your bed, it could be that theres a medical problem to blame. Issues such as bladder infections, bladder stones, and urinary tract infections can cause your cat to pee outside of the litter box.
Why is my cat peeing on things after being neutered?;Unexpected urination from a neutered male cat could be a sign of serious and sore health conditions including: Pain. A sick kitty might not make it to the litter box. If a cat is injured, or recovering from surgery without adequate pain management, this could also affect his ordinary urination.
Why is my fixed male cat peeing on things?;Territorial Urine Marking
If you brought a new pet into your household, for example, your fixed male cat may start spraying to show the newbie exactly who is boss. By spraying urine, your pet is utilizing his odor to communicate a message, which is essentially Back off! This is my territory, and dont you forget it.
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My Cat Peed In Her New Bed
However, what if your well house-trained cat pees on the cat bed youve just bought for her. How ungrateful after you went to all that time and effort. But, just think for a moment. Are you sure she even knows its a bed?
Perhaps she actually thinks that it is a new toilet. Its the best toilet ever because it is so soft and comfortable underfoot. How delightful! In our human minds, we know the difference between a litter box and a cat bed! In a cats mind, things are different. She cant read the label, after all!
Its actually pretty logical when you think about it. Many traditional cat beds are roughly the same size and shape as a litter box. Like litter trays, they may be enclosed or semi-enclosed.
If she pees or poops in it once, and the bed remains in the same place, she will see it as an extension to her existing toilet facilities. In other words, she will continue to use it. Really, the only way to change that is washing the bed and moving it. We will give you some great advice on getting rid of the smell later. Now, lets look at the dog bed. What did the poor old pooch do to deserve cat pee in his bed?
You Need More Cat Litter Boxes
Even if you have a couple of litter boxes, it still may not be enough.
Some cats prefer to urinate and defecate in separate litter boxes, and some cats will not share a litter box with another cat,” Garber says. “A good general rule is to have a litter box for each cat in the home, plus one more, and to provide at least one litter box on every level of the home.”
Probably not what you want to hear. Yay, more cat litter to clean. But thats better that than constantly cleaning your bed sheets, right?
Multiple litter boxes is especially a good idea for kittens, Garber adds. “Like children, kittens control over their elimination is not fully developed, so they need multiple, easily accessible litter boxes to help prevent accidents,” she says, adding that you should “never scold or punish a kitten or cat, especially when shes in or near her litter box. This will create a negative association with the box and she will avoid it. For the same reason, never use the litter box as a place to trap a cat to administer medication, trim nails, or get her into a carrier.”
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Somethingvital You Might Be Missing
Cats do like playing, taking treats etc.
But meanwhile, they must also be given a platform to execute their instinctive habits i.e. they love to feel like predators and hunt for meals.
No matter even if you provide them with the best feed, they must get the feeling of being a predator.
Lifestyle in which there is aesthetics only, drags them into a kind of abnormality which replicates itself in the form of spoiled habits and peeing on bed is one of them.
Provide that opportunity in such a manner that it all appears organic.
If not possible, you can leave them in the street and let them stray. That gets them out of occasional stress and uneasiness.
Another exercise would be to let them chase their toy, badger for extra playtime etc. They get their positive energy from these traits.
Cats also dont like the entry of cousin cat in the house. They are intelligent enough to foresee that she is going to get equal attention and love.
That is another factor why she gets angry and relieves herself on the bed.