Help - Cat urinating on my bed!

bethalamcd

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Hi, I nede help! I've had Mason for almost 3 years and never had a problem with him before. He recently (last week) has taken to urinating on my bed! I changed the type of litter box I was using (now it has a lid - it's designed to keep the dogs out of it). I changed this over a month ago. Last week he urinated on the bed once and now this week he has done it the last two nights! He's eating fine, loving up on me as usual, and doesn't seem to be in any pain. He has been urinating on the bed when I leave the room. I thought it was the scent of my new BF that he was not happy with, but last night I purchased all nes (EXPENSIVE - dumb move, I know!) bedding and he urinated on it 20 minutes after I put everything on the bed.

Any suggestions as to what might be causing this? I am at my wits end and I don't want to have to get rid of him.
 

sicycat

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Has he been to the vet for a urinalysis to rule out an infection? That is the first step. Then you can move onto to treating it as a behaviour problem. Perhaps put back the litter and box he was using before and see if that solves the problem.

Also you can read this thread http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9563

It really bothers me to hear people say 'I dont want to have to get rid of him.' So first signs of problems and you just want to throw him away and let someone else deal with the problem? Would you throw your child away if he were peeing on your bed? Sorry I dont mean to be rude or harsh I just personally feel like my cats are my children and I would do anything I can to help them and take care of them no matter what the problem was.
 

kittenkiya

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Hmmmmm, is he urinating on your bed as well as using the box? Could it be that the new box and the new litter is something he doesn't like?
 
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bethalamcd

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Well, this is the 3rd time he's urinated on my bed and the 6th time he's urinated in the house. I'm sorry, but having a smelly house is not my cup of tea. I have 5 other animals in the house that don't misbehave like this.... I'm sorry if you don't like hearing "I don't want to have to get rid of him," but cat urine is the worst smelling scent and I will not tolerate it on the place where I lay my head... I opened my home to save this cat from being euthanized, but it simply isn't worth the hassle if he is going to keep urinating on the bed. I wouldn't get rid of a child, no, but he's a cat that someone else might be better equipped to deal with and take care of if the vet comes up short with a solution.

Feel free to give him a home....

Thanks for the reply.
 
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bethalamcd

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He's urinating in the litter box as well. I've taken the cover off and we use the same litter every week (so as to not have this occur).
 

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Sweetie, it's OK. Can you help me help you solve this? Is he NOT using the box at all?
 

kittenkiya

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OK, is it possible this is a domination problem? Let me explain. When Pete became about a year old, long after we had neutered him, he was the "low man on the totem pole" at home. Everyone was older than he was. He decided that he was GOING to have one place he could call his own, and he chose my bed. For absolutely no reason, he started peeing on the bed.

I knew he was not sick, I knew he was eating, obviously drinking, he was using the litter box too, but he would pee on the bed.

I chose to ban him from the bedroom. I have a door that shuts, so he's out. Can you stop him from coming into the bedroom?

By the way, does he do this during the day....at night?
 
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bethalamcd

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Mr. mason and I are living back home with my mom temporarily and she won't allow him out of the bedroom.... (I say we are living there temporarily, but it's been a year this month, so it's not because he's cooped up...)
He has been doing this at night - around the time I get into bed. My mom thought it was because he is "jealous" of my new boyfriend... is this possible? Do cats actually think like this and he's being spiteful?
I just made an appointment with my vet to rule out a UTI or diabetes, but if they come up negative, I don't really have many other options. We are also buying a new - no lid - litter box this evening. I am hoping one of these help.
He is still using the litter box, but someone mentioned maybe it's the moisture in the box that is turning him off to using it?
 
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bethalamcd

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Oh and he pretty much rules the roost in the house. All the dogs are scared of him (LOL - he's bigger than 2 of them!) and my mom's cat stays away from him....
 

kittenkiya

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Yes, cats can be spiteful, and that could be part of the domination thing. Your boyfriend.....the cat may look at him as a rival for affections, or feel threatened by him. Also did you say you changed the litter?
 
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bethalamcd

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No, same litter. My BF feels terrible - he thinks it's his fault. LOL.
Well, I am taking him to the vet tonight... Fingers crossed she will have an answer for me!
 

sicycat

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Originally Posted by bethalamcd

Well, this is the 3rd time he's urinated on my bed and the 6th time he's urinated in the house. I'm sorry, but having a smelly house is not my cup of tea. I have 5 other animals in the house that don't misbehave like this.... I'm sorry if you don't like hearing "I don't want to have to get rid of him," but cat urine is the worst smelling scent and I will not tolerate it on the place where I lay my head... I opened my home to save this cat from being euthanized, but it simply isn't worth the hassle if he is going to keep urinating on the bed. I wouldn't get rid of a child, no, but he's a cat that someone else might be better equipped to deal with and take care of if the vet comes up short with a solution.

Feel free to give him a home....

Thanks for the reply.
Believe me, I understand you're frustrated but please dont take the 'easy way out' by giving your animals away because they are just a 'hassle'. The next owner will just be left to deal with the problem. The reason this hits home for me is my Zoey was dumped at the shelter by her previous owner at 9 months because she 'bit her kids'. The owner requested she be euthanized. I decided to take a chance with Zoey because I fell in love with her the moment I saw her and I could not imagine this gorgeous healthy creature being killed. I took her home and yes she bit me. (not breaking skin). I could not even pet her without her turning around and nipping at me .. yes it was very frustrating but with a lot of patience, research, training and finally adding another cat to my home, Zoey now almost NEVER bites and instead gives head bonks. She is the sweetest cat ever. My point is that just about every problem can be rectified if you care enough to put the effort into it.

Here are a few other tips from my friend who is a vet.

1. SCOOP DAILY!! If this is not being done, it is the most likely thing to solve the problem, assuming it is not a medical problem
2. Most prefer an *unscented* clumping/scoopable litter
3. Have 1 box per cat plus one extra
4. Remove hoods or liners if being used
5. Clean soiled areas with an *enzymatic* pet cleaner, such as Nature's Miracle

You could try adding another litterbox in the bedroom.. it might not be 'pleasant' but it could stop him from going on the bed at least.


Good luck at the vets.. keep us updated.
I hope you can get some answers.
 

bjsondag

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It could be the hooded litterbox. I recently just had my cat declawed (had no choice poor kitty), and for the week afterwards had to keep him in a room with a little litterbox and pine litter. He just started using a hooded litterbox with normal clumping litter after he was allowed out of the room, and last night for the first time ever, he peed on my bed really good. I figure the one change was the hooded box, so perhaps by removing the hood and giving him a regular box that could remedy the problem. Best of luck.
 

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Stopping Inappropriate Urination

The first and most important thing to do is to take the cat to the vet! You need to specify that the cat is urinating outside the box so that the vet knows what to look for. Urinating outside the litter box is the #1 symptom of urinary tract problems! A urinary blockage can quickly kill a cat!

If the vet says she is okay, then consider making a few changes:

• If you use a covered litter box, take off the lid. Many cats refuse to use covered boxes.

• Most cats prefer fine-grained unscented litter. So, try changing litter even if she liked this litter in the past.

• Most cats prefer to poop in a different box than the one in which they pee. So have at least two boxes for one cat.

• If you have more than one cat, make sure you have at least one litter box per cat PLUS one extra box. So, if you have two cats, three litter boxes is ideal. Do not place the boxes right next to each other. Two boxes that are together is the same as just one box in the catâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s mind!

• Make sure you scoop the litter box daily, and with multiple cats, scoop twice daily. Cats often refuse to use dirty boxes. Most of us avoid toilets that are full of pee and poop. Cats are even more fastidious than us humans and certainly have more delicate senses of smell, so of course they do not want to step in a box full of old feces and urine! A clean rug is much more attractive than a dirty box!

• If your litter boxes are old, they may have absorbed odors even if you regularly clean them. So, try buying new boxes.

• Make sure your litter boxes are in a place where the cat feels safe while going potty. If she is disturbed by you or your kids or another cat or dog while she is trying to potty, she will choose to use a safer location. So, move the litter box to a location where she can see the comings and goings of the other people and animals in the house. You can set up the box in the corner of a room, then surround the box with nice house plants. It will be attractive and open enough for the cat to feel safe!

• Put a litter box on each level (floor) of the house.

• Make sure you thoroughly clean all old urine spots on the rug and elsewhere. If she can smell the old urine she will think that place is a good place to potty. Use a flourescent black light to find old urine and treat all old spots with an enzymatic cleanser.

• Try putting a plastic carpet runner upside down on the places she likes to urinate....most cats don't like to walk on the "spikes" so they will avoid the covered spots.

• Put something real smelly where she likes to urinate...most cats hate the smell of citrus, so try putting citrus scented air freshener or orange peels or citrus potpourri where she urinates.

• According to Cat Behaviorist Amy Shojai- if your cat is peeing on personal items the cat is probably stressed out over something. Urinating on some object that holds your scent is calming to him. If you can eliminate the stressor, chances are good that the potty problem will end.

• If your cat is standing inside the litter box and aiming outside the box, you simply need a larger box! Try a Rubbermaid under-bed storage container as a litter box instead of the typical small box.
 
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