Thinking about "Killing" my roomate's Kitten!

javannalynn

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No I will not kill a cat but i am SOO MAD!!! I was in bed playing with my kitties when the new kitten we have had for about a month walks up and pees on my new comforter. RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! We knew we had a peer and we couldn't figure out which one was doing it. Ever time we have quickly cleaned the spot. I have a down (feather) conforter and it can't be washed has to be dry cleaned. I don't know what to do. Beating it isn't going to work. I am just in shock! RIGHT in front of me!
 

natalie_ca

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Please don't harm that kitten! Hitting it, throwing it, rubbing it's nose in it..or anything like that.

Has the kitten been to the vet? When a cat pees outside of it's litter box it's usually a sign of a urinary tract infection.

How many cats do you have? How many litter boxes? Apparently you need 1 box per cat and 1 or 2 extras.

Also, is the box in a place that offers privacy? Some cats are more shy than others and won't go in a box that is in a high traffic area.

Is the box scooped daily and cleaned completely weekly? If a box is "full" and sometimes a cat will consider a one time use left in there as "full", they won't use it.

Is the box crammed against a wall or 2? If so try moving it away from the wall because some cats like to face various directions to do their business and if a wall is hindering them.

Is the kitten being bullied at the litter box? If so he may consider it a bad place to go and is afraid to.
 

larke

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Well, my new kitten came in 10 days ago. The 15 yr old female didn't bat an eyelash and has ignored him ever since, except to hiss if he gets in her face. The 2 yr old male stopped any aggression in 2-3 days and they now play & sleep together, but in those first couple of days he (2 yr old) pooped twice on my bed (it's where he sleeps every night) just to warn the new one off (luckily it was on an old bath towel closer to the foot of the bed) but hasn't done it since. It's pretty common, but you could throw a large plastic whatever over the bed til the new cat stops trying to take over the old cat's territory.
 

goldenkitty45

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I think someone in here found out that cats are more likely to pee on down (feathers) comforters and pillows. So its up to you if you want to leave it out all the time or get something non-feathered!
 

kittymonsters

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I think someone in here found out that cats are more likely to pee on down (feathers) comforters and pillows. So its up to you if you want to leave it out all the time or get something non-feathered!
I agree with this. I think it has something to do with the squishy-ness (if that is a word) or feel under their feet. It seems to stimulate the urge to pee. I used to have a down comforter and Conan used to get up and pee on it. It was like he would start kneading to lay down but then he would pee.

He never peed outside the litter box before I got that comforter and he has never done it since I got rid of that comforter.
 

deljo

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I agree that down comforters can be washed. My daughter works in a dry cleaners and they wash them all the time. The important thing is to dry them throughly. Also use tennis balls or athletic shoes in the dryer. They fluff up the down. After the dryer, if you can hang them outside just to make sure the down is dry. Sure is cheaper than dry cleaning one of these.
 

catsarebetter

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Make sure there's a litter box *in* the bedroom. Actually, having a few extras while the kitten is still little (until like 6 months or so) isn't a bad idea. They're still babies, they don't always understand or remember where the litter boxes are.

Next, clean your comforter. Either replace it with something that has a completely different texture and sound to it for awhile, or cover the one you have with something that has a completely different texture and sound to it for the time being. Make sure you scratch it with your fingernails and compare the sound to the down one, to be double sure that they sound different. You want to try to find something as completely opposite from the down comforter as you possibly can. Woven, maybe, flat, not at all fluffy, lays flat to the bed, doesn't go scritch scritch when you scrub your nails over it (or when kitten does it)..

Joyeux did this with my comforter when she first came to live with me. It took a week of keeping her out of my room, removing the down comforter and using something else so it's completely different, and between that and giving her time to "forget" that she was engaging in that behavior... it worked and after a couple of months of letting her get a bit older and establish the non-peeing habit.. I was able to put the down comforter back on the bed with success and no more pottying problems.

Also try playing with all the cats on the bed. Also give some treats while they're on the bed (but obviously not when they've pottied). They only understand getting treats or praise for the very last thing they did. They don't like to eat or play where they potty, so that will help establish a different perspective to your bed for the kitten. Only let him in there while supervised, if possible.
 

epona

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I think someone in here found out that cats are more likely to pee on down (feathers) comforters and pillows. So its up to you if you want to leave it out all the time or get something non-feathered!
I found when Sonic was going through that stage where he was peeing all over the place (part territorial, part separation anxiety we think) that there were certain things he preferred. My lovely brand new velvet comforter was one of them
so it is now in the parrot/guest room where he's not allowed, I daren't actually put it back on our bed in case it starts him off again. It was so warm and soft as well


Other targets were things that smelled of us - the bed (only at the foot of it, he likes to sleep at the head end), and dirty clothes in the laundry basket. I put that down to them smelling of us, he'd do it when we were out. During this phase we had him shut in the bedroom while we were at work with 2 litterboxes, trying to break him of the habit, honestly though I think the fact that he was shut in there was at least partly to blame.

It really was quite horrible, I love the little fella but my god I felt like crying with frustration sometimes. I was spoilt with Radar because he has impeccable litterbox habits, always has done. I think with Sonic some of it was also hormonal, because he's an Oriental he matured young, but I couldn't get him neutered until nearly 7 months old. He hasn't done it in a while now, touch wood.
 

siggav

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Kittens can have accidents. They're not being mean or intentionally trying to ruin things, they're just kittens and can get over excited and forget where the litterbox is.

There is a lot of good advice here.

Nikita pooed on my down comforter shortly after I got her, while she was going through a tummy upset from the move so it was basically liquid. That was not pleasant at all. Fortunately it was a one time occurrance.
 

littleraven7726

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I've heard it's the smell of the down comforters that causes cats to pee on them.
I'd love to get one, but plan to get an artificial down comforter instead.

As others have said, down comforters can be washed. I worked for a company that sold them for a while, and they recommended using tennis balls in the dryer to beat the down back into shape.

How old is your roommate's kitten? If it is very little it may have forgotten where the box is. Otherwise kitty could have a urinary tract infection.
 

squatting puma

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Originally Posted by littleraven7726

I've heard it's the smell of the down comforters that causes cats to pee on them.
I'd love to get one, but plan to get an artificial down comforter instead.
Careful, we have artificial down, and we're getting the same problem...
 

kittys mom

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Not that I need to add this, because everyone else has said the same thing but...

Everytime Kota gets a UTI, his number one choice location for peeing is the down comforter in my mothers room. So, something about it must attract him.

Also, my 14 year old Kitty has an incontinence problem. She lives in my bedroom and frequently pees on my bed...which has a down comforter on it.

So, between Kitty and FLUTD Kota, it seems like I'm washing a down comforter every other week. I always run it in the dryer until I'm absolutely positive it's dry (usually 3 or 4 cycles). I also add 3 tennis balls to the dryer.

I have noticed that with the repeated washing/dryings they aren't as nice as they used to be. But...you shouldn't have that problem since it's not something you'll be doing all the time like I am.
 

squatting puma

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Yeah we're gunna try isolating her from the bedroom for a few nights, washing out the comforter... and then spraying it with citrus scent after about a week and see how she does again... But I love my little girls, and it just breaks my heart not being able to have them cuddle with my wife and I at night
 

callista

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A plastic sheet over the bed is great to discourage cats peeing on it; and if they do, they'll pee on plastic! Try a big tarp to put on the bed when you're not there.

A rule about "cats are not allowed on the bed" could help too, so when you're there they won't climb up. They'll be up there when you're gone; but then you'll have the plastic sheet on.

If it's a very small kitten, it could simply have been an "accident"...
 
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