Poop fest on my bed

First thing people will suggest is a vet visit, so I'll say that I already called my aunt (vet).

I went away for a week and had my roomate look after the animals for the first 4 days, and then a pet sitter for the final 3. My roomate went to Vegas. I got home on Saturday afternoon and was hit by a wall of smell when I opened the door. I went into my room and found that both of my cats had used a comforter that was on the bed as their toilet for what must have been the entire week. Of course the first thing I checked was their litter boxes, which were both empty of deposits. I checked their access to the boxes and found that the door was propped open as always.

As they always do when I clean the litter boxes, both cats came down and used them as soon as I put them back down on the ground. Both cats peed normally. I had noticed that the poops on the bed were whole and not anywhere near diarrhea.

I had to go back upstairs and clean off my bed. The comforter and mattress pad went into the trash as did the pillows. I washed the sheets in hot water with bleach and I went out the next day to buy a new pad and bedding.

My aunt said to watch their eating and eliminating habits for the next few days and to bring them in if they seemed off; but they aren't. They are healthy as horses.

I had washed the comforter that was on the bed (just in a lump as it came out of the laundry, not as a bedcover) because it had smelled like cat pee to me. It had been in the closet on the floor and I think one of them had peed on it. All I can figure out is that they may have been upset about the change in routine and used the comforter because they could still smell the pee on it. And then once they used it, they just kept on using it throughout the week.

My roomate is not back yet, but he sent a text message wondering if I had found a cat poop in the bedroom as he had thought he smelled it one day before he left. Obviously it wasn't as bad then, but I wonder why he didn't close my bedroom door. The pet sitter had only come in the basement door where the cat stuff was, and said that she just thought my house smelled of animals all the time. She wondered why there were so few poops in the boxes but didn't think much of it.

I have no trips planned anytime soon, but I guess I'll be shutting all the bedroom doors if I have to go anywhere again.

As you have already suspected, you have a couple of disgruntled cats. A bit annoyed that you left them behind.
It happens, just take precautions next time.

I haven't quite figured out why cats like to take out their frustrations on bedding, but it seems to be fairly universal. Most likely the familiar smell of their humans on the bedding, so they add their own to it. (urine)
I do believe the fecal part is a direct approach to show disapproval of your actions.
Sorry about your "mess". Been there done that.

My old cat used to always poo and puke all over the floors whenever we left. I hope my "fresh batch of cats" handle my vacations a little better in the coming years.

Sorry you got such a shock. Takes the fun out of the trip, doesn't it? You might also try a Feliway plug in when you're gone. That's what I do for my crew--so far, so good.

Cally

Cats that are feeling insecure, anxious, or upset, will not want to go to the toilet outside of the very core of where they feel safest - which is usually your bed.

It smells of you, which they associate with safety and comfort.

You sleep in it thus indicating to them that it is the safest place to be - animals will only risk sleeping soundly in the most secure places, in a way the fact that humans (who are so much bigger than them and should be afraid of nothing!) only usually sleep in one or two places in the home (bed or a nap on the sofa for example) is giving our pets a slightly skewed perception of security in the rest of the home, ranking them higher in terms of safety than other areas.

So a cat that is anxious because of a change in routine or your absence will be reluctant to render themselves vulnerable by squatting for too long anywhere other than the perceived safest place in the territory, the place you have signalled is safest because it's where you choose to sleep deeply without having to be alert to potential danger.

Urinating or defecating on your bed is more likely to be due to stress or fear than any other cause (although stress can also trigger cystitis, so it's always worth the medical check too!) It's certainly not done out of malice, it's just the workings of a small territorial predator's instinct of self preservation kicking in in a domestic setting when the normal routine they depend upon for security and mental wellbeing is disrupted.

Next time you go away I would suggest putting a litter tray right next to the bed (if possible the other side of the bed from the doorway), and put on a mattress protector and some cheap or old sheets just in case. And a Feliway diffuser too.