Please help! He is peeing on my bed!

Hi all,
Nasir has been with me for about 2 weeks now I think. Time flys, I can't keep it straight. Anyway, he has peed on my bed 3 times now. I am about at my wits end. He has been to the vet and got a clean bill of health. He is still in my room during the day so I know it is him and not my other cat. The dogs are not up there so I know it isn't them. Besides, you can tell the smell of cat pee compared to dog pee. ishh..

I really don't want to have to re-home him, but I don't know what to do. I can't have him ruining my new mattress and I don't have any other room to put him in. He is a good cat besides this and keeps to himself a lot. I don't have a lot of experience with cat issues. Our other cat has never pottied where she shouldn't. Nasir is neutered, recently before I got him. I don't know if he is spraying or peeing, I have never caught him doing it. Only gone to bed and had to get up and change all my bedding.

I need a solution, I would hate to have to re-home him.

How recently neutered? It can take up to 2 months for the hormones to leave his system.

Have you cleaned the spots with a good enzymatic cleaner & thoroughly?
Is he always going in the same spot?
Does he act at all stressed?
How does he react to the dogs & other cat?
Did the vet specifically test his urine for a UTI?
Have you talked to the vet about this issue?
How big is your litterbox?
Where is the litterbox located?
What are you using for litter?

Sorry for so many questions, but it can be any of a number of things - so the more questions we ask the better we can offer advice & get you through this!

Hi Esme,

white cat lover's already asked the questions we'll need answered to get to the bottom of this.

Here are some of the more common reasons for a cat to pee on the bed:

* A urinary tract infection (UTI), because going to the loo hurts the cat starts to associate this pain with the litter box- thus avoiding it. Cats are masters at hiding pain or weaknesses, so you may not have noticed that he's not well. Not sure where you've got him for or if the vet looked at a urine sample while checking him out- most vets won't unless there's a reason to suspect a UTI.

*Another dominant cat in the house hold is blocking the way to the litter box. In this case a second or third litter box in the opposite side of your apartment may help, as the dominant cat can't control both boxes at the same time this way.

*Nasir is not happy with the litter box situation. He might not like the pebbles you're using in the box. He could not like the hood if your box has one as he can't see who's coming. He could not want to use a box that has been used before or he wants two boxes- one for pee and one for the other buisness . In this case more litter boxes should do the trick.

*As white cat mentioned- maybe he's been neutered too recently and his hormones will take some time to calm down- in this case you can only wait and be patient. Any idea if he was spraying before he got neutered?

Your first bet would be putting up more litter boxes and going to the vets, telling the vet that the cat's got a litter box issue.

Good luck at findingthe cause,

Christine

just to hit home the point that others said........ cats entering a new situation can get stressed and easily get a UTI, even if the vet gave him a clear bill of health, if they didn't specifically test his urine then they wouldn't know if he has a UTI. A UTI will always cause inappropriate urination. That's the easiest thing to fix (antibiotics) and the first thing you have to rule out.

Since it's the same spot, you MUST clean your sheets, mattress, everything he's peed on, with an enzymatic cleaner, regular cleaners won't get the smell out and the cat will ALWAYS pee where it smells it's own cat pee.

As everyone else said, he may not like your litterbox situation, so if the previous two things don't work you'll have to try different litters/boxes.

Goodluck and keep us posted.

My bet is that a clean litter box in the bedroom would solve the problem.

To a cat, a bed feels a lot like a patch of soft dirt.

Originally Posted by mrblanche

My bet is that a clean litter box in the bedroom would solve the problem.

To a cat, a bed feels a lot like a patch of soft dirt.

Click to expand...

He has a CLEAN litter box in the bedroom. that is the only room he is in right now.

no other cat uses his litter box since he is by himself in the bedroom.
The sheets and mattress have been cleaned with a pet specific product.
He is still very skiddish and stressed.
He dosn't mind our other cat when I take her in there to play, but he hates the dogs (which he really never sees)
I am using Tidy Cat scoopable litter.
The litter box is located behind a book shelf so it is easy to get to but is private.

I don't know. it is very upsetting. I don't want to have to rehome him, so I hope this stops soon.

I am assuming your response indicates the vet SPECIFICALLY checked his urine and confirmed he is UTI free??? (this is the MOST common cause of inappropriate urination - very easily fixed)

Originally Posted by EsmeDarling

I don't know. it is very upsetting. I don't want to have to rehome him, so I hope this stops soon.

Click to expand...

Hi,

I'd really recomend you to go to a vet asap and specifically ask to have him checked for a possible UTI. If it is really caused by a UTI this can be treated and your tom cat will use his box again.

If this is not the case then your kitty really has a problem and doesn't feel happy at your house for some reason.

How often does your other cat go into his room? Do those two get on OK?

You can't really rehome him if you don't know why he is peeing in your bed- nobody will take a cat that isn't using the litter box. Cats are normally very clean animals- if a cat is peeing in a bed then something is bady wrong for the kitty.

It would be really helpfull if you could write a little bit more about where you got him from, how old he is, how did he live before you got him- as a stray? Someones pet? Did he live alone or did he have the company of other cats there? Ask his former owner if he had a peeing problem with them that they haven't told you about.



regards,

Christine

I do agree, if his urine has not specifically been tested that would be my first step.

I also suggest a Feliway diffuser. He's still unsure of his surroundings - it's possible something has happened to scare him away from using the litterbox. It could be something like a dog running elsewhere in the house or even a branch banging on the window. My former foster (evil cat with mega issues) wouldn't use a litterpan if the room it was in had closed curtains!

Don't give up on him yet - he hasn't had a chance to settle into his new surroundings.

Just my thoughts.

Get urine checked for possible UTI.

Change pet cleaner for the bed. I have found that some of those do not work well. The directions "usually" say to soak the affected area and allow to air dry. Repeat process several times, not a one time clean.

Weecleaner and Urine Off worked well for me. Other good products out there.

Put a plastic shower curtain over your bed when you are not there and put a small pan of litter on the top of the shower curtain.

I would also try to add another litter box. Some cats like to urinate in one and poop in another.

The litter box behind the bookshelf may be making him feel trapped. I believe cats like to be able to see in several directions so they can escape if need be while doing their business. A cat instinct thing. Some may not be bothered but it's worth a try to add another box in an open area to see how he does.

All these things can be altered once you find out what he responds to.

If the Tidy cat litter is fragrant, it might help to get an unscented. My daughters 2 cats protested when she bought the wrong litter by not using the box.

Two weeks being with you is, in my opinion, not enough time. I hope things get better soon.

Another thought - you can determine if the urine stain is completely gone by shining a blacklight on it in the dark. Urine glows.

If he's the only cat in your bedroom he probably sees it as his territory and is marking, which he will still do neutered or not (it just won't smell as bad). Chances are every time you change the bedding he will do it again to replace his scent (that's what jasper does to the little box as soon as I have changed the litter, regardless of how recently he's been). There are lots of things you can buy from pet stores and the vet that will discourage this but it will also probably discourage him from sleeping in your room...is there anywhere else he can go during the day?

Just one more suggestion to add - you could try Dr. Elsey's "Cat Attract" litter (I believe they also have a "Kitten Attract" version). I have never used it, but a number of people on the board have said it worked well for them.