Cat insists on litterboxing my bed!

My cat was sick.

she dropped in weight from a fat-cat to less than 4 pounds in weight (8 is a healthy cat)

she had seizures.

she couldn't even crawl out of bed to use the litter-box.

For 3 months i forced her poor tired soul back to health.

i force fed her.

gave her IV treatments.

gave her her antibiotics and shots.

cleaned her regularly and made sure that - once she was able to - she didn't just hide away. (socially rehabilitated her i guess you could call it)

well, she is fine and dandy and healthy now.

more healthy than before she got sick because she had a weight problem before.

we broke her of the temporary litter-box and got her to use the doggie door again.

everything was going well.

now, 4 months after being totally well and off the litter-box, she now INSISTS on using my bed as her litter-box.

it's not a "OH NO! I CAN'T HOLD IT!" problem.

it's not a "Dirty Literbox" problem.

it's not a health problem.

she just INSISTS on going to my bed, digging, defecating, and burring it in my sheets. (#1 and #2)

one night she did it.... WHILE I WAS ASLEEP IN IT!!! (can you imagine waking up to that in the morning when you need to be off to work?)

I thought it was a smell problem.

but i've taken my mattress outside, hosed it VERY well, scrubbed it with laundry soap, let it sun-dry (after the vet-bills i'm WAY too broke to buy a new mattress) and brought it back in nice and clean and no-problem.....

until the next morning when she did it again.

She ALWAYS uses it in the morning. either before i leave for work or when i get home from work.

(i ASSUME she is going outside the other times)

i thought it was an attention thing.

but i had her on my lap, petting her, giving her attention....

she hopped down from my lap, went to my room.... AND DID IT AGAIN!!!!

when i move my mattress up against the wall (i don't use a box or a frame; because of my bad back leaving the mattress on the floor is easier for me) - when i move my mattress up against the wall to keep her from dirtying it she will go as close to it as she can.

Please - suggestions?

vet says she is healthy.

I think it is a smell problem. You need to use an enzyme cleaner that will remove the smell, not just to your senses, but to hers. However, that may be difficult to do with a mattress depending on how deep it soaked through. You may need a new mattress to solve the problem.

Also, it's not quite clear, but it sounds like she no longer has a litter box indoors? If that's the case, I would add one. She may not want to go outside any more after the illness to do her business.

You could try leaving her in her own small room overnight with her bed, litter box and food. A bathroom is just about the right size. I had to do the same thing with one of my cats last year, she didn't like the fact that the new foster kittens were sleeping on my bed and wanted to let everyone know the bed was hers.

It sounds as if she has just got into the habit of using your bed and, as vball91 said, can't be bothered to go outside any more.

I was wondering about her having a litter box inside as well.  And I agree with needing to use an enzyme cleaner on it; if you have not already.  It can take a few treatments to remove the smell.  From what I understand; it has to really get down in there as far as the urine went and then dry in order to remove it.  You could also purchase a mattress cover to help it stay dry while you try to figure this out.     

Once you have gotten it clean with the enzymatic cleanser, a good idea is to get a vinyl mattress cover to protect it while you are re-training your cat. You'll still be washing sheets, but your mattress will be safe. I have a cat who poops without knowing he does it. Everything in our home is Montgomery-proofed including the sofa and the cat beds. It makes our lives much easier and helps to keep him clean, too.

this pheremone, called "feliway". target , walmart, etc has it. good luck