Pottying on the bed!

rinadaventry

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My cat is 100% toilet trained now. I haven't been using a litterbox for over a month, and he never has accidents.

That is, unless I leave a bedroom door open. If I leave it open, he inevitably potties on my bed! Is there a reason Alcott loves to poop and pee on beds? Not couches, not chairs, not clothes...just beds! If I leave the doors shut, he's fine. I took him to the vet a little while back for a checkup and mentioned it, and it seems to be completley behavioral. Someone said perhaps its because my scent is so strong on the bed? He only does it when I'm not around-- if the doors are open but I'm in the bedroom, he goes to the toilet.
Any thoughts? Leaving the doors shut isn't the end of the world, but I'd like to be able to give him full run of the house and not have to worry. I don't have a washing machine so if he has an accident, I have to hand wash a comforter
Not fun.
 

lotsocats

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I have read that when a healthy cat pees on her person's bed or clothing it is related to stress or anxiety. Is there something going on that might be stressing your boy? There are medications that can help calm a stressed cat and meds used for separation anxiety (mentioned in the above post). You might want to talk to your vet about this.
 

momof3rugratz

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I agree stress will do this and anxiety. My Skittles peed at my moms because she was stressing but nothing since. The Vet said she is in great health.
 

zissou'smom

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You may have to go back to the litterbox... I assume that he didn't do this before the toilet thing? Congrats on getting that far in the training though! He must be a smart cat!
But if he is stressed out about using the toilet, and the fact that given other options (your bed) he takes them indicates he is, he doesn't like being toilet trained and needs a litter box.
 

goldenkitty45

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I'll agree with Z on this. I think your cat really does NOT like to use the toilet. Try going back to the litter pan and see if he stops using your bed.

Just curious, if you take him to a hotel or something (out of his own house) would he know to use the toilet - or would he be confused. I'm willing to bet he will not use a toilet outside of your house - which means he should be using the litter pan.
 
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rinadaventry

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Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

You may have to go back to the litterbox... I assume that he didn't do this before the toilet thing? Congrats on getting that far in the training though! He must be a smart cat!
But if he is stressed out about using the toilet, and the fact that given other options (your bed) he takes them indicates he is, he doesn't like being toilet trained and needs a litter box.
I would be on board with that idea if he was pooping on clothing, blankets, etc., since I'd think he wanted to cover his mess. As it's just my bed though...I think its more a stress thing.

I have no plans to go back on toilet training as I really don't think the issue is using the toilet. Would he rather use a litter pan? Possibly. People have very mixed opinions on toilet training, I've realized. But I've also realized that if a cat doesn't want to do something, he flatly doesn't. I think if the issue were toilet training, then me shutting the bedroom doors would be the last of my problems-- he'd be going all over.

Just curious, if you take him to a hotel or something (out of his own house) would he know to use the toilet - or would he be confused. I'm willing to bet he will not use a toilet outside of your house - which means he should be using the litter pan.
About the hotel-- if I took him somewhere, no, he probably wouldn't use the toilet...but I don't think that means he doesn't like it or does like it, I just think it'd mean "this is a strange place and that potty is very out in the open...." I don't think this means he "should be using a litterpan" at all, just that he has to feel safe to use such an open bathroom.

I wonder about the stress-- I work a lot, but I'm home every evening and often on weekends. In fact, last time it happened I was home, just downstairs! Hm. I'll check with the vet on that!
 

zissou'smom

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I think toilet training is great if the cat agrees. It doesn't really matter what we think of it though because in the end it's the cat that likes or dislikes it. Your cat is obviously the sort who wants to please you or you never would have been able to teach him to use the toilet. So, he may absolutely hate the toilet and this is your only sign. Then again he may just like to pee on your bed-- but you said this started when you switched him over. My concern lies with the cat, and whether he's unhappy about the toilet, and since it would be so easy to find out, I don't understand why you don't want to.
 
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rinadaventry

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My concern is that he's stressed out. While he never had accidents while using a box, I also was home much, much more often at that time. This all started about 2 weeks after getting a new job. Up until that point he went through all of toilet training and about 3 weeks of using the toilet without training stuff just fine...so there's just no reason to think that's it. It seems pointless to undo months of toilet training when, based on what people are posting about stress, that seems FAR more likely than that he randomly deciding the toilet isn't for him.
 
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