ABOUT TO LOSE IT - HELP!!!!

[alycat]

So, my husband and I got a new kitten about a month ago. He's around 3 months old and such a wonderful little guy, except one thing.... HE PEES IN OUR BED. He's done this almost every night since we got him. It's only at night though, and only in the bed. He is alone all day and never has any accidents. 

We took him to the vet when we first got him, and he got a clean bill of health, so I don't believe he's sick. He knows how to use the litterbox, and he can get on and off our bed easily. 

Locking him out of the room is not an option, as we have a small apartment and I'd rather him pee on my sheets that I can wash than my new couch. 

We've tried sprays, taking away wet food at night, waking up to put him in the litterbox.. EVERYTHING. 

We thought it might be because he was so comfy in bed he didn't want to get up in the middle of the night to use the box, BUT last night he got up, jumped off the bed to eat/drink, climbed back on the bed AND PEED. 

I love my little kitten, but this is becoming very frustrating. We're also going away next week and I don't want him peeing at my mom's house... does anyone have any suggestions???

 

[sparkyyy]

I've heard that if the cat is using your bed as a bathroom, they're unhappy with you and trying to communicate. Peeing on your blankets or pillow is a message- as opposed to peeing in say, a discreet corner of the house or a plant- which is likely to just be an 'accident' because he couldn't find the box. (This may be the case considering you've ruled out medical issues.) 

Maybe you're gone for long periods of time and he feels lonely or isolated? Maybe he's stressed by other things in the house (noisy kids, a dog, etc?) Not enough things to play with?

Another thing to consider is how clean the box is. Try scooping every day and keeping it really fresh. Cats are clean creatures and if the box is too dirty, they will find alternatives. 

 

[alycat]

I thought that originally too, but he only does it at night, which is what's so odd about it. You'd think he'd do it all day when he's alone. And he doesn't for random periods of time.. like he's stopped at different times for 2 or 3 days and we think we're out of the woods but then he does it again. We usually keep it pretty clean, every two or 3 days we change it (we don't have him in clumping litter right now because he was eating it when we first got him). No kids or other pets, just the kitten, my husband and me. 

We were thinking of taking away his water after a certain time of night to help control his bladder.. would anyone advise against this? I don't want to be inhumane, I just want to try and find a way around this!

so frustrating

 

[sparkyyy]

Kittens can become dehydrated so easily. I think having fresh water around 100% of the time is best. I'd like to hear from some more experienced people in the forum though~ hopefully you'll get a few more replies

 

[franksmom]

I would get another box right away, so he has two. You also must use an enzyme cleaner because if there is any urine scent left on the bed it will encourage him to pee. Feliway also is supposed to stop peeing outside the litterbox. 

Did the vet actually test him for a uti? If not you better bring him back to be tested because this is a clear sign.

 

[alycat]

I've been using an enzyme cleaner, and I've been spraying the bed with Feliway for a couple weeks now. Is it really a sign of a UTI if it's ONLY at night? He's not in pain when he pees and there are SOME (rare occasions) when he doesn't do it.. and it's also been going on for almost a month now.. It's not something that is just all of a sudden happening, which is why I'm not really thinking a medical issue. 

 

[feralvr]

This can be a very frustrating problem to have but can be resolved! Do not withhold water from your kitten, ever. Not good, especially if this is a urinary health issue.. But first, He has learned that peeing on the bed is appropriate. Once they start peeing in a certain spot, they will return again and again. You must clean the mattress as well. It must be soaking through and he can still smell his urine even if you cannot. Here are steps to do this: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-remove-cat-urine I would buy some Nok Out on-line right away. The stuff is really the best on the market IMO.

Most cats prefer two or more litter boxes. Open boxes, no hoods. The kitten may prefer to poop in one box and pee somewhere else. Put two litter boxes in your bedroom. You may have to teach you kitten to stay off the bed for a few days until he starts using the box in the bedroom regularly. Make it very convenient for him to get to and to use. He may not want to leave the bedroom at night (in the dark) to go and find his other litter box in the apartment. Who knows..... stranger things are true about these special little creatures. Use Kitten Attract litter AND add in a 1/4 cup of Litter Attractant (mix it in)
I think you can work on resolving this. Kittens are smart and he is trying to tell you something. :nod: If all else fails, then even at his young age I would pursue with the vet and do a urine sensitivity culture test. All my best

p.s. Feliway is not a cure all for out of the box issues but it might help if the kitten is having stress at night and worrying about leaving the bedroom to use the box.

 

[Willowy]

At this age, and since he's done it since you've gotten him, I suspect he was never properly litter trained. I would put him in the bathroom (or other small room with no soft surfaces to pee on) or a large crate at night and when you aren't home so that he HAS to use the litterbox. It won't be fun, but it's better than a lifetime of cat pee in your bed :tongue2:. Why he only does it at night, who knows? Cats are weird :lol3:. Maybe he's afraid of the dark. . .

And, yes, using Kitten Attract litter would be an excellent idea. Also adding a LOT of other litterboxes, so that there's always one in his sight. It'll be a pain, but worth it to develop good litterbox habits. And you can take the extras away as he gets older and has a couple clear favorites that he always uses. You can use disposable roasting pans or cheap storage boxes if you don't want to buy a lot of fancy litterboxes.

Are his food and water dishes near the litterbox? Cats hate to eat in the same area they pee and poop in. Best to put them in a different room if possible, or at least across the room.

Make sure to clean the bed thoroughly with a cat odor remover. You really have to pour it on so it soaks way into the mattress, so buy a gallon.

 

[alycat]

Thanks for the helpful tips!! We've been using a store bought (spray) odor eliminator, but we never really thoroughly cleaned the mattress, just sprayed where he peed, so we'll invest in a gallon of one today and try soaking it. And I like idea of more litterboxes! We were thinking of getting a hooded one anyway, so maybe go buy the hooded one, leave it off until he gets this thing down pat and they we can put it on in the future? Or would you suggest never putting it on?

His food and water are in the same room (but across the room) as the litterbox, but we don't want to keep them in there.. we were trying to acclimate him to the apartment by keeping him in one room, but now he goes crazy just being in one room so I think he's acclimated Will he be able to find his food and water if we move the bowls to a different room?

Sorry so many questions, he's my first little baby (and that's exactly how I treat him, like my baby) and I'm nervous I'm going to do something wrong!!

I will definitely mention this to the vet, just to double check. I just don't want to take him on an "extra" trip. We'll be bringing him back for his next round of shots when we return from vacation. 

 

[harleydiva]

When I first brought Gideon home, he was peeing on the bed too.  I added 2 more litter boxes (2 cats...so 3 boxes).  I took the hoods off the boxes.  I called the breeder and asked what type of litter he was used to....she used Dr. Elseys, so I bought a bag of the Kitten Attract.  The combination of the three things resolved the problem.  After the bag of Kitten Attract was used, I moved to regular Dr. Elsey's with no problem.....then moved to a corn based litter with no problem.  

The hoods on the litter boxes are for the people.....many cats don't like them, although some do.  One of my boxes is in an unused bathtub.  I was having problems with them using the tub instead of the box until I removed the hoods.

 

[alycat]

The one we use now doesn't have a hood, but I know my husband (a self-proclaimed neat freak) was getting upset with the mess and wanted to buy one.. but we were hesitant to do so when he was already having problems at night. I don't mind the ones without the hood though. I guess we can revisit that at a later time. 

Was your cat peeing the bed only at night too? We're definitely going for another litterbox after work today. Maybe a larger one this time, the one he has is on the small side. Unfortunately, we got him from someone on Craigslist and I'm not longer in contact with them so I can't figure out which type they used, but I will try the kitten attract litter! Is it ok if I put that in the new one and then leave the old kind in the old box?

 

[vball91]

About hoods, my cat used one with a hood for 4 years without an issue. But then she started peeing high and the pee would soak through the gap onto the floor. I removed the hood, and the problem stopped. I also found it a pain to remove the hood 2-3 times a day to scoop. As long as the litter box is big enough and kept clean, the smell can be kept under control. I also find that feeding a good species appropriate diet of high animal protein/low carbs really helps. Cats who are fed a good diet don't have really smelly poop or pee.

 

[catspaw66]

Sorry so many questions, he's my first little baby (and that's exactly how I treat him, like my baby) and I'm nervous I'm going to do something wrong!!

May I suggest you read some of the articles on this site. Here is one every new cat owner should read.  www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-behavior-for-beginners

The articles section is almost like having an owner's manual for your cat.  Even when you have had multiple cats for as many years as I have - over 20 years as a multiple cat servant - there are some things in them that is new information.

 

[franksmom]

I know a lot of people do not like hooded litter boxes on here, but my new kitten will not use one without the hood (according to the breeder she likes privacy). She actually peed on me the first night as she would not go in the open box. I got her one with a hood and there have been no other accidents, and yes I do clean it multiple times a day. 

Do you know what type of litter box he was using in his last home?

For sure ask the vet when you go get his shots because it still could be an indication that something is wrong. 

 

[harleydiva]

The one we use now doesn't have a hood, but I know my husband (a self-proclaimed neat freak) was getting upset with the mess and wanted to buy one.. but we were hesitant to do so when he was already having problems at night. I don't mind the ones without the hood though. I guess we can revisit that at a later time. 

Was your cat peeing the bed only at night too? We're definitely going for another litterbox after work today. Maybe a larger one this time, the one he has is on the small side. Unfortunately, we got him from someone on Craigslist and I'm not longer in contact with them so I can't figure out which type they used, but I will try the kitten attract litter! Is it ok if I put that in the new one and then leave the old kind in the old box?

I'm not sure when he was doing it....I would just find the pee spots.  It stopped when we switched to the Kitten Attract and added the extra boxes.  I always buy the biggest litter boxes.  The most popular box is the biggest, cheapest one.  I only used one bag of Kitten Attract.....then switched to the regular with the same consistency.  I think it was a combination of familiar litter plus more boxes.  Switching the litter type to corn litter a couple months later was no problem.

 

[feralvr]

I would leave the "old" box where it is. Add the two new boxes and put in the bedroom mixing in some of the old litter from the other box. If you google litter boxes on Amazon, you can find many high sided options that will help keep litter inside. Down the road if you make any changes with litter box types, always keep the old ones available while you introduce the new one. Add in some of the "used" litter from the old box into the new litter type, i.e. Kitten Attract by Dr. Elsey. Again, I would also get Dr. Elsey's litter attractant to mix with the Kitten Attract. At this point, I would do everything possible to assure that your kitten will be successful. I think the inconvenience of having multiple litter boxes in the bedroom is the lesser of the two evils (kitten peeing on the bed). Have a dustbuster in your bedroom for quick litter pick up. You can also get a litter mat which will help some with litter scatter when the kitten leaves the litter box.

Yes, the kitten will find the food dishes if you move them. Just start feeding him in the new designated area by offering him his favorite wet kitten food. Offer him a few treats in that area throughout the day too. Good luck and keep us posted.