Cat peeing in bed

[frupu]

Hi there I discovered this site as I was searching the internet. I hope there exists a solution for my cat problem.

My cat has been with me for about a year, shes 7 years old. We get on very well except the fact she keeps peeing on my bed. Always while I'm in it. Sometimes looking me right in the eye while she did it, other times I would wake up to it. IT DRIVES ME NUTS.

The first time it happened was during an ear infection when she was unhappy about the cone. Then there was once when the fire alarm went off in the building I guess she was scared. All the other times were completely random as far as I can tell.

I tried everything. Clean bill of health from the vet. Feliway doesn't help (I thought it did for a couple of months then boom, got peed on again). Cleaning the litter box after every use doesn't help. I tried cleaning the comforters myself with enzyme cleaner, then threw a bunch away because I was paranoid I didn't do it right and the smell was what drew her back. I started buying cheap $30 comforter from amazon....placing a new order almost every month

The thing is she knows she's not supposed to do it. I gave her a lecture a few times when I happened to be awake and caught her in the act. Now she runs to hide in a corner right after she pees, and peeks at me until I realize it's happened again and begin cleaning up. She knows she did bad and human not happy but, still gonna pee on you! She knows shes cute and can get away with anything...

This past month was especially bad, there was an incident almost every week. I am starting to get really frustrated. I'd hate to have to lock her out of the bedroom. She's a scaredy cat and she has claimed quite a few safe spaces in it.

What do I do

 

[ArtNJ]

Thing about habits, is that you need to starve em cold turkey style. So I know you don't want to exclude her from the bedroom, but it would only be temporary. The other option would be stripping the bed during the day and putting the bedding in the closet till bedtime. It might surprise you that it could work, but kneading the bedding with the paws is generally part of the experience for a cat, kinda simulates burying waste. That seems to be why beds are the most common spot for accidents. But of course that won't stop it from happening at night.

Apart from those two suggestions, don't think anything else would work if its just a habit. You already took the cat to the vet so you have medical covered, and you have smell covered. You could try fussing with litter and litter box issues, but I'm a bit skeptical of that being your problem. Certainly can't hurt to add another box, clean more often, that sort of thing. That is really it.

 

[Kiwikinon]

Hi there !
I think we need more info, I don’t know much but I hope your problem will be solved !
When did she start to pee outside her litter box ? Maybe something happened, an event, something new in the house, that resulted in a change in her behavior ? How about the litter box placement ? Did she used it well before ?

 

[cataholic07]

Vet check if she hasn't been recently to make sure its not a UTI. I would keep her out of the bedroom as well until you can get a clear bill of health and retrain her to use the litter box. You will want two large uncovered, unlined litter boxes with litter she loves to use. Probably a soft litter would be best. You will either have to scoop daily or scoop every few days depending on her preference. Some cats want super clean, others demand it to be filthy otherwise they wont feel comfortable using it. That's why having two litter boxes can help you figure that out as well what type of litter she likes, depth, and placement. Then once she is using her litter boxes I would add a cat tree in your room or some scratching posts and cat beds. Even a litter box if you have to. But hopefully the cat tree, beds or scratching posts is enough that she can mix her sent in and feel comfortable. Hopefully all of that will help her stop using the bed to pee on. She isnt doing it to be vindictive, there is a reason for it, you just have to find that out.

 

[neely]

First, welcome to TCS! Second, TCS has a very informative Article about litter box problems that may be helpful for you:
How To Solve Litterbox Problems In Cats: The Ultimate Guide