Foster cat keeps peeing in bed, I'm desperate for more ideas to try 😭

[Alldara]

Probably will need time.

Vet okayed giving this supplement with L-tryptophan in it, says it's worth a try, though it will take time as well.

I don't think she's struggling to pee in any way, she uses the litter box just fine, no hesitation. There's also no straining when she's peeing on the bed, as far as I can tell from the video. And there was nothing in her tests to show a problem, vet thinks it is just stress. I worry about giving cranberry stuff or anything that increases the urine ph because it puts extra strain on the kidneys. My cat with kidney disease died earlier this year, so I'm extra paranoid about this stuff.

That's fair! We all have those things we worry about.

Could be FIC then, just stress related bladder inflammation causing her to pee elsewhere. Extra water and giving food through enrichment is very helpful with that.

 

[emocatowner]

That's fair! We all have those things we worry about.

Could be FIC then, just stress related bladder inflammation causing her to pee elsewhere. Extra water and giving food through enrichment is very helpful with that.

She has a fountain and large water bowl, I see her drinking from primarily the bowl regularly. And she gets wet food 4 times a day.

Hmm I have a bunch of puzzle toys, the resident girls are kinda getting bored of them, so maybe I should move them to the foster momma.

 

[emocatowner]

She's on the Kalm meds with L-tryptophan now, which she's happy to eat every morning.
I thought it was working, for over a week she'd been sitting in bed, cuddling with the kittens, unsupervised, no peeing.
And then she peed on the bed again

I think she got stressed because we had guests (rare occasion). She was acting a bit strange a few days after, less interested in clicker training, more hissy, and reluctant to even eat her favorite food (though she was still eating other foods). I was thinking of booking a vet appointment, but now she's back to her normal self, so I guess it was just stress?
Added stress that I'm doing cat introductions, leaving the doors open more and more between them all. One of my resident cats is quite stressed, I imagine the momma cat is too.

I got a real big litter box, and so far all the cats seem to love using it! Except the momma cat, who still prefers using the one out in the open... and occasionally the bed.

I also got this fancy "calming and attracting" litter and... it's attracting them all right, but not in the way I thought. The litter box appears to be a favorite pet bed now.

The vet did say it may take up to a month for the supplement to have any real effect, so I'm still hopeful that will help, as well as just time for her to settle in, get to know my resident gals etc.

 

[Eurocat]

Hi there
Sorry you‘re going thru this and you‘re doing an amazing job with the kitties..
I apologize if I mixed up the cats while watching the video when she peed on the bed but didnt she seem to check out the litter box first when she came into the the room and for some reason it didnt seem to be to her liking?
I‘d really tend to go with what IndyJones says regarding the cat maybe needing pristine litter and IMO maybe being put off or crowded by the scents of so many other kitties.
In my experience many street cats tend to be instinctually extremely street wise and particular about certain issues as it means their survival. This includes avoiding other cats that are obviously full of parasites (and scratching) or ill, only wanting to drink from running water (or needing to stick their paw into it first to test the level and clear the area if possible contaminants) and urinating and defecating away from where others had gone (unless it‘s a territorial aspect) to avoid transmission of bacteria, parasites and disease.
Maybe this is her issue more than anything else? The number of cats and stress may of course be an issue, but the number of cats with limited clean toilet areas (although you really have dine fantastically by providing LOADs of kitty toilet possibilities) may be the trigger?
I‘m possibly completely barking (meowing) up the wrong tree, but could it be an idea to really try and keep at least the litter box in the bedroom in absolute pristine condition as much as humanly possible? (It‘s a shame there‘s no real possibility for each cat to have a private litter box)
One way or the other wishing you the best of luck that you find a solution asap!
All the best..

 

[emocatowner]

Hi there
Sorry you‘re going thru this and you‘re doing an amazing job with the kitties..
I apologize if I mixed up the cats while watching the video when she peed on the bed but didnt she seem to check out the litter box first when she came into the the room and for some reason it didnt seem to be to her liking?
I‘d really tend to go with what IndyJones says regarding the cat maybe needing pristine litter and IMO maybe being put off or crowded by the scents of so many other kitties.
In my experience many street cats tend to be instinctually extremely street wise and particular about certain issues as it means their survival. This includes avoiding other cats that are obviously full of parasites (and scratching) or ill, only wanting to drink from running water (or needing to stick their paw into it first to test the level and clear the area if possible contaminants) and urinating and defecating away from where others had gone (unless it‘s a territorial aspect) to avoid transmission of bacteria, parasites and disease.
Maybe this is her issue more than anything else? The number of cats and stress may of course be an issue, but the number of cats with limited clean toilet areas (although you really have dine fantastically by providing LOADs of kitty toilet possibilities) may be the trigger?
I‘m possibly completely barking (meowing) up the wrong tree, but could it be an idea to really try and keep at least the litter box in the bedroom in absolute pristine condition as much as humanly possible? (It‘s a shame there‘s no real possibility for each cat to have a private litter box)
One way or the other wishing you the best of luck that you find a solution asap!
All the best..

Huh well spotted in the video! Here's the latest one, in case you see anything I don't in it:
I'll be more thorough about cleaning it just before her usual pee triggers from now on (aka when I shower and when I have dinner).
I don't get why she doesn't have the same issue in the kitchen, though. That litter box is used hardcore by momma and kittens, it's always full in the morning, though I scoop right before bed. Yet the bedroom one is usually clean at that time, particularly now that the kittens used the closed one a lot. She used to pee on the blankets when I first got her, but she hasn't done that in months.
Either way, cleaning more often can't hurt.

Private litter box is also an option, although an expensive one.
There are these boxes with a cat flap that open based on the microchip. I was thinking about getting something like that for one of my resident gals who gets overstimulated by the kittens, and just setting it up as a kinda hidey hole only she can go in, though it's a bit small and expensive for that. I'm thinking of a DYI solution.
I guess I could set something like that up for momma cat, and if it doesn't work out, just give it to my resident cat afterwards. Though I'd need to get her microchipped, the rescue only gave her an ear tattoo. If nothing else works, I'll keep this as a backup idea.

 

[Eurocat]

Oh my! - so sorry for you and your bed
Am going to revise what I said in my last post..
What‘s interesting it that she hesitates around the litter box again when she comes in the room.
On the left though there are 2 kitties (are they her kittens) - they seem to be crowding her and so she decides to go on the bed. I couldnt quite make out where the other cats were in in front of the cat tree? Was it another litter box?
Seeing this, I‘d probably also go along with what Alldara and other members stated that as she is insecure anyway maybe one major aspect is that she generally feels crowded, more insecure and threatened when she has to use the exposed box close to other kitties and thus going high on the bed is also maybe also stating that thus is her realm and territorial too.
If the kitchen was her starting base with the kittens it could make sense that she feels more secure there and thus is more easy going with the litter box in whatever condition it is and whoever is in there.
Just out of interest are the blankets/covers she has peed on of different colours or does she tend to go more for one colour?
I think she‘s probably a sensitive cat who needs her space and long term may be happier in a smaller, quiet cat household with one of her kittens (as you were planning)
So I‘d probably try a few approaches -
Cleaner litter box in bedroom and more space between litter box and other kitty amenities in bedroom if at all possible. I‘m in 2 minds about using a closed litter box as if she‘s insecure anyway this could exacerbate this feeling as she can‘t look around. Going thru a flap for a personal litter box may be an issue too.
I think the more she starts feeling confident and relaxed with everything the better things may get anyway. Both you and she have been through major upheaval and I have the utmost respect for what you’ve done for this cat family. They‘ve been so, so lucky

 

[emocatowner]

Oh my! - so sorry for you and your bed
Am going to revise what I said in my last post..
What‘s interesting it that she hesitates around the litter box again when she comes in the room.
On the left though there are 2 kitties (are they her kittens) - they seem to be crowding her and so she decides to go on the bed. I couldnt quite make out where the other cats were in in front of the cat tree? Was it another litter box?
Seeing this, I‘d probably also go along with what Alldara and other members stated that as she is insecure anyway maybe one major aspect is that she generally feels crowded, more insecure and threatened when she has to use the exposed box close to other kitties and thus going high on the bed is also maybe also stating that thus is her realm and territorial too.
If the kitchen was her starting base with the kittens it could make sense that she feels more secure there and thus is more easy going with the litter box in whatever condition it is and whoever is in there.
Just out of interest are the blankets/covers she has peed on of different colours or does she tend to go more for one colour?
I think she‘s probably a sensitive cat who needs her space and long term may be happier in a smaller, quiet cat household with one of her kittens (as you were planning)
So I‘d probably try a few approaches -
Cleaner litter box in bedroom and more space between litter box and other kitty amenities in bedroom if at all possible. I‘m in 2 minds about using a closed litter box as if she‘s insecure anyway this could exacerbate this feeling as she can‘t look around. Going thru a flap for a personal litter box may be an issue too.
I think the more she starts feeling confident and relaxed with everything the better things may get anyway. Both you and she have been through major upheaval and I have the utmost respect for what you’ve done for this cat family. They‘ve been so, so lucky

Thanks for checking and the extra ideas!

Yep those are her kittens. The resident gals were always locked in the other part of the house when the pee happened.
And she seems to like her kittens, she washes them and plays with them. After her spay, we separated her from the kittens, and she actually refused to eat for a day, until we let the kittens back in, then she washed her favorite kitten and immediately went for the food bowl.
She does seem overwhelmed by them at times, though. She scratched me once when I was trying to clicker train her with kittens in the room, they made noise all around her, and she freaked out when my hand moved towards her to give her a treat. And she actually seems more relaxed now that 2 of her kittens are in their forever home, and only 3 are left.

The kittens were eating there. I started separating them during feeding, so momma gets adult food and kittens get kitten food (vet said she is getting a bit chubby).

I think it is territorial, as she only gets access to the bedroom during the day, and we let the resident girls in at night. It is impossible to sleep with the kittens, and momma tends to howl at night (regardless of bedroom access)

I definitely think she'd be better off in a quiet home, but convincing people to take in a cat they can't pet who might pee on their bed, is not easy

Yea I'll leave both the closed and open litter boxes in there, so she can choose. Clean more often ofc.
I might also let them loose in the office and block access to the bedroom for a bit, so she gets more relaxed, and see if it still happens after like a month.

Honestly, I feel lucky to have them. They've really been a healing presence, helping me overcome my grief from the bottle baby I lost before taking them in. I just hope I can wrap it up neatly and find the perfect home for her, and get the next round of cats that need help. It breaks my heart to hear about all the other cats at this rescue that need help, though I think taking in more cats at this time would be bad both for momma cat and my resident gals.

 

[IndyJones]

She definatly needs a home that has been very carefuly chosen. I would call her special needs, these animals often need a very understanding owner who is willing to tolerate behavioural and health issues such as inapropreate toileting.

 

[emocatowner]

She definatly needs a home that has been very carefuly chosen. I would call her special needs, these animals often need a very understanding owner who is willing to tolerate behavioural and health issues such as inapropreate toileting.

Yep, plus one very familiar with cats and cat behavior, maybe with an interest in socializing cats. It's very fun and rewarding, but takes a lot of time and learning.
I really think she will be a cuddly perfect kitty one day, but it will take a lot of work to get there.
I'm definitely mentioning all these issues to potential adopters, I don't want them to randomly be surprised by a wet bed one day.

 

[emocatowner]

And I just walked in on this
So my angry resident cat is in the bed staring her down, the kittens are having zoomies, I'm walking about loading the dishwasher in the kitchen, and momma is using the open box without a care in the world.
And the box has been used by other cats, I was just preparing to scoop, it stank so bad in there before she went!
She is so confusing

 

[Alldara]

Maybe try leaving a small peice of poo each time?

 

[Eurocat]

Looks like maybe the litter box must be the option if the bed is occupied?
Which is good, no?

 

[emocatowner]

Maybe try leaving a small peice of poo each time?

Worth a try, though the box was definitely a bit dirty at least some of the times she peed in bed.
I think maybe this is her poo box, and maybe I should add another open box for pee?

Looks like maybe the litter box must be the option if the bed is occupied?
Which is good, no?

Yea, could be worse. If we end at a point where we can leave all doors open, at least we're unlikely to be woken up by being peed on
I have a heartbeat plushie for bottle babies, I wonder if it would actually work as deterrent...

 

[Alldara]

Worth a try, though the box was definitely a bit dirty at least some of the times she peed in bed.
I think maybe this is her poo box, and maybe I should add another open box for pee?

Anything is worth a try for this tricky lady!

 

[emocatowner]

And she peed in bed again
It feels like an escalation too. I was in the bedroom with all the cats, and momma seemed interested in playing, so I called the resident gals away to feed them, planning to come back and play with momma&kittens after, and in the 10 mins it took to do so, she peed in bed. Up until now, she's only ever done so when I was away for a longer while.

Bf is getting real fed up with her, and wants to return her to the rescue. He doesn't think there's a chance she will stop, at this point.

I'm going to at least give her until the meds fully kick in, and keep her out of the bedroom in the meanwhile.
That way I can also move the litter boxes out, one of the resident gals got in the habit of dropping a stinky poop in there every morning, which wakes my bf. He hasn't been having a full night's sleep in a while.
Bf is convinced this will just lead to her peeing on other stuff of ours. But at least it'll be my stuff, which I can live with.

If it doesn't work out, I guess I need to work on at least finding her a different foster with a quieter home.

Has anyone experienced a cat that had these kinda issues, that actually stopped peeing, either in the same home, or a new one?

 

[IndyJones]

Could it be the presence of the other cats causing it? Some cats do better as an only. And imean both the kittens and resident cats

 

[IndyJones]

If health conditions have been ruled out it is detective work time. Something is upsetting her and she is telling you the only way she can.

Is the BF new? Has he yelled at her or been harsh with her?

Is there too many cats? Something is upsetting her the question is what?

Would the rescue be opened to working with you to do some detective work like maybe moving her to a foster with no cats? No men? Etc. It is a very tricky situation for sure.

 

[emocatowner]

Could it be the presence of the other cats causing it? Some cats do better as an only. And imean both the kittens and resident cats

It likely is too many cats.
I think she needs at least one kitten with her, but not any other cats.

If health conditions have been ruled out it is detective work time. Something is upsetting her and she is telling you the only way she can.

Is the BF new? Has he yelled at her or been harsh with her?

Is there too many cats? Something is upsetting her the question is what?

Would the rescue be opened to working with you to do some detective work like maybe moving her to a foster with no cats? No men? Etc. It is a very tricky situation for sure.

BF's been here way before her.
He is the one that got her in the carrier when she got spayed. It basically involved cornering her into the carrier with a blanket. She's been a bit extra skittish with him since.
He is very upset about the peeing, though he's trying really hard not to show it to her, still offering her treats, food etc. But cats often have a way of telling these things.

She could well be upset about my resident gals, maybe even overstimulated by the kittens' zoomies.
I've been doing cat introductions lately, giving them more and more time together. She seems quite chill with the other cats, and nothing bad ever happened between them, but she knows it's their territory.
I use that room for scent swapping, with the gals having access to it at night and the kittens during the day, which may be an extra stressor for her.
I'm torn between stopping the introductions for now, to reduce the stress, and just continuing, as they are progressing well, cats are mostly chill with each other most of the time.

She may also want outdoor access again.
She's been howling every night since we got her, not sure what that's about either, but likely related.

Dunno if the rescue has other fosters willing to take her in, it is rather small and very local, but we will ask.
Apparently she had been to a foster home as a kitten, and she ended up just staring at a wall, ignoring everyone. And for some reason they returned her and her brother outdoors. The rescue was really happy about us taking her in, as many other fosters apparently aren't quite as good with cats, or as willing to do as much.

 

[Alldara]

Has anyone experienced a cat that had these kinda issues, that actually stopped peeing, either in the same home, or a new one?

I did, but I got it sorted by changing the litter type and boxes after a UTI.

That harder part was getting him to stop peeing on other things.

 

[IndyJones]

I would not let her outside unless she is leashed or enclosed. It is so easy for them to get sick or run over.