Kittens peed on the bed... AGAIN

[nullentropy]

So, I have two kittens, who are about 12 weeks old. They're litter trained, and have 4 litter boxes. Previously they only had one, but had the full run of the place and, of course, were peeing/pooping in places they shouldn't. Well, since getting the extra boxes they hadn't had a single accident (hooray!) until this morning. They peed on the bed (specifically on my boyfriend's blanket and on him). I'm wondering if this is because I hadn't scooped in a couple days, and the boxes were a bit full. I've thrown the sheet and the mattress protector into the washer with vinegar and enzyme cleaner. It's soaking for about an hour and then I'm going to do a full wash with detergent (I would LIKE to do a full vinegar wash first, but of course the boyfriend didn't refill the laundry card when I asked and we only have enough for one load, and no dry.) Do you think they peed because of the litter box thing, or is there an underlying issue? They're going to the vet Saturday for their second boosters and their rabies. Anything I should watch out for?

 

[franksmom]

You can have the vet check for the uti but it was probably because of the dirty boxes.

 

[tabbicat2010]

I've actually had a similar issue when I adopted two kittens who were littermates. They did really well with the litterbox, but then one of them out of the blue started peeing on my bed every night. This went on for about a month and no matter what I tried I couldn't get it to stop. Then my vet suggested that I separate the two cats for about a week because he thought they could be having issues with each other and that maybe the cat peeing on the bed was getting territorial.  So I kept the cat that was peeing in my room only (with easy access to a litterbox) and locked out the other kitten (it made me really sad, but I was desperate at this point). And I can't even believe it but it actually worked.  3 years later I haven't had an issue with urinating outside the litter box ever again!

I don't know if this solution with work for you or maybe mine was just a special case. Definitely get them checked out with your vet first to make sure there aren't any health issues that may be causing this.  Also, some cats are very particular about their litter boxes, so I would suggest scooping the litter every day and maybe that will help as well.

Good luck!

 

[tulosai]

You can have the vet check for the uti but it was probably because of the dirty boxes.

 Also, how close was the nearest box? 12 weeks is really young still, maybe the nearest box seemed too far away to the one who peed.  Either way, even though you  have a lot of boxes I'd try to stick to a scooping once a day rule.

 

[lahf1]

I had the same experience with a kitten - they seem to find something soft to do this like a duvet or a cushion - the kitten has probably waited a while before doing this and its a last resort.  If you clean the trays you will probably find that will stop and they may also wait also for the clean tray before using it/ be the first to use it.  In my experience they can be really fussy about clean trays (which is not that illogical as we would not fancy using an unflushed toilet ourselves).  At the same time you need to be careful as if they refuse to go in something they dont consider clean they delay urinating and can get cystitis as a result - which can be serious and obviously painful.  If you get annoyed at the cat they may get stressed and make the problem worse.

I have 2 indoor cats - they have 3 trays and the trays are cleaned with detergent and litter replaced every day.   This seems to work and is preferable to having to replacing duvets and furnishings if it is repeated.... Having learnt this I have contented cats. I have found also they dont like certain types of litter ...- the best are highly absorbant and also minimise odour.

 

[nullentropy]

 Also, how close was the nearest box? 12 weeks is really young still, maybe the nearest box seemed too far away to the one who peed.  Either way, even though you  have a lot of boxes I'd try to stick to a scooping once a day rule.

The bedroom is not large, and there are two in there: one on each side. They've been using them consistently. Also in the small hallway are two little boxes next to one another (one covered, one uncovered) both of which they've been using consistently.