Why Is She Doing This???

[HellsBells80]

Hi all I'm new to the cat site here, but I'm really hoping someone might be able to help me. I have 4 cats all of them get on well together. Just these last few days the youngest cat who is 6 months old and female not yet spayed, has started to use my youngest child's bed as her litter box, she has always used the box before I've never had any issues with her before. I can't understand why her behaviour has suddenly changed? She still uses all the litter boxes as well. We have 3 boxes and I always keep them clean and haven't changed litter either, can anyone help please??

 

[Ardina]

Hi HellsBells80! First of all, welcome to TCS! You should introduce you and your cats in the New Cats on the Block forum.

In terms of your youngest cat, it's likely that she has now matured and is either going to go into heat soon or already has and is advertising this by peeing outside the box. Spaying her should fix the problem. Are your other cats spayed?

 

[margd]

There are two things that come to mind. One is that your girl may be going into heat or is in heat already. It's not uncommon for unspayed cats to urinate outside the box or to spray during those times. The fact that she's using your youngest child's bed may indicate a territorial component to it as well - also common when a female goes into heat.

The second is that she might have a UTI. Do you notice her straining at all when she tries to urinate?

I would take her to the vet to be checked for a UTI and to discuss having her spayed. A simple blood test for estrogen will confirm if she is in heat. Some vets don't like to spay a cat when she is in heat so your vet may want to wait a bit. There are several reasons to have her spayed, in addition to putting a stop to her peeing on your youngest child's bed. In addition to the obvious one of preventing kittens, spaying can also prevent pyometra, a potentially fatal infection of the uterus.

When cleaning up after her, be sure to use an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature's Miracle that will break down urine into component molecules. Otherwise, your girl may still be able to smell the scent of urine with her highly sensitive sniffer and will be drawn back to the same spot.

And finally, Welcome to TCS! I hope to see you around!

 

[HellsBells80]

Hi HellsBells80! First of all, welcome to TCS! You should introduce you and your cats in the New Cats on the Block forum.

In terms of your youngest cat, it's likely that she has now matured and is either going to go into heat soon or already has and is advertising this by peeing outside the box. Spaying her should fix the problem. Are your other cats spayed?

Thank you so much I will introduce myself and my cats, I wasn't aware of that. My other cats are spayed and neutered. The thing is she's not peeing on the bed just pooping ??

 

[HellsBells80]

There are two things that come to mind. One is that your girl may be going into heat or is in heat already. It's not uncommon for unspayed cats to urinate outside the box or to spray during those times. The fact that she's using your youngest child's bed may indicate a territorial component to it as well - also common when a female goes into heat.

The second is that she might have a UTI. Do you notice her straining at all when she tries to urinate?

I would take her to the vet to be checked for a UTI and to discuss having her spayed. A simple blood test for estrogen will confirm if she is in heat. Some vets don't like to spay a cat when she is in heat so your vet may want to wait a bit. There are several reasons to have her spayed, in addition to putting a stop to her peeing on your youngest child's bed. In addition to the obvious one of preventing kittens, spaying can also prevent pyometra, a potentially fatal infection of the uterus.

When cleaning up after her, be sure to use an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature's Miracle that will break down urine into component molecules. Otherwise, your girl may still be able to smell the scent of urine with her highly sensitive sniffer and will be drawn back to the same spot.

And finally, Welcome to TCS! I hope to see you around!

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Thanks so much for your advice, although it's not her peeing she's just pooping on the bed and only ever on my youngest child's bed , I'm just putting the whole duvet and all in the washing machine I'm using a biological washing powder. But she's still going to the same place?

 

[Yanaka]

I'd get her fixed asap in order to eliminate any hormonal motivation behind the behavior.
Then, how often do you clean their boxes? How many cats and how many boxes do you have in your house? Are they all indoors cats? Do they get along?

Usually cats do that as a sign of discomfort or anxiety. Don't see any malignant motivation--in her mind, she's doing it because it's her only option.

 

[HellsBells80]

Thanks for your reply, I have 4 cats, 2 of them are indoor only and the other 2 have access to outside. I have 3 boxes and I clean out any solid mess as soon as it's made. Then the boxes are cleaned every 4 days. All 4 of them get along very well.

 

[Yanaka]

Is there a box close to your child's bedroom? Maybe she'll transfer from the bed to there?

 

[HellsBells80]

No I hadn't thought of trying that, I'll give that a try

 

[Yanaka]

Maybe she's bothered by too many visitors in the boxes... I don't know! Cats are complicated

 

[HellsBells80]

Lol could be, she likes to think she's posh