Kittens peeing on beanbags - why?

Question

Why do my 6 month old kittens keep peeing on my beanbag seats?

They don't do it on any of the other furniture and use their litter tray which i out clean regularly.

Any tips on how to stop them doing this?

Thanks

Answer 1

Hi Joanne...is your kittens neutered/spayed? If not, this could be a symptom of territorial marking. Cats will mark areas that smell like urine and many beanbags contain/use chemicals which contain ureac acid.

Some cats will also inappropriately soil if they have an urinary tract infection so if one cat is not well the others may be marking over the areas in addition making it difficult to determine who may have the infection.

Here's an article by Cornell University of College of Veterinary Medicine of Feline Health about inappropriate soiling: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/housesoiling.html
Medical Problems
So why do cats urinate or defecate on your bed or carpet? Medical problems are one possibility. Inflammation of the urinary tract may cause painful or frequent urination, inability to urinate, bloody urine, and crying during urination. An affected cat is likely to eliminate outside the litter box if he comes to associate the box with painful urination, or if he has an increased urgency to urinate. In addition, kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases often lead to increased drinking and urination. Inflammation of the colon or rectum, intestinal tract tumors, intestinal parasites, and other gastrointestinal conditions may cause painful defecation, increased frequency or urgency to defecate, and decreased control of defecation. Age-related diseases that interfere with a cat's mobility (for example, arthritis, nervous system disorders, or muscular diseases), or with his cognitive functions can also influence his ability to get to the litter box in time. In short, any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal elimination behavior can lead to house soiling.

Litter Box Aversions
Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three.

Please consider reading through the whole Cornell Univ webpage as it lists all the reasons why cats inappropriately soil.

Answer 2

I'm thinking it's probably the sound of the beans. It probably sounds a bit like litter and may feel grainy under their little paws. They may be mistaking it for litter. There is a product you can buy that you can place on your furniture to deter the kittens from going onto your beanbag seats. It is a plastic cover that has little plastic spikey things sticking up (not spikey enough to hurt them but enough so that they don't like the feel). I've seen them before but don't remember where. Ask you're vet or check the local pet stores to see if you can find one. Keep it on the beanbags while you're not using them.

Answer 3

cats are notorious for peeing on beanbag chairs. I have always had cats ,none who ever peed anywhere but the litter box, until I got a beanbag chair. I think it is like a giant litter box for them, they can "dig" in the chair as they are filled with sand that resembles cat litter and they can sort of shape it just perfectly to make a little cup to pee in!!! I had these chairs when I was a kid, and my cats kept peeing on them, so I got rid of them and have never gotten anymore since I am still a cat owner.

Answer 4

open the beanbag and see how much like cat litter it looks!! That might just give you a clue. trouble is now, they will carry on using them, because of the smell, which will be impossible to get rid of. get rid of them [the beanbags, not the cats] and replace with less litter like alternatives

Answer 5

when they go onto the beanbags the beans inside feel very much like cat litter. Wash them and then sprinkle a few drops of citronella or laveder oil on them and the cats will not go on them.

Answer 6

Before this gets any more serious, I think the only thing you can do is to keep an eye n that kitten and if you see it squatting...get it into the litter box asap! Maybe he doesn't want to get back in the box if there's a tool in it. Is th other cat using the same litter box? Maybe that's it...but the kitten needs to adjust!

Answer 7

I don't know why they do that. My cat used to do it too. Only he wasn't a kitten. And his litter box was always clean, but he just started using the bean bags chairs as a place to pee, though he'd still poop in the box. He'd make a little well in the chair and just squat. I wander if it has something to do with the feel?

Answer 8

It could be a number of things, typically this is with cats that are not nuetered or spayed. They are marking there territory, also if they have done in once in that spot they will continue to do so. I would just dispose of the bean bags and see if that doesn't elivate the problem. Before I had my two boy orange tabbys fixed they used to crap behind the TV. So, I had to put a box there so they could not get to the spot and they didn't go anywhere besides there. After they were fixed they stopped all together.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

Best to throw those out. That pee has seeped thru the seams and would be very hard to get rid of the odor.