can anyone out there please help me ?

Question

For the past 4 nights our kitten has taken to weeing on our bed ! No matter how much i scrub the bed she can obviously still smell it ! During the day she goes in the cat litter tray , but at might she waits till we are asleep then chooses to use our bed. does anyone know of a remedy of how to stop her ?or even why she is doing it ? She is 4 months old and thought we had cracked the use of a litter tray by now !!

Answer 1

Hi there...it's possible your kitten is reaching sexual maturity which is usually between 4-7 months if she hasn't been spayed yet. Unspayed/unneutered cats will mark their territory. If she is spayed then it could be as a result of a urinary tract infection.

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine of Feline Health on house soiling causes and treatments: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html

...see web article for medical causes on house soiling
House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. It includes urination and/or defecation outside the litter box, as well as urine spraying.

Why do cats eliminate outside of the litter box?
One common misconception is that cats soil in inappropriate places for revenge. It is tempting to conclude, "He defecated on the living room carpet to punish me for leaving him for the weekend." But this kind of calculation requires sophisticated cognitive abilities that cats aren't believed to possess. Furthermore, this conclusion assumes that cats view their urine and feces as distasteful, when in fact they do not. It is only we humans who view it that way.

Urine Spraying
When your cat rubs against your leg with his face, or scratches his scratching post, he is also depositing his scent from the glands in his cheeks and paws. Another equally normal but less pleasant marking behavior is urine spraying--the deposition of small amounts of urine around a given area. Spraying announces a cat's presence, establishes or maintains territorial boundaries, and advertises sexual availability.

Cats usually spray on vertical surfaces, like the backs of chairs, or walls. They don't squat to spray (as they do to urinate), but the tail lifts and quivers, and small puddles of urine are left in several consistent locations. Cats that spray are usually unneutered males and, to a lesser extent, unspayed females, but 10% of neutered males and 5% of neutered females also spray. In households with more than seven cats, the likelihood of spraying is high.

Cats may spray when they perceive a threat to their territory, such as when a new cat enters the home, or when outside cats are nearby. New furniture and carpet smells can prompt spraying as well. Cats may also spray out of frustration resulting from factors—like restrictive diets, or insufficient playtime—often wrongly perceived by humans as revenge.

How can I stop my cat from spraying?
Because spraying is different than other types of house soiling, different tactics are necessary to manage it. First, because there are often hormonal components to spraying, any intact animal should be neutered or spayed. Next, identify the stimuli that cause your cat to spray. If outside cats are responsible, motion detectors that trigger sprinklers can be used to deter them from coming onto your property. Additionally, you can discourage your cat from looking outside by closing blinds or shades, or by placing double-sided tape or electronic mats that deliver mild shocks onto your windowsills.

Address possible sources of frustration that may be causing your cat to spray. For example, introduce a new diet gradually, or discontinue it until the spraying is under control. Increasing the amount of playtime for an under-stimulated cat may also help ease frustration.

Spraying can also result from territorial disputes between cats in the same household. They may need to be separated and reintroduced slowly, using food treats to reward and encourage peaceful behavior.

Applying odor neutralizers anywhere your cat has sprayed may prevent him from spraying there again. Another useful commercial product is Feliway®, a synthetic pheromone that, when applied to household surfaces, mimics the scent of cat cheek gland secretions. Many cats will not spray on areas that have this scent. (See the end of this brochure [on this website] for information on where to purchase the above-mentioned products.)

Answer 2

I think the only answer right now is to keep her out of your room. You maybe can't smell her urine, but she still can and probably always will be able to. Keep her litter box immaculate. Change the litter every day, and I'd use a clay litter like Fresh Step. Get her a little kitty bed. Tonight, if you have a big enough card board box, put some blankets or towels in there and encourage her to sleep thee. Good luck.

Answer 3

who knows. It may be insecurity, it may be that she cannot get to the litter tray in time. It may be that she doesn't want to leave you and go all on her own to the place where her tray is kept. Either way, keep her out of your room until she is older. I would say confine her to a safe room with food, water and her litter tray. My daughter in law uses her large bathroom for the 2 kittens I gave her but if you do this, remember
KEEP THE TOILET LID DOWN!!!!!
Kittens have drowned by falling into the toilet and being unable to get out. They go in head first and just cannot turn around. What a horrible way to die.

Answer 4

Is the cat shut in the room with you at night, without a litterbox? That may be the answer right there, but since I don't know for sure, why not try this?

Since the problem only seems to happen at night, why not try putting her in a small room, with a litterbox for the night. They aren't stupid, and she will get the message that she needs to use the litterbox at night too. It may be that she can't find her way to the litterbox to use it at night. Even though cats are supposed to be able to see in the dark, they can't see in pitch dark blackness. There is no light in that kind of dark to reflect and use.

Do get the cat spayed, that is important. I have also found that most things with animals are a common sense issue. They really aren't that much different from people. They just can't talk to tell you what the problem might be.

Answer 5

Perfect solution - Lock it in the room where its litter tray is at night. We had the same problem with our cat and that worked a treat. They soon learn that the only suitable place for them to go is in their litter tray.

Answer 6

sometimes kittens do strange things. i would start by not allowing her in your bedroom at night, no matter how much she mews at the door. any potty training with animals, whether dogs or cats, always involves praise & punishment. praise for going in the catbox, and punishment for not. when she uses the catbox, be sure to tell her how good she is, rub her ears, talk to her in a soothing voice. when she goes outside of the catbox, be sure to say NO, in a stern voice, and then put her directly into the litter box so that she knows where she is supposed to do her business. the problem with a cat peeing outside of the litterbox is that once they pee there, they will try to keep going there, until you break them of the habit. good luck, patience wins out above all!

Answer 7

Keep the door closed for now. Otherwise, you'll have to stay awake and spray her with water as she approaches. When she's past this stage, she can come back into the room at night (in a few months!) You may have to get her spayed, too. This could take care of the problem, but make sure it's not too early to do this. Ask you Vet!

Answer 8

If you don't want to put her in another room, then why not put her litter box in your bedroom or, I know this is not very great for you, but put a shower liner on your bed. At least you won't lose your bedspread, etc. just until you can trust her again when she is allowed back.

My cat did this when we left her with a pet sitter for a few days. She was pissed because we were gone and showed us by pooping and peeing on our beds, and closets.

I had to put a shower liner on our bed and closet floor when we left and that certainly worked. She never did it again.

Answer 9

Shut her in the bathroom or a roomthat does not get used alot at night. Take up all cloth material from the room and leave her and the litter box in there. This is not a sexual maturity thing, if it was it would be all the time and not just at night when you are sleeping! This is a behavioral problem.

Answer 10

Have her checked by a vet to be sure she doesn't have some sort of Urinary Infection. If she's not yet fixed, talk to you vet about when the good time is to do it.

If she's ok, then she's may have to be locked out of the room. I've had cats who pee on piles of fabric - comforters, blankets, jeans, garment bags, etc. They were healthy, but this was their thing. I never found a fool proof way of breaking them of it other than to make sure the litter box is plenty clean and to keep them away from their favoured items.

Good luck to you! : )


Edit: Dragon is completely wrong. You should NEVER hit your animals. They don't understand what it means and is abusive. It teaches them to fear YOU, not the behaviour. Shame on dragon for even saying it and for doing it to his animals. ASPCA should be called on him.

Answer 11

Hi put litter tray in bedroom so she got somewhere to go