How can I stop my cat from peeing on my beanbag chair?

Question

My male cat constantly pees on my beanbag chair. Everyday without fail, I walk into my apartment and find the chair filled with cat pee. I make sure his litter is cleaned everyday and have tried different measurements of punishment from light smacks on his behind, sticking his face in it, and even sticking his face in it then setting him under the sink faucet. I feel horrible when I carry out any of these punishments, but I don't know how else to deter him and these methods aren't helping. He's a 2 year old Maincoon who's been fixed. He shares the apartment with a sister from the same litter. Besides the beanbag chair, he pees nowhere else except for his litter box. He has, however, been territorial in the past including peeing on me and my bed when I have guests spend the night. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Hi there...many of the beanbags contain fill material which uses ureac acide which compels many cats to urinate over. Also the texture of the beans/pills used feels similar to litter under the feet which is another likely cause. No one knows for sure but this is what I've discovered through researching the Internet.

It may also be worth considering to have your cat evaluated for a lower urinary tract infection as well. Here's more details by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine of Feline Health why cats soil inappropriately:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html
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.

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.

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Answer 2

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Answer 3

Your cat sounds like it is marking its territory. You may want to take it to the vet and make sure it doesn't have a bladder infection. Keeping the cat confined to a small room, such as a bathroom, with a litter box at one end, food, water, and a bed at the other will help retrain the kitty to the box. It should NEVER be left to wander the house without direct supervision until the problem is corrected. A room with a window would be perfect for your cat, and you would get some peace of mind while you are away. You may think it's not fair but you have to boss of your own home or your cat will take it over. Besides no one likes to come to somebody's house and sit in or smell cat piss. EWE. when you catch him doing it take him straight to his litter tray and put him in it,even mid wee. Try spraying a very diluted mixture of water and dettol (don't know if you can find dettol a kind of bleach or try Feline) anyway as along as you make sure it is very diluted it won't dye your furniture, but the cat will still be able to smell it. Good luck!!

Answer 4

Last year my beautiful Manx cat Theodore went out for the evening and never came back. I love cats and the house didn't feel the same without one, so I picked up Lola from a rescue centre. She was very frightened and would pee all over the house. I found Cat Spraying No More� on the internet and the techniques worked almost immediately. I haven't had a problem with Lola since. Amazing!

Can't stop your cat peeing in the house? Then worry no more...

Answer 5

We went through something like this but with two leather chairs we set up in the kitchen near the tea table. I tried soaking them in Nature's Miracle, but you could still smell the pee. We ended up getting rid of them, and you will have to get rid of your chair too. The problem for us originally had nothing to do with the chairs. We used to sit and read the newspaper there, then throw the paper on the chair if we weren't quite finishde with it yet. The problem was the newspaper, which got peed on. Then the scent got into the chair. The reason why they peed on the paper is that they make most of those clumping litter from recycled paper, so any place that has paper becomes a natural piss pot for them. We switched to clay litter and the problem has not returned.

Answer 6

If you are not able to get the pee smell 100% out of your chair, he may smell it and consider it another "litter box."

Also, many cats potty where they aren't supposed to when something is bugging them (such as your guests.) Since you have two cats, you need two (or three) litter boxes, scooped every day. Also, you might try different brands and textures of litter and see if maybe that is his problem. Make sure his food and water aren't close to the boxes as well.

Like I said, though, if you aren't able to totally remove the pee smell from that chair, the best first step would be to get rid of the chair.

Good luck!

Answer 7

You can spray it with a cat repellent that you can buy at any pet shop. Most of them use eucalyptus oil that cats hate. But you might want to take him to the vet. I had a cat that had urinary tract infections and the only way he could tell me was to pee in inappropriate areas. Of course he would also pee on the guest bed if I had an overnight guest too so he did have some territorial issues. The problems seemed to subside when I switched his feed to Purina One for urinary tract health.

Answer 8

It sounds like your cat has made his mind up. You might try putting something that has a plastic back or rubber back in your beanbag chair every day.

Answer 9

As others have already mentioned, you should have your cat checked by the vet in case of a UTI.
Speaking from experience I have had different bean bags and different cats over the years. I just think bean bags and cats are not compatible.
As a child, my cat peed on the bean bag, and as a young adult a different cat peed on a different bean bag. Then I stopped buying bean bags.
I think bean bag chairs are just too much like the litter box to a cat's paws.
Good Luck

Answer 10

Well I don't think putting his face in it or under the water faucet sounds like a smart idea. It will only make him upset. Take him to a vet. There could be a physical problem. Other than that, I don't know. Did you change the type of litter you're using? Some cats don't like their litter brand switched.

Answer 11

get rid of the beanbag then maybe he will quit peeing on it. it might be just he marks it as his territory so his sister don't botherit