How do you get a cat to not pee on your bed?

Question

My friend has a cat (I'm not sure how old) and it's just peed on her bed. How do you get them to stop that habit??

Answer 1

Hi Krisit...if this is something that recently developed, first consider all the possibilities such as:
- changes with litter brands
- location of the litter box isn't private enough
- some cats like to have one box to defecate and another to urinate
- cleanliness (some cats are very finicky and prefer a super clean box)
- as a general rule there should be one litter box for each cat plus one extra as a back up. Other cats tend to block access to the litter box
- unspayed/un-neutered if cat is over the age of 5-7 months. Cats will become aggressive as they sexually mature and territorially mark with either urine or defecating.
- senior cats (10+ years) will develop age-related diseases such as chronic renal failure, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, etc.

If all these have been ruled out, there's a chance that your cat may have developed another underlying medical problem which can contribute to accidents outside of the box. Cats will associate pain while using box and change their habits as a result.

Here's an article about why cats inappropriately soil outside their litter box by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: 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.

...please consider visiting the website for further details

Answer 2

Generally cats only mark when they're having problems (uti, stressed, box isn't clean, etc.) so I'd suggest checking with your vet, but you should also discourage the behavior altogether by keeping the cat out of your room. You can clean any areas that the cat has marked with Nature's Miracle to get rid of the smell and just keep the cat away from the areas that it has been going. Like I said, if there's something wrong the behavior won't stop, it'll just go in new places. So keep an eye on the cat to see if it's going to the bathroom more frequently or seems to be having problems when going potty because that is a MAJOR problem and needs to be dealt with medically.

Answer 3

First address the problem the cat is having. Cats wont do this unless they are trying to tell you something. A cat will naturally use the litter pan, if they don't there is normally something health wise wrong with them. It could be as easy as worms or as bad as kidney problems, take it to a vet. After you find out what is wrong with it, get it taken care of.
Make sure the bedding is cleaned and the mattress with the urine smell eliminator product at any pet supply. There is a new product called Zero that is supposed to be great. I haven't tried it yet, don't need to. (knock on wood)
Good luck!

Answer 4

if there is any sign of urinary tract infection--is he going frequently, drinking water, active??
is kitty undergoing a strange new change in your life that makes him insecure?? new kitty, new baby, new anything???
did your friend go out and not address the kitties needs prior to leaving????--clean litter, make sure there is food in the dish, water available--kitties will tell you when there is something wrong. usually peeing on the bed is a personal reminder--perhaps of kitty health, perhaps of kitty need not being met before human exit of the home.

they are very social animals and dislike change--love kitty, figure out if this urinary tract infection or attitude--infection is fixable by vet treatment, attitude generally fixable with love, attention and not forgetting to meet kitties needs prior to going out of the house--kitty does not know you are returning in time to fill the dish, so if it gets empty while you are gone, there could bbe an attitude readjustment--fix the insecurity be being attentive and not forgetting to make sure kitty has enough food on hand to live on for a few days.
if kitty starts to squat on the bed, pick kitty up and place into litter box. as kitty goes to br, praise kitty for using the box.

kitties respond well to teaching to correct bad behaviors--they do not respond well to punishment--they do not understand what the punishment is for--so it is not fair. teach kitty by repetition and reward.
squirt guns help--they are a remote way of reminding kitty the behavior is not what kitty is spozed to do. they will test you just like a little kid.
good luck.

Answer 5

well there are a few things to check before
1 is the cat box clean
is the cat in good health
male/female
just to be safe make an appointment with the vet and make sure the cat is in good health and not ill
thank you

Answer 6

I had that trouble with a cat who was just getting over a urinary tract infection. I ended up putting a plastic tarp on the bed. He didn't like that, so he went back to his box.

Answer 7

If it is a boy he is just making is area, he needs to be fixed and if it's female I say just get rid of it or clean the litter box because a cat will not use a litter box if it is to full.....Good Because cat pee stinks

Answer 8

Take the cat to the vet and get it checked, but if it repeats this behavior get a " scat mat "

Answer 9

If you see your cat peeing on your bed, yell "BAD CAT!", then it'll eventually stop if you keep doing it.