How do I discipline my cat so she knows its BAD to pee on the bed?

Question

I have two 2 1/2 year old domestic short haired cats at home. One of them had issues with peeing on our bed and we thought it was because she hadn't been spayed yet (we had waited longer then most because of $$$). About 3 weeks ago they were spayed and I was almost POSITIVE that's what the issue was!! Well, it obviously wasn't and she did it again this morning. There is nothing wrong with her which is leading me to believe this is strictly behavioral and I NEED to know how to discipline her. We have 2 litterboxes in our very small one-bedroom apartment and they're constantly cleaned. She's also never had issues using the litterboxes because I see her use them all the time. What my husband and I think led her to be bratty this morning, was the blanket she sleeps on at the foot of our bed fell off. A few nights ago, our other cat (her sister) let out a little meow and we fixed it and all was good. I am DESPERATE for answers here!! How do I discipline her so she understands?!

I have two 2 1/2 year old domestic short haired cats at home. One of them had issues with peeing on our bed and we thought it was because she hadn't been spayed yet (we had waited longer then most because of $$$). About 3 weeks ago they were spayed and I was almost POSITIVE that's what the issue was!! Well, it obviously wasn't and she did it again this morning. There is nothing wrong with her which is leading me to believe this is strictly behavioral and I NEED to know how to discipline her. We have 2 litterboxes in our very small one-bedroom apartment and they're constantly cleaned. She's also never had issues using the litterboxes because I see her use them all the time. What my husband and I think led her to be bratty this morning, was the blanket she sleeps on at the foot of our bed fell off. The thing is she pees usually between 4:30-5:30am so I never catch her doing the deed so I can't react. I am DESPERATE for answers here!! How do I discipline her so she understands?!

Sorry - She usually pees on the bed between the hours of 4:30-5:30 am. I never know she pees on the bed until I hear her scratching at that bedspread because we're obviously asleep.

On a side note, I NEVER ever would physically hurt my cat. I understand they don't respond the same as dogs when you verbally punish them (although sometimes I wish it would!!). She's always the "leader" between herself and her sister but neither have had any territorial issues with one another. It could be that I spoil them rotten and she's acting like a spolied princess....

Answer 1

Step 1: Roll up newspaper, Step 2: smack cat in the act, Step 3: Repeat steps 1 through 2 til you get desired result or until golden brown.

Answer 2

Yes, it is probably behavioural, but it could be a LOT of different things that she is objecting to.... like the other cat. Or your husband if she was with you first. I would suggest a 2-part solution as a first try...
1. Put her, one bed, and a litterbox (and food and water of course) into the bathroom and shut her in there for about a week. Make sure that you pick up all the rugs, and hang the towels way high where she cannot get to them. She will still get lots of attention in there, since you obviously have to go in there a lot ;) . But there will be no where for her to pee besides her litterbox...if she pees in her bed, take it away.
2. Buy some feliway, on Ebay or at the vet. Buy 2 room diffusers (one for each room) and also a bottle of the spray to spray on the bed. It is a pheremone-based spray that helps them feel more at ease and less like marking.

If she had a Urinary Tract Infection, you would see her peeing a little bit very often, and her urine on your blankets would be pinkish (tinged with blood), so I wouldn't worry about that.

Good luck!

Answer 3

You should go see your vet. This could be a health issue or a physcological issue. Peeing on the bed is a very agressive behavior. Cat's aren't dogs so you can't discipline them the way that you discipline a dog. I have a friend that has a cat that does that....they put the cat on prozac but it didn't help...so now whenever they're not sleeping they cover the bed in plastic wrap which deters the cat. Sometimes it's best to stay away from the medications. But try the plastic covering on the bed when you get up in the morning and talk to your vet as well you could also contact a cat behaviorist. Good luck.

Answer 4

How To Discipline A Cat

Answer 5

Disciplining cats rarely works. You can't make your cat understand what you want, you can only deal with this problem in her kitty world. Yelling and hitting is not going to work. We've got to think like a cat and figure out why she's decided not to use the litter box.

And as long as you are positive that she doesn't have a bladder/kidney infection here are some things to try.

First, try adding additional litter boxes. Some recommend 1 for each cat and then 1 extra.

Next, there is a special litter called "Cat Attract". It is available at PetSmart and at their online store. Here is some info about it:

http://www.preciouscat.com/

They guarantee that it will work. I haven't had to take them up on that guarantee.

Here's what worked for me (aside from keeping the door shut to my bedroom) One of my cats started urinating on the bed and on our living room couch. I took her to the vet and he checked her out and said that 95% of the cats that don't use the litter box have a behavioral issue and not a physical problem. Good enough.

I bought an extra litter box, filled it with the cat attract and put it right next to the couch that she was peeing on. It was magical. We don't use the cat attact anymore, so who's to say if it was changing the litterbox location or the litter.

Whatever you do, please avoid any punishment, physical or otherwise. Despite all appearances to the contrary, your cat is not purposely trying to anger you.

Good luck.

Answer 6

I had a cat doing that and realized it was the tension in my home with the person living there with me at the time. He was a drug addict so there were lots of fights when he went on binges. I got rid of him - and the cat never peed on the bed again. As you sound a bit tense I'm wondering if there's some bad vibes in your home that have nothing to do with this cat. Cats are VERY sensitive to their owner's moods and will react negatively at times if the tension makes them uncomfortable or they see the person that they love upset.

I would also have the vet check the cat for a urinary tract infection. If it hurts to pee the cat will often associate the litter box with the pain and start peeing elsewhere.

Answer 7

We had a cat that did the same thing. We got another cat, and all of a sudden the first cat started peeing on our bed ... we had to give her away, because it was strictly behavioral and she wouldn't stop no matter what we tried. She did it at the new home she had too.

Take her to the vet to be sure she doesn't have a urinary tract infection, sometimes that can cause it. Otherwise, seek counsel from a pet behavioral specialist in your area. They are usually very helpful.

Answer 8

Cats don't understand when you hit them, so you need to keep a spray-bottle filled with water with you and when your cat does something wrong, you need to spray her with water. It is the only way to discipline a cat. I am not sure when it is so old, but I have been disciplining my cat in this way since he was a kitten and now that he is old, not only does he not do the same bad things, but when he does something else and I spray him, he gets the hint.

Answer 9

I see a lot of people suggest using water in a squirt bottle, however this did not work for my mom and her cat. She was doing the same thing, and tried the water bottle but Matt was like 'whatever', so she was told to put just a little vinegar in the bottle with the water. That way she is wet and she smells like vinegar too. And that worked. There's nothing harmful in it as long as you don't use too much vinegar, as that could sting the cat's eyes, etc.

Answer 10

Yeah you can spray with water. For added effect put a little rosemary in the water. They really don't like that. Also you can only spray while they are doing it. If you don't catch him doing it, carry the cat to the place and let him smell it first. Get his face in there good. Then scold and such. Then carry him to the litter bin, and push out his claws, and make him dig into the litter itself. That should train him to wee in the box. If not then you will have to go to the vet cause it's probably something serious

Answer 11

She knows, all right.

Try covering your bed with a plastic tarp: Cats don't like the feel of that making the pee puddle around their paws. I had to do that with a couple of kitties who had litter-box problems after they had been treated for urinary tract problems.

Good luck.