How Can I Stop My Cat From Peeing In My Bed?

It’s more common than you think to have a cat who keeps urinating in your bed. A cat who consistently pees outside their litter box, or on their owner’s possessions, is one of the most common issues that cat owners face. Read on to see what the two main causes of this problem are, and what you can do about it.

 How Can I Stop My Cat From Peeing In My Bed?

Is your cat peeing in your bed, on your rugs, or on your dirty (or clean!) laundry? Well, he’s not just being naughty, there is always a reason behind this kind of behavior. With a little detective work, you can figure out what is wrong, and can correct this most unwanted behavior.

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There are two main causes as to why this can happen:

Medical Causes

It is possible that your cat could be exhibiting this behavior because there is something physically wrong. A few of the common medical conditions that could cause it are stones, bladder cancer, a simple urinary tract infection, or feline interstitial cystitis.

If your cat does have a medical problem, and it is causing him or her pain when they urinate, they may associate that pain with the litter box, even though the litter box is not really the source of the pain. Your bed may represent a place that is warm and comforting – and your cat might think it would be a non-painful place to go.

Since many cats are prone to urinary tract problems, it would be a good idea to get them checked out by your vet. Definitely, if you notice your cat straining while urinating or traces of blood in the urine, be sure to get your cat to the vet as soon as possible.

Behavioral Causes

Once you have ruled out any medical causes for urinating outside the litter box, you have to consider the behavioral causes. It is possible, particularly if your cat is male, that they could be spraying to mark their territory. If spraying is the cause, usually there will be urine present on vertical surfaces, like walls, as well as flat surfaces like your bed.

Other causes could be that there is something about the litter box itself that could be causing the cat to use other places in your home. It could be that it isn’t being cleaned often enough, or there may be some lingering smell turning them off. Some cats are so fussy that they just don’t like the type of litter that you’re using!

Especially with younger cats, they can also be confused about where they’re meant to be urinating.

Other common behavioral causes could be domestic reasons, such as moving to a new house, rearranging the furniture, or adding another pet to the household. Cats are creatures of habit and routine and major changes such as these can cause them to act out.

Cats that are being tormented by young children or picked on by other cats in the household may also act out in this way.

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What Can I Do?

Once you have defined what is actually the cause of your cat peeing outside the litter box, you can then take steps to correct it. Once you have figured out what the issue is, it’s imperative to address the problem quickly, otherwise your cat could settle into the routine of going where they shouldn’t, and it can be even harder to correct.

First, make sure that you thoroughly clean all places in your home where your cat has previously urinated. You don’t want the smell to encourage your cat to keep going back to that spot. One of the next things you will want to do, particularly if you have more than one cat, is to add another litter box. The general rule is one litter box per cat, plus one more, to make it as convenient as possible for your cat to use the litter box.

You could also try different kinds of litter boxes until you find one that your cat appreciates – some cats like the privacy of an enclosed litter box while others prefer open ones. Another option would be to try different types in litter in several different litter boxes. Also, be sure your litter boxes are in somewhat private places – most cats prefer to do their business in private.

Be sure to clean out your litter boxes very regularly, at least once a day. Cats are extremely clean creatures by nature – they spend a large chunk of their waking time grooming – and a dirty litter box is only going to encourage your cat to not use it. Think about it, you wouldn’t want to use a toilet that hadn’t been flushed for a few days either.

If stress is the problem, try to identify the problem and do what you can to make things calm for your cat.

If you have tried all the previous suggestions and nothing has seemed to work, a safe bet is to consult your vet. As a professional, they will have the solutions to solve any behavioral problem or will know someone who can.

Have you ever had this problem with your cat? If so, how were you able to solve it?

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