“My Cat Keeps Peeing on My Bed!”

In this month’s article we will be discussing possible reasons for why your cat may be peeing on your bed and wetting your sheets. There are many medical and even behavioral reasons behind this problem. In this article, we will be going through the behavioural aspects of this condition to prevent it from happening again.

Medical reasons include bladder stones, bladder infection, idiopathic cystitis, stress or anxiety. Please be advised that the following behavioral topics should be considered once your veterinarian has ruled out any medical causes via diagnostic tests. Behavioral issues can stem from major changes within the household, not enough litter boxes available, a wrong litter box location, unsuitable litter material or box, safety reasons, etc.

Major changes within the living environment for the cat can be a large contributing factor towards abnormal behaviors, such as peeing on the bed. Such changes, for example, could be a new family member like a baby entering the household; a new pet (dog, cat, bird, etc) entering the house as well; timetable changes like being absent from the household more often or being there too much. These changes can cause a disruption in your pet cat’s daily routine and schedule. Such changes can lead to stress and anxiety that then cause such behaviors. Cats prefer to be in environments that are under their control and are predictable. They do not like to be caught off guard and disturbed. These changes that may seem so miniscule to us, can play out to be very life changing for your feline companion. Since they cannot communicate their discomfort to us through speech, they then resort to communicating in other ways.

Another cause is the litter box. There are many issues that can arise around the topic of the litter box, as in the amount of them available in the house, the material of the litter used, the actual box itself and even the location of the box. Just like humans, there are different personalities for different cats. Some cats do not like to urinate or defecate in the same box every time. Some prefer to have a separate box for each floor of the house for easy access. Especially in the case of multiple cat households, majority cats do not like to use the same box together. They prefer to have their own separate areas to urinate and defecate in. A general rule to abide by for those who are in multiple cat households, it is important to have one litter box per cat. Some might even require more than one. It is also important to have at least one litter box on each floor of the residence. This is especially important for kittens and young cats, because just like human babies, they are not yet in full control of their urination and defecation holding times. Therefore, they may need accessibility to a litter box more quickly than adult cats that are better trained. A behavioral tip to remember is to never scold or punish your feline pet near its litter box. This is an example of positive punishment. Despite the word positive being used, it is in fact very negative for development. The cat will then associate the litter box to be something negative and will be prone to peeing on your bed more to avoid the box. It is also possible that your cat does not like the certain material of the litter being used. Therefore, it avoids the material and pees on a comfier area, such as your bed. Certain odors available for marketed litter and texture of the litter can be distracting and actually uncomfortable for your cat. It is always recommended by veterinarians that odorless and clumping litter is the best to use. The type of litter box may also be an issue. It is better to use an easily accessible litterbox that is open and not restricted. Also make sure that the size of the litterbox matches with the size of your cat. Some owners will unknowingly provide a smaller box than needed and the cat will not find it comfortable to use then. Accessibility of the litterbox is another important point. It is wise to choose a location where the cat has no trouble reaching and using quickly. An open area that is on ground level is the best way to go. A crowded area or near another pet, such as a dog’s rest place, will feel unsafe to your cat and it will not want to use the box then. Therefore, safety is another concern to keep in mind.

When your cat begins to pee on your bed, due to behavioral issues, it is important to keep in mind that this behavior can be easily prevented with cooperation of fulfilling your cat’s needs. We hope that this article has informed you to keep an eye out for the possible conditions of the litterbox or general concerns that may not be met within your household. These changes can easily be done; and your cat will then feel comfortable again to use the washroom where it needs to respectfully. Please consult your veterinarian first if such a problem is noted. Once he or she has determined it is not a medical cause, then behavioral causes can be focused on.