It doesn't matter to your cat to urinate on the bed rather than in the litter box, but for you this is probably a habit that needs to be stopped. Urinating in the wrong places is the most common - and least tolerated - cat behavior for satisfying physiological needs; unlike what you might think, the cat does not urinate in bed out of spite or revenge. Work with your vet to find the reason for this and try different strategies to stop this unacceptable behavior.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Rule Out Health Problems
Step 1. Make an appointment with the vet
The cat does not urinate outside the litter box simply because it wants to; there are several valid reasons that lead him to behave in this way and the vet is able to find the cause. For example, he may be suffering from some disease, such as a urinary tract infection or diabetes, which causes him to urinate more frequently.
- If he is lying on the bed and feels a sudden urge to pee, he may not be able to hold himself back to the litter box.
- Take him to the vet as soon as you notice difficulty urinating. the sooner you detect the problem and the sooner you can intervene to stop it.
Step 2. Let the doctor examine the cat
The vet will want to have him undergo a physical exam and perform diagnostic tests to determine if he suffers from any pathology that leads him to urinate inappropriately; he will also want to analyze urine and blood samples. If your cat suffers from a urinary tract infection, the pee and possibly even the blood contain bacteria; if you are diabetic, your urine also contains glucose. If the results of the blood tests show a high content of white blood cells, it means that there is an infection.
By treating the underlying disease it is possible to solve the problem of urination; however, if there is a health disorder that causes pain when they pee, the cat may associate the litter box with suffering and therefore refuse to use it even after treatment. In this case, you will have to train him again once the problem is overcome
Step 3. Look for other factors that cause him to urinate inappropriately
If the little feline is healthy, it could be induced to soil the bed for several reasons. If he has an aversion to the litter box, it means that something unpleasant is keeping him away (for example, the litter box is uncomfortable or dirty); such hostility could make him prefer other surfaces, such as the bed. Among these other reasons consider:
- An insufficient number of litter boxes for the amount of cats in the house;
- An "open" space in which to satisfy one's needs that does not provide the right intimacy;
- A stressful change in your usual routine (for example, a new cat in the house or a recent move).
- Understanding the reason for this behavior is a trial and error process; Your vet can recommend several strategies to put into practice to make him stop urinating on the bed.
Part 2 of 3: Encourage him to use the litter box
Step 1. Clean the litter box
If you want to stop his unpleasant behavior, you need to encourage him to use the litter box correctly. If he's reluctant because it's dirty, you need to make sure you clean it more frequently, preferably every day. if you don't have the time to deal with it, consider purchasing a self-cleaning model.
- Dirty litter boxes are the most common reason for cats to urinate elsewhere in the house.
- Empty it completely and gently scrub the walls with a neutral detergent.
- The smell of the cleaning product could be unpleasant for the cat; after cleaning the cassette, rinse it with water to get rid of the harsh smell of chemicals. Let it dry completely and then put on fresh, clean new substrate.
Step 2. Use a different type of substrate
The cat may urinate outside the litter box because it finds it uncomfortable; since the bed is soft, choose an equally soft and fine substrate, which does not have too large granules.
Step 3. Put the litter box in the room
Placing her as close as possible to the area she is using as her personal toilet could solve the problem. When you see that it returns to use it correctly instead of the bed for about a month, begin to gradually move it away towards the area where you want to place it; proceed with movements of a few centimeters a day. Such a gradual process could be a strain on your patience, but the slower you go, the more likely you are to keep using it.
Cats love privacy when they have to satisfy their physiological needs, so move the box to a quiet and intimate place, easily accessible to the cat; it could be a corner of the room where there is not much movement
Step 4. Get an extra litter box
If you have multiple cats, one of them may decide to urinate on the bed because they don't have a litter box available; the goal is to keep one more than the number of specimens present. Place them in different places in the house where cats spend most of their time; you could keep the "spare" in the bedroom that the cat has got into the habit of soiling.
- Slowly transfer this tape to a quiet, intimate area away from others.
- If you are not sure which cat is responsible for the misbehavior, your vet can provide you with a food-safe fluorescent dye to add to the food of the various animals. put it in one bowl at a time, so you know which cat eats it. When you notice urine on the bed, use a black light (available at home improvement stores) to see if the dye is present.
Part 3 of 3: Discourage him from urinating on the bed
Step 1. Deny him access to the room
Encouraging the cat to use the litter box is an indirect way to stop this habit; a more direct method is to prevent him from entering the room or to make it unpleasant to him; for example, you can block access to the bed by closing the door.
- However, keep in mind that if your feline friend doesn't want to use the litter box, they may simply find another inappropriate place to urinate.
- If you've tried to close the bedroom door, use one of the strategies described in this article to encourage him to use the litter tray at the same time.
Step 2. Spray odor neutralizing product on the bed
If closing the door of the room seems too "cruel" to you, you can make the bed unwelcoming; an effective method is to use a specific product that neutralizes animal odors. Since the cat pees where it left its scent, eliminating it from the bed can make it an unwelcome place to carry out physiological needs.
- Wash the sheets and duvet before spreading the product;
- Do not use ammonia-based spray products. Urine contains ammonia, so these liquids applied to the bed may actually attract the cat even more.
- If you have multiple specimens, one of them may urinate on the bed to mark territory; by neutralizing the smell of all cats, the "responsible" animal may lose the desire to mark territory.
Step 3. Spray feline pheromone on the bed
Pheromones are substances that are produced by animals in the environment to communicate with each other; for example, a kitten might release them to mark territory so that another cat doesn't invade its area. You can use the same strategy to stop the cat from urinating in the room; spreading the pheromone on the bed, the cat thinks that it has already been marked by a similar one and at that point does not want to pee in that place anymore.
- Feliway® is the brand name of an easily available commercially available feline pheromone, which you find in pet stores.
- You can use it after neutralizing the cat's odor to make the bed a less pleasant place.
Advice
- The cat may urinate on the bed because the bed smells like you; in fact, he may feel anxious when you are not at home and consequently make his bed dirty to alleviate this discomfort.
- If your feline friend is anxious, your vet can prescribe anxiolytics; use them in combination with other techniques to stop him from peeing on the bed.
- Correcting this habit can take a long time; it may take up to 8 weeks for the cat to stop urinating on the bed.
- You may think that such behavior indicates a territorial attitude; however, remember that cats tend to spray urine on vertical surfaces, such as walls.
Warnings
- Bad habits related to physiological needs are among the most frequent reasons why owners leave their cats in animal shelters; you should try to fix the problem before you get to lose your temper to this point.
- Do not punish the animal for peeing on the bed; rubbing his nose in urine does not make him give up this habit of his and would only trigger more fear towards you.
