You are calmly walking to your room, preparing to sleep, and the misfortune! Your cat has soiled your bed by peeing on it. The sheets are now soaked with his smelly urine and you have to change them. Unfortunately, this behaviour can happen very often.
So, to help a cat who pees on the bed to do it in the litter box, here is everything you need to understand.
Cat that pees on the bed: Possible causes and their solutions
There are several causes for such behavior, here are the most common causes that cause your cat to pee on your bed.
1- A medical problem
Let’s start directly with the cause that worries most, although quite rare. It may be that your cat is peeing on your bed because of bladder stones or an infection of the bladder, and that because of the severe inflammation generates an urge to urinate.
In this case it is best to consult a veterinarian, but before that you can try natural solutions as it may be another cause.
What to do?
While waiting for the vet, you can get cat diapers to prevent him from soiling your bed every time he wants to relieve himself.
2- Stress
Cats most often pee on the bed because of stress, which affects its hormonal and chemical balance. This imbalance sometimes evolves into idiopathic cystitis.
Stress in a cat is often due to changes in habits, such as moving to a new home, or to loneliness, which happens especially to indoor cats that stay alone during the day.
The main stressful changes in cats are :
- Moves: Cats abhor major changes and will take an average of one month to re-habit.
- A new pet: Cats are territorial animals, so it will also take some getting used to the presence of a new pet.
- Less presence: If you are less present, it will sometimes take time for him to get used to it.
What to do?
If there has been a change in the cat’s life, try to calm him down by playing with him, providing an environment that he helps and you can even use pheromones to relax him naturally.
If he’s lonely, give him toys to play with during the day and spend time with him at night. If you don’t have a minute to yourself, sleeping with him will give him a presence all night.
Pheromones and bach flowers are also very effective as they emit scents that promote their well-being and help them overcome stress.
Finally, if you can, install a cat flap so he can live his life during the day.
3- The location of the litter box
Sometimes the cat doesn’t want to urinate in the litter box and wants to relieve itself in another place where it will have more privacy, be quieter, or be further away from its food.
What to do?
Here are the rules for your cat to use the litter box to urinate:
- A private place: Where there is no one to look at it. This is why outdoor cats prefer to relieve themselves when they are outside.
- A quiet place: Away from the dryer, the washing machine or the fridge. It’s really important to promote calm.
- A clean place: The litter box must be changed regularly. Cats like cleanliness and avoid dirt.
- A dedicated area: Do not mix the food area with the litter area for the same reason as above.
- A lighted area: So that the cat does not feel unsafe while relieving itself. This goes back to its natural state in the wild.
- A place for him alone: A cat does not like to share the litter box, it is his place, with his smell, and he will refuse to share it.
- An accessible litter box: For example, for older cats, a litter box with too high a rim may prevent him from having good access.
- A litter box where he can bury his excrement completely: Again because it is hygienic.
- An unenclosed litter box: Some cats fear this type of litter box.
- Unscented litter box: If you flavor the litter box with perfume, then expect your cat to reject it because of the smell.
How do you stop him from urinating on the bed until everything is better?
While waiting for the solutions to take effect, you can prevent the problem of a cat urinating in the bed.
Here are the main things to implement:
- Put out a cat repellent: Some smells, pleasant to us, disgust cats and putting some on the bed will keep them away. There are ready-made ones available online, but if not, white vinegar, lemon or a mustard and pepper smell will do the trick.
- Use a machine-washable waterproof mattress protector: That will save your bed.
- Cover the bed with a gold-silver rescue blanket, which cats hate because of its texture.
- Put a diaper on him: As said before
- Lock the room at all times: So he doesn’t come in.
But why does he choose the bed?
The bed is very much loved by cats because it is clean, soft, warm and your scent is present, so he feels comfortable enough to urinate without embarrassment right in your sheets.
The reasons he chooses your bed are usually the same reasons he doesn’t use his litter box.
Cat peeing on the bed: Understanding and acting
A cat that wets the bed is not a fatality. Stress and the location of the litter box are in the vast majority of cases responsible and solutions are easy to apply. In the meantime, cat diapers are your best friends.
