Cat urinating on bed

[MoonstoneMagic]

I have a two year old cat. She has never liked us leaving her and always gets anxious. We leave her with our adult son who lives with us who adores her.
We have just come back from a week away to find she has urinated multiple times on our bed. It’s gone through the duvet and electric blanket into the mattress. She has also weed on the floor in our bedroom. She wasn’t shut in, in fact she urinated in front of me on the bed when. I got back.
She hasn’t been washing herself and seemed distressed .
I am so upset as the mattress was expensive.
She has never done this before and is usually very clean.
Any tips on how to clean the mattress and prevent this in future?
I don’t feel we can leave her now at home. She’ll have to go in a cattery. I realise it’s separation anxiety but we had a cat before her who would never have done this.

Oh no. Can she be kept out of the bedroom while you're away? Does she have plenty of litter trays? Are you sure your son cleans them regularly?

Could she have a UTI? It can be brought on by stress/anxiety.
If she had a UTI she would be doing frequent, small wees all over the place.
We used a cattery for the first time when we last went on holiday. Our cat loves company and was trying to move in with several neighbours when we were away. She actually came back from the cattery relaxed and happy so for her it seems to be the better option than having someone come in and feed her.

Actually, having read your post more closely and having now realised that you've only just come back and she just did it again, then I think UTI is the most likely explanation. If it's lots of little wees, rather than occasional big ones in the wrong place, then she needs a vet.

Another vote for a likely UTI.

One of our cats ruined a mattress once by weeing on it (he had a UTI...). After that we bought mattress protectors to reduce the level of damage should it happen again. We also keep the bedroom doors closed when we're out.

It also might be worth investing in a couple of Feliway diffusers, which should reduce her stress levels when you're away.

She doesn't use litter trays, she goes outside and has a cat flap. I don't think she would choose our bed if she had a UTI, I think it's definitely separation anxiety. They were all pretty big wees too. I will never leave the bedroom door open again when we are away. She looked upset when we got home but is now fine, gambolling around in the garden. She really gets distressed when we go away - once tried to climb in the car! I think it's going to have to be a cattery from now on which is really annoying.

OP, I read somewhere that cats pee on beds and sofas when their owners are away because the smell of their urine mixes with that of their owner. It supposedly comforts them. What might help is to put worn unwashed shirts or other clothes in ziplock bags - one for each day you will be away - and let the cat sitter give one per day while you are away. Hopefully it will not pee on the clothes but that would probably be better than peeing on the bed.

Mia, yes I had thought about that, good point.