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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Cat wants to wee on my bed not in the litter tray

25 replies

CormorantStrikesBack · 05/12/2023 13:15

So he weed on my bed weeks ago (with me in it). I washed the duvet, put it down to a one off. Then he did it again a few weeks later.

He went to the vet who doesn't think he has an infection, gave us some tablets for stress cystitis. We got a feliway

Then he did it 2x on Saturday. The second time on top of a plastic sheet protecting the duvet. Now the tablets have run out and so has the feliway.

I wondered if he was being lazy and couldn't be bothered to go downstairs to the litter trays. We have now shut the bedroom door. But he is desperate to get in there, I think for a wee. Twice now he's gone upstairs, cried and cried and cried at the door. Then come downstairs and gone straight to the litter tray and had a wee.

So he will use the litter trays, but he'd rather use my bed. Duvet was washed again yesterday.

Do I get more tablets? Another feliway? Another litter tray in a different place.

He's an indoor cat and nothing has changed so I don't know why he's stressed. He's 3yo.

OP posts:
kernowpicklepie · 05/12/2023 13:31

Do you have a litter tray upstairs?
I had a cat who did this so I put a litter tray upstairs and problem solved, although they were a kitten and think was a bit frightened of going downstairs alone.

Something must have changed for your cat (although you may not see it) and they've decided that upstairs is now more "safe" for going to the toilet.
Cats are strange and anything can put them off using their litter tray

Original poster
CormorantStrikesBack · 06/12/2023 15:07

Just bought one. Will set it up shortly so fingers crossed it helps.

OP posts:
LG93 · 06/12/2023 15:10

Have you tried an odour remover? Often washing doesn't fully get rid of the scent and cats will often return to pee where the scent is. You can buy premade sprays or you can make your own, there's recipes on Google!

SkankingWombat · 06/12/2023 15:13

Agreed. You need a cleaner that removes the enzyme in their wee or they just keep coming back to the same spot.

Original poster
CormorantStrikesBack · 06/12/2023 17:55

Yes, we bought the enzyme spray and have used that on every wet patch. I just got it washed as well because in my mind it wasn’t clean just by spraying it.

OP posts:
margotrose · 06/12/2023 23:15

An enzyme spray won't really work on a duvet as the urine will just soak through absolutely everything,

It sounds like marking rather than laziness - what's his personality like generally? Is he nervous or confident?

Original poster
CormorantStrikesBack · 07/12/2023 07:00

I’d say confident rather than lazy. But at the same time very clingy. He always wants to be on someone.

OP posts:
Original poster
CormorantStrikesBack · 07/12/2023 07:01

It’s an expensive wool duvet……maybe I’ll have to replace it but if I buy another and he does it on that as well then I won’t be impressed.

OP posts:
Original poster
CormorantStrikesBack · 07/12/2023 07:03

The other thing, I have a fake fur blanket on the bed, though normally on the bottom half only. He was obsessed by humping the blanket. Not sure if he ever peed on that but he was forever humping it. He has been neutered.

OP posts:
IheartNiles · 07/12/2023 07:09

It’s scent sharing. You tend to get warning signs that they’re about to do this- they do it when they’re a bit agitated.
Cats that go out display fewer of these tendencies and are generally less neurotic. Can he not go out?
You might need to ban him from the bedroom.

margotrose · 07/12/2023 07:14

They pee on your bed because it's the area in the house that smells the most strongly of you. It's also why some cats (and dogs) will pee on dirty laundry or piles of dirty clothes.

It's their way of sharing their scent, basically.

We had a female cat who would roll around in DH's dirty work clothes and then pee all over them if he left them on the floor by the washing machine or something.

HamsterBanana · 07/12/2023 07:51

Even if you've washed it, the scent will still be there. Unfortunately you'll need to Chuck it if you want them to stop doing it.

One of my cats did this to my sofa Angry no amount of enzyme spray and washing would stop them, got a new sofa and they stopped immediately.

SkankingWombat · 07/12/2023 18:47

margotrose · 06/12/2023 23:15

An enzyme spray won't really work on a duvet as the urine will just soak through absolutely everything,

It sounds like marking rather than laziness - what's his personality like generally? Is he nervous or confident?

I found washing the duvet on a quick wash to wet it, then applying the spray and giving it a bit if time to work allowed the spray to sink in better. Ideally apply it from both sides. Then I put it through a proper wash. We haven't had any repeat issues. We've had to do it with a pile of blankets too, and it also did the trick there.

Original poster
CormorantStrikesBack · 07/12/2023 22:26

He’s a Birman and I’d be terrified about him getting stolen. Other cat is a British longhair so i don’t want either of them being outside.

i don’t know if he’s a bit neurotic or whether it’s a breed thing…..he does wander round the house at times yowling at the top of his voice!

OP posts:
margotrose · 07/12/2023 23:15

Is cat-proofing your garden an option? It so does sound like he needs more than just being an indoor cat.

Inappropriately urination is often a sign of stress and in cats that can often be solved by giving them access to the outside.

Original poster
CormorantStrikesBack · 08/12/2023 07:31

margotrose · 07/12/2023 23:15

Is cat-proofing your garden an option? It so does sound like he needs more than just being an indoor cat.

Inappropriately urination is often a sign of stress and in cats that can often be solved by giving them access to the outside.

No, the garden is huge. I'd have about 500ft of hedges/fences to cat proof.

I'll talk to dh about a catio though. If we build one up against the back of the house they could have a catflap into it and come and go. They'd like that I'm sure.

OP posts:
ALightOverThere · 08/12/2023 07:35

How does he get on with the other cat? I’d add two more trays- one upstairs and another downstairs.

Original poster
CormorantStrikesBack · 08/12/2023 07:43

Gets on well with the other cat. They don't tend to snuggle up together but will happily be in the same room close by.

They tend to have a play fight session most evenings where they take it in turns to chase each other about and have a bit of a wrestle. They both seem to enjoy this and I would say that peeing cat is the dominant cat out of the two and when he's decided he's had enough playing he will put a stop to it and the other one listens.

The new upstairs litter tray has not been used yet, he's seen it.

OP posts:
LittleMonks11 · 08/12/2023 07:47

Did it start when you got the fur throw? Maybe he's marking because he thinks it's an another animal??

Original poster
CormorantStrikesBack · 08/12/2023 08:02

LittleMonks11 · 08/12/2023 07:47

Did it start when you got the fur throw? Maybe he's marking because he thinks it's an another animal??

The same throw comes out every winter. He wasn't humping it last year though. The humping (and peeing) only started this year but he's never peed on the actual throw. Straight on the duvet above the throw and once on the plastic tarpaulin we'd protected the bed with (he must have got wet feet).

OP posts:
Paddleboarder · 08/12/2023 08:09

Can you try another duvet just for a day or so to see if the lack of scent stops his interest?

One of my cats is acting bizarrely this week, spent a couple of days hiding under the bed and I was worried about him. Wouldn't come out for food and would only eat if I put the food near the bed. Seemed really nervous of everything and I had no idea why. Used Feliway and he stopped going under then bed but still wouldn't come near the food bowl - until I moved it to the other side of the room and now he's fine. Something must have upset him on that side of the room, but what that could be, I've no idea.

Theunamedcat · 08/12/2023 09:31

Are you giving him cystease? It helps relax them

Has the urine been tested?

I have a cat that pees on my shower curtain if it's left in the bath we have to wrap it up over the pole to stop him he has zero interest in peeing in the bath usually unless the curtain is down

Original poster
CormorantStrikesBack · 08/12/2023 09:52

He's had a course of cystease but he's not currently on it. I might get a cheap duvet and see how he is with that, good idea.

OP posts:
margotrose · 08/12/2023 17:03

They can be on Cystease permanently.

eardefender · 12/12/2023 16:36

is something upsetting him OP, what can he see from your bed, what is in his line of signt. You say you have a big garden. Can he see other cats or foxes that are encroaching on his territory, is he feeling unsafe.

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