Cat misbehavior question - peeing on pillows?

Question

I'm at the end of my rope. My 2 year old cat has peed on my and my boyfriend's pillows three times in the past week. I'm not sure what's going on with him; I took him to the vet and was told he doesn't have a UTI and it's "probably behavioral."

So, what do I do? I've washed everything that's been soiled. We've played with him and fed him on the spot where the pillows go. He gets a LOT of love and attention constantly. He's neutered and rarely goes outside. There's another cat in the house, but they've been together for a long time. Litter box is fine. A friend is crashing in our basement for a month, but has hardly been around.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Right now, we have him locked out of the room, but he's crying to get in. I could never get rid of him, but he's really upsetting us and making life difficult.

Answer 1

is this just his pillow specifically? if it is, he may need to just have one on one time with the cat while you step back a bit

Answer 2

Maybe it's the material in the pillows? Feathers maybe? I've heard that sometimes cats pick up a certain scent and they'll pee continually in one spot. First of all, if this happens again, the best thing to get the scent out fully is mixing about a third cup apple vinegar with laundry detergent. I'd say locking the cat out of the room is your best option at this point. Try that for a while and then maybe reintroduce the pillows and he may be over it. Happened with a couch my mother in law had. She'd keep it fully covered with blankets for a long time and finally got sick of it and took them off. They haven't tried peeing on it again so far!

Answer 3

shoot the cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 4

Sorry but if a cat whizzed on my pillow I would have killed (sorry euthanized) it then and there!  

Answer 5

Get a plug in called Feliway (they have it at Petco) and plug it in that room. It emits pheromones that are soothing to cats. Get an additional litter box and make sure at least one of the boxes has the top off so it's open. Also try using a plain, non-scented litter like Johnny Cat. Use an enzyme cleaner on anything that he's peed on. Nature's Miracle makes one specifically for cats, there's also one called Anti-Icky Poo. Also think about anything that may have changed that could have upset him. Schedule changes, new furniture, new person/animal, someone who's left, etc.... Even the most subtle things can sometimes upset cats without us even realizing it.  

Answer 6

Don't ever let him on the bed again. Feed him in another spot in the room and make him sleep there. If that don't work, just set up a comfortable spot outside for him. Hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 7

WoW! These answers are just Wayyyyyyyyyy too funny. Look,I've owned Alot of cats in my day and you should by now know your cats personality. He's trying to tell you something is wrong. He cant use words so he's using what he knows (His Pee) He knows that you will notice it there. Maybe a trip to vet to check him for feline Bladder disease is the answer

Answer 8

Tap his nose and show him the spot so he'll know he was wrong.

Answer 9

He is likely territorial peeing.  Other than not letting him in the room or pushing him off the bed and saying NO, there's not much else you can do.  He will cry, but I think eventually he will get over it.  Get him his own bed and put some toys or treats in it and when he's sleeping where ever he is, pick him up and put him in it.  Place it in a nice, quiet place in your house.  I did this with one of my cats.  We got a puppy and the cat needs his own space, so I set up a bed for him with his toys in a spare room and he sleeps in there all the time.

Answer 10

Don't feed him on the spot where the pillows go.  It is a behavior problem, does the other cat lay on those pillows also?  Make sure they each have their own litter box and it is near by.  If this started when the friend came along your cat is protesting.  The other cat may have secreted a little of "marking his territory" on the pillows, and the problem cat is marking his by peeing on it.  

Answer 11

Maybe the cat doesnt like your boyfriend, and is jealous of him.  Cats are very very territorial and maybe he sees your boyfriend as an "attention stealer" and is trying to let him know that you belong to the cat.  Also buy an enzyme cleaner from the pet store to pre-treat everything that the cat has peed on so the scent isnt there anymore.  And make sure your boyfriend bonds with the cat.

Answer 12

Go buy new pillows and spray them with that Bitter Apple stuff.  The pee smell (for the cat) doesn't completely go away when you wash it so you need to get new pillows.  The Bitter Apple will deter the cat from being on the pillows anymore, so he won't pee on something he won't go onto.  Good luck!