Help on peeing cat? I'm at the end of my rope!!!?

Question

One of my 5 cats consistently pees on my bed. I have 6 boxes, and they are clean. I put #6, brand new, at the foot of my bed and put Cat Attract litter in it. She peed next to it. I bought Feliway diffusers for the BR and LR. I spray citrus freshener on the bed. I've cleaned the urine and there is no smell. I've taken her to the vet and there's no UTI. The other cats don't bully her, but she's shy and definitely low on the totem pole. I've tried to keep the door shut, but she'll catch me when my guard is down. I even put wee-wee pads on the spot she normally hits, and she peed next to them. I spend extra time with her and don't punish. I know she loves me and isn't afraid of me or the other cats (well, except one, but that one spends most of her time outside).

My next step is to get that dye to make 100% sure it's her (I'm certain, but need absolute proof). Then if I can't find a way to stop this, I will put her down. It'll break my heart, but I've poured hundreds of dollars and a ton of work into this problem.

Any ideas? It's definitely behavioral, and I'm at my wits' end.

Answer 1

try covering your bed with a large sheet of thin rattly plastic... a very cheap shower curtain can work..

they don't like the feel of it and sound the plastic makes when they get up on it and it helps protect your bed...

Answer 2

It's good that a vet has ruled out ill health.  You don't mention how long this problem has been going on for, but the most likely explanations is that she's scent marking.  When cats feel anxious or challenged in some way, they will often seek out items that smell most strongly of their owner (beds & sofas) and then toilet there.  Not only does this serve as a notice to other pets to say "keep away" or "I have a right to be here", but it's designed to strengthen the bond between you by mixing your scent with theirs.

All forms of scent marking are a cry for help, so you need to take a closer look at relations between her and the other cats.  They bully each other in very subtle ways such as eyeballing or blocking access to certain areas of the home.   Are there pets outside the home that she might feel intimidated by, even if she can only see them through a window?  

The web site below has an article on territorial marking and one on cats that don't get along.  There's even a check list of 18 possible reasons that a cat might feel stressed or unhappy.  Hopefully the information and advice will be helpful to you in dealing with this problem.

http://www.celiahaddon.co.uk/pet%20probl...

Sometimes timid cats don't thrive as well in a multi-cat household and are much happier being kept as an only pet.  Often behaviour problems vanish once the stress of a rival or bully cat has been removed.  Years ago I had two cats from the same litter and they never got on.  When the male died unexpectedly, our previously shy and timid female became much more confident and outgoing.  When I asked the vet about it, he told me it's not uncommon for a timid cat's personality to blossom once a more dominant cat is no longer around to bully or intimidate them.  Perhaps your cat may settle well in a new home, if there are no other pets and the owners understand that she's a little shy.

Hope you find a happy solution for you and the cats.

Answer 3

If the cat pees on your bed, rub her nose in it, spray her with a water bottle before you rub her nose in it and lock her in a room by herself for awhile, with food, water and a litter box.

Answer 4

please dont put her down. she may luv u definitely !!! i feel that she is not really comfy with all the other cats that u have. it might be 2 much for her 2 handle even though they grew up together, all cats have their own sense of belonging. she may be like my male cat "jack". i have had him for 9 yrs. he gets along with 1 cat at a time, he doesnt do  well with more than that and never did. he kept his distance and really didnt play with them. i think u should give her up 2 a pet shelter or anyone u know that would care for her for who she is. please dont give up on her!!!!!!!

Answer 5

You should talk to a cert. pet  behaviorist first, since you have already put so much work into this. There area also pyschoactive medications that can be prescribed to aid in behavior modification - you could speak to your vet (prozac, buspirone, etc.)

Answer 6

Some cats are very, very picky about their litter so maybe try different types of litter. Also, cats DO mark their territory. Just because the smell is gone, doesn't mean the pheromones are. Maybe this particular cat is just very territorial of you. I once had a cat that peed on my phone, no matter where it was. He was actually jealous of my phone! Good thing it had a plastic cover.

Obviously you can't do that with a bed. Putting your cat down is the last thing you should do, there ARE solutions. The cheapest thing is to just leave her as an outdoor cat and never let her come inside. Another solution is contact an animal behaviorist, and they have them at some humane societies and SPCA's and some won't even cost you anything.

My parents cat marked his territory around the perimeter of the living room, since that is where we always were. Even though we changed the carpet, and carpet pad, he sprayed AGAIN. By the third replacement of carpet, we had the area professionally cleaned, and he eventually stopped.

Good luck.  

Answer 7

i've recently got a kitten n he also peed wherever he wanted

my remedy was to sit him in the litter every hour for 5 minutes and after 3 days he learned where to do his business  

Answer 8

put her in a room with the litterbox, along with food and water.  don't let her come out until she is using the litterbox (the bathroom is probably best for this)

and if you are gonna put a cat down for behavioral problems, then you have problems yourself, along with having no heart.

EDIT:  i do not change my mind about saying you have no heart, because if you don't want her, you don't have to kill her.  you can find her a home that will include a family actually loving her and helping her.  it's called getting a second opinion from another vet because if a cat isn't using the litterbox that long, it's either medical problems or behavioral problems, and properly training her.

Answer 9

we have a cat, who came to us as a kitten and was clean.  after developing diarrhea whilst in his pet carrier, it seems that he switched his allegiance to duvets - he had a small one.  that was 8 years ago and he poos on our bed and pees on carpet,  anywhere except his litter tray.  our other three cats are fine.  like yours, ours is a bit of a timid cat.

we have tried different litters and our next step is to put garden soil in the litter trays and hope that he makes thr connection.

a professional advised us to confine him to a small room with litter tray until he used it in absence of anything else.  i will also try that because in catteries he uses the litter tray!!!

whether we cure him or not, he is staying with us.  we have lived with it and him for so long that if t is a question of losing him to be odour free, we will choose him and his problem.  i always have vinegar in stock - it gets rid of the smell.  good luck!  i will follow this thread in the hope that our problem gets solved too.

Answer 10

Unfortunately it sounds like you are stuck going back to retraining her at the litterbox. Get a large dog crate, big enough for a small litter box, a food and water dish and some toys and a blanket. That will be her home until she is reliably littertrained again. If that doesn't work, you should talk to your vet about the possibility of a litter aversion. Sometimes something traumatic can happen while the cat is in the box doing their business and that will leave a negative association with litter for the cat.  

Answer 11

I had the same problem with one of my cats and eventually I just got rid of her. At one time even locked the cat in the bathroom with the litter box and it still refused to use it. Its sad but sometimes there is nothing you can do. I wouldn't put her down though. Maybe just make her an outside cat?