Why is my cat peeing on my bed?
The title of this blog post almost sounds like a joke, doesn’t it? But if you’re the one Googling this topic, then you can assure all the other readers that any cat litter-box fail is no laughing matter.
If your cat could weigh in, she’d tell you just how serious a problem she is having, and, how badly she needs you to help her resolve it. Whatever is going on with your cat, untidy elimination is not in her nature. A cat that is peeing outside of her litter box is not a happy cat.
Litter box issues are one of the top 5 reasons that cats are given up for adoption.[1] People who take this final step are at the end of their tethers and don’t know how to solve their cats’ litter-box problems. The most disheartening thing is that 71% of cats who end up in shelters are euthanized.[2] This is a devastating solution to a fixable problem.
Litter box issues are frustrating, but they are not unsolvable. It may take time and little bit of sleuthing to get down to the bottom of it, but you will. And your cat will thank you for it. (Well, he’ll probably keep the appreciation to himself, but you can pretend he’s thanking you.)
Cats are programmed to use the litter box
Cats actually are not programmed to use the litter box at all, and yet they do. It’s a kitty miracle that we all take for granted.
In the wild, cats are not looking for nice soft kitty litter to neatly bury their pee and poop. Dominant wild cats want their scent out in the open, preferably up high on some hill where everyone for miles around can smell it. Unique scent markers, called pheromones, in cat waste shout to everyone within smelling distance, “this is MY territory.”
(Why don’t some house cats bury their pee or poop? Read about it here: “Why doesn’t my cat cover or bury her poop?”)
But less dominant, smaller, or weaker cats, or cats who don’t want to call attention to themselves, like a mother cat with a nest of kittens, actually do bury their pee and poop. We humans, who choose to live with cats in our homes, have directly or indirectly selected for this submissive trait because we prefer less smelly cats.
Unlike their ancestors, domesticated indoor cats aren’t consciously afraid there might be lions lurking inside the pantry or jaguars in the linen closet. Burying pee and poop is just an instinct. So, without really thinking why, cats go looking for fluffy, diggable material when it’s time to do their business.
This is why it’s so easy to “train” a kitten to use the litter box. We’re not really training a kitten so much as taking advantage of his natural instinct to cover their own waste.
(Want to learn more about litter box training your kitten? Read: “How to train a kitten to use the litter box”)
I think my cat is peeing on my bed because he is mad at me
Before we get to why cats pee on the bed (or your clothes, or the carpeting), let’s dispel a myth: your cat is not peeing on your things out of spite.
Gosh, it sure feel likes spite, though doesn’t it? It feels like you cat is picking your personal sanctuary, your temple of bliss, your shrine to peace: your bed and making a statement of displeasure. I assure you, she is not.
Cats are not as cognitively and emotionally sophisticated as their human owners. A pre-meditated retaliation is probably not within their abilities. Also, although people are repulsed by urine and feces, cats don’t feel the same way about their waste, and so they are unlikely to use them as ammunition in some revenge plot.[3]
Then why does my cat use my bed instead of the litter box?
Let’s look at things through your cat’s eyes: where does your cat really want to toilet?
A house cat, as we’ve already established, is submissive by nature. When a submissive cat eliminates, she is momentarily vulnerable. Because she is vulnerable, she doesn’t want to call attention to herself: she wants to pee or poop in an out-of-the-way spot with little traffic. She wants her toileting area to be quiet, so she can hear if someone is sneaking up behind her. And she wants 360 degrees of visibility for the same reason. And finally, she wants a soft spot that will absorb any moisture, and some kind of material that she can drag over her waste when she’s done to hide the evidence.
What causes litter-box fails?
When cats feel stress, are in pain, or are ill, they seek comfort in ways that can make their owners absolutely nuts.
It might not make you feel better at the moment you find cat pee on your pillow, but when you have calmed down and can step away for a moment, think of this: one of the reasons your cat has chosen your pillow as a toilet is that it smells like you. When she is hurt or scared, she may be seeking your scent for comfort. Does that make you feel any better?
There are two categories of problems that will cause a cat to pee or poop outside of his litter box: medical problems and behavioral problems. Let’s discuss each in turn.
If your cat is not peeing in the litter box, he may have a medical problem
If you have even the smallest inkling that your cat may be peeing outside of the litter box due to a medical problem, please, please, please seek veterinary care immediately. Your cat may be in extreme discomfort and may need the help of a veterinarian to get relief – and possibly lifesaving treatment. These are some of medical problems that will cause a cat to pee outside of her box:
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
Feline interstitial cystitis, also called feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC)
Bladder stones or blockage
Kidney disease, diabetes, and thyroid disease
Arthritis
Paw pain
Declawed cats often suffer from sore or sensitive paws that make digging in the litter very painful. Paw infections and arthritis in the joints of the paw can cause similar symptoms. A cat who has painful paws may show it by shifting weight from side to side, shifting weight backward to relieve the toes, and walking very gingerly.[9]
Cognitive dysfunction
If your cat is not peeing in the litter box, there may be something wrong with the box
Look, it’s a pretty good arrangement: give the cat what she wants in a litter box, and she won’t pee or poop anywhere else. Come up short in the litter-box department, and you’ll pay the price.
Some cats can be a little bit “Princess and the Pea” when it comes to everything about their toilet areas. It has to be just right, or they’ll be dissatisfied. What is wrong the litter box you gave Mr. Whiskers? You might have to play scientist and experiment to figure out exactly what your cat wants. Here are the things that could be wrong with your litter box:
Your litter box is not clean enough
You are using the “wrong” kind of box
You are using the “wrong” kind of litter
You may be dealing with a little Goldilocks: the litter is too hard, or too soft. It’s clumping, or it’s not clumping. It’s scented or it’s unscented, or it’s the wrong kind of scent. (Most cats prefer unscented.) Are you using pellets or litter with large granules like those made from corncobs or newspapers? These might not feel “right” under your cat’s paws. Conversely, some cats refuse litter that is too fine and dusty or sticks to the paws.You are using too much litter (or a liner)
Most cats prefer litter that is a little shallower than you might think they’d like: no more than about 2 inches deep. Some longhaired cats like even less, preferring to feel the slippery bottom of the box.[11] Are you using a litter-box liner? Your cat might be offended by a litter-box liner: remove it.There aren’t enough litter boxes in the house
You put the litter box in the “wrong” place
Most cats prefer that their box is in a quiet location, but not one where they could get “trapped” by other household cats or the family dog. So, don’t put the litter box near a noisy washing machine, or an appliance like a furnace that turns on and off randomly. Don’t make the cat walk past the dog bed every time she needs to use box, especially if the dog likes to terrorize her. Don’t put the litter box in a closet or at the end of a long hallway where she could get ambushed by the other felines in the house.
Other reasons for litter-box fails
Cats are easily stressed by changes in their environment and often express stress by improper elimination. Some stressors are probably obvious to you already: a household move, a new baby, a new pet.
Stressful household changes
Negative litter box associations
Multi-cat household cat drama
If you have more than one cat in your household, it’s possible that there is some Mean Girl or Boy action going on behind the scenes that you may be unaware of. Territorial disputes often result from what is viewed by the cats as a scarcity of resources: whether that is space, food and water bowls, toys, litter boxes, or even human affection. First, make sure that there is enough of everything (and then some) to go around.
How to stop your cat from peeing on the bed
Schedule a visit to your vet
Before you do anything else, make sure your cat’s litter-box problems are not being caused by a medical problem. If your cat is peeing on your bed due to an illness, it needs to be addressed. Nothing else you do will affect change until your cat is feeling better.Clean up the soiled areas of your home
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Make his “favorite” spots less appealing
Try to reduce your cat's stress
Evaluate your litter and boxes
Reread the section above and evaluate the toilet options you’ve provided for your cat. Consider the number, placement, size and type of litter boxes, as well as the type and depth of litter. It doesn’t hurt to provide a few different kinds and see which box and litter your cat gravitates to. Try to make the litter box and its location as appealing as possible – thinking of things from your cat’s point of view rather than your own.
If all else fails, seek the advice of a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. You can find one in your area by consulting the Animal Behavior Society’s Directory. The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists is another good resource for trained behaviorists.
What not to do when your cat is peeing on the bed
Do not yell at your cat, hit your cat, or punish your cat in any way for improper elimination. Do not drag your cat to the litter box to show him the spot he should be using. Do not confine your cat, alone, to a small room with the litter box for days. These treatments are not only cruel and ineffective from a cat psychology point of view, but they may actually backfire. The anxiety caused by punishment can actually worsen the problem.[13]
Nobody, not you, and not your cat, needs that.
Some related topics that might interest you:
How many litter boxes per cat do I need?
How to keep litter-box odor under control
How to litter train your new kitten
Why doesn’t my cat cover or bury her poop?
Why do cats spray or mark with urine?
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Dawn LaFontaine is a lifelong animal lover who always seems to have a little pet hair in her keyboard. Her blog, Kitty Contemplations, helps cat guardians better understand and care for the special beings they share their lives and homes with. Her cat-products business, Cat in the Box, sells beautiful, well-made, and award-winning products that she designed to meet the biological needs of cats.
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FOOTNOTES
[1] Becker, Dr. Marty. “5 Reasons Cats Are Given Up for Adoption and How to Avoid Problems.” Vetstreet, 10 June 2013, www.vetstreet.com/dr-marty-becker/5-reasons-cats-are-given-up-for-adoption-and-how-to-avoid-these-problems.
[2] “Animal Shelter Euthanasia.” American Humane, 17 Oct. 2016, americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/animal-shelter-euthanasia.
[3] “Feline Behavior Problems: House Soiling: Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.” College of Veterinary Medicine, 2015, www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-behavior-problems-house-soiling.
[4] Weir, Malcom, and Robin Downing. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in Cats, vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/urinary-tract-infections-utis-in-cats.
[5] Bladder Inflammation in Cats, PetMD, 11 Oct. 2012, www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/urinary/c_ct_bladder_inflammation_feline_interstitial_cystitis.
[6] Edgar, Julie. “Cat Litter Box Problems: Prevention & Treatment.” WebMD, WebMD, 2 Mar. 2011, pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/solving-cat-litter-box-problems.
[7] “Solving Litter Box Problems.” The Humane Society of the United States, www.humanesociety.org/resources/solving-litter-box-problems.
[8] Vsadmin. “Why Is My Senior Cat Urinating Outside of the Litter Box?” Clayton Park, 10 Sept. 2021, https://petfocus.ca/clayton-park/senior-cat-urinating-outside-litter-box/.
[9] “Inappropriate Urination.” MEOW Cat Rescue, 30 Oct. 2020, https://meowcatrescue.org/resources/health-wellness/inappropriate-urination/.
[10] “Older Cats with Behavior Problems.” ASPCA, www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/older-cats-behavior-problems.
[11] “Preventing Litter Box Problems.” The Humane Society of the United States, www.humanesociety.org/resources/preventing-litter-box-problems.
[12] “Cat Not Using Litter Box: Causes and Solutions.” Best Friends Animal Society, resources.bestfriends.org/article/cat-not-using-litter-box-causes-and-solutions.
[13] “Feline Behavior Problems: House Soiling: Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.” College of Veterinary Medicine, 2015, www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-behavior-problems-house-soiling.