Is Your Cat Peeing on the Bed or Couch?

Your cat does not do this on purpose, out of jealousy, to bully you, out of revenge … Do not be angry with the cat, she has a good reason for her behaviour. Even if that doesn’t seem at first sight. Punishment can make the problem even worse.

Then “old wisdom” such as pushing the cat with its nose in the urine or faeces is not recommended! The main causes are related to a medical problem or stress. So be sure to have a vet rule out any medical issues first – the urine should also be tested (!)

It is important to recognize what the cat does exactly: does she often urinate little bits randomly in the house, or does she urinate specifically on seats or chairs? That way we can determine what exactly we are dealing with: real uncleanliness or spraying.

Contents

Spraying

You recognize spraying because the cat urinates horizontally. the cat lifts its tail, makes it vibrate and urinates straight back. Spraying is a normal behaviour of the cat. This is how the cat defines its territory. We see this, especially in uncastrated males. But sometimes there is also another cause for this behaviour. Then spraying can also occur in females and castrated males.

Possible causes of spraying

• Fear of abandonment. These cats mainly spray when the boss is away. By applying their scent in many places in the house, the loss of their owner is compensated for.

• Stress. A personal smell makes the cat calm in a stressful situation for him/her. a stressful situation can be: a new cat in the house, moving, visiting the vet …

• Other cats. The presence of other cats can cause a territorial struggle in which the cat tries to define its own domain. These could be cats that are in the same house, but this could just as well be the hangover of the neighbours who parade in front of the window every day!

Uncleanliness

The cat simply urinates, squatting, but not in the litter box. Often (not always) the puddles are small and scattered everywhere.

Uncleanness in the cat has 2 main causes, namely physical problems or psychological problems. That is why it is very important to always visit the vet with a cat with unclean problems, to ensure that no physical problem occurs. Always ask that the urine be examined!

Some possible physical causes of uncleanliness:

• Cystitis

• Bladder stones

• kidney problems

• diabetes

• polyp/tumour

• arthrosis

Psychological causes of uncleanliness

There are many causes of psychological urination problems in the cat. Below are some common ones.

Not enough litter boxes in the house. The rule is the number of cats + 1 extra box. So, for example, if you have 2 cats, you need to provide 3 litter boxes.
The shape and size of the litter box is also important. The litter box should certainly not be too small and some cats do not like an indoor litter box, because bad smells linger there for much longer. A litter box with a hatch is not recommended (you can easily remove it). The dirty air gets stuck in the container and that may be enough not to get on it. Some cats are also afraid of the hatch.
Change of place. You have just changed your house, the seat is somewhere else, the familiar chairs have disappeared, maybe even a completely new house due to drastic renovations or a move.
Many different things can cause stress to the cat: eg, the arrival of a new cat or other pet, a baby, a new partner …
There is a lot of arguing and the cat gets nervous or you never argue, but the cat still feels the intense tensions that exist in the family.
When you leave, leave the door, window, or cat flap open, and when you’re gone, the neighbour’s cat comes by to intimidate your cat.
A “negative litter box experience”. It is possible that once your cat was quietly relieving himself on his litter box and was startled by someone who, for example, accidentally bumped the litter box or by a loud bang. This can be enough to frighten the cat enough so that he no longer dares to go into the litter box after that “bad” experience.
Some cats often don’t want “that dirty bowl” after just one pee or pile. So the message is to refresh the litter box daily.
You always make everything nice and fresh and clean with bleach or ammonia. But all cats find that just wonderful smells to pee over.
There is always a lot of visitors. The cat gets too little attention and so will attract attention in his or her way
The bed has a wonderfully soft down duvet that your cat may lie on. Even the most toilet-trained cat wants to pee on it. The same goes for those beautiful cushions, your seat …
The shoes and those of the children tend to swing in the hallway. There are still nice smells. It must be sprayed over it.

How do you clean a spray/urine pee?

It is important not to clean the place where the cat has been urinating with ammonia-containing agents or bleach, as the cat may regard this as ‘foreign urine’ (urine also contains an amount of ammonia) and will, therefore, tend to go back to pee.

Depending on where the cat has urinated (be careful with fabric and leather, always try the product in a small place first!):

apply some vinegar or citronella to the ‘crime scene’ afterwards, this makes this place unpleasant for the cat
cats hate the smell of menthol: you can apply some menthol ointment (which you use to apply to the chest when you have a cold)
put 1 or 2 mothballs in a washcloth and place them on the spot; cats do not like this smell
there are special products (sprays) that keep cats away from places (for sale at a pet store)

General tip 1: if it is, for example, peeing on a sofa, you can apply the unpleasant odour to a cloth and put it on the sofa, then it does not have to be applied directly to the sofa itself.

General tip 2: place incontinence pads (of adults) under a cloth/cover in the seat for now. If the cat would still urinate, at least it is absorbed and not directly on the seat. In any case, create an unpleasant smell in the place (see above).

Possible solutions

View the proposals listed below depending on the situation (eg separation anxiety). It can, of course, be a combination of several factors. Some of the remedies listed will work on one cat and not on another. It is sometimes a bit of a try.

If stress is the main factor, try to take it away and gradually get the cat used to any changes in the home and its environment.

In cats, a common problem is suddenly peeing (again) in the house after a major emotional change (moving house, the owner dies, co-pet dies, other couch, baby in the house, divorce …). It is then important to restore the animal’s confidence. In cats, this means spoiling with good food and a lot of attention and creating nice places to sleep, for example.

Never clean the areas where the cat has urinated with anything containing ammonia (this smells like urine for the cat)
Place a piece of aluminium foil on the places where the cat urinates.
Feliway spray is a product that contains soothing pheromones. This can cause the cat to experience less stress. It doesn’t work with all cats but is worth a try. Spray it on the puddle spots (pay attention with fabric and leather, first try on a small piece)
Gradually teach the cat to get used to being alone at home. You learn this best by, for example, leaving the room or house for 1 minute at the beginning and entering it immediately. You behave completely normally as if you never left. You don’t say goodbye or say goodbye to your cat. This way you make it clear that there is nothing special going on. Then you always extend the time that you disappear, so the cat can gradually get used to being alone.
Change the place where the litter box is located (preferably a quiet place). The food bowl should never be next to the litter box, as cats in nature never eat in places where needs are being done.
Also, you can try to put a food bowl on the spray spot. Optional: then slide the food bowl through the entire room, so that the entire room is seen as a dining place.
Change the cat litter. It may take a while for the “good” to be found. Change the box after each visit of the cat.
Adjust the number of litter boxes. The ideal number of boxes is the number of cats +1. Sometimes it helps to put 2 boxes next to each other, as some cats prefer to do the “big message” separately.
Put drops of bleach or valerian in the litter box (s), so they will go faster on that cat home.
Do not use fabric softener (if it is a duvet, sweaters, etc.). Cats find that a nice smell to pee on.
Make the cat sleep out for a week. Meanwhile, clean the house from top to bottom (not with bleach!). By being away for at least a week, everything that has been cleaned can also dry and soak in well. In some cases, that is enough to break the habit, especially in cats that once sprayed for a special reason and then moved out of habit.

If none of this works and no medical cause can be found, consider consulting a cat behaviour therapist. They can assess the situation on the spot.