WTH? Cat peeing on dog bed.

[LittleblackMorgan]

One of my cats will NOT stop peeing on the dog’s bed. I have to wash it 2xa week, and alternate with a blanket (he pees on that too).

GOt home from work today, nothing on the bed. Took the dog out, and BOOM. He peed on her bed.

Can’t deal with this AT ALL. I’m ready to get rid of the cat-my house reaks of cat piss and it’s ready to make me vomit.
He does this periodically…some times he’ll do it in a corner (no where near the box), then nothing for months, but the dog bed thing seems to be defiance or some kind of dominance thing?

I’m pregnant and cannot deal with my own house right now. I feel really bad, but I cannot deal with the smell and if the cat pees in the babie’s anything when he/she comes, I will definitely choke the cat (or toss him outside, he’s a hairless one).

Getting a little nervy and hormonal over this. Help me not kill the cat.

[Simkie]

Take the cat to the vet. Inappropriate urination is a HUGE warning sign for urinary issues: infection, crystals, stones or cystitis.

[Barnfairy]

Your cat is stressed.

As are you.

Rehoming may resolve the situation for at least one of you.

[Marshfield]

Vet check is in order. Cats do not do this type of thing to be spiteful. They do this to alert you that there is a problem. It’s a request for help. And the odds of rehoming a cat with untreated pee problems are nil.

[BLBGP]

Usually a sign of a urinary tract infection or crystals in the urine. Have you ever had a bladder infection or UTI? It is very painful. Please take the poor fellow to the vet.

[Amwrider]

Agreed, sign of a UTI or similar problem. It is best to treat it early rather than let it progress to a surgical case. You do not want to know what is involved in a surgical case…BTDT and got the huge bill to prove it.

[BasqueMom]

Definitely get it to the vet!!!

[Kyzteke]

@Marshfield;6024299

Vet check is in order. Cats do not do this type of thing to be spiteful. They do this to alert you that there is a problem. It’s a request for help. And the odds of rehoming a cat with untreated pee problems are nil.

Yes, they DO do it to be “spiteful”…or at least mark territory.

I routinely get all my cats from the local shelter as kittens or young adults. I’ve had 2 that were “inappropriate” in their potty habits. One kept pooping behind the entertainment center and refridg (:no:), the other kept peeing on dogbeds.

Despite the fact they were both vet checked (neutered males), had 3 clean litter boxes, none of the other cats were beating up on them, etc.

After trying all the traditional “cat whisperer” techniques I could find, I finally just started whacking the snot o/o them when I caught them. For the cat with the poops it took 2x one winter when I whacked him, rubbed his nose in it and tossed him out in 3 ft. of snow (he could come right back in through the cat door…:winkgrin:…which he did…greatly disturbed because he had poop all over his head.)

Before everyone calls PETA on me, keep in mind I had put up with FOUR MONTHS of this behavior and I was fed up. I’d tried everything.

Well, he finally got the point after those 2 episodes, and he’s been great ever since then (this is years ago).

Bad Kitty NUmber #2 (also black neutered male from shelter) was The Cat Who Peed On Dog Beds. I have 3 dogs, so ALOT of dog beds. I was about to pull my hair out! Well, I finally figured out to put huge, heavy duty plastic bags over the actual cushion of the dog bed, and then I would just have to wash the cover, which is no biggie.

Again, kitty was checked out (twice) and determined just to be a pissy little guy…:yes:

It took about 6 mos of intense “training” to get him to stop it, but finally he (mostly) has. And that was last year.

So, in closing, YES, cats can do this just because they are ticked off about something or trying to make a point. Sometimes the point they are trying to make is to the other cat or dog, but it just so happens the stuff they are peeing/pooing on belongs to us! Not that the cat really “gets” that, I’m betting.

If it’s something you can fix, great. Fix it. If not, they need to learn this is NOT appropriate behavior…just like dogs who chew, etc.

People think you can’t train cats with corporal punishment…I’m hear to say you certainly can.

[LittleblackMorgan]

I am bringing the cat to the vet next week, just to be sure.
I really do not think that anything is wrong with him physically-I just think he is an a$$hole.

Like I said, it is periodic. He waited for me to get home and let the dog out and then he went on the bed. THat is his MO. It’s his kitty “F-You”.

DH wants him gone NOW. I am willing to do what I can to not get rid of him, but I’m getting a little angry at this point. DH needs to neurotically clean the little boxes (something he is not too good at) and of course, I can’t touch them.

One of the other males did this too, he was brought to the vet and had a slight UTI, we treated it and he stopped. Hasnt done it since.

I’ve been using that Miracle cat pee de-stinker. Soaking the bed, then washing it with hot water, detergent and white vinegar. DH has mentioned tying his cat dink in a knot.

[oliverreed]

“Whacking the snot” out of a cat is NEVER appropriate. NEVER. Even if you catch them in the act.

[LittleblackMorgan]

Ya, I dont think smacking the cat will do. Its mean and I dont think they get it.

[saje]

Cats do not do things like this just to be assholes. They do it to communicate, and whacking them and rubbing their faces in it is just cruel.

To the OP:
Have you tried crating him? Segregating him to another small room? (Both of these need to be done for a month at least) Changing the kind of litter? Adding another box? Feliway diffusers or spray? Kitty prozac (seriously, it can work)? Move the dog bed to a new spot? There are a lot of options before ‘getting rid’ of him.

Personally I’d throw that dog bed away and get a new one - you may not smell anything in it after it’s cleaned, but he can. I either put the innards of the dog beds in a plastic bag, or I use one of the beds designed for outdoor dog houses http://www.doghouses.com/dog-beds/outdoor-dog-beds/indigodoghousepad.cfm

If your house reeks of cat pee then he’s going somewhere else or the litterbox(es) aren’t clean enough. One pee on the dog bed quickly cleaned up should not make a house reek.

I’m sure you know this, but if you take him to a shelter he will probably be put down. I hope you can find him another home with someone who will care for him and understand him.

I have 8 1/2 cats - (6 indoor only, 2 come and go, the 1/2 is a neighborhood stray I feed and medicate) I know whereof I speak!

[Wayside]

I tried getting a bed for my cat Tita (now deceased) once. She thought it was a litter box, and peed in it. That wasn’t what I thought it was for, but I can see how she could get that idea. It was on the floor, and about the same size and shape as a litter box. Gross to me, yes, but IMO, it was a pretty reasonable thing for her to do.

And it makes sense that your cat goes there when you take the dog out, since that’s a time that he doesn’t have to worry about being interrupted while urinating. It sounds less like maliciousness and spite, and more like the feline equivalent of closing the bathroom door while you pee.

Because of that, I wonder if he doesn’t feel like he has enough privacy when he uses the litter box. Does he get interrupted by other cats? Is he afraid to walk past the dog to get to an appropriate toileting area? At one point I had a cat that was going potty in the kitchen, because all the litter boxes were in the basement, and my other cat liked to play on the basement stairs. Shy kitty wouldn’t go past rowdy stair kitty to get to the box.

Absolutely get your cat to the vet as well, but do look into his surroundings and you may find that there’s a reasonable explanation for what he’s doing.

[cowboymom]

You already had a cat with the same problem and it was easily solved with a vet trip? Sounds like you just don’t like this cat anyway if you went straight over the top of “vet visit” as you already learned can/will work and landed on “get rid of him” and “tying his cat dink in a knot.”

I certainly understand being frustrated with the behavior but you’re not even trying to understand him or give him an ounce of credit. I’d try to find him a decent home, you guys don’t like him.

Wash that bed in BLEACH and forget the vinegar.

Some cats consider pillows/ect to be litterbox locations-they pee, it disappears, still smells like pee, comfy on the paws, good location-perfect. Maybe better than his real litterbox. Maybe he’s stressed, maybe he’s sick, maybe he’s scared, maybe he needs a different cat litter or new place for the box or less cleaning-you say DH is cleaning the boxes nonstop, maybe the cat prefers they really do smell like a cat box! who knows but you’re not going to get anywhere with it until you separate your (pregnant/stressed) human frustrations from the actions of a cat.

[KateKat]

One of my slightly neurotic cats LOVES peeing on soft things. Basket of clean laundry? Dog bed? Pile of clothing left on the floor? DONE. I see it as the equivalent of us choosing between a freezing cold toilet seat in the morning or a nicely heated one. He just prefers it.

I’ve just had to block all access to soft, squishy piles for this cat. Perhaps just say “sorry dog” and toss the bed? Or, get them one that is maybe not so appealing to pee on, like a foam rectangle as opposed to one of the ones with lots of squish. Honestly, my dog prefers sleeping on the floor anyway, so not having a bed around was no skin off his back.

[LittleblackMorgan]

Apparently I am not being clear…

I have 3 cats. 1 female, 2 males. 1 dog.

3 litter boxes in the basement. 2 are together, 1 is seperate. All have lids.

cowboymom, lay off. I said I was pregnant, hormonal and so forth. This has been an off and on problem for some time. He will not do it for MONTHS and then redo it all over again. It’s not that I dont like the cat, I don’t like his behavior.

Yes, I have locked him the bathroom with a litterbox and food/water. FOr a few weeks. After that he was fine for a bit, then started pissing in the dog bed again.

He will also piss on towels, blankets, laundry and so forth. He does go in the box as well. I have asked the vet about this and he stated that it is most likely behavioural.

It’s not that I don’t like or love the cat. I do. I really do. But I have spend HUNDRED of DOLLARS replacing dog beds. He ruined 2 $80 waterproof beds (we had 2 dogs, lost one) in a week. I tried the garbage bag thing. DIdn’t work.

I adopted this cat about 4 years ago. I have a feeling his owner go rid of him because of this behavior. She told me he would crap outside of the box if it was not perfectly clean. Which he will do. She also had a large dog, but did not mention that he pissed all over everything.

[LittleblackMorgan]

I’ve just had to block all access to soft, squishy piles for this cat. Perhaps just say “sorry dog” and toss the bed? Or, get them one that is maybe not so appealing to pee on, like a foam rectangle as opposed to one of the ones with lots of squish. Honestly, my dog prefers sleeping on the floor anyway, so not having a bed around was no skin off his back.

Tried that too. Had a foam one like you mentioned. Pissed all over it.
Unfortunately, my dog stays in the kitchen when I am not home and the floor is linoleum. She’s an old lady and needs to sleep on something…I tried a towel, but he pissed on that too…

[Simkie]

@LittleblackMorgan;6024979

3 litter boxes in the basement. 2 are together, 1 is seperate. All have lids.

Some cats don’t like lidded boxes. Try one without. And get another box–rule of thumb is number of cats + 1.

He will also piss on towels, blankets, laundry and so forth. He does go in the box as well. I have asked the vet about this and he stated that it is most likely behavioural.
Your vet is WRONG. Inappropriate peeing is most often MEDICAL.

Even if it is behavioral (you MUST rule out medical first, though) there are medications which can be very, very useful. Has your vet mentioned that at all? Has your vet mentioned feliway?

If the issue isn’t medical, and you don’t want to deal with behavioral, then put the cat down. But totally writing off medical because you think that’s not it is really horribly unfair to the cat. Have you ever had a kidney infection? Stones?

Take the cat to the vet. Run some urine, pull some blood and do a radiograph. THEN get mad at the cat if you don’t find anything, and put the poor thing down.

[LittleblackMorgan]

I’m not going to go putting the cat down…I’m willing to work will him. He’s going to the vet next Friday. I really hope it is medical (for ease of treatment) and we clear this up quickly.

I mentioned to DH that we should have one unlidded box. We used to have 4 boxes but he decided it was not needed…that’s another issue.

I cannot touch them myself, and honestly the smell did not occur to me until I got pregnant and my sniffer went haywire.

Do you suppose I should keep the cat in the bathroom until he goes to the vet?

[BLBGP]

[QUOTE=Simkie;6024995]

If the issue isn’t medical, and you don’t want to deal with behavioral, then put the cat down.[/QUOTE]

Agreed. If you “love him” and don’t want to deal with him, how can you find some stranger who will? Glad you have a vet appointment. Hopefully it will turn up something that can be easily dealt with (UTI and crystals are painful!). And yes, removing the lid and trying different litters is always a good idea.

ps - congratulations on your pregnancy. Although you may want to remove you recent blog post from a few days ago…