Overview:
This is a question
which crops up fairly frequently on our forums & quite
understandably is a source of frustration for cat owners.
There are generally two reasons why a cat will urinate (or
defecate for that matter) on your bed. Behavioural or medical.
Causes of
Inappropriate Urination on Beds:
The first thing you should do
is take your cat to the vet to rule out any medical reasons
for this inappropriate urinating on your bed.
Stress is major cause of inappropriate urination in cats.
Factors causing stress in cats can be moving house, the
introduction of a new family member (pet or human), a
neighbours cat roaming your garden etc. Helping your cat
overcome these stresses may well result in the inappropriate
urination stopping, however this isn't always the case.
Sometimes the behavior can become so ingrained in the cat that
even once the stress has been removed, the behavior continues.
If this is the case it is a good idea to seek advice from your
veterinarian as to how to re-train your cat. Some cat owners
have had great success using Rescue Remedy on their cats,
although this isn't advisable until you have spoken to your
vet.
Removing the cause of the
stress is naturally something you will wish to tackle. So have
a good think about what may be causing the stress. Has the
behavior come on suddenly? Did this co-inside with any changes
in the cat's life such as moving house, the addition or or
loss of a companion (animal or human), do you have a neighbors
cat roaming your garden? If you can find a cause for the
stress, you have a much better chance of taking steps to help
your cat overcome this stress & hopefully stop the behavior.
Feliway is a synthetic facial pheromone, facial pheromones
induce feelings of comfort & safety in cats & bring down
stress levels. Therefore Feliway can be used to mimic this
pheromone.
Your veterinarian may also
recommend anti-anxiety medications in the case of stress
related toileting. There are several drugs available & your
veterinarian will be able to prescribe the best one for your
cat.
Declawing sometimes leads to refusal to use a litter box.
Often the cat's paws are tender & scratching around in cat
litter can lead to pain & discomfort. In this case it is
advisable to find a softer litter which is less harsh on your
cat's feet.
How to
clean cat urine from the bed:
Naturally you will have to
wash your bedding. Washing detergents used for nappies are the
best products to use in this case.
Keeping your bedroom door
closed is the obvious solution although many cat owners may be
reluctant to shut their cat out of the bedroom.
Plastic carpet runners
turned upside down will act as a deterrent, cats dislike the
feel of these. So, whenever the bed isn't used put these over
& hopefully in time your cats habit will be broken.
Try putting a fitted
plastic sheet over your mattress. These are typically used
with young children who are toilet training, to ensure any
'accidents' don't seep through to the mattress.
If the urine has dried &
you are having problems locating the soiled area use a
blacklight. Cat urine will glow green, making it easy to find
the problem area. You should be able to purchase a blacklight
from your hardware store, or pet store. If the urine is still wet,
blot up as much as you can with paper towels. There are many
commercially available products on the market designed to
remove & neutralize cat urine odour. Some of these products
come in powder form, so can be easily vacuumed off, others are
liquid (often as a spray), so once you have applied it, it can
be dried with the aid of a hairdryer.
Home
remedies for cleaning cat urine:
You may also want to try
some home remedies. Apply baking soda to the wet urine stain.
This will draw out the urine. When the baking soda turns
yellow from the urine, remove & apply some more. Repeat until
the baking soda stays white. If possible, leave on the
mattress overnight. The following day, vacuum it off.
White vinegar is a
time tried and proven ingredient that aids in removing both
urine stains and the odour.
Combine one part distilled white vinegar to two parts warm
water to create a spray. Remove as much urine/spray as
you can using a paper towels. Mist vinegar spray over areas of
cat urine and rub with a paper towel. An alternative
method is to mix the solution in a bucket and dip a clean
cloth into the liquid. Rub the stain with the vinegar
solution. After the vinegar
dries, wipe away both solution and stain with warm water.
Another
simple to make spray uses 15 ounces of hydrogen peroxide, two
tablespoons of baking soda, and two squirts of liquid hand soap.
Mix in a plastic container with a plastic spoon. Discard
after use. Apply this solution to cat urine stains or odour
areas, and then rinse away with warm water.
Finally, always make sure
the litter box is clean.
Even after you have sought
veterinary advice, then it may be worth calling in an animal
behaviorist.
