Why a cat shits on the bed: reasons and how to stop it

In this article we will understand why a cat shits on the bed and how to correct this behavior of your pet.

They say about cats that they walk on their own, hinting at their special character. A cat is not as easy to win over as a dog. Representatives of cats are more independent. Because of this, they are often attributed character traits that do not exist. For example, if a pet begins to shit in the wrong place, the owners may attribute it to harm. But animals do not know how to make plans for revenge; such behavior is associated either with stress or with health problems. Pay special attention to your pet’s health if your cat starts peeing on the bed and sofa unexpectedly and has never done anything like this before. Our experts examined the reasons in detail and also made recommendations on how to stop a cat from peeing on the bed.

Tendency to leave puddles and marks

Some particularly capricious breeds, kittens, unneutered and older cats are prone to leaving puddles and marks. Each of them has its own motives, so the approach to solving the problem should be selected individually.

Capricious breeds

The most capricious breeds include Siamese cats and their closest relatives from the Siamese-Oriental group. Such cats have a very fine mental organization. They are easily offended or stressed. Because of this, the reason for their bad behavior is usually attributed to psycho-emotional factors.

What to do if your cat pees on the bed?

If the reason is that you have a conflict with your cat and she is trying to improve relations in this way, the following actions will help.

• Completely eliminate all punishment, screaming, etc., so as not to cause even more negative emotions in the cat.
• Block the cat's access to the bed. Instead, you can offer her, for example, an old T-shirt on which the scent of the right person remains. This way, in a calm environment, a cat will be able to combine its own and human scent without the use of heavy artillery.
• Do everything possible to improve your relationship with the cat: feed it (if someone else did it before), play with it, pet it if it makes contact.

If a cat feels safe next to a “problem” person, there will be no point in peeing on his bed.

Problems with the tray

Domestic cats and cats relieve themselves in a special tray with filler. Kittens are accustomed to it at an early age. Even if the training process goes quickly and smoothly, there is no guarantee that the animal will go to the litter box regularly throughout its life. Refusal from the usual “toilet” provokes:

• unsanitary condition of the tray, which is caused by improper and irregular care;
• the presence of foreign odors - even if a cat catches a barely perceptible smell of its own feces, it will go to relieve itself in another place, this is inherent in it at the genetic level;
• change of filler or its absence - unusual sensations can turn the animal away from the usual tray and force it to look for another place to discharge its natural needs;
• a new tray or a change in the location of the old “toilet” causes confusion in the cat - the animal does not know how to behave in the current situation.

If you are wondering why the cat peed on the bed , check whether her access to the litter tray was blocked; perhaps the door to the bathroom, where the cat litter is usually located, was accidentally tightly closed by someone in the household.

What measures to take

In order to understand how to correct the animal’s behavior, it is necessary to establish the reason why it began to use the entire house as a toilet. Once this reason has been established, it is not necessary to punish the cat who has pooped - sometimes you can return it to the litter box using gentler methods.

What to do for skeptics

All people, regardless of whether they believe in omens or not, need to remember that it is necessary to accustom a kitten to the litter box from the first days of life. However, teaching your four-legged pet to relieve itself in a specific place in the house is still half the battle. Next, you need to make sure that the litter in the cat litter is always fresh and the tray itself is clean, otherwise the cat may start looking for another litter box.

If everything is in order with the tray and your four-legged friend has long been accustomed to it, but suddenly begins to mark the master’s bed or other objects in the home, then the following will help wean him from bad actions:

• If the animal is sick (diarrhea or disease of the genitourinary system), then it must be shown to a veterinarian, who will prescribe treatment for the cat. As a rule, a recovered pet returns to the tray on its own.
• If a cat is offended by a person and takes revenge on him for something, then the owner would do well to try to understand why this happened. Perhaps the cat felt that the owner’s love for her had decreased due to a new family member (child) or another animal appearing in the house. In this case, the owner of a four-legged pet should show more attention to it for some time. It’s not worth punishing a cat for a shitty shoe or bedspread. It will be enough to defiantly ignore him after each such incident. And, conversely, after any proper trip to the litter box, pet the cat and give him his favorite treat.
• If a purr craps all over the house because he is already old and simply does not have time to get to the litter box, and the owner loves him so much that he does not want to put him to sleep, then the solution may be to install another cat litter box in another place. It is easy to accustom an old cat to such a toilet by placing any object that carries the smell of her urine in the spare tray.
• The worst option is when a young male cat urinates on the furniture and belongings of the owners, marking its territory. In this case, it is sometimes impossible to return it to the tray using normal methods, even if you treat all marked places and objects in the house with chemicals that repel strong odors. The only method to wean an animal from improper actions is castration.

What should superstitious people do?

For those who believe that cats connect the human world with the subtle other world, esotericists give some advice on how to wean your four-legged pet from walking past the litter box:

• If a cat shits on the bed of an owner who is already sick or prone to illness, then the person should try to clean his house to avoid the illness or death predicted by the furry soothsayer. Daily reading of prayers, blessing the house with lit church candles, fumigation with incense, and also wearing a special amulet will help cleanse your home.
• Those who are sure that a kitten pooping on the bed predicts a quick financial profit can be advised to strengthen the effect of the prediction by additionally charging the home with material well-being with magical rituals and talismans.
• Cats anticipate future quarrels between family members, especially between spouses, so it would be a good idea for the owners of the crapping animal to analyze their own behavior and try not to lead to family conflicts. Then the cat will not mark the marital bed.
• If a cat constantly shits on the same thing, then perhaps the owner of a four-legged pet should listen to the furry “esotericist” and throw this thing out of the house, since it poses a threat to all family members with strong negative energy.

Every person, when getting a kitten, wants to receive only positive emotions from their pet. But sometimes there are embarrassments with the latter. However, instead of scolding a naughty pet or trying to correct its behavior in the usual ways, sometimes it can be useful to “listen” to what the four-legged soothsayer is trying to say and check your own health or the things he has soiled. It is possible that this will help the cat owner not only avoid some kind of disease, but also protect himself from something more terrible.

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• Castration of a cat: pros and cons. cat behavior after castration
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• Why does a cat sleep a lot: sleep norms in adults and small animals
• How long do cats sleep per day?

How to save a sofa or bed from smell

Cat feces have a very pungent odor. If you do not remove it immediately after detection, then the cat will return to your bed for a very long time, guided by the marks left there.

What to wash clothes with

Remove the soiled laundry and wash it under the tap, thoroughly soaping it with laundry soap. Then put it in the washing machine, filling the corresponding compartments with powder, conditioner and odorant - a special product for eliminating unpleasant odors.

Proven ways to wean yourself from a bad habit

As an option, you can cover your favorite spot with double-sided tape or cover it with a rough-pile blanket—cats don’t like being uncomfortable.

The pet will not be able to do any mischief if it does not have access to the room.

So that a single mistake does not become permanent and the cat does not decide to spoil upholstered furniture regularly, it is important to instill in the animal the desire to go to its potty. You can stop a kitten or adult pet from shitting on the sofa using the following methods:

• Spraying furniture. For this, water tinctures on citrus peels, lavender-scented perfumes, special cat repellents from pet stores or essential oils are used.
• Organization of a personal toilet. If the cat is too clean and there is no way to constantly clean, you can put a second tray or change the filler, for example, to silica gel. At the same time, the box must be placed away from food, drafts and extraneous noise. The shape and size must match the parameters of the cat itself.
• Limitation. To keep your fluffy away from the sofa, it is enough to block access to the room where this piece of furniture is located.

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Methods for teaching a kitten to shit in the right place

In order for the kitten to get used to its new location and get used to it a little, it is necessary to place it in a small room that can be isolated with a door. It is necessary to place a litter tray in the selected room, prepare a sleeping place, a container for food and drink, and toys.

Your pet will need about a week to master the territory and get used to the new environment. After this period, you can move on to getting acquainted with the remaining rooms.

The main thing is not to do it too quickly and abruptly. This transition period is characterized by the fact that during the process of getting to know a cat, a habit may arise of shitting in any convenient place, therefore, at the first bowel movement, it is necessary to immediately remove excrement, no matter how much the smell attracts the animal.

A very effective solution to this problem is containers with cat food, which must be placed in those places where the kitten is accustomed to shitting. On an instinctive level, he will not go to the toilet in the place where he eats.

In a pre-purchased tray, it is recommended to put paper that needs to be soaked in cat urine, in the place where he is used to shitting, preferably placing paper with his favorite food.

It is very important for cats to learn and remember the real smell of a new home, which is characteristic of it. For this reason, during the adaptation period of the animal, it is not recommended to use artificial means to freshen and purify the air.

In addition, cats are very sensitive to the chemical composition of most household detergents and cleaners. In this case, you should not be surprised if the kitten begins to shit on the floor that has just been washed using a similar product.

Very often, such a manifestation acts as a protective function when sharp and unfamiliar aromas predominate in the living room; the cat thus tries to drown out the irritating factor with its aroma.

If the kitten has chosen a place under the sofa for relaxation, there is no need to drive him away from there, otherwise he will start shitting there in order to designate this place for himself.

To eliminate psychological irritants, it is recommended to arrange a small, cozy house for the animal. For these purposes, it is not necessary to purchase special designs from a pet store; just take a cardboard box, put soft fabric in it and place it in a warm, cozy place.

The main thing is to treat the problem with understanding and arrange a good place for the cat to live, then the cat will fulfill all the conditions and create additional problems.

How to stop a cat from shitting on the sofa

How to wean a dog from peeing at home and accustom it to the street
First of all, the owner must understand why the pet behaves this way. Each case has its own reason. And if it is not installed and eliminated, then there will be no point in training the cat at all.

To begin with, the owner should remember whether he scolded the cat over the past day. If there were cases, then perhaps the reason lies in revenge. If your pet has previously been trained to go to the litter box correctly, then no special effort will be required. The owner will simply have to spend time and effort to play with the cat and caress it, perhaps to appease it with something tasty. Then the feeling of resentment will pass, and the cat will not want to cause trouble to others.

You can also wean it if the owner takes the cat with him to the bed. An animal may learn to sleep on a bed or sofa, and because of this, it will not want to crap on it. Since cats are very clean animals, they will never spoil their sleeping place.

Cleaning the litter box frequently is one solution to the problem. Some breeds are even more sensitive to smell than other cats. Therefore, the owner will have a hard time in terms of care. To do this, you should choose a filler that absorbs unpleasant odors as much as possible, but at the same time it must be safe and hypoallergenic for the animal. You will also have to change the litter frequently during the day, preferably after each time the cat relieves itself. This is not entirely convenient, but it’s better to spend an extra 5 minutes. spend on changing the filling, rather than not knowing how to clean an expensive sofa.

Reason #10: demonstrative behavior

Perhaps walking outside the litter box is a sign the cat is sending you

Sometimes this happens when he wants to draw attention to a problem, for example, with health or improper placement of the tray. And it happens that the cat is aggressive and thus challenges the owners

In this case, you may need to consult a zoopsychologist and consider the problem comprehensively in the context of your interpersonal relationship with the cat.

Sometimes provocative behavior is dictated by the fact that the pet wants to receive additional attention from you. At first he didn’t receive enough attention, but then he noticed that you scolded him for his misdeeds, that is, you paid attention to him.

After that, the cat began to do everything out of spite, just to get another portion of attention from you. You say it's stupid because it's negative attention? No, it's not stupid. This is how not only cat psychology works, but also human psychology: negative attention is much better than complete indifference. Watch the following video about people and you will understand a lot about cats. If a cat is inclined to extort attention in this way, he will probably do other dirty tricks in the house.

The cat pees on the bed, what to do

There is no single algorithm of actions for weaning a cat from shitting on the bed. The first thing caring owners need to do is to try to find out the cause of the unwanted behavior and eliminate it immediately, including with the help of a veterinarian.

You cannot shout loudly or use physical punishment at the culprit of the stinking puddle - this will provoke unnecessary aggression and resentment. If your pet continues to pee on the bed, tell him not to do so in a stern voice.

Additionally, it is recommended to check the cleanliness of the tray, its correct location and the quality of the filler. Show maximum attention to your pet, let him feel your care. The problem of puddles on the bed disappears as quickly as it appears.

Stress and strong emotional tension

Cats are susceptible to stress caused by fear, excitement, jealousy, changes in their usual daily routine, trips to the veterinarian, or moving to a new place of residence. A strong emotional shock can cause unwanted behavior in an animal, in which it forgets its “toilet” skills and begins to shit anywhere, even on the owner’s bed. This is how the cat expresses its emotions and calls on its owner for help. It is impossible to strongly scold or physically punish a pet for this offense; on the contrary, you need to show maximum attention to it. We recommend showing more affection, care and communication to the animal in anticipation of possible stressful situations, which include:

• change of place of residence;
• traveling by car or public transport;
• journey;
• arrival of guests;
• the appearance of a small child in the house;
• the appearance of another pet, etc.

If a puddle on the bed is caused by a stressful situation, it is important to prevent the animal’s unwanted behavior from becoming established.

Tray inaccessible

Sometimes people themselves are to blame for the fact that the pet does not go to the litter box. Perhaps your pet cannot get to the toilet because the door is closed. It also happens that the tray was put in a new place and was not shown to the cat. As a result, you can find puddles in the old place of the cat litter box, on the floor and even on your bed.

Another possible explanation is a change in filler. For example, a pet got used to stones, and then wood capsules were poured into it. The cat may simply not understand that now he needs to walk on them, which is why he will go looking for a more suitable place. If your cat craps on the bed after changing the litter box, you should help her get used to the changes.

Common diseases

Before “passing judgment” on a “naughty” pet, the owner should take a closer look at it. Perhaps the cat is not taking revenge or causing mischief at all, but is sick. Often it is enough to take tests and undergo an ultrasound examination at a veterinary clinic to identify a disease that is causing the pet to walk “smallly” in the wrong place.

Main reasons. The main causes of puddles in bed and other inappropriate places are inflammation of the bladder and urolithiasis. These pathologies are accompanied by severe cutting pain, so the cat cannot fully move and find a convenient place for the toilet.

Other factors. In addition, there are other pathologies and diseases that affect the urination process of furry purrs:

1. Disturbances in the development of the genitourinary system . In this case, the pet, while still a kitten, cannot get used to the tray. As a rule, no measures help and mandatory consultation with a specialist and appropriate examination are required.
2. Diseases caused by infection . Impaired urination is a symptom of cystitis, urocystitis, panleukopenia, nephritis, nephrosis. In addition, it can signal such a dangerous cat disease as mycoplasmosis, which affects the animal’s liver and other vital organs.
3. Malfunctions of the central nervous system . Often, as a result of injuries and inflammatory processes in the brain, this area of ​​the body is damaged, and the animal begins to suffer from incontinence.
4. Metabolic disorders . They affect not only the functioning of the genitourinary system, but also lead to animal obesity and the development of diabetes mellitus.
5. Labor activity. Often, furry pets choose the owner’s cozy and warm bed as a place to give birth. During labor, a certain amount of fluid may be released from a full bladder - from a few drops to a decent-sized puddle.

Do you need more cat litter trays?

Even if you have a couple of litter boxes, it may not be enough.

Some cats prefer to urinate and defecate in separate litter boxes, and some cats will not share a litter box with another cat.

A good general rule is to have a litter box for each cat in the house, plus one more. And install at least one litter box on each floor of the house if you live in a house.

I probably just said something you didn't want to hear. How – should I clean another cat litter box? I don’t even have time to tinker with these trays!

But it's better than constantly washing your sheets, right?

Multiple litter boxes are an especially good idea for kittens. Just like children, kittens' control over their litter box is not fully developed, so they need a few easily accessible toiletries to prevent puddles and poop on the floor or in your bed.

You should also never scold or punish your kitten or cat, especially when sitting in or near her litter box.

This will create a negative association with the litter box and she will avoid it. For the same reason, never use the litter box as a place to trap your cat in order to give her medicine, trim her nails, or herd her into the litter box.

Industrial detergents for odor removal

If all the methods described above are powerless, products specially designed for this will help remove the persistent smell of cat urine from the sofa.
You can find it in places where household goods are sold or in large pet stores. A feature of these drugs is their selective effect on organic pollutants, which, as a rule, are the main source of stench. Specially designed odor remover – video review:

The best effect of neutralizing the smell of urine is observed from those mixtures that include proprietary developments of manufacturers - special groups of enzymes (enzymes). Under the influence of these substances, uric acid crystals are destroyed, which almost completely neutralizes the foul-smelling fraction in traces of cat litter.

Before using them, you must carefully study the instructions. In addition, these products have one important feature: the effect of their use will be noticeable no earlier than 2-3 days after treating the stains.

What can you spray on the sofa?

If you decide to clean your sofa of cat urine in order to get rid of the nasty smell forever, then after drying it, you need to spray it with one of the following products:

• vinegar or potassium permanganate (weak solution);
• hydrogen peroxide;
• weak iodine solution;
• alcohol;
• water with lemon.

After cleaning the sofa on which the pet is peeing, citrus peels, pieces of onion or garlic placed in the corners are also used.
Representatives of the cat family do not like the smell of essential oils (mint, rosemary, lavender), perfumes, construction chemicals, and detergents that have a strong odor. Attention! Products with strong odors should be used very carefully, as they often cause irritation and inflammation of the nasal canals in animals.
If you managed to clean the sofa well at home, then to prevent your pet from using it as a toilet, you can use special veterinary products.

Old animals

Long-lived cats often walk in the wrong places due to urinary incontinence. They are not always able to run to the toilet, which is why puddles appear in the places where the animal sleeps. Some owners decide not to let their pet on the bed so that they don’t have to constantly clean up puddles. As already mentioned, you can place a bed separately, which will have to be washed. It is useless to scold and punish an old cat, since he is not to blame for his behavior.

Owners must understand in detail why their pet shits on their bed. After this, you can, based on recommendations, correct bad behavior. It is worth remembering that it is often not the pet’s fault that it defecates on the owner’s bed. It is quite possible that he feels bad or does not understand that this should not be done. A good owner will definitely be patient and help the animal get rid of a negative habit.

Kittens

Small kittens do not immediately get accustomed to the litter box, so during the process of getting used to it they may walk in the wrong places. The owner must help the pet get rid of a bad habit. To do this, you need to seriously start training your kitten if you don’t want to endure puddles and feces on the sofa throughout its entire life. As a rule, for many pets a few days or weeks are enough for the situation to improve.

How to quickly stop a kitten from peeing on the bed

After a small pet appears in the apartment, you should immediately place a tray. The kitten needs to be shown where it should go to the toilet. Let your pet sniff the sand, dig in it, and maybe even taste it. Some kittens go to the litter box the first time, so they don’t cause problems for their owners. If on the first day the kitten defecated on the bed, then you should not immediately abandon it. You need to be patient and not get too angry.

You should not constantly change the location of the tray, as well as the fillers. The kitten must get used to one thing, otherwise he will continue to go to the sofa. If an animal urinates in the wrong place, you should scold it and then take it to the tray. As a rule, a few times are enough for the problem to disappear.