My cats are all the sudden urinating in our new roommate's room

Question

My husband's friend moved into our home about 5 weeks ago. Ever since the first day, our cats have started urinating on the comforters that we provided for him to use. We had to move the comforters to the closet to keep them from urinating on them. They have never done this before and I'm not sure why they all the sudden started now? Our roommate had been sleeping on the floor, but since my stepson has gone to his mother's for the summer, I moved his bed into our roommate's room so he could use it and thinking that the cats would no longer urinate. I was wrong! They pulled the comforter back and urinated on the BED twice! UGH!! The litter box is not the reason, it gets cleaned every 2 days, so I can't imagine what else could be causing this. I asked him if he had cats where he lived prior and he said no. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? I'm sick and tired of this, and don't want my stepson to come home to a cat urine stained bed! 

Thanks in advance...

Sandy_Lee · Answer

I have a 13 wk old female kitten that started peeing on the click clack bed my grand kids sleep on when staying over night.  When they come here we, of course, play a lot with them before bed. The kitten, Sissy, started peeing on the bed...at first we thought it was the dog getting jealous...but later caught her in the act. She was bold enough to even do it right in front of us as we were getting them in the bed!  So I think cats can get jealous just as dogs can.
When my older cat had medical problems..he licked himself excessively so I figured he had a problem ...although he didn't ever pee anywhere but his litter box.

imanaddict · Answer

Thank you to everyone for your helpful advice! I never thought it could be a medical problem! Wow! To answer Linda's question, all 3 of my cats are male and they have all been neutered. My husband put the "culprit" outside which makes me so incredibly sad. He's my daughter's cat but we all love him. I think I will take him to the vet though just to be safe. Then maybe he can come back in which would turn my frown upside down.

Sarajmt · Answer

Opus is right.  You should get him checked out.  That being said the cat could be mad at you.  I had a cat (lived to be 17 and I loved him dearly) and had to leave town.  I arranged to have someone come daily while I gone.  When I came home, he had crawled under the covers of my bed and pooped right in the middle.  As it was rather late when I got back, it was a less than welcome surprise.  I had tried leaving him at the vet's for boarding but he refused to eat there.  So the vet thought he'd be better off at home.

But anyway, there was nothing physically wrong with my cat but he did it just the same.  He was just plain mad.

opus88 · Answer

ahhh now I can give you a better answer to the problem, after you said he also 'peed on your bed' than he is DEFINITELY trying to tell you 'it hurts'.....it wasn't until Nemo did that to MY bed and not just to visitors that I finally took him to our Vet and he did a urine sample and found out he has urinary crystals that can be quite painful when they pee, can also lead to a blockage and medical emergency.
So after treating him in the way of a better diet and lots of fluids he didn't do it again (at least not on my bed...still don't know if he will in the guest room?...sure hope not)
I'd suggest you get your kitty Vet checked too and possibly this is his problem

teddybears4ever2 · Answer

I think cats get jealous. This might be happening to show this person who is boss. You can remove the smell of cat pee with a spray bottle with vinegar and water and spray it on the bed. From there you can sprinkle baking soda on the bed. If it is on comforters, or anything else like clothes, you can soak it in baking soda, vinegar and water. Works like a charm every time.

LindaTX · Answer

I'll bet it's just one of the cats doing this.  He/she's got a lot of nerve to do that on YOUR bed. Can you put one out or somewhere and see if it still continues...maybe the one you think is more likely to be doing it?  I'm all out of ideas!

LindaTX · Answer

Are your cats male or female?  Fixed ot Intact?  I think it's less likely to happen if they have been spayed or neutered. But opus' cat Nemo was probably neutered and it didn't stop him....so I give up. My cats have always been spayed/neutered at a very young age before they would be inclined to spray. Maybe they just don't like this guy.  You gotta wonder if they would be doing that if it were a woman houseguest. :)

Fluffysmom · Answer

hmm, do they make a roommate repellent?  just kidding....

imanaddict · Answer

There is no door to the room unfortunately. The people that lived there before us knocked out half the wall and the door so it's wide open. We have been using it for our office until he came along. He hung up sheets (UGH!) but of course the cats can come and go as they please. I have that urine remover spray which I have been using the heck out of! I decided yesterday to lock them in my room and see what happens. Well this morning I got up to get ready for work, left the room for a few minutes and came back to pee on MY bed. I said "Forget that idea!!" I can only assume now that they don't like our roommate just as much as I don't..LOL!

Fluffysmom · Answer

I had a similar problem, and never did figure it out.  

My female Whiskey had been around people for years, with houseguests and moving had no problem.  I shared a house with a friend, her daugher and her daughter's boyfriend.  Shortly after the boyfriend moved in, he started finding cat pee on his pillow!

I was amazed, and apologized, and suggested that he keep the door closed. I was paying most of the rent, and yet they had a problem with that.  Before long I packed up my belongings and Whiskey and moved on.  I figured she just didn't like the guy, or something about the way he smelled, but from other people's tales, it sounds like it's just something cat's do sometimes.

If you want to give the feliway a try, you can get a coupon for it at the comfortzone website.  It calms my Fluffy's anxiety, though he's never had an issue with peeing where he shouldn't.  I didn't know about it back when I had Whiskey with me.

I don't have anything more to offer, except for hoping that you find a way to keep your cats of your stepson's bed. Good luck!

opus88 · Answer

I had/have? the same problem with my one male Nemo!! everytime I had a guest in the spare room he would go in there and pee on the bed or their suitcase....in fact thats what brought me to Medhelp over a year ago now!!
I washed everything and sprayed the heck out of it with 'urine off' a product for the petstore that removes the urine scent...so the cats can NO longer smell it, any other means will NOT remove it enough from their senses....ie: vinegar/bleach/amonia don't work!!!
After cleaning and spraying everything, I've kept the door closed since(no company yet this summer)...so I don't know if that will work but its a start, you HAVE TO GET THAT SCENT OFF.
I also used a defuser called 'feliway' its supposed to calm/sooth their instincts. worked only marginally.
I've read you can get a 'flower essence' spray from health food stores that is supposed to work better?
I have also since found out he has urinary crystals that I'm treating, so perhaps he was trying to tell me he's hurting, again I'm not sure.
I will see at the end of June when my grandson comes for the summer, if Nemo continues to pee on his bed I don't know what I'll do........NOT a nice surprise!
In the meantime like Linda said we have to keep the offending room door closed!

LindaTX · Answer

Well, you certainly have an unpleasent situation on your hands.  Isn't there any way you can keep the door closed to your roommates room?  I would try my best to keep the cats out of the room.