what to do if your cat pees on your bed? 15 ways to find a solution

Does this sound familiar? Every night, we have to get up to put the cat on the floor because she has peed on our bed.

I am always really tired and not in the best mood when I wake up because of this. It’s hard for me to get back into a good routine, and it takes me hours before I can get myself going again.

Our house is also starting to smell like urine all day long which makes things worse. What should we do?

What to do if your cat pees on your bed It’s tough to get up in the middle of the night to change the bedding on a pee-soaked bed. It doesn’t have to be this way! 

The first thing to do is to rule out any medical issues, such as a bladder infection. This means a trip to the vet. It is always best to rule out or treat any medical problems first. Even if the problem is not medical, the vet has a wealth of experience and will also be able to offer advice if the problem is behavioral rather than medical. 

Assuming the cause is not medical, here are some ideas for you to work through to solve the problem. Some ideas may not be practical for your situation. Move on to the next suggestion.

What To Do if Your Cat Pees On Your Bed

The very first thing to do if the cat pees on your bed is clean the bedding. As soon as possible after the deed, the bed will need to be stripped.

Let’s hope that the pee has not soaked through to the mattress. If the cat was right on top of the covers, it is unlikely that the pee would have soaked right through.

Washing the sheets and mattress protector is simple enough to do in the washing machine. Any blankets, quilts, or coverlets will need to be washed according to ordinary washing recommendations.

Accidents are going to happen. As a cat owner, you will want to have a cat pee, odor, and stain removal product on hand. You will probably need all three at some point.

Now, To Stop It Happening Again!

1. Don’t Allow The Cat On The Bed

The most obvious suggestion is to not allow the cat on the bed. This will probably mean not allowing the cat into the bedroom.

You may only have to do this at night if that is when the cat is peeing on the bed. You will need to either close the bedroom door or invest in a pet gate.

2. Litter Box Location

The solution may be as simple as ensuring that there is a litter box for each floor of your home.

Also, try placing a litter box near the bedroom. This is particularly important if your cat is a senior. Take into consideration that the noise of litter being scratched in the middle of the night can definitely disturb sleep.

3. Another Litter Box Location

Try a litter box in your bedroom or alternatively, keep the litter box in an area that is away from where you sleep.

These are contrasting suggestions, so decide which method you think will work best. You may have to try both approaches.

4. Litter Box Cleanliness

Make sure the litter box is kept scrupulously clean as litter box avoidance will often lead to the cat pooping and peeing anywhere but the litter box. 

5. Use Catnip

Put catnip in the litter box. This will encourage the cat to use the box while discouraging peeing on bedding or furniture. Cat litter attractant is a product that works particularly well to attract the cat to the litter box.  It is just sprinkled on top of the litter you are using, no need to change to a different type of litter.

6. The Brand Of Litter

Have you changed the brand of litter recently?  This can also deter the cat from using the litter box and seek alternate places to pee and poop.

7. Is Your Cat Stressed?

Do you suspect that your cat might be stressed? Locate and remove any potential sources of stress.

Other pets in the bedroom at night can be extremely stressful for cats. This can lead to jealousy. Cats mark their territory to show other animals that something belongs to them.  This could be your cat’s way of marking his territory. 

8. Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety can also lead to unusual behavior in cats.  If you have been away from home more than usual, the cat may have separation anxiety.
 
One of our cats definitely had some behaviors that were strictly only obvious when we were away and the cat was being cared for at home. I hesitate to say attention seeking behavior, but that is what it seemed like at the time.
Cats definitely show stress at times like this. You know your cat, if this applies. 

Products such as Feliway can help lower the stress levels in cats. 

9. Is It Scary Getting To The Litter Box?

Is it scary for the cat to get to the litter box? This is another stressor that could cause problems, leading to the cat peeing on the bed. What about the dog’s bed? Cats sometimes do pee on the bed belonging to the family dog.

Does the cat have to navigate past a sleeping dog or other cats to get to the litter box? If the dog is going to wake up and have a go at the cat, the cat will be spooked. 

Make sure that the litter box is readily accessible with a clear and stress free route.

10. Create A Cat Free Zone

Create a “cat-free zone” on the bed by covering it with a fabric undesirable to the cat. Although having to put a cover on the bed is not a long-term solution, it can work by changing the behavior of the cat. 

Read how we did this when the cat was scratching the leather couch.  After a while, a fair while, the cat gave up on the couch.

It is possible to alter behavior. 

A simple solution for this is to use a shower curtain.  A shower curtain is inexpensive and easy to whip out and fling across the bed, after the bed has been made in the morning.

The cat will not like walking on the plastic and will not stop there to pee.

11. Waterproof Blanket

There are some great waterproof blankets for beds that actually look okay, in fact, they look very good and not at all like a waterproof pee protector.

You might be pleasantly surprised and I’m sure there are others equally as stylish. These two are a decent size, big enough to cover the bed which is a big plus.

---

12. Use a Cosy Cat Pouch

Think about using a cozy cat pouch on the bed. There are some divine cat pouches, and they are perfect for using on the bed because they are soft.

We know cats like to huddle inside, in the same manner that they love getting into boxes. This one pictured, is not quite as cute as some however, drum roll, it is waterproof on the outside.

Even if there is an accident, it is a lot easier to clean this sleeping pouch rather than stripping the sheets to remake the bed.

Get one of the super cute ones when this problem has been sorted.

13. Cat Wall Shelves

Give the cat more vertical space in your bedroom. Cat wall shelves are a perfect solution for a bedroom where space may be limited.

Your cat will be happy to gaze at you from afar and from a high position with a good view. 

Have a look at the different choices here. The cat remains in the bedroom, and he can still see you.

14. Play

Play with your cat on the bed.  A wand toy is an easy way to do this. The cat will see the bed as somewhere to play and have fun. Give your cat an occasional healthy little treat like these ones to reinforce the feeling of feeling secure and loved when on the bed.

15. Use An Enzymatic Cleaner

Use an enzymatic cleaner to remove urine odors from the bedding.

Clean thoroughly so that the cat doesn’t continue to mark in the same place.

---

Hopefully this article has given you some useful tips about what’s causing this behavior, as well as a few ways that will work to stop the behavior from recurring.  Patience is the key!