My cat pees/poops on my bed after my trip. Is she sick or behavioral?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. A cat can be "healthy" and still have urination issues as you have described because the problem is behavioral and not medical. If it has been ruled out that she does not have any underlying medical conditions (kidney issues, bladder problems, UTI, etc) then you should try the behavioral modification medication. The medications work well and cats rarely have any side effects with their use. Please talk to your vet about this. This problem is not only stressful for you but also for Prune. And typically what happens is, if you rehome her, she will do the same behavior at the new person's house. Inevitably they get frustrated and they will rehome her and the cycle continues as she is passed from home to home. She may even end up at a shelter as unadaptable which in some shelters means euthanasia. Please don't do that to her and speak to your vet about medication. I can tell you love her very much and someone else may not feel the same about her. The medication is not expensive and typically is easy to administer. The medication does not usually change their attitude towards you or change their personality in any drastic way. It is an easy solution. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Pebbles could be exhibiting this behavior for a few reasons. Here is a good article to explain the different reasons: https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-top-5-reasons-your-cat-is-avoiding-her-litter-box-and-what-to/ Clean the mattress with a good enzymatic cleanser. This will to get rid of any smells. This behavior could be due to pain while having a bowel movement. Watch him closely for excessive straining or trouble passing stool. Check the stool for dryness or being excessively firm. You may want to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for Pebbles to have a physical exam. Bring in a fresh stool sample as well. Sometimes a higher fiber diet can help. If parasites are suspected, he should be dewormed as well. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Vader, very frustrating problem I imagine. I would advise a visit with your veterinarian to determine whether this is a medical problem or a behavioral problem. After an good history taking and exam, your vet can then advise tests to begin to diagnose any problems. Fecal tests, blood tests, x-rays, etc could all be possible tests. Once a diagnosis is made whether it's medical or behavioral, a sound treatment plan can be instituted to get Vader past this problem. I wish you good luck.

Inappropriate elimination in cats is often a behavioral problem rather than a medical problem, so the first step is to have him seen by your vet to eliminate any kind of illness or condition as a cause for his defecating outside the box. Once medical issues are ruled out, take a look at other explanations. Has there been a lot of activity that wasn't normal? Were you away and your cat was left at home or boarded? Is the litterbox located in a busy area? Has anything happened recently in this area to make him reluctant to use it again? Is there another cat, pet or person that is preventing him from getting to the box? Have you changed it from a hooded to an open box, or vice versa? Have you changed the brand of litter or kind? Is there something about the spot he has chosen to use that is attracting him in some way? Cats dislike disturbances to their routine and may act out to express their dissatisfaction. The litter box may not be big enough. The general rule of thumb is one litter box per cat in the household, plus one. That way each cat can have a place of their own to go in case the box is occupied or another cat has claimed it as territory. They should be scooped daily, if not more often and changed completely weekly washed with soap and water only. You can also offer one kind of litter in one box and another kind in another to see if there is a preference. I don't recommend the crystal kind, it makes a hissing sound when wet that can startle some cats and make them reluctant to use it again. The litter boxes should be located in a quiet, low-traffic area so that the cat can use them in peace. Make sure any other pets or people aren't giving them a hard time around or in the litter box. It may take some investigation and experimentation to find your cat's preference and accommodate him so that everyone is satisfied with the situation. And, when cleaning up pet accidents, don’t use any cleaner containing ammonia. This leaves behind a scent similar to urine

Hi there. Yes, you could certainly try leaving the litter box in your attached bathroom so that it's closer and easier for her to get to, as a starting point. But in a cat this age, I would be very suspicious of an underlying medical issue causing this behavior - this can be true even if she appears generally healthy otherwise, on the outside. Possible causes would include hyperthyroidism, a GI problem such as chronic pancreatitis or inflammatory bowel disease, or arthritis making it difficult or painful for her to get into the litter box when she needs to go. I would recommend a vet visit for a thorough physical exam and some basic lab work to check for these issues. If she has a medical problem of some kind, having it treated appropriately will often resolve the unwanted accidents.

I am not sure what a doona is but when a cat has inappropriate urination this can be caused by a few different things. She can have a urinary tract infection, it can be bladder stones, it can be stress related or it can be a systemic disease that is causing her to urinate more. I recommend bringing her to the veterinarian and having a urine sample performed to rule in/out a urinary tract infection. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is a frustrating thing and is very likely behavioral since it is both poop and urine. If it’s the exact same spot on the bed, the first thing I would try is getting a litter box for right on the bed where he goes. If he goes for that, awesome. Leave it there a few days (cleaning it daily of course) and then slowly start moving it toward the side of the bed, an inch or two each day. 

 This could be that he feels there is competition with another cat, has anxiety, cor some other thing that we may never figure out. 

 Spraying that area with products designed to get rid of the smell, rearranging the furniture, keeping th bedroom door shut at all times are also all tactics to try.

 Finally, speak to your vet about anti-anxiety/behavior modification medication which can help quite a bit with inappropriate elimination. 

 Best wishes to you and Jack.