My cat pees on my bed. Could it be separation anxiety? What helps?

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.

Poor Lalu! It sounds like he's quite worried about having to be around your other cat since they don't get along, as well as being a somewhat anxious kitty in general. There are a few things you can do to help. First, I would make sure that you have multiple litter boxes, food and water bowls, resting places, scratching posts, and other resources in different parts of the house so that he doesn't have to go around your other cat - this can help tremendously to reduce stress in multi-cat households. Especially try to make sure that all of these things are available in the areas that he normally likes to spend time in - many anxious cats have accidents outside the litter box, or don't eat well, because they can't get to their litter box or food bowl without crossing the other cat. You can also try Feliway pheromone diffusers throughout the house to help reduce stress and promote more social behavior. Finally, you could also use a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to help with his anxiety - these can be ordered online without a prescription, and are very helpful for some anxious cats.

This definitely sounds like a behavior problem and that your cat is acting out because of your recent move and having to be alone during the day. The first thing I would do would be to not allow her to sleep in the same room as you. This way she will not be able to urinate on you at all. I know this will be difficult but if you do this along with some other tactics I'll lay out below it will hopefully alleviate the problem. Try adding pheromone diffusers around the house. These can help relieve any stress your cat may be having. Add an additional litter box to the room you usually sleep in. Even though Jane will not be in your bedroom at night for a couple weeks it will help her get used to the idea that there is a litter box in there she can use as opposed to going on your feet. Finally, you may want to consider a visit to the vet just to rule out any underlying issue like a urinary tract infection. It is unlikely since she's only have the specific episodes of going outside the box but I would check to make sure. You may also want to talk to your vet about a daily, long term anti-anxiety medication (like fluoxetine) if her anxiety is not improving over time. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

I recommend to speak with your veterinarian about trying a medication to try to help with this behavior. Other options that may help include providing tall climbing areas with hiding spots, a Feliway diffuser or a diet called Calm. This may help relive some anxiety when you travel. Cats may also do this if the box is not clean enough for them. You may try an automatic litter box. Make sure to introduce her to the litter box well before your next trip. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

SI am sorry to hear about your concern for Sadie. Some cats are very sensitive to change and it can cause anxiety which then leads to inappropriate urination. This is possibly what is happening with Sadie. You can try a calming pheremone product called Feliway, either sprayed on the bed or in a diffuser https://www.feliway.com/us and a calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure (available online) to see if this helps her.

If you litter box is covered, I would try uncovering it and adding an additional uncovered litter box somewhere else in the house. If your vet has already ruled out an urinary tract infection, I would also consider adding some feliway diffusers around the house. Feliway is a cat pheromone which can help to calm stressed cats and help with inappropriate urination. If this doesn't help, I would talk to your vet about starting an anti-anxiety medicine like amitryptiline. I hope this helps and he stops soon!

Have Meow Meow examined by your veterinarian to diagnose medical causes for the inappropriate urination. A urine sample can be collected and submitted for urinalysis and urine culture to rule out UTI or stones. Once medical causes are ruled out, you can focus on behavioral issues. Provide an additional litterbox in a neutral area of the home. Consider different brands, types and depths of litters. You can also use a litterbox attractant to get him back into the box. Thoroughly clean soiled areas with an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature's Miracle. To decrease any anxiety he may experience when other animals come over, you can try a pheromone product such as Feliway spray or plug in diffuser. A small animal repellant can also be used along the border of your property. You can buy a liquid or powder form in most hardware stores or home improvement stores.