My senior cat pees in bed after stress. Is it a health issue?

I’m sorry to hear you are dealing with that, I know how frustrating it is. She might have a health issue, such as a urinary tract infection, bladder stone, or an endocrine disease, or it may just be behavioral. Take her to your vet to have her examined, and have some lab work run to rule out a medical cause. If it is behavioral, there are things you can do to try to help. You may find this article helpful: https://www.petcoach.co/article/inappropriate-elimination-urination-defecation-spraying-in/ Before we call it behavioral, a medical condition should be ruled out. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

It could be that Mostafa is suffering from a UTI, and that's why he urinated on the bed. I would have him seen by a vet today. Your vet can do routine blood tests and a urinalysis to see if he does have a UTI or bladder stones. If he has a UTI, he will need antibiotics to treat it. Bladder stones may need to be removed surgically, or can be managed with diet.

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.

It certainly could be another problem with Luna's urinary tract, like feline idiopathic cystitis. Having another cat in the house is stressful, and that can lead to this cystitis. I'd have her seen by a vet to have this diagnosed and treated. I'd also get your male cat neutered. I hope this helps!

It is possible that adding a new kitten to the house could be causing stress on Tyler, leading him to urinate on the bed and mark his territory. If the kitten wants to be on the bed, he may feel the need to let the kitten know the bed is his space. One way to reduce marking behavior in dogs is to neuter them. Territorial marking is hormonally driven, and a way to stop it is to remove the source of the hormones: the testicles. Other reasons could be a UTI or bladder stones, and I would have Tyler seen by a vet for blood tests and a urinalysis to rule this in or out.

It sounds like you have a tough situation on your hands! When a cat who was previously litter trained starts going to the bathroom in the house, it can be a sign of a medical illness. Given that Furble is a senior cat, I would have her seen by a vet for a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis. These test will help identify if there is a medical problem behind this behavior, and can treat her for it. If a medical cause is ruled out, then I would discuss with the vet about using anti-anxiety drugs on Furble. It could be that she is getting very stressed out about the interactions with the new cat and dog, and that's leading her to go to the bathroom everywhere. The vet can prescribe medications for her, and there are a few things you can do at home. You can get Feliway, which is a plug in diffuser that releases pheromones into the home. These pheromones help cats with anxiety. You can can also get her a Sentry calming collar. This collar release pheromones as well when in contact with her skin.

Sometimes, cats will return to the same location where they have had an accident previously and continue to urinate there - this is often because there is still some lingering odor that they can smell, which acts as a signpost saying "pee here!" He may also have learned that the bed was a pleasant place to use the bathroom, so in his mind it's a convenient option when he needs to go. I would recommend closing the door to your bedroom to block his access to the bed for the next month or so - this should be long enough to break the newly-formed habit of urinating on the bed. You should also make sure that all of the bedding has been washed, and the mattress has been treated with a deodorizing product that is made for getting rid of urine odors, such as Nature's Miracle or Urine Off. If he continues to have accidents in other places around the house even with the bedroom door closed, I would be suspicious of an underlying medical issue causing this behavior. In that case, it would be best to take him to the vet for an exam and urinalysis to help determine what's wrong.