Cat Peeing On Dog Bed? 5 Reasons Why (And How To Stop It)

Here’s the thing. Your kitty has started using your dog’s bed as her personal litter box and you’re not sure why.

It can be both frustrating and confusing but rest assured – peeing outside the box is a commonly reported problem among cat owners.

In this article, I’ll discuss the most common causes of cats urinating in dog beds and also provide expert advice on how to stop it from happening in the future.

So let’s get your kitty’s bathroom habits sorted once and for all.

Why Do Cats Urine Mark?

Urine marking is a perfectly normal behavior for cats. They use it to communicate with other cats to let them know they have been in the area and also as a way of advertising sexual receptivity and availability (Horwitz & Landsberg, 2022).

Cats also use it to mark their territory, much like using a signature scent to stake a claim in their environment.

While urine marking is a natural behavior for cats, it can become an issue when they start to do it in inappropriate places in the home. In fact, it’s known as “inappropriate elimination.”

And while the behavior may be “inappropriate” for us pet owners, it should not be viewed as bad or malicious.

Instead, it should be seen for what it is – an essential communication tool for cats and cats don’t see anything wrong with it. Having said that, no one wants a home that smells of cat pee.

Plus, if you don’t notice it right away, it can soak down through the dog’s bed and into the carpet or floorboards. That just gives you even bigger problems to contend with.

It’s probably not all that pleasant for the dog either!

Are Some Cats More Likely To Urine Mark?

While non-neutered male cats are most likely to urine mark, both male and female cats can engage in the behavior – even after desexing.

Castration or neutering can reduce a cat’s motivation to spray and will change the odor too. However, 10% of neutered males and 5% of spayed females are likely to continue the behavior regardless (Horwitz & Landsberg, 2022).

Quite possibly because by that stage it’s become a learned behavior.

Spraying behavior also occurs more frequently in multicat households but can also happen in homes with a single cat.

What Does Science Say About Urine Marking?

Research suggests cats that urine mark may be expressing heightened emotions due to certain social or environmental factors

These could include:

• Territorial behavior
• Anxiety or stress (in response to outside visitors, wild animals, or other cats in the home)
• Scented litter
• Covered litter trays
• Poor litter maintenance
• Inadequate covering behavior
• Urinary tract disorders
• Household disruption
• Multiple cats
• Individual cats’ elimination preferences

What does this tell us? That cats urinating outside their litter boxes is a common issue among pet owners and it often indicates an underlying issue – possibly medical – that needs to be addressed by pet owners.

What’s The Difference Between Urine Spraying And Inappropriate Urination?

It is important to determine whether your cat is peeing on your dog’s bed to empty her bladder, or if she’s spraying, as the solutions for these two behaviors differ.

When urinating normally, the cat squats and deposits a volume of urine on a horizontal surface – although it can occur anywhere.

When spraying, the cat stands up and squirts urine backward onto a vertical surface such as a wall, door, or window, leaving an obvious scent mark.

Why Is My Cat Peeing On The Dog Bed?

Let’s now dig a little deeper into some of the most common reasons your cat may be peeing on the dog’s bed.

#1. Your Cat Is Marking Her Territory

As we’ve already established, cats use urine marking as a way to signal ownership and remind other animals of their presence in a given area.

Both confident and anxious cats mark. Confident cats mark to inform other cats of their presence, a ‘calling card’ so to speak.

Anxious cats may mark to make their surrounding area smell like themselves, which makes them feel more secure (American Association of Feline Practitioners & the International Society of Feline Medicine, 2014).

Most cats prefer to mark their turf by spraying in distinctive and prominent places, such as around the edges of their yard, near windows and entry points, or on newly introduced objects (e.g. that fancy new plant pot you just bought or the new tree you just planted).

Others will deposit small amounts of urine in various locations – including their owner’s clothing, bedding, shoes, or other favored possessions like the dog’s bed (Horwitz & Landsberg, 2022).

#2. Your Cat Is Feeling Frustrated, Anxious, Or Stressed

Cats are creatures of habit and do not typically react well to sudden change and unexpected – or frightening – events can lead to soiling as a way to release tension.

Anxiety-related marking can also occur as a response to perceived threats in the cat’s environment.

For example, marking near windows and doors may indicate that the threat is from outside (e.g. the neighbor’s cat likes to hang out in your yard and your cat can see him).

Marking of inside areas, such as stairways, hallways, doorways, furniture, and other items, suggests anxiety from within the home.

Examples of stressful events (from the cat’s point of view) include:

• Loud noises (e.g. vacuum cleaner, drilling)
• Visitors to the home
• New cat or other pet in the home
• Being bullied by another cat in the home
• New baby in the home
• Tradespersons in the home
• Moving furniture around
• New furniture
• Moving to a new house
• Just come back from the vet
• Newly adopted into a new home
• New situations in general
• Pain, illness, or injury

#3. She Doesn’t Like Her Litterbox

Your cat may have developed an aversion to her litterbox for many reasons, so she’s avoiding it and using the dog bed as a substitute.

Possible reasons for this include:

Location

It could be that the location is not to your cat’s liking. Maybe it’s in a busy part of the house (e.g. the kitchen or hallway) or near something scary and noisy (e.g. a washing machine or dryer).

Maybe she just doesn’t feel safe wherever it’s located because she doesn’t have an escape route if the dog comes sniffing around or another cat comes in through the cat flap.

Maybe it’s up (or down) a flight of stairs and her joints are getting a bit arthritic.

Substrate

It could be that the substrate of the litter isn’t to your cat’s liking.

Cats can be particular about texture, so it’s possible she doesn’t find the substrate comfortable enough on her delicate paws.

Maybe it feels too harsh or rough, or maybe you have something that clumps and she prefers something softer or sawdusty.

If your cat is declawed, she may find digging in certain types of litter uncomfortable (or even painful), so softer is probably the way to go.

Our elderly cat Millie was declawed when we adopted her age 16 from death row at a Los Angeles shelter. She used the litterbox just fine, but she never covered her deposits because, sadly, it was just too uncomfortable for her to do so.

Scent

It could be that the scent of your chosen cat litter is causing your kitty to stay away from her litterbox.

Cats rely heavily on their sense of smell, and if they don’t find the scent of their litter pleasant, it can be a barrier for them to use the box.

Shape And Size

Size and shape can be an important factor in determining whether your cat is drawn to use her litterbox or not.

For example, covered litterboxes, while often a hit with owners, can make a cat feel trapped, which can lead to anxiety.

Litterboxes with high sides can be too difficult for some cats to navigate, especially if the cat is elderly and has joint issues or is experiencing any kind of pain.

In my experience, the typical cat litterbox you buy in a pet shop is too small and does not give the cat enough room to move around comfortably.

Negative Associations

Sometimes cats develop a negative association with their litterbox.

For example, if the box is located near a boiler that randomly – and loudly – switches on and off or, as previously mentioned, the washing machine or dryer, it may make her anxious enough to avoid her litterbox altogether.

It could also be due to something unpleasant or scary she experienced while using it (e.g. the dog trying to sniff her when she’s in there, or another cat ambushing her or trying to deny her access).

Not Enough Litterboxes

Having too few litterboxes in a multi-cat household is one of the main reasons cats avoid their litterbox.

Not Clean Enough

Cats are clean animals who are fastidious about personal hygiene, so it’s no surprise that they can quickly become turned off by a litterbox that isn’t kept clean.

If you don’t regularly scoop the litter or keep the box sufficiently filled with fresh material, your kitty may avoid using the box altogether due to discomfort (e.g. soggy litter) or unpleasant odors.

Doesn’t Like The Liners

The use of liners in cat litterboxes can be a double-edged sword.

While they may make scooping the litter easier, they can also put off cats who don’t like the scent of the liners or the feeling of their claws getting caught in them when they try to cover their deposits.

As you can see, there are so many factors that can lead to your cat being uncomfortable with her litterbox.

Finding out why will take a bit of detective work on your part but can make all the difference when you’re trying to address her fascination for peeing on the dog bed.

#4. Your Cat Is In Pain Or Has A Medical Issue

Another possibility is that your cat has a medical problem causing her pain or discomfort.

Underlying health issues like urinary tract infections, bladder stones, or inflammatory diseases can all cause pain and an increased urgency to urinate (RSPCA, 2022).

Health problems like kidney disease and liver conditions can lead to excessive thirst and, consequently, urination. When cats urinate a lot and/or produce larger quantities, it may make them reluctant to use the litterbox again until the larger amounts of soiled litter are removed.

Age-related brain decline, diabetes, and medical conditions affecting the nerves, or muscles can also lead to changes in a cat’s urination habits.

Joint issues can cause discomfort and difficulty in maneuvering which may make it difficult for cats to reach the litterbox or get in it easily (RSPCA, 2022).

Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) is another common medical reason that cats start to soil their homes.

FIC is a form of urinary tract disease that is stress-related (International Cat Care, 2018).

Symptoms include increased frequency of urination, difficulty and pain during urination, and the potential presence of blood in the urine (CatVets, 2014).

Note, if your cat is having difficulty urinating, such as straining to urinate without passing urine or vocalizing when urinating, it could be a sign of a urinary blockage. This is a medical emergency.

Case Study: Loulou – Learned Behavior

When Loulou was 9 years old, she suddenly started urinating around the house for no apparent reason. Nothing major had occurred in terms of environmental changes so we took her to the vet for a check-up.

The vet diagnosed oxalate crystals in her bladder. These had caused urination to be painful, a pain that Loulou had begun to associate with using the litterbox.

So she started eliminating elsewhere – on the curtains, sofa, furniture, carpets, and yes, the dog’s bed – to try to avoid this unpleasant experience. At its height, the behavior was occurring several times a day.

As soon as the clinical diagnosis was received, the vet placed Loulou on a special diet to dissolve the crystals. The discomfort gradually went away and she was given a clean bill of health. However, her elimination habits did not change. It is probable by this stage Loulou had “learned” that using the litterbox was a painful experience to be avoided at all costs.

As the pain disappeared relatively soon after Loulou had started her special diet, her strategy of urinating outside the litterbox did not have the same unpleasant association.

In her eyes, that meant it had worked and was, therefore, something she needed to continue.

In Loulou’s case, what started as a medical issue turned into a behavioral issue. Sometimes these things can get complicated.

#5. There’s Something About The Dog’s Bed Your Cat Likes

Cats can develop preferences for certain substrates to urinate on, such as wooden floors, rugs – or, indeed, dog beds (RSPCA, 2022).

There could be many things about the dog’s bed that have a special appeal to your cat.

Perhaps it’s the soft texture of the fabric or the way it feels so soft on her paws when she walks on it and starts digging her pee spot.

Perhaps she likes the smell of the dog bed and finds it comforting, or she likes its location in a quiet spot away from the general busyness of the home.

How Do I Get My Cat To Stop Peeing On The Dog Bed?

If your cat is peeing on your dog’s bed, the first step is to determine the underlying cause.

To start with, it is important to book a slot with your veterinarian for a physical examination so you can, hopefully, rule out any medical reasons.

If your kitty gets the all-clear, then it might be time to go down the behavioral route and consult with a feline behavior specialist to help you get to the root of the problem.

Once you identify the reason for the unwanted behavior, you can take steps to address it.

Here’s a quick overview:

#1. How To Address Marking Behavior

Neutering or spaying your cat can drastically reduce the chances of engaging in sexually-related marking behaviors.

By altering the physiological makeup of the cat, it eliminates the hormonal triggers that could otherwise cause these behaviors.

However, as I mentioned earlier, some cats will continue to mark regardless.

If your cat is marking because she can see other cats in the yard, or other cats are coming in through the cat flap, block the cat flap. Consider too closing the blinds/curtains or installing window film so your cat can’t see out.

Cats tend to overmark the same areas so it’s important to clean the affected area(s) on your dog’s bed with an enzymatic cleaner that will break down the fatty proteins in the urine.

Otherwise, your kitty will still be able to smell it (even if you can’t) and mark in the same place again. Other options are baking soda or vinegar, but avoid bleach as it contains ammonia.

Ammonia is a component of cat urine so your cat will feel right at home if she smells bleach. It also explains why the smell of cat urine can be as pungent as that of bleach.

If necessary, you may have to throw your dog’s bed away and then, when you get a new one, relocate it and put a cat litterbox in its place.

#2. How To Address Frustration, Anxiety, Or Stress

Reducing the emotional strain on cats can reduce – or even eliminate – house soiling behaviors altogether.

It’s vital that you identify the source of your cat’s stress and work to eliminate it so she can de-stress and feel more secure in her environment.

This may involve making changes to your home, routine, or lifestyle to help your cat cope with stressful situations so she doesn’t feel the need to urinate inappropriately as a way of dealing with it.

You may have to take measures to reduce any conflict between cats in the home or provide a more stable environment where the cat feels safe.

If you live in a multicat household, make sure each cat has adequate space and resources so they don’t feel harassed or threatened by each other, which can also cause stress.

Make sure too that your kitty isn’t being chased or harassed by the dog, as this could be causing her to feel unsafe and insecure.

Building positive associations between your cat and the resident dog can help to improve their relationship.

One way to do this is by giving them regular treats when they are close to each other to create a feeling of mutual bonding and trust.

It’s also important that each pet has their own safe space to retreat to whenever they want to.For your cat, this should include vertical space such as high perches, boxes, and other hidey holes where she can feel safe and secure.

Introducing artificial pheromones (Adaptil for dogs or Feliway for cats – but not at the same time!) in the areas where the two interact may help to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, which can lead to more positive interactions.

Whatever you do, be patient and work with your cat to help her feel more comfortable and at ease in your home. Your efforts will pay off in the end!

#3. How To Address Litterbox Issues

This involves experimenting with a number of environmental changes. Changing one thing at a time is probably best as that will make it easier to work out your cat’s preferences.

• Move your cat’s litterbox to a quieter location where it’s easy for her to access and she feels safe.
• Experiment with different types of litter to find out what her preference is.
• Avoid scented cat litters and litterbox liners.
• Avoid litterbox liners altogether.
• Experiment with a larger litterbox. A good option is to buy a large plastic storage box (e.g. 3-4ft. long) and use that as a litterbox instead of the tiny ones available in the pet store.
• If your cat is having difficulty accessing the litterbox, you can cut away a rectangular section of the box on one side to make it lower and therefore easier for her to walk in and out.
• In a multicat household, the rule of thumb is to have one litterbox per cat, plus an extra box, so each cat can feel comfortable using the box without feeling threatened by any rivals.
• Keeping your cat’s litterbox spotless and odor-free is essential to encourage her to use the box without issue.
• Make sure your cat has different options in terms of size, shape, and location of the box so you can work out what works best for her.

#4. How To Address Pain

If you notice any changes in your cat’s toileting behavior, it is essential to first have her checked out by your veterinarian so they can assess the cause and provide the appropriate treatment.

The vet will be able to conduct a thorough examination and run any necessary tests to determine the root of the problem.

If there is an underlying medical condition, getting it treated early can save you a lot of time, money, and frustration in the long run.

#5. How To Address An Individual Preference

If your cat just likes the dog bed for whatever reason, you could work on changing her association with it.

First of all, make sure you’ve done your thorough cleaning or replaced it with a new model.

Start throwing a toy onto the bed for her to chase or dangle a piece of string over it for her to pounce on. You can also scatter treats for her to sniff out.

In time, instead of viewing the dog’s bed as a place to use as a bathroom, she’ll start to see it as a source of fun, excitement, and positive reinforcement.

In the meantime, you may need to restrict the cat’s access to the dog’s bed just to break the cycle. This may mean closing the door to whichever room it’s in and just letting the dog in and out as needed.

What you don’t want to do is create more frustration by denying access. So if you close the door to the room, make sure you provide an alternative – a big, easy-to-access litterbox with the cat’s preferred litter right in front of the closed door.

Alternatively, you could cover the dog’s bed with some sort of plastic or waterproof sheeting like a shower curtain whenever you can’t supervise your cat, so if she does use it as a litterbox it’ll be easy to clean.

Even better, place a litterbox right next to it so, hopefully, she’ll use that instead of walking on slippery plastic.

You can also try temporarily relocating the dog’s bed and replacing it with a litterbox so that if your cat has developed a preference for that particular location, she’ll continue to urinate there.

Except now she’ll be peeing in a litterbox instead of on the dog’s bed.

Keep the litterbox there for a minimum of one week until the cat is reliably using it, and then gradually start moving it to your preferred location.

Remember, cats don’t like change so move it by very small amounts (e.g. just a few inches) every few days till you get to wherever you want it to go.

Don’t Punish The Cat!

Sometimes cat owners think their cat is soiling in inappropriate places – such as the dog bed – as a way of retaliating against them. But cats lack the cognitive ability for complex revenge plots. I’ve also seen way too much stuff online making outrageous claims that it’s a sign of disrespect – or even spite – when a cat urinates in a dog’s (or human’s) bed, but that’s just nonsense.

Physical or verbal punishment, or rubbing a cat’s face in the place where she’s peed will not help one iota in solving the house soiling problem.

Why? Because punishments do not teach the cat a new, appropriate behavior. They may even make the situation worse due to the anxiety they can cause. Not to mention your cat could end up being scared of you.

Cats cannot make a connection between punishment and doing something completely (for them) normal – like peeing.

Attempting to use deterrents like tin foil, pepper, citrus peel or a water pistol will not help to solve the problem of house soiling either. This only postpones uncovering whatever the underlying issue is and can increase stress in your cat.

Which is the last thing you want.

Final Thoughts

• Cats urinating on a dog’s bed can be caused by either medical or behavioral issues.
• If you suspect that your cat has a health problem, it is important to get her checked out by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
• If no underlying medical conditions are causing the issue, review your litterbox arrangements and address any stressors in your cat’s environment.
• Remember, your cat may prefer a different type of litter, litterbox, or location.
• Consider consulting with a feline behavior specialist.
• Avoid punishing your pet since this will only worsen the situation.

With some patience and dedication from both parties involved, hopefully, you can help restore peace between man and beast!

Recommended Products

• Adaptil Diffuser
• Feliway® Pheromone Diffuser
• Frosted Glass Window Privacy Film
• Nature’s Miracle Advance Cat Stain and Odor Eliminator

READ NEXT

Cat Introduction Nightmare? Follow These 8 Steps

Resources

• AAFP and ISFM Guidelines for Diagnosing and Solving House-Soiling Behavior in Cats – American Association of Feline Practitioners and the International Society of Feline Medicine
• Animal Behavior Case of the Month – Meredith E. Stepita
• Cat Behavior Problems – Marking and Spraying Behavior – Debra Horwitz DVM, DACVB & Gary Landsberg DVM DACVB DECAWBM
• Feline House-Soiling – CatVets
• Feline Elimination Problems: Behavioural and Environmental Factors Associated with Elimination Problem Behaviour – Debra Horwitz
• Feline house-soiling problems – Dale D. Olm & Katherine A. Houpt
• Soiling indoors – International Cat Care
• The Link between Pain and Problem Behavior – Linda Lombardi
• The Ultimate Guide to Eliminating Cat Pee Smell – PetMD
• Why is my cat urinating inappropriately? – RSPCA

NEED HELP FROM A CAT BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST?

If you need more help dealing with a training or behavior issue, please find professional help from a certified feline behavior consultant. They will be able to offer you tailored advice for your cat(s) and situation.

Good places to start are:
- International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
- COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers
- American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior