My kitten is peeing on the couch and the bed

by Thom
(Harker Heights, TX)

We just adopted two new Burmese kittens (approximately 11 weeks old). One of them uses the litter box with no issues.


The other seems more "stressed" and uses the box to poop, and initially used the box to pee, but didn't cover it.

Now he has had three "accidents," one on the couch and two on a bed. Any advice? Thanks.





My Thoughts:

I'm sorry to hear about your kitten's troubles, Thom. I assume that by "just adopted" you mean that you brought them home very recently.

Did you confine them to a room to start them out?

When cats are first brought into a new home, it can be overwhelming. In addition, kittens tend to be hyperactive and don't always make it back to the litter box.

More boxes in more locations are always helpful, but the best thing you can do is confine them to a room for a while and develop a routine. During this time, they can get their box habits in order and you can control things.

Then you slowly introduce them to the rest of the house, and position boxes appropriately. If one of them has a box problem, they can go back into the room.

I assume that they have seen a vet, and that your little one with the urination problem does not have a urinary tract infection or other medical condition.

I hope that helps. Please let us know how he makes out.
-Kurt

Comments for My kitten is peeing on the couch and the bed

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Mar 04, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Wire Loom
by: Kurt (Admin)

Hi Thom,

Other than hiding your wires so your cats can't get to them, this cat repellent page has one of the best solutions I know of... wire loom. Go there and scroll down to "Keeping cats away from wires."
Mar 04, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Cats and computer wires
by: Thom

Wondering if anyone has discovered something simple and inexpensive to keep cats out of the computer wires? It is driving us crazy ;) Thom
Feb 23, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Great news!
by: Kurt (Admin)

Thanks for the update, Thom. I'm glad to hear that you had success and they're doing so well. And yes, kittens can be a lot of work!
Feb 23, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Bowels and Bladder
by: Thom

The furry children have overcome their bowel issues. Platty wound up going to the vet for some antibiotics and Sabe's constipation has resolved. They are running around the house now and no more pee accidents. Kittens are most definitely a handful. LOL Thom
Feb 06, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		You're welcome
by: Kurt (Admin)

You're very welcome, Thom... glad to be of service.
Feb 06, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Response to advice
by: Thom

Really really appreciated your advice, and all of it made a lot of sense. Burmese are VERY social cats, and we really did screw up by not transitioning them to a new diet.

We will start to reintroduce the kittens to the remainder of the house after I do use the enzymatic converter tomorrow.

These kittens are incredibly loving and I want them to finally be able to be free (which makes us free too). This site has been incredibly comforting and I intend to come back often. Thanks again, Kurt. Thom
Feb 06, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Follow up
by: Kurt (Admin)

Let me see if I can cover all the points, Thom... :)

1) The couch (or other area) where there are "accidents" should be treated with an enzyme based cleanser. I'm assuming that's what you ordered.

You definitely don't want your cat revisiting the area until the odor is completely gone. Vinegar helps if you get to the problem quickly, but enzyme based cleansers can work long after the accident occurs.

I'm also assuming the couch has foam cushions, and it may take some soaking to completely treat them. I would treat the floor area as well just in case.

2) The initial confinement period varies from a few days to a couple of weeks. With two kittens, they can keep each other well occupied, but should also be stimulated and socialized with the humans in the house.

If you feel the cats have their litter box habits under control, and there are no other pets in the house, then it's time to let them explore more of the house. If they have accidents, back in they go and the process starts again.

3) It's good to give your kittens a variety of food experiences when they're younger, as this can prevent problems later in life if a diet change is required.

Whenever you change food, though, you should do it slowly. Quick changes in diet can cause gastric upset in cats. This may be the reason for the loose stools, but it can come out both ends as well!

If you got your kittens from a breeder (or shelter), you should continue feeding what the breeder (or shelter) was feeding and slowly transition to something else if that's what you decide.

Also be mindful that loose stools can be parasite related.

Constipation is a common issue in cats, and is often due to hair balls. Dry food may be part of the problem, although there are two schools of thought.

Many cats do not consume enough water and are said to be chronically dehydrated. This can put stress on the kidneys, and many cats experience some form of kidney disease, such as chronic renal failure later in life.

Some veterinarians suggest that dry food is best and encourages cats to drink. Others say that if a cat won't drink, dry food will only make problems worse. These vets say that wet food is better because it more naturally mirrors what cats would eat in the wild, and has a high water content.

There is mounting evidence that dry cat food may have a negative effect on your cat's health. Dry food tends to be high in carbohydrates which is not natural to a cat's diet. Mice don't contain a lot of carbs, right?

Dry food is often blamed for many of the ailments that cats experience later in life. There's a virtual epidemic of obese and diabetic cats (and people) and many blame it on a high carbohydrate diet.

I don't profess to know everything there is to know about these subjects. Not all dry foods (or cat foods in general) are equal, and so on, so please consult with your veterinarian.

Does that answer the questions? Let me know if not. :)
Feb 06, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Bowels
by: Thom

Thanks so much for your recommendation. We have limited the "playing area" and just today increased it somewhat.

I am wondering what additional "treatment" I should do to the couch where the kitten peed. I didn't have anything special on Friday when it happened, so used Dawn dish soap.

I have ordered some of that "stuff" that neutralizes the remnant odor, but wonder if this will work at this late time (it won't even get here until tomorrow). If not too late, can you tell me how best to treat the area?

Also, how much time is usually adequate to free the "wild things."

Lastly, we started the kittens (11 weeks old) on dry food and were trying to "avoid" the canned wet food. One started to become less energetic while the other did just fine, but when we returned to wet (and dry) food, the less energetic ate like a villain. She is having very loose stinky stools.

The other one that never stopped eating appears to have been having constipation. Oh my, never had so many challenges :) Thanks for the help. Thom

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