Cat Urination.
Why does he wet the bed?

Question.
I have a five-month-old male kitten that has been perfectly behaved since we got him at six weeks old. Three weeks ago he suddenly urinated on my daughter's bed clothes and within minutes of stripping the bed he did it again. Two days later he did the same on a different bed in another room. My vet advised using a feline pheromone diffuser. We have kept him out of the bedrooms but cannot do this indefinitely. Since using the diffuser, and allowing him back upstairs it has happened again on the original bed. He is a happy, confident and affectionate kitten and there has not been any major upheaval to trigger any upset. He continues to use his litter tray, and even comes inside to use it rather than urinate outside. He is due to be neutered shortly. What do you advise?

Answer.
Whenever a cat shows unusual urination responses it is sensible to check there is no underlying medical reason for the behaviour; when the change is sudden and unexpected, as you describe, urinary tract disease is a possibility. However, if we assume that your vet has carried out all the necessary medical tests and look at this as a purely behavioural issue, there are two main options in terms of potential motivation.

Firstly the urine may be deposited as an act of elimination in an inappropriate location, and secondly the urine may be used as a marker to identify territory or to communicate with other cats.
It seems likely your cat is depositing urine in these locations as a form of marking behaviour, rather than elimination. Cats start marking behaviours at between five and six months of age. You state that there have not been any major upheavals in your household that may have caused the behaviour, but sometimes events which cats perceive as being significant are not even noticed by their owners.
In addition, cats can very rapidly develop marking associations with different locations and substrates and it i possible that the repeat occurrences of this behaviour are due to these associations rather than new triggers from the environment. Restricting your cat's access to the bedrooms until after he is neutered would also help.

When washing the bedding, it is important to remove the scent of the urine entirely. A biological washing powder will remove the protein component of the urine, then it's a good idea to spray the affected areas with surgical spirit to remove any traces of fat Once this has been done you can supervise your cat's visits to the bedrooms. Help to make the rooms safe and secure by feeding him during these introduction sessions. Neutering could help calm the behaviour.

_{source Your Cat Mag.}