You may want to look into hormones as well. One good thing you can look forward to. This will pass if it’s territorial. Cat’s hit their peak of terrotirial behavior betwen ages 2 and 5 years.
On a behavior front, you might want to start noting any events, significant or not that occur around each time it happens in the future and see if you can find something in common. The irregular schedule is very odd for territorial behavior. Investing in a second box that you keep in the bedroom might be another thought.
I’m not sure if this would work for a cat, but I use a “baby” door gate on my bedroom - to keep my pet rabbits from doing the same thing. I know cats can jump pretty high, but some of the gates are quite tall too. I found my tallest one at a second hand shop. Works like a charm & I can just step over it, or put it on hinges & swing it open.
Sounds like you already have a good plan, I hope it works out well for you.
What’s weird is that there’s nothing unusual going on when it happens (that I’m aware of. I’m asleep at the time, but I’m a pretty light sleeper).
She did it today, middle of last week (say, Wendsday),and before that, nothing for two or three months. Then there was another spate. The only thing that they all have in common is that they happen between 3 and 6 AM.
I’ve got no problem with getting a second litter box, but this seems more like a behavioral thing than a “can’t make it to the litter-box” or “the litterbox is stinky” thing, since she’s peeing right next to me, rather than at the foot of the bed or something.
Fenris, who’s about to lock both cats in the spare room for the night.)
I think that is the best plan Fenris. Especially if it is only happening in the wee hours of the morning. The cat can’t pee in a bed he isn’t in.
I have been shutting my cat in the den since she was a kitten and she is fine with it. I would suggest making sure that they like to go to bed at night. Nothing is worse then being ready for bed and not being able to find the hiding cat. Maybe give them a little snack at bedtime in the room. My cat has a heated cat bed in the den that I turn on at night. She loves that bed and races to it when she hears me turn it on.
I hope that things work out. Even if you take him to a no-kill shelter you can’t be sure what kind of person will adopt him. If he has the same problems at the new house he might end up dumped in the woods or at a regular shelter.
I locked both cats in the spare bedroom last night. The new guy Grizzly whined and cried for about 15 minutes until he decided that I was unsympathetic and then he gave up (the big faker!). Misty didn’t seem to mind. No accidents and they didn’t seem traumatized (although Grizzly snubbed me for about 30 seconds until I got the cat-food out.)
One thing we do with just about any pets is get a water gun [not the big boozoka type] & when they get on the furniture shot them with water. This usually scares the crap out of them.
We had a part Siamese that, at about 10 years old, decided she was angry at hubby. We don’t know why, but for about 7 months she would get in the bed and crp on his side of it. We knew it was a protest of some sort because she did it once when my sister visited with 2 kids…this cat hated kids. She also crpped on a chair that a guest had been using, just after he left. I had a very difficult time trying convince hubby that she needed extra hugs and attention and that punishment would not work. Anyway, after 6 months of keeping the bedroom door shut, and giving her lots of extra love and attention, the behavior stopped. Getting rid of her was never an option.
If I understand this right,you’ve known the answer from day one. The cat regards your bed as another litterbox. Therefore, you need to get rid of the scent, and probably the only way to do that is through new bedding.
Yes, it’s expensive, but you seem to be saying that you’d rather give your cat away or have it be put to sleep than spend the money on it. Chew on that for a while.
That’s why I say look into a kitty cat foster home, rather than a no kill shelter. Usually, these are people who take in cats that on one wants. We got both of our cats from such places. They are a pain in the butt but we love them.
I thought of something else that our vet suggested. Make sure that your litter is unscented. Scented litter that smells pleasant to us might be overpowering to a cat’s more sensitive nose.