# 11 week old female kitten weed on bed twice



## catalunya87 (Aug 27, 2015)

Hi all,

I have done some research across your forum and others to try and figure out what maybe causing the problem we have had now twice, but thought it maybe worth popping my own experience down for some advice - thank you in advance for reading this massive post and any response you give. 

Two weeks ago we picked up two kittens, one male, one female. Will be 11 weeks on Monday. Settled in really well, we took the week off to settle them and we confined them to our kitchen and utility rooms for the first week in the day as they are staying there during working days.

They both took to the two large litter trays we provided no problem, no issues there, both being good and using them as and when - we are using Oko plus as that was what the breeder used - and cleaning 2 times a day or after they go if we are home. 

During the evenings and the weekend, we have been slowly introducing them to further rooms in our house, with them now currently having downstairs, the stairs and upstairs landing to run about in (and act like loons!)

Last weekend, we decided to introduce them to our bedroom, as we would be happy for them to sleep in there at night with us should they wish. The kittens came bounding in, doing their usual exploring. Before long, Mattie, the girl, had peed on the bed, it wasn't an obvious wee - she didn't scratch about or look like she needed to go, it just happened! I changed the duvet and covers entirely - bringing in a completely new set - fortunately it didn't get down to the mattress. We assumed she had maybe got a little too excited and over stimulated and it was an accident. 

Since then, we bought another litter tray which lives in the bathroom (we did note to ourselves that it was a long way back to the main trays for a small kitty) - both kittens have used this litter tray it proving popular when they are playing on the stairs/landing. 

After a few days of the new tray being there and them both having used it more than once, we let them have another look in the bedroom for about 20 min (they are the most curious cats I have ever encountered!) and all was ok - we watched her for any accidental peeing and she was fine - we assumed again it must have been a one off accident. We took them back out, with the intention of letting them in little more each time, until it can be overnight. 

This morning, they were sitting at the top of the stairs waiting for me, so I decided it had been a few days since the safe encounter so I let them in the bedroom again. Within ten minutes, Mattie had again peed on the bed. Max, our male cat has not done this at all or shown any signs of this (thankfully!)

Having read numerous threads on here, I have made a few notes to try:

1. Give the mattress a spray with an enzyme cleaner as there maybe residual smells. 
2. Put a second tray in the bathroom, making 4 trays, 2 up and 2 down. 
3. Speak to the vet and get her checked for a UTI

Reasons for her doing this - Is she marking the bed as her territory from her brother? Are they just so curious and excited to be in with us and playing with Max that she forgets she needs to go? Would letting them into the bedroom more help? 
I am just a bit miffed as she isn't doing this anywhere else soft - we have thick carpet in the lounge and study)

Any thoughts welcome please


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi @catalunya87 welcome to Pet Forum. 

A UTI would be very unusual in such a young cat and one would expect her to be peeing consistently on soft surfaces if so, but by all means get her checked by the vet, who may want a urine sample from her.

The cause could be any of the things you mention, i.e. getting caught short the first time, the mattress smelling of urine which triggered the second time, or scent marking.

But I suspect that it is probably scent marking. Your bed is a place that will have strong scents in it of you and your OH, and your kitten feels a strong urge to mix her scent with yours. Although this is territorial marking I don't see it being directed at her brother at such a young age, but more a case of the kitten wanting to make herself feel more at home, more part of you, as a way of relieving her uncertainty and anxiety.

She may not appear outwardly to be anxious, but she is in fact going through a major upheaval in her life, having left her mother, her siblings and the humans she had known since birth. Luckily she has her brother with her for comfort, but she is in the process of a huge adjustment period, and some cats deal with that by being placating, almost over friendly to their new human companions. Part of this will include wanting to mark you with her scent and mix her scent with yours. You may have observed she likes to rub her face on you a lot, and that too is scent marking from the scent glands in her cheeks.

The easiest solution for the moment really would be not to allow either kitten access to the bedroom until they are older and really settled in to your home. I'd suggest leaving it until after both of them are neutered (which may need to be as early as 16 weeks or so with them being one of each sex).

If shutting them out of the bedroom is not an option for you then you need to protect your bed. First to protect your mattress buy a waterproof mattress cover - always a good idea anyway when you have cats who sleep on the bed. John Lewis sells good ones that don't rustle and you won't know it is there. Then when you have made your bed put a large plastic sheet (e.g. a ground sheet from a camping shop will be OK) on top of the duvet and an old blanket, throw or even an old sheet on top of that - something that will be easy to launder if it does get soiled by kitty. I appreciate it won't look attractive, but hopefully it will be a short term solution.

Interestingly, if you cover your bed in that way ^^, you may find that your kitten is no longer drawn to pee on the bed.

It will also help if you provide plenty of resources for the kittens, so they don't feel they are having to compete with each other. This means giving them:
separate feeding areas, e.g. one on the floor, one on a table, shelf or worktop, 
water bowls in their different feeding areas, 
lots of cat beds spread around the home, 
plenty of safe high up places to sit and snooze, (e.g. a couple of cat trees)
hidey holes for when they want to be alone (e.g. igloo beds placed behind furniture such as the sofa), 
4 litter trays spread around the house, 
and lots of daily interactive playtime with you and your OH using toys such as Flying Frenzy, laser pointer etc.


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## catalunya87 (Aug 27, 2015)

Hi @chillminx - I really appreciate your reply. I do hope it is the scent marking - Max is like you suggest, climbing up and scenting us but Mattie hasn't shown this behaviour herself yet, so I guess the peeing is her method!

We are able to shut them out of the bedroom, so I think we will revert back to that for a while - I suppose it has only been two weeks so they will need a little more time - I think I was just too excited to have a purring sleepy kitty on my bed again 

I may look at opening an alternative room up (I have a room with only furniture, no beds in it!) which I can pop another litter tray in, to spread their facilities out a little more / give them somewhere else to play and so they dont feel so far away from us overnight.

You response was reassuring, so again, thank you


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

9 weeks is too young for them to have been rehomed, no responsible breeder lets them go that early  Peeing on quilts, especially feather ones is very common in young kittens, something they usually outgrow before being homed at the appropriate age of 12+ weeks. A litter tray in the bedroom might help, my little ones don't mark the bed when they're allowed to spend the night in the bedroom with a tray in the room.


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