Every cat parent knows how strong the smell of cat urine can be, and when it’s on your clothes, you’re dealing with a frustrating issue. Believe it or not, it’s not unusual for your cat to pee on your clothes. In this article, we’ll look into the potential causes as to why your cat is peeing on your clothes. We’ll break it down into behavioral and medical reasons so that you have a better understanding of this strange phenomenon and how to stop it.

Why Does My Cat Pee On My Clothes? (9 Causes) Behavioral Reasons

  1. Cat Marking Their Territory An unfortunate choice, some cats pee on clothes to mark their territory. This is somewhat common in houses with multiple cats, but this behavior can happen with or without other cats in the household. Your clothes smell like you, so if you have a jealous kitty, it may pee on your clothes to let the other cats in the house know that you are theirs. If you have a male kitty, he may be doing it because he has reached sexual maturity. Cats reach sexual maturity around 5 to 6 months, so if your male cat is not neutered, this could be the reason for this inconvenience. If your female is peeing on your clothes, stress could be the cause. Image Credit: Creative Cat Studio, Shutterstock

  2. Litter Box Issues Many reasons surround litter box issues that may cause your cat to pee on your clothes instead of using the litter box. They are as follows:

Unclean Litter Box: If you haven’t scooped or cleaned the litter box in a while, odds are your cat won’t use it. Make sure to clean the litter box daily.

Too Much Litter: There’s no need to overload the litter box. Cats generally like the litter to be shallow, so you really only need a couple of inches.

Bad Location: Maybe change where you keep the litter box. For example, if you have the box in the laundry room, your cat may not be too fond of the washing machine or dryer. Try relocating to a private and quiet spot.

Litter Box Sides Are High: If the sides are high, your cat may feel like it’s too much trouble to use, especially if you have a senior cat. Try a litter box with low sides so your kitty can step into it easier.

Not Enough Boxes: Generally, it’s a good idea to have more than one litter box in the house, even if you have just one cat because you need an extra box per cat. If you have two cats, you’ll need three litter boxes.

Avoid Hoods And Liners: Having hoods and liners may make your cat uncomfortable when it’s time to go potty. If that’s the case, your clothes may seem like a more suitable and comfortable option.

  1. Seeking Attention Some cat parents think their cats want nothing to do with them, but that’s not the case. If you leave your cat alone for long periods or don’t play or interact with your cat, your cat may just pee on your clothes to get your attention. Make sure to have plenty of cat toys around and engage in play with your kitty. Image Credit: atticus895, Pixabay

  2. Fear/Stress If you have multiple cats, the cat that’s peeing on your clothes may be being bullied. Maybe the litter box is in a place where your cat doesn’t feel safe with the other cats, and that will make the pile of clothes gathered on the floor or in the laundry basket more enticing. Try setting a box for the fearful kitty in a safe and secure spot where it feels comfortable.

See Also: Do Cats Pee When Scared? Deciphering Your Cat’s Behavior

Medical Reasons 5. FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease) This condition affects the bladder and the urethra. It can cause an increase in urination frequency, as well as painful urination. With the increased frequency, your cat may pee on your clothes instead of the litter box. Image Credit: Nils Jacobi, Sutterstock

  1. Hyperthyroidism This medical condition also causes an increase in urinary frequency. Hyperthyroidism is a common disease in cats and can be managed successfully by your veterinarian.

See Also: 6 Best Cat Foods for Hyperthyroidism: Reviews & Top Picks

  1. Diabetes Diabetes is when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin; therefore, your kitty’s body cannot balance blood sugar or glucose levels. The result is increased urination, increased thirst, increased appetite, and weight loss. Image Credit: Kachalkina Veronika, Shutterstock

  2. Bladder Stones These stones are collections of crystals and minerals that form in the bladder. Along with frequent urination, other signs of bladder stones are pain when trying to pee, blood in the urine, or genital licking.

  3. Kidney Disease Kidney disease causes frequent, diluted urination. Other signs of kidney disease are loss of appetite, lethargy, and pale gums.

See Also: 10 Best Cat Foods for Kidney Disease (Low Phosphorus)

Image Credit: natata, Shutterstock

How To Remedy The Behavior First and foremost, if your cat is urinating on your clothes, have your veterinarian do an examination to rule out any medical conditions that may be causing the issue. If it is a medical condition, your vet can determine the best course of action to treat your kitty. If a behavioral problem is the culprit, try engaging in play with your cats individually, especially if you have more than one cat in the home. And make sure you clean the litter box daily. Also, avoid hoods and liners in the litter box because they may make your cat uncomfortable when using it. And one more tip: If you’re over your house smelling like you’ve got a pet, it’s time to check out the Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray! It removes even the most stubborn smells and stains and comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Click here to find out more about this amazing product.At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding products of this cool cat company! Conclusion When your cat is peeing on your clothes, try not to get too discouraged because there are remedies if the problem is behavioral. Remember first to rule out any medical conditions that may be causing the issue. You may also want to consider spaying/neutering your cat to help stop your cat from peeing on your clothes as a marking behavior. Related Read:

How to Find Hidden Cat Pee and Get Rid of the Smell (Step-By-Step Guide) How to Get Cat Pee Out of a Comforter in 5 Steps Why Is My Cat Peeing in the Sink? 3 Possible Causes and Solutions! How To Get Rid Of Old Cat Urine Odor (5 Home Remedies)

Every cat parent knows how strong the smell of cat urine can be, and when it’s on your clothes, you’re dealing with a frustrating issue. Believe it or not, it’s not unusual for your cat to pee on your clothes. In this article, we’ll look into the potential causes as to why your cat is peeing on your clothes. We’ll break it down into behavioral and medical reasons so that you have a better understanding of this strange phenomenon and how to stop it.

Why Does My Cat Pee On My Clothes? (9 Causes)

Behavioral Reasons

1. Cat Marking Their Territory

An unfortunate choice, some cats pee on clothes to mark their territory. This is somewhat common in houses with multiple cats, but this behavior can happen with or without other cats in the household. Your clothes smell like you, so if you have a jealous kitty, it may pee on your clothes to let the other cats in the house know that you are theirs.

If you have a male kitty, he may be doing it because he has reached sexual maturity. Cats reach sexual maturity around 5 to 6 months, so if your male cat is not neutered, this could be the reason for this inconvenience. If your female is peeing on your clothes, stress could be the cause.

2. Litter Box Issues

Many reasons surround litter box issues that may cause your cat to pee on your clothes instead of using the litter box. They are as follows:

Unclean Litter Box: If you haven’t scooped or cleaned the litter box in a while, odds are your cat won’t use it. Make sure to clean the litter box daily.

Too Much Litter: There’s no need to overload the litter box. Cats generally like the litter to be shallow, so you really only need a couple of inches.

Bad Location: Maybe change where you keep the litter box. For example, if you have the box in the laundry room, your cat may not be too fond of the washing machine or dryer. Try relocating to a private and quiet spot.

Litter Box Sides Are High: If the sides are high, your cat may feel like it’s too much trouble to use, especially if you have a senior cat. Try a litter box with low sides so your kitty can step into it easier.

Not Enough Boxes: Generally, it’s a good idea to have more than one litter box in the house, even if you have just one cat because you need an extra box per cat. If you have two cats, you’ll need three litter boxes.

Avoid Hoods And Liners: Having hoods and liners may make your cat uncomfortable when it’s time to go potty. If that’s the case, your clothes may seem like a more suitable and comfortable option.

3. Seeking Attention

Some cat parents think their cats want nothing to do with them, but that’s not the case. If you leave your cat alone for long periods or don’t play or interact with your cat, your cat may just pee on your clothes to get your attention. Make sure to have plenty of cat toys around and engage in play with your kitty.

Unclean Litter Box: If you haven’t scooped or cleaned the litter box in a while, odds are your cat won’t use it. Make sure to clean the litter box daily.

Too Much Litter: There’s no need to overload the litter box. Cats generally like the litter to be shallow, so you really only need a couple of inches.

Bad Location: Maybe change where you keep the litter box. For example, if you have the box in the laundry room, your cat may not be too fond of the washing machine or dryer. Try relocating to a private and quiet spot.

Litter Box Sides Are High: If the sides are high, your cat may feel like it’s too much trouble to use, especially if you have a senior cat. Try a litter box with low sides so your kitty can step into it easier.

Not Enough Boxes: Generally, it’s a good idea to have more than one litter box in the house, even if you have just one cat because you need an extra box per cat. If you have two cats, you’ll need three litter boxes.

Avoid Hoods And Liners: Having hoods and liners may make your cat uncomfortable when it’s time to go potty. If that’s the case, your clothes may seem like a more suitable and comfortable option.

  • Unclean Litter Box: If you haven’t scooped or cleaned the litter box in a while, odds are your cat won’t use it. Make sure to clean the litter box daily.

  • Too Much Litter: There’s no need to overload the litter box. Cats generally like the litter to be shallow, so you really only need a couple of inches.

  • Bad Location: Maybe change where you keep the litter box. For example, if you have the box in the laundry room, your cat may not be too fond of the washing machine or dryer. Try relocating to a private and quiet spot.

  • Litter Box Sides Are High: If the sides are high, your cat may feel like it’s too much trouble to use, especially if you have a senior cat. Try a litter box with low sides so your kitty can step into it easier.

  • Not Enough Boxes: Generally, it’s a good idea to have more than one litter box in the house, even if you have just one cat because you need an extra box per cat. If you have two cats, you’ll need three litter boxes.

  • Avoid Hoods And Liners: Having hoods and liners may make your cat uncomfortable when it’s time to go potty. If that’s the case, your clothes may seem like a more suitable and comfortable option.

4. Fear/Stress

If you have multiple cats, the cat that’s peeing on your clothes may be being bullied. Maybe the litter box is in a place where your cat doesn’t feel safe with the other cats, and that will make the pile of clothes gathered on the floor or in the laundry basket more enticing. Try setting a box for the fearful kitty in a safe and secure spot where it feels comfortable.

  • See Also: Do Cats Pee When Scared? Deciphering Your Cat’s Behavior

Medical Reasons

5. FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease)

This condition affects the bladder and the urethra. It can cause an increase in urination frequency, as well as painful urination. With the increased frequency, your cat may pee on your clothes instead of the litter box.

6. Hyperthyroidism

This medical condition also causes an increase in urinary frequency. Hyperthyroidism is a common disease in cats and can be managed successfully by your veterinarian.

  • See Also: 6 Best Cat Foods for Hyperthyroidism: Reviews & Top Picks

7. Diabetes

Diabetes is when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin; therefore, your kitty’s body cannot balance blood sugar or glucose levels. The result is increased urination, increased thirst, increased appetite, and weight loss.

8. Bladder Stones

These stones are collections of crystals and minerals that form in the bladder. Along with frequent urination, other signs of bladder stones are pain when trying to pee, blood in the urine, or genital licking.

9. Kidney Disease

Kidney disease causes frequent, diluted urination. Other signs of kidney disease are loss of appetite, lethargy, and pale gums.

  • See Also: 10 Best Cat Foods for Kidney Disease (Low Phosphorus)

How To Remedy The Behavior

First and foremost, if your cat is urinating on your clothes, have your veterinarian do an examination to rule out any medical conditions that may be causing the issue. If it is a medical condition, your vet can determine the best course of action to treat your kitty.

If a behavioral problem is the culprit, try engaging in play with your cats individually, especially if you have more than one cat in the home. And make sure you clean the litter box daily. Also, avoid hoods and liners in the litter box because they may make your cat uncomfortable when using it.

And one more tip:

If you’re over your house smelling like you’ve got a pet, it’s time to check out the Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray! It removes even the most stubborn smells and stains and comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Click here to find out more about this amazing product.At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding products of this cool cat company!

Conclusion

When your cat is peeing on your clothes, try not to get too discouraged because there are remedies if the problem is behavioral. Remember first to rule out any medical conditions that may be causing the issue. You may also want to consider spaying/neutering your cat to help stop your cat from peeing on your clothes as a marking behavior.

Related Read:

  • How to Find Hidden Cat Pee and Get Rid of the Smell (Step-By-Step Guide)
  • How to Get Cat Pee Out of a Comforter in 5 Steps
  • Why Is My Cat Peeing in the Sink? 3 Possible Causes and Solutions!
  • How To Get Rid Of Old Cat Urine Odor (5 Home Remedies)