Why do Some Cats Urinate on Laundry?
One of my rescue, foster kittens (Marshall is now
about 18 mos. old) was adopted by a
young, single guy. Cliff also has a small Lab cross
female (Bailey). Marshall and Bailey get along
great. Marshall was chewing wires, phone cords,
etc. but has stopped. Now he is peeing on Cliff’s
clothing while he’s at work; he gets home and
Marshall is very loving & glad to see him, but has
peed on anything that didn’t hit the hamper, or
Marshall even gets inside the hamper and pees
(gallons according to the guy) on his clothing.
Help. I don’t want to see Marshall returned to
our rescue group. With this type of behavior he
might not find another home. I’m contacting
everyone I know for advice.
Micky
Nacogdoches, Texas
Inappropriate urination is also known as house soiling. It has two main causes: medical problems and behavioral problems.
Medical problems that can cause house soiling include bladder infections, bladder stones, and a syndrome called FLUTD (short for feline lower urinary tract disease) in which the bladder becomes irritated. Also, any disease that causes increased urination, such as diabetes, thyroid disease or kidney disease may cause cats to produce “gallons” of urine, and to urinate in inappropriate locations.
In young cats, however, medical conditions are infrequent causes of house soiling. A behavioral issue is a more likely culprit. I suspect that Marshall has a substrate preference for clothing. This means that he may find it more comfortable and pleasant to urinate on clothing than on litter.
I recommend that Cliff take Marshall to the vet to make sure that no medical condition is contributing to the problem. If Marshall gets a clean bill of health, behavior modification is in order. Several clean litter boxes should be provided in areas where Marshall won’t be disturbed by Bailey while he’s urinating. Several different types of litter should be tried.
And, above all, Cliff should stop tossing his dirty laundry on the floor. Instead, he should put it in a hamper with a sturdy lid.
Plenty of information on feline house soiling is available on my new website. Click here for more information on the causes of feline housesoiling:
http://drbarchas.com/feline_housesoiling
And click here for more information on behavior modification to treat feline house soiling:
http://drbarchas.com/feline_housesoiling_treatment
About the photo: Tiny has no record of house soiling.
You have questions. 
Is it possible that some cats will urinate inappropriately simply because they are angry with their humans? We were told this years ago when our cats would urinate on the top of our cars while confined to the garage–although a clean litter box was available to them. The theory was that it was “payback” for being left there while we were gone.
Love your new comprehensive website! Everyone should take a look at it!
You really should have a listen to Warren Eckstein’s radio show, at http://www.thepetshow.com. I am not affiliated with the show in any way, just a regular listener. For those who can’t get the live feed it is also recorded in podcasts.
Warren would say, and I think he is a credible source given his experience and background, that urinating on a bed or clothing is a way for the kitty to tell his family how to get back home when they are out in the wilderness. This makes sense, as urine marking is used in the wild for this and other purposes. Chances are good that the kitty has become very attached to his new owner and wants to make sure he comes back home so he leaves his scent as a marker of where to go. This is more common with rescues as they tend to have had a rougher background and so may be more insecure than other pets.
I am not sure what the “cure” is but please give this kitty a chance. Shuffling the kitty off to another home, or worse, punishing him won’t work and it will only make matters worse. Have a look through Warren’s web site for advice on how to deal with this problem. But please keep in mind that, if this is indeed the cause, then kitty is doing it out of love for his human. I am going on the assumption that the problem is behavioral and not medical, of course. Definitely get him checked by a vet as well.
Good luck!