Why Does My Bengal Cat Pee Everywhere?

Many Bengal cat owners complain about the unpleasant issue of their feline peeing outside the litter box.
The first thing an owner should do to determine the culprit of this behavior is to visit a veterinarian, but if you want a quick answer to your question, here it comes:

Why does my Bengal pee outside the litter box? Most often, the dilemma arises from a mental condition, specifically anxiety, and other issues.
This could be due to problems in the relationship with the owner, but also due to unhappiness about the litter box itself.

To rule out potential troubles and overcome the problem at hand, there are several aspects to this behavior to be aware of. If you don't want to try many different exhausting things, here's a way to stop Bengal cat spraying easily.

Reasons For Your Bengal Cat Not to Use The Litter Box

A cat usually does not use a litter box if there's something off with it.
Furthermore, it might happen that your feline's anxiety about something makes her urinate outside her litter box or on other places she's not supposed to eliminate at.

Also, you have to consider that your cat might have medical problems, and therefore consulting with your veterinarian should be the first and most important step to take.

In the end, you should always keep in mind that your Bengal is trying to tell you something by engaging in this kind of behavior.

Medical Problems

Being the most problematic reason, medical issues could be the culprit and must always be ruled out first in case of your Bengal urinating on other spots than her litter box.

If you find your cat to be suffering from any of the conditions below, it's necessary to immediately see a vet and get your cat examined.

Feline Urinary Tract Infection

This painful medical issue is rather common among Bengals and makes your cat associate the litter box with the pain.
This will lead your feline to avoid the litter box.

Common signs for FLUTD are frequent attempts to pee and your cat crying out while urinating, which indicates intense pain.

Cystitis (Feline Idiopathic Cystitis)

This is an inflammation of the cat's bladder which is caused by stress.
If your Bengal strains to pee, urinates at unusual spots and pees with blood, it's very likely that she is suffering from Cystitis.

Urinary Incontinence

A possible inconvenience for middle-aged cats is urinary incontinence.
It usually is associated with an inflammation of the lower urinary tract.

This unpleasant condition causes your Bengal to have a hard time controlling the contraction of her detrusor muscle when the bladder is minimally filled with urine.

Kidney Problems

With similar symptoms to those of Cystitis, kidney problems could be the reason for your Bengal peeing outside of her litter box.

Usually, signs such as changing appetite, bad breath, weight loss, and poor hair quality indicate that kidney problems might be the culprit of your cat's peeing behavior.

Feline Diabetes

This medical condition comes in your Bengal with an unusually intense thirst.
It is a common disease in overweight or older cats and can be fatal if it's not treated early enough.

Pain

Another possible reason for your Bengal not to use the litter box could be pain which again causes her to associate the hurtful experience with the litter box.

This happens particularly often after having declawed a cat (which you should never do), that tries to cover her excrements with litter.

Again, if your cat shows any of the above-mentioned symptoms, immediately consult with your veterinarian.

Problems with the Litter Box

If your Bengal cat doesn't have any medical condition, but still eliminates outside of her litter box, it is very likely that she finds there's something off with the litter box.

To assure that there's no issue with the litter box, confirm that most of the below-mentioned aspects are at least partly, if not to 100%, resolved.

Insufficient Cleanliness

Just like you want others to flush the toilette after they're done, cats want their litter box to be clean.
Scooping it at least once a day is mandatory, but doing it more often is definitely suggested.

On top of that, washing the litter box once a week and completely replacing it once every six months will guarantee your Bengal to be happy about the tidiness of her litter box.

Type of Litter

Although preferences for litter may differ, most cats prefer rather fine ground litter such as clay litter.
Besides that, you should not let your decision be influenced by the scent you like the most, because your Bengal could like unscented litter better.

Also, there should always be enough litter in the box, too or your Bengal might simply not want to eliminate inside of it.

Distance

Besides the cleanliness and type of litter, you should pay attention to the distance your cat has to travel to get to the box.
If your Bengal is already older she might simply not want or isn't even able to close the gap between her and the litter box.

This is important to consider if your home has multiple floors, in which case you should have at least one litter box on each story.

Size and Height

Judging from the general behavior of wild-living and house cats, most felines favor open and uncovered boxes over closed ones.
If you're afraid about your cat kicking litter out of the litter box, try to look out for a container with high sides.
Be sure to keep the entrance low enough, especially if your cat is older or small.

On top of that, the litter box should be at least one and a half times the length of your cat's body without the tail, with the sides around 12 inches high.

Number of Litter Boxes

To give your Bengal enough opportunities to eliminate on a clean spot, you should consider getting more litter boxes.
This will also make it easier for you to test different kinds of litter boxes and litter, to find out your cat's true preference.

A general rule of thumb for the number of litter boxes is one plus one per cat.

Too Busy or Noisy

Just like you want to have your privacy while doing your business, your Bengal won't find it comfortable when there are regularly feet running around in the vicinity of her litter box or when there's lots of noise nearby.
If your cat was regularly disturbed in the past while trying to eliminate in her litter box, that might be the reason for her behavior.

Try to give your cat the feeling of safety and seclusion while she needs her privacy.

Anxiety or Stress

Medical problems and issues revolving the litter box aren't the only causes for your Bengal cat to pee outside the litter box.
Quite some times the culprit lies within the anxiety in the Bengal.

However, there are several different reasons for a cat to develop anxiety within a household, and to be safe, one should always consult with a veterinary behaviorist or vet first before drawing early conclusions.

New Housemate

Your Bengal's inappropriate behavior may be the result of a new person or animal having moved into your home.
Cats can easily become anxious if a "stranger" infiltrates their safe space and they don't immediately accept them, so they become territorial.

If it's a new human moving in, the anxiety might show in your cat peeing in the vicinity of or on the place where that person sleeps.
In case your family grew by another feline, the urination can be all over the place, coming from both parties.

This is why it's best to do a slow introduction while still giving both cats enough vertical space and opportunities to use up their energy so they don't get into fights with each other.
Over time, your Bengal should become accepting of the new person, too if they interact consistently.

However, keep in mind that you should not overdo it or put your Bengal under too heavy stress while introducing her to the new feline or human.

Separation Anxiety

Sometimes your Bengal urinates outside her litter box when you're away from home.
This mainly is a way for your feline to intermingle her scent with yours, which is why this usually happens on spots like your bed or couch.

Keep in mind that your cat doesn't intend to be spiteful and simply tries to comfort herself as your absence is very stressful for her.

New Home

After having moved to a new home, your Bengal might be eliminating at spots she isn't supposed to pee at because of the unfamiliar smell her new home has.
Felines mark their territories with urine and if there are no smells she knows she will start to pee at places she isn't supposed to eliminate at.

If your cat's urination focuses on doors and windows, it's very likely due to another cat outside regularly roaming around closeby.

This is why it's necessary to bring familiar items that have your cat's scent such as her bed, litter boxes, and everything else you can possibly think of.
By doing so, you make your Bengal feel at home as soon as possible.

Why Does My Bengal Cat Pee on My Bed?

Many cat owners report about the problem of their feline urinating on their bed.
While this is an especially frustrating act, your cat doesn't mean any harm but just tries to compensate.

There's either a medical condition or some sort of stress that is making her act this way.
While forms of anxiety that were mentioned above can definitely play a role here, there are a few more intentions your cat might have in this specific case.

Avoid Disturbances

If your Bengal feels disturbed by small children or other pets that live in the same home, she may choose a bed or couch simply due to the fact that it's elevated.

This way, she tries to avoid a possible violation of her privacy while eliminating.

Keep an Overview

Most people know that cats generally love to stay in control of the situation what explains that felines like to sit in the middle of the hallway or elevated spots.

This is an instinct that helps cats to keep themselves safe and is even more present in Bengals than in house cats.

Stop Your Bengal from Peeing on the Bed

The easiest thing to do would be to simply close off the room to keep your cat from peeing on the bed.
However, this could result in your feline starting to pee on other spots that fit her criteria such as your couch.

This is why an effective strategy is to change the association your cat has with the specific spot.
In order to do this, you could start playing with your cat on the bed or couch or even give her treats, since cats usually don't urinate where they eat.

This way, you will change the association of a place for urination to one for fun and tasty treats.

Another method is to make the couch or bed as unattractive for elimination as possible by removing attractive bedding materials or adding ones, that aren't wanted by your cat.

Conclusion

If you're experiencing issues with your Bengal cat peeing everywhere, you should rule out any possible medical conditions and therefore consult with a veterinarian first.
Some usual signs are the following:

• Frequent attempts to pee and struggling to do so
• Loud crying while urinating indicates intense pain
• Urination at unusual spots
• Pee with blood
• Your Bengal has a hard time to control the moment of urination
• Changing appetite, bad breath, poor hair quality or weight loss
• Intense thirst

The next step is to make sure that your feline is definitely comfortable with the current litter box situation, so you have to assure that:

1. There is one plus one box per cat and at least one per floor
2. The box is at least one and a half times as long as your cat's body length
3. The box is uncovered, with sides at least 12 inches high
4. The box's entrance is low enough for your cat to enter
5. Your Bengal doesn't have to travel too far to eliminate
6. The box isn't in a busy or noisy place
7. You scoop the box at least once a day and wash it once a week
8. The box contains enough unscented fine ground litter 

Last but not least your Bengal's mental condition might be the cause of her inappropriate behavior.

If there has recently been a new housemate moving in, be it a human or feline, your Bengal might become very territorial and pee all over the place, so you have to make sure to introduce them to each other slowly over a period of time.
In case it's another cat, make enough vertical places available for them to keep enough distance from each other at times they feel like it.

Sometimes cats experience separation anxiety and pee on places that have a strong scent of their owner.
Such places could be beds or couches and your cat simply wants to intermingle her scent with her owner's to comfort herself.

If you have recently moved to a new home your Bengal could be trying to mark her "new territory" and alter the smell by peeing everywhere.
This is why it's particularly important to take all your cat's belongings that have her scent such as her bed and her litter boxes to your new place.

In order to stop your Bengal cat from peeing on your bed, you have to change the association your furry friend has with the bed.
To do this, you can try to play with her on the spot she usually pees on or even feed her treats she loves.
This way, your feline will stop associating the bed or couch with a possible latrine.

If you want to end your Bengal cat spraying for once and for all, this will help you. If there's anything else on your mind, feel free to leave a comment below!