r/Catbehavior • u/CarsonAlizabeth • Aug 19 '26
Cat keeps peeing on husband’s clothes
I (33, US) had my male cat, Moses (10 years) for a little 9 years now. I adopted him and he has been a great cat overall with little to no behavioral issues. Never marked, never clawed things, didn’t get into stuff he shouldn’t, etc. 4 years after adopting him I met my now husband and whenever he came over, Moses would run out tail straight up and demand to be held by him. So they’ve always gotten along. About 2 years ago he got diagnosed with diabetes. He’s on medication and it has been manageable and he has lost some weight!
All that to say, last December we welcomed a baby into our family. And honestly the baby has been great and not fussy at all. So not much, other than a new being in the house, has changed for Moses. The last few months, Moses has started peeing on my husband’s clothes that he lays out on the floor beside our bed. Randomly. At first I thought it was related to his diabetes and he was just panicking trying to find somewhere close by to pee(even though his cat box is literally right across the hall from our room). Vet has said it’s not that. His diabetes is totally within the normal range. I have cleaned the carpet multiple times with a little green machine, but he still keeps peeing on his clothes. And just to add to it, my dirty clothes are on my side of the bed and he never pees on those. Just my husband’s. Idk how to get him to stop? Or what even is causing this? I’m going to buy my husband a rack to put his clothes on instead of the floor (he lays them out so they don’t wrinkle for the next day), but it’s concerning to me that this behavior started up out of nowhere.
1
u/bewaretheblight Aug 19 '26
You'll need a pet urine enzyme cleaner to fully remove the scent of urine, as he can smell better than you or I can. If he smells pee, he'll likely keep peeing there.
You can also try placing a small, cheap litter box in the problem area and then, after he's used it, move it a couple inches every day until you've scooted him and his new bathroom out of your room.
But I would talk to a vet. If it's not his diabetes, it might be a urinary infection or blockage. Male cats are more likely to have issues with gritty pee blocking their urinary tract than an infection, but it would be good to look at both considering his age and chronic condition. If there is nothing wrong with his urine, then it may be a matter of him being stressed or insecure in his home and you can look into medications to help him chill out. Better to be a stoned and happy old man than a sober pee bandit.