Hi everyone! I shared Runa here a while ago, so I wanted to give you all an update and ask for some advice because I’m honestly getting a little desperate trying to figure this out.
Runa is now fully integrated into the household and has free access to the whole apartment. I have another cat, and although they’re coexisting much better now, my resident cat still hisses at Runa if she gets too close. Nothing too unusual for a slow introduction, I think.
One important bit of context: my apartment only has one bedroom, and when Runa first arrived, she stayed in my bedroom while I gradually introduced them. Once they started spending time together freely, Runa became much more interested in hanging out in the living room, playing, and even sleeping on the sofa. Meanwhile, I’ve gone back to sleeping in my bed with my resident cat, who has always loved sleeping with me.
I’ve been wondering whether the peeing might be related to territory or scent, since my bed and bedroom used to be Runa’s main space. When she first arrived, she peed on my bed. I cleaned the mattress myself with an upholstery-cleaning machine, and then, about a week ago, I had it professionally deep-cleaned with an industrial machine as well.
About a week after the cats started sharing the apartment, Runa had an episode where she peed on the bed three days in a row. My vet thinks this is behavioral rather than a functional/medical issue, although I’m still keeping an eye on it.
Before I went away for a few days, I covered the mattress with puppy pads, then a waterproof mattress protector, and finally the sheets. I also have a FELIWAY Optimum diffuser plugged in in the bedroom. While I was away, she seemed to do pretty well. I’m not sure whether the puppy pads helped because of their slightly plasticky texture, or whether something else made the difference.
When I came back, she went about a week without peeing on the bed, even after the professional cleaning. But today, I put some pillows back on the bed, and she peed on one of them.
These were pillows she’d peed on before, but I’d already had them washed and hygienically treated. I’ve also noticed that she rubs herself against this particular pillow a lot, almost as if she’s trying to leave her scent on it. I wonder whether there might still be some residual urine smell that I can’t detect, or whether this is more about territory, comfort, or stress from the change in her environment.
For those of you with blind cats, or anyone who’s dealt with inappropriate peeing during a multi-cat introduction:
Could this be related to territory or scent, especially because my bedroom used to be Runa’s safe space?
Has anyone had success with any other strategies?
I love both my cats and really want to help Runa feel safe while keeping my bed usable. I’m open to suggestions because I’m running out of ideas. Thank you so much!
