There are different reasons why your cat may sometimes pee outside its litter box. Sometimes it could be a health issue requiring treatment, but other times, it could be a behavioral problem, such as being scared.
Yes, cats pee when scared. Cats can pee when scared to mark their territory, to avoid a confrontation, or it could happen involuntarily since they cannot control it due to extreme fear.
Cats are not easily scared, and you will not often encounter an extremely terrified feline. However, they are highly sensitive and at times become afraid of certain things in their environment. Most cats pull their ears back, freeze, hiss, or become aggressive in response to fear. However, cats can also react to fear by peeing. When it comes to cats, peeing outside the litter box is not always typical behavior, so here, we delve deeper into the question of whether cats pee when scared and look at some of the reasons cats may pee when scared.
Do cats pee when scared?
You might have sneaked up on someone, and they said that you scared the pee out of them. Whether the statement was figurative or literal, we know that people can at times pee when afraid. So, if you have ever wondered if that is the case with felines too, the simple answer is yes. Cats, like most animals and even people, can pee when scared. However, the most critical question to ask is why cats pee when they are scared.
Why do cats pee when scared?
First, if your fur baby is peeing outside the litter box, it is best to rule out any health issues. While peeing could be a response to fear, it is vital to eliminate any potential medical conditions, such as urinary tract infections that may cause your cat to pee outside its litter box. If there is no health issue, then you can treat the problem as behavioral and try to understand why your cat is peeing when scared. Some of the reasons are discussed below:
To avoid confrontation
Cats can pee to avoid a confrontation and show their opponent submission. If you have multiple cats in your household, conflicts between them can become rough quickly, and one of the cats can become scared. Peeing is a way of showing submission and to tell the other cat it has won, and the fight should stop.
While some amount of conflict is expected, mainly in multi-cat households, peeing during a fight may be a sign that the fight has gotten out of control, and you should intervene. If your cat is continually afraid, it may continue to pee each time it submits to the opponent.
Peeing involuntarily
Peeing when terrified is often a result of an involuntary response. The flight and fight system, which is the limbic system, is activated when cats are scared, and it controls involuntary reactions. The limbic system allows the cat to respond quickly to a threat, and this response may be peeing due to fear.
Involuntary urination is a reflex that just happens, and your cat has no control over it. So, it is important not to scold your cat if it pees when scared because there is nothing it can do about the problem.
To mark territory
Felines will at times pee when scared to mark their territory. Peeing to mark territory does not happen immediately like involuntarily urination happens, but it is more calculated and controlled, and the cat decides to pee when it is scared for long periods.
Peeing to mark territory happens mostly when there is a new pet in the house, and the cat is feeling threatened, or there is a change of environment. Such changes scare your cat, and the anxiety will cause it to mark its territory by peeing to claim it and feel safe.
Cats feel less overwhelmed and safer in places that smell like them. Cat pee has pheromones that cats utilize to distinguish it from others. Peeing for territory marking makes the surroundings smell like the cat, bringing comfort to the cat.
How can you stop your cat from peeing when scared?
Remain Calm
If your cat gets scared easily and resorts to peeing, it is crucial that you remain calm. Cats can sense when their owner is upset, so remaining relaxed will help them calm down quickly. When cats associate you with their safe space, they will become less afraid when you are around, and peeing when scared will reduce and eventually stop.
Make your cat a safe space
If your cat tends to hide at a given place after peeing when scared, make it comfortable for them so they can feel safe when there. For example, if your cat hides under the bed when scared, you can make the place a comfy den for them. By knowing it has a safe place to hide, the cat will go there when scared, and peeing due to fear will reduce.
Reduce or eliminate the source of fear
If you know what is causing your cat to be afraid, you can reduce or eliminate it. For instance, if it is another pet, you can separate them and reintroduce them after sometime gradually, so it knows the other pet is not a threat. Additionally, if you know beforehand that something will terrify your cat, such as people coming over, thunderstorms, or fireworks, you can contain it in a quiet area where it will stay calm and feel safe.
Stressors that can cause your cat to pee because of fear
The stressors below can impact your cat negatively and may result in them being scared.
Stressors |
Explanation |
New pets |
New pets are big stressors for cats and they can resort to peeing to mark their territory |
New people in the household |
Cats can get stressed in response if you introducing new members in the household |
Losing a pet |
Losing another pet can be upsetting since felines are highly sensitive |
Moving houses |
A new environment can disorient the cat and cause stress |
Conclusion
Cats can definitely pee when scared, and it shows how stressed they are. If you rule out any health conditions that can cause urinating, you can work on assisting your fur baby to overcome their fear. Depending on how scared your cat was, it may require a longer time to process everything and feel secure again. Therefore, you should give your cat time and space and not rush the recovery process to ensure it is not discouraged and continue with the behavior.
FAQs
What are some signs of a scared cat?
A scared cat can exhibit behaviors such as aggression, freezing in one place, bladder control loss, hiding, tucking the tail between the legs, high respiratory rate, running away, and pulling ears to the side when scared.
Do female cats also pee when scared?
It is a common misconception that only male felines exhibit inappropriate peeing habits even when they have been litter trained. However, female cats can also pee when scared and stressed.