Why Do Cats Pee When Scared – 5 Important Reasons!

Most cat owners don’t scare their cats very often. After all, you’re their comfort person, so chances are you aren’t as scary to your cat as other people or animals.  However, every once in a while, cats get scared unexpectedly, and sometimes they pee as a response. But, is that normal? Why do cats pee when scared?

Cats pee when scared as a way to indicate submission. Cats can pee accidentally when frightened enough. Other reasons they pee from fear are to defuse situations or to end an altercation before they get hurt. Cats also pee when scared mostly as a coping mechanism.

There are a few other reasons cats might pee when scared; here’s what you need to know to recognize when your cats are peeing because they are scared and how to help. 

Reasons Cats Pee When Scared

Here are the five most common reasons cats pee when they are scared (and at other times too). Identifying why your cat is peeing is the first step to helping them control it and making sure there are fewer messes to clean up at home. 

1. It’s Involuntary

When cats are too startled or afraid, they may pee involuntarily. When this happens, the amount of pee varies from just a minor accident to emptying their bladders onto their fur and the floor. 

Usually, involuntary peeing happens when your cat is very stressed or when they’ve encountered something they haven’t seen before. Cats might be more likely to pee when they are confronted with something extraordinary. 

Some cats will also pee involuntarily when startled by sudden sounds or other less severe fights. That might be a sign of a particularly anxious cat or a sign that your cat has less bladder control. Cats are naturally less likely to have good bladder control both when they are very young and very old. 

2. Your Cat Is Trying To Stop/Prevent A Fight

Especially if you have several cats in your home, your cat might pee as a way of showing submission when they are scared during a conflict. 

While some amount of fighting between cats is normal, peeing during a fight may be a sign that things have gone too far, and you need to intervene. 

That’s because cats pee to demonstrate submission, but your cat may continue peeing each time it gets in a fight with other cats once it’s happened once. It’s a good idea to separate your cats for a little while and then do a gradual re-introduction over several days or weeks if it gets to this point. 

3. Urine Helps Mark Territory

Cats may also pee when they are frightened in an attempt to create a new territory for themselves. This peeing isn’t done in the moment so much as cats do it when they are anxious or frightened for long periods. 

Peeing to create new territory is also more common when you move or allow a cat into new parts of your home. 

Cats may also be more likely to pee to mark new territory when you bring a new pet home or when someone else moves in. Even new babies can make your cat anxious enough to pee and mark territory if they aren’t getting enough attention. 

4. Cats Feel Safer In Places That Smell Like Them

Your cat may be more likely to pee when they are afraid if they look for somewhere that smells like them. All cat pee might smell pretty much the same to us, but cats can smell the distinct pheromones and chemicals that mark each individual. 

Even if they aren’t trying to create a territory, Peeing may help a cat that’s anxious or afraid feel more comfortable with the situation. 

5. Your Cat Isn’t Neutered/Spayed

Cats that haven’t been fixed are also more likely to display inappropriate peeing behavior than fixed cats, even when they are scared.

Not being fixed isn’t a reason for your cat to pee alone (though intact male cats are more likely to spray to attract mates and declare territory), but not being fixed can make your cat more likely to pee in any of the situations we’ve already discussed. 

Even cats that were fixed late can be slightly more likely to pee in unwanted places than cats that were fixed as kittens or before full adulthood. 

Do Female Cats Pee When Scared

Yes! It’s a common misconception that only male cats pee outside of the litterbox after they’ve been litter trained, but female cats can have inappropriate peeing behavior as well. 

Female cats are most likely to show inappropriate peeing behavior when they go into heat and may be more easily startled or scared around the same time. All those hormone changes and stresses make peeing when your cat is scared much more likely. 

Female cats may also leave stains or marks when they pee, just like male cats do. 

How To Help Calm A Scared Cat

The first thing to remember is that you need to stay calm any time you’re interacting with a scared cat. If you’re anxious or upset, your cat will be able to tell, and it’s more likely to upset them more than to help them calm down. 

Next, try to contain your cat somewhere they can safely be alone until they calm down. Cats are social, but scared cats need time to calm down before interacting with other animals or people. An unused room is a good option. 

Consider bringing your cat a cat bed, a blanket that smells like them, or other comfort objects. Your cat may choose to self-soothe with these objects, or they may not, but their scent and presence will help either way. 

Move slowly and carefully when you’re interacting with a scared cat. Sudden movements will startle them and make them more likely to attack simply out of fear. 

If at all possible, let your cat choose when to start interacting again. Chances are they’ll come to you at some point while they are calming down since you are a comforting and helpful person in their life.

You can be in the same room with them if that makes you feel better, but don’t try to pet or scritch an already frightened cat. 

Give your cat time to calm down. Depending on what frightened them and their background, it may take a long time for cats to be sociable and friendly again. Don’t be afraid if it takes a few days or even a few months; your cat will eventually calm down and start acting more normally again. 

Things To Consider

Some cats are easier to scare than others, and some are more social than others. If your cat is constantly getting frightened and peeing or is always hiding, it may be a sign that this isn’t a suitable environment for them.

Isolating your cat in their own space may help them overcome their fear, but it may also be a sign that they aren’t getting along with your other pets or that this environment isn’t good for them. 

In severe cases of inappropriate peeing, you may want to consider rehoming your cat. 

We don’t recommend rehoming your cat because of the peeing. Instead, it may be an excellent idea to rehome your cat to help make sure they have an environment that’s comfy and healthy for them.

For instance, not all feral cats will adjust well to life inside. Some feral cats are best off as barn animals or working cats where they can be outside and not interact with people much. 

Other cats might benefit from moving from a multi-pet home to a single pet home or may not deal well with young children and need a child-free house. 

Even when peeing itself isn’t a problem, inappropriate peeing signifies how stressed your cat is. Helping your cat overcome that stress and fear will likely take care of the problem and help you all be much happier.