Urine Marking
What is Urine Marking?
The primary way cats communicate with each other is through scent. Cats often mark their territory through rubbing or scratching, but issues with urinating can also develop.
Urine-marking occurs in two forms: spraying urine on vertical surfaces, and urinating on horizontal surfaces. Spraying is when a cat backs up to a vertical surface with their tail upright and squirts urine. Regular urinating occurs when they squat to urinate on the floor, furniture, or another horizontal surfaces. Both male and female cats are capable of spraying and squatting.
Why is my cat urine marking?
There are several potential reasons why your cat is urine marking:
Medical Problems
Medical issues could be the reason why your cat is urine marking. In male cats, urinary tract infections, or a blockage, may explain why your cat suddenly stopped using the litter box or spends excess time trying to urinate and licking his genitals. Urinary tract infections are extremely painful for your cat and can cause permanent organ damage if left untreated, so if it seems that something is wrong with your cat’s health, take him to the vet immediately.
Mating Behavior
Spraying is common in cats that have not been fixed. The best solution for this is to have them spayed or neutered by five months of age, before it becomes a problem. If you have adopted an unneutered adult cat, get him fixed as soon as possible. Even if he has been marking for a while, neutering will often correct these behaviors. However, the longer he remains unneutered, the more likely it is that the marking behavior will continue.
Stress
Cats are very sensitive to their surroundings, and even the slightest change could cause them stress. A new baby or pet, an owner’s absence, or other factors you may not even notice could be the source of stress for your cat. Cats often deal with stress by marking their territory with urine. Leaving his urine scent is your cat giving you a clear sign that he’s stressed.
Solutions to marking
Finding ways to resolve your cat’s stress is important and will require both time and patience from you. Here are a few things you can do to try to relieve your cat’s stress:
References
“What to Do If Your Cat Is Marking Territory.” The Humane Society of the United States, www.humanesociety.org/resources/cat-marking-territory.
The primary way cats communicate with each other is through scent. Cats often mark their territory through rubbing or scratching, but issues with urinating can also develop.
Urine-marking occurs in two forms: spraying urine on vertical surfaces, and urinating on horizontal surfaces. Spraying is when a cat backs up to a vertical surface with their tail upright and squirts urine. Regular urinating occurs when they squat to urinate on the floor, furniture, or another horizontal surfaces. Both male and female cats are capable of spraying and squatting.
Why is my cat urine marking?
There are several potential reasons why your cat is urine marking:
Medical Problems
Medical issues could be the reason why your cat is urine marking. In male cats, urinary tract infections, or a blockage, may explain why your cat suddenly stopped using the litter box or spends excess time trying to urinate and licking his genitals. Urinary tract infections are extremely painful for your cat and can cause permanent organ damage if left untreated, so if it seems that something is wrong with your cat’s health, take him to the vet immediately.
Mating Behavior
Spraying is common in cats that have not been fixed. The best solution for this is to have them spayed or neutered by five months of age, before it becomes a problem. If you have adopted an unneutered adult cat, get him fixed as soon as possible. Even if he has been marking for a while, neutering will often correct these behaviors. However, the longer he remains unneutered, the more likely it is that the marking behavior will continue.
Stress
Cats are very sensitive to their surroundings, and even the slightest change could cause them stress. A new baby or pet, an owner’s absence, or other factors you may not even notice could be the source of stress for your cat. Cats often deal with stress by marking their territory with urine. Leaving his urine scent is your cat giving you a clear sign that he’s stressed.
Solutions to marking
Finding ways to resolve your cat’s stress is important and will require both time and patience from you. Here are a few things you can do to try to relieve your cat’s stress:
- Clean soiled areas thoroughly. Stay away from strong-smelling cleaners, as they may cause your cat to “over-mark” the spots in response.
- Make previously marked areas unattractive or unreachable. If this isn’t possible, try to change your pet’s association with those areas. Feed them, give them treats, and play with your cat in the areas that he tends to mark.
- Put items that may cause marking out of reach. Things like guests’ belongings and new purchases should be placed in a closet or cabinet.
- Prevent your cat from having access to doors and windows where they could observe animals outside.
- If your cat is acting especially anxious, speak to your vet about a short course of anti-anxiety medication.
- Use a pheromone spray, such as Feliway, to help decrease stress and curb marking.
References
“What to Do If Your Cat Is Marking Territory.” The Humane Society of the United States, www.humanesociety.org/resources/cat-marking-territory.