- July 3, 2019
- Cats
- Daniil Belousov
Often, animal owners are faced with the fact that cats begin to mark their territory. In this case, it does not matter at all whether the animal lives its entire life in an apartment or can periodically walk on the street. Pets, like any other animal, mark their possessions. This is a standard instinct that almost every one of them has in their “set”.
However, this does not mean that there is no way that will help wean a cat from marking its territory in the apartment. There are many options that will allow you to get rid of this trouble. However, before you figure out exactly how to prevent such things, you need to understand why exactly the animal behaves this way. Having determined this, it will be much easier to eliminate the problem and not cause inconvenience to the pet itself.
Rules for arranging a toilet: choosing a tray
Many cats love trays with bars that don’t get their paws dirty. It is important to rinse this tray thoroughly after each time your pet goes to the toilet. The tray can be filled with special absorbent granules. Then daily cleaning after your pet will only include removing solid waste from the litter. The granules absorb moisture and odor well, but tend to stick to the paw pads or roll out over the sides of the tray during the process of instillation. To avoid litter spillage, choose a tray with high sides commensurate with the size of your cat. The pet should be comfortable using its toilet.
Veterinarian advice
How to stop a cat from marking? Before you begin to solve this problem, you need to find out the cause. It’s one thing when an animal reacts to a change of environment in this way, and quite another if the cat has bladder problems. Therefore, to begin with, it is recommended to examine the pet.
If there are no diseases, then the cat is weaned from marking its territory using special means. They are sold in pet stores and are used to wean the animal from marking. The solution is used to treat favorite areas where the pet leaves its “calling cards”. Such funds are quite expensive.
You can also treat corners with home remedies. Chlorine, nail polish remover, and bleach are excellent odor control agents. Cats do not like the aromas emitted by such products, and it is unlikely that a hooligan will want to recover in a place where the same bleach has left its mark and smell.
Response marks
If the pet constantly ignores all the owner’s demands, then it’s worth playing his game. To do this, you need to learn more about the instincts of cats. You need to understand that animals leave scent marks, which they then use as landmarks. If you wash such puddles with a disinfectant or a very fragrant product, the animal will repel this smell.
Some livestock owners also scatter hot peppers or place orange peels in these places. The cats really don’t like all this, and they stop misbehaving. By the way, this is also an excellent method of how to wean someone else’s cat from marking its territory.
Experts also recommend replacing the cat’s tags with your own. This does not mean that you need to become like an animal. It is enough to spray the marks with your eau de toilette, deodorant or simply air flavoring.
Animals are very good at associating smells with people. Therefore, after this the cat will understand that the apartment is the property of a person. Some people place foil around the perimeter of the room. The fact is that furry hooligans hate stepping on this kind of material. Another option is to pour lemon juice into the corners and all the places where the cat likes to “go”. Thanks to this, the apartment will be filled with a pleasant aroma, and the smell of cat urine will disappear.
Do cats always mark in the apartment?
How cats mark territory in an apartment: what to do
Not all cats start marking territory in an apartment. Only the main ones do this, and therefore, if there are several pets, then either one or two rivals will leave marks, trying to take the leading position. A similar habit appears at a certain age in every cat, and therefore they strive to mark “their” corner, which can be any place in the apartment.
A cat trying to cover up the smell of a competitor in the person of its owner
If you start to deal with the problem that has arisen in time, you can cope with it in a short period. In this case, the cat will no longer dare to misbehave. Many owners forget that animals also need proper upbringing; even unneutered pets can be taught good manners.
For your information! There are some species of felines that, if they mark, do so only if another cat has taken up residence in the area. These include the Kurilian Bobtail.
Other reasons
If a child gets scared, he pees, so don’t rule out this option. If we are talking about a small kitten, then you need to understand that he behaves in the same way as a child. Therefore, if he is very afraid of something, he begins to unconsciously empty his bladder. That is why, when talking about how to discourage a cat from marking its territory, you should first of all make sure that the animal does not experience inconvenience.
Cats can be jealous. Also, marks around the apartment can be a manifestation of diseases of the genitourinary system (for example, this happens with urolithiasis). Therefore, you should not immediately get angry with the animal. It is quite possible that such behavior is due to completely different reasons.
How to wean a cat from marking territory in an apartment and peeing in the wrong place
There are several ways to prevent a cat from marking in an apartment or even in a private house. It is necessary to select a method for each animal based on its behavior, irritating factors, health status and characteristics of the breed.
Castrate or sterilize
Upon reaching puberty, that is, at the age of about 7-8 months, the cat begins to mark, and the owners are wondering what to do about it. Hormonal manifestations can be eliminated by castration or sterilization. Castration of males and females is considered more effective, since all genital organs are removed, and there is no risk of restoration of their functions.
It is better to carry out the operation before the onset of puberty, so that the animal’s hormonal levels do not have time to change. In addition, an early neutered cat will not be able to understand what marks are, and therefore will not leave them in the house or apartment.
Extraordinary method
First of all, you need to understand that any wild cat is used to living in a pride. Accordingly, she will always obey the leader. Therefore, it is worth starting to build on natural instincts. The owner must take all measures to demonstrate to the animal that he is the leader.
As soon as the cat plans his trip to the toilet, you need to grab him by the scruff of the neck even before urinating and lift him at the level of your head. After this, you need to start making hissing, threatening sounds and look straight into the eyes of the bully. Do not use force under any circumstances; you can touch his face with your fingers. Such events will first of all demonstrate to the animal that the most important leader of the pack is extremely dissatisfied with him. In this situation, he may try to break free and run away. However, this procedure must be repeated several times until the animal meows several times and takes its eyes away from you. If the cat continues to persistently look into the eyes and seems to be grinning, you need to continue the procedure.
Of course, such an event looks very funny. But if nothing helps and folk remedies to wean a cat from marking territory also fail, there is nothing else left.
Can a cat mark its territory?
Often, owners of female cats wonder whether a cat can mark territory? Yes, this happens too. This is a physiological process that the animal cannot control.
Territory marking in cats occurs for two main reasons: during the period of heat or when another cat appears on its territory. This manifests itself especially often when living in private houses, where other people’s cats and cats visit the property.
Cats mark in a certain position - crouching, twitching their tail and sometimes shifting on their hind or front legs. At the same time, urine with secretions and hormones is released. Its smell differs from the smell from the tray, but not as much as the male's mark.
During heat, a cat tries to attract a gentleman with its scent. This instinct is inherent in nature, and you won’t be able to get rid of it: you can only wait for this period to pass, or organize mating for the cat. Another solution would be to sterilize the pet.
When moving to a new apartment or house, a cat may try to identify its territory and begin to mark, even if it has not done so before. Repair or partial replacement of objects surrounding your pet can also cause territory to be marked.
Stress
Animals experience severe discomfort due to the move. Especially if you don’t have time to play with them, since you need to take things apart, make repairs, etc.
Lack of attention and alien surroundings have a strong effect on the pet’s psyche, so it may begin to mark objects.
It is very difficult to wean a cat from marking territory in the house after moving. The easiest way is to return her to her usual environment. However, it is often impossible to fulfill this condition. In this situation, you can listen to the advice of specialists. Their essence is that the owner pays more attention to his pet. You can wean him off only with affection and care . Gradually, the cat will get used to the new habitat and stop marking it.
Why does a neutered cat continue to mark?
Reasons why a neutered pet does not stop marking:
- Habit. A castrated cat can continue to “play pranks” for several months after the operation, because a certain amount of hormones remain in the animal’s blood for some time, which push the pet to such actions. In this case, you need to be patient and wait a little.
- Wildness and experience of marks. If the animal is used to living on the street and was neutered at over a year of age, then the bad habit may persist for another 2-3 months after the operation. As the concentration of hormones in the blood decreases, the cat’s behavior normalizes and he stops marking.
- Cryptorchidism. It happens that an animal’s testicles develop incorrectly, and one of them does not descend into the scrotum. When performing castration, the doctor can only remove what is available to him. In this case, one testicle remains in the abdominal cavity, which provokes the appearance of marks after the operation. If a cat is diagnosed with cryptorchidism, then castration should not be carried out in the standard way, but using direct access - an incision in the abdominal cavity.
- Presence of other animals. Fear, jealousy, and switching attention to other pets can contribute to the appearance of marks in already neutered cats.
- Diseases of the urinary system. Cystitis, pyelonephritis, the presence of kidney stones - all these factors can provoke the resumption of a bad habit in a pet after surgery.
If there are several cats in the house, then the likelihood that the pet will continue to mark increases
Attention! If after castration you give your pet enough attention and show him your love and care, then the risk of resuming the harmful habit of releasing a stream of urine in the wrong place is reduced several times.
Regular changes in daily routine also affect cat spraying.
Cats are creatures of habit, so any change can cause stress and trigger marking. For this reason, cat owners should understand that their pets do not think that their urine smells bad - on the contrary, the animals take comfort in the familiar smell. Misting makes cats feel more secure and happy, so if your cat is marking everything, think about what might be causing her stress.
Here are some options:
- Repair
- Child
- Different work schedule
- New spouse (or your friend whom the cat has never seen before)
- Moving
- Shortened game time
Problem: Your cat seems upset about the home renovations and you notice wet spots on the edge of the sofa or on the curtains.
How to fix it: spend more time with your pet, play with it. Physical activity, such as the game “follow the pen,” is a great stress reliever. Also, provide a hiding place where your cat can escape during stressful situations, such as renovations or parties.
Remember that you should not punish your cat, even if you see her marking. Punishment will only make the animal more anxious and therefore more likely to behave again.
And finally, clean the stain thoroughly because if even the slightest smell of urine remains, your cat will be tempted to do it again
Means to prevent a cat from marking in the apartment
If you can’t catch the cat at the scene of the crime, you can try other possible ways to prevent the inevitable - leaving a new mark. For these purposes, special preparations are suitable along with traditional recipes.
Tablets, drops
The optimal and humane way to prevent further marking is the use of heat control drugs. The substances included in the tablets and drops can relieve sexual arousal in the animal.
Important! It is worth consulting with a veterinarian so that, depending on the individual characteristics of the animal, he selects the right medicine.
Folk remedies
The use of folk remedies is not a panacea. This will cause cats to stop marking in strictly defined areas where ingredients such as:
- essential oils of citrus, rosemary, lavender;
- spices.
However, the use of traditional methods will give time to re-educate the animal without updating the marks during this period. After cleansing, leave strongly aromatic spices, citrus peels, or diffuse essential oils at the scene.
Note! It is not recommended to use acetic acid for these purposes, as it can increase the smell of urine, which will lead to new marks.
Jealousy
This is true for our pets no less than for people. They are great owners, and they do not want to share their owner, as well as their home, with strangers. Therefore, the arrival of a new member of the household is often painfully perceived. If your pet has always been disciplined (especially if he has already been neutered), and now he has started marking the house, then perhaps this is his way of letting the new family member know who is boss. This may also apply to the situation of protracted repairs, when builders appear at home every day to perform various works.
Sometimes even an ordinary guest visit can cause an animal to be jealous. Especially if he sees that the owner has turned all his attention to the guest, and he was asked to leave. Today, veterinarians say that cats can even be jealous of gadgets when they see that their beloved owner spends all his time only on a computer or tablet. Again, the best way to solve this problem is to allocate your free time and attention wisely. If you have a pet, then you need to pay enough attention to it.
