What do cat marks look like?
Cats approach any vertical object, straighten their tail and lift it. At this time, a small amount of urine is released. Sometimes cats can change their position, but the main sign of a mark is the release of a very small amount of liquid, no more than 1 ml.
The cat marks the territory
Cats, unlike cats, do not excrete urine to mark their territory, but rather rub their faces against certain objects. Often, owners think that in this way the cat is showing affection or wants to be paid attention to, but here everything is much more complicated. There are special glands near a cat's eyes. They emit a specific smell that humans cannot smell, but other animals immediately begin to understand that the place is occupied.
Among other marks of cats, it is worth noting the sharpening of claws. There are also small glands on the paws of cats, and when they tear objects, they leave a mark wherever they need to. In this case, a person does not feel the smell, but the visible trace is obvious.
Cat mark on the floor
Another way cats mark is by secreting saliva, but this mark does not carry any information.
Marking or urinating anywhere?
The cat leaves marks in the apartment using the odorous secretion of glands that are located on the face (cheeks, chin, around the eyes), paws, sides and anal area. The cat also marks surrounding objects with its urine.
This can happen during sexual hunting, when, if it is impossible to go in search of a sexual partner outside the home, the cat marks the territory with urine to attract him. If a cat suddenly starts leaving marks, it may be sick or unsure of the security of its personal boundaries. The pet shits everywhere to scare off strangers with a strong smell.
It’s easy to determine that a cat is not pooping in the wrong place, but is trying to mark territory in the apartment. During the process of urination, the animal sits down, lowering its tail. He chooses secluded corners for this, but can mark the carpet or bed. Cats usually leave scent marks on vertical surfaces. To do this, the tailed monster turns its back to the object that it wants to mark, straightens its hind legs as much as possible and makes a movement with its tail, similar to shaking, while spraying the object with a stream of liquid.
Cats also leave marks, but more often with their claws. Nevertheless, sometimes they also use urine, although in the case of a female it is difficult to understand that these are marks and not puddles made in the wrong places.
How is marking different from urination?
When cats begin to mark, they leave the smell of urine in the room or rub their faces against the furniture, leaving behind an odorous trail from special glands located near the eyes and on the paws.
How to stop a cat from marking territory in an apartment
If a cat rubs against furniture, then in this way she makes it clear that she is calm in this house and she feels protected. Marks left by urine are a kind of manifestation of aggression and thus, a cat shows its rights to own a particular territory.
Important! Basically, this reaction occurs in connection with the appearance of another animal in the house or as a result of a change in the usual environment.
Most owners are concerned with the question of how to distinguish a territory mark from arbitrary urination past the tray. If the cat just wants to go to the toilet, then she does it while sitting. If it leaves a mark, it does so while standing on all fours, lifting its tail up and leaving a small amount of liquid. This behavior is typical not only of cats, but also of males, especially during sexual desire.
Features of behavior
The habit of marking territory is common to all predators. This helps to mark boundaries that other individuals are not allowed to enter. Your animal in the same way designates its possessions in an apartment or house, which means “I’m in charge here.”
Some owners mistakenly confuse marks with ordinary puddles on the floor. In fact, in this way the pet does not simply empty its bladder, but follows the call of nature and expresses its readiness to reproduce. Therefore, such marks contain a lot of pheromones. A pungent odor can be felt throughout the apartment.
The cat does not care at all which of your things will be damaged: expensive furniture, a blanket, or toys. If he decides to put a mark somewhere, he simply sprays the required object with a strong stream. It is difficult to predict the behavior of an alpha male.
© shutterstock
What time do cats start marking their territory?
How to stop a dog from marking in the apartment: what to do
This criterion is conditional, and marks left by cats can become noticeable in different ways. It all depends on the age of the animal, its character, nutrition and living conditions. According to veterinarians, on average, cats begin to leave marks from the age of eight months, because it is during this period that hormone levels rise, and the cat is looking for a way to attract a sexual partner.
For your information! The marks are accompanied not only by marks on furniture and curtains, but also by calling cries.
Also, the period when territory marking begins can be tracked by the behavior of the animal; you can observe it quite carefully. When puberty occurs, character and behavior changes, the body acquires clear outlines and becomes muscular.
During this same period, aggressive behavior towards other animals occurs. Pets often begin to mark their territory as a defense.
Age limits
They are quite conditional, and will differ depending on the breed, climatic conditions, nature of maintenance and nutrition. Despite this, there are average statistical data. When talking about the age at which cats begin to mark their territory, they most often mean the age of 8 months. By this time, the level of sex hormones in a young cat rises so much that he will involuntarily try all the ways to find a partner. And of course, this list will include inviting cries and odorous marks on curtains, doors, and upholstery.
It is not necessary to know exactly at what age cats begin to mark their territory. It is enough just to carefully observe your pet. With the onset of maturity, cats experience some changes in behavior and appearance. Their jaws are clearly defined, and their whole body becomes more muscular. At the same time, the cat begins to show aggression towards other cats and mark the territory so that they do not take it over.
The cat marks the territory: the main reasons for unwanted behavior
How to stop a cat from peeing on the sofa: what to do
The smell left by a cat is a unique way of communication between animals. By leaving marks around the house or yard, they seem to show strangers that this territory has an owner and it is better not to set foot here. With the help of such marks, living in the wild, the animal provides itself with protection and the opportunity to get some food.
As for domestic animals, they also leave marks, but this already happens at the level of instinct. There are several main reasons for leaving such traces:
- puberty;
- the appearance of a new pet in the house or a change of environment;
- there is not one cat living in the house, but several;
- the owner smells of another cat;
- stressful situations, such as renovations or moving.
Why does a cat mark its owner?
It is surprising not only how cats mark territory, but also why they mark their owner, who feeds them, shows care and looks after them?
There may be two options here:
- The pet is trying to challenge the rights of the owner and force him to act according to his own rules. This behavior is typical of cats or cats that came into the house as adults from the street and are accustomed to defending their place in the sun.
- In the second case, by leaving marks on the owner, the animal thus marks that it is his and no one else’s. And this is so, because someone else’s cat will never approach a “marked” person.
Raising an adult cat
Castration may not provide a complete solution to the problem, so it is worth starting to raise your pet. The owner must secure his position. This can be done in the same way as in the case of a young pet, but there are other options. After cleaning, you can start leaving your marks - this does not mean that you should spray your urine around the apartment (however, some repeated this procedure, and it turned out to be effective).
This is how the cat tries to cover up the owner's scent.
It is necessary to make sure that the owner's scent interrupts the cat's marks. To do this, you can leave clothes that smell of sweat near the marks. You will have to wear socks for about a day or some piece of fabric in the armpit for about an hour.
For your information! If the owner often uses the same perfume compositions, then they can be sprayed in the same places so that the smell is concentrated. When the cat does not find traces of his own urine, he will understand that he has failed, and therefore admits his own defeat, ceasing to leave marks on every corner of the apartment.
How long do cats mark after castration?
If a pet lives in an apartment and the owner wants it to stop marking its territory, then the only solution in this case will be castration or sterilization. This operation is performed during puberty.
After surgery, the animal may leave marks for some time. This is because the hormonal background of an animal cannot change in one day, but this will take about 2 months, or maybe more.
Worth knowing! If castration was carried out several years after the onset of puberty, then the desired effect may not be achieved.
Castration
Castration is the optimal solution for those who do not know what to do if the cat starts marking in the apartment. Such a measure will only help if the pet is around 8-10 months old and has no diseases.
First of all, you need to find out the reason for this behavior. If this is a natural factor, then it is recommended to simply make an appointment with a veterinarian.
It is important to perform the operation within the specified period. An earlier one may lead to disturbances associated with the structure of the pet or damage its health. This is due to the fact that until the age of eight months the cat’s reproductive system has not formed, and therefore the location of the organs may change during the growth process.
However, after 10 months, you should also not delay castration too much. The older the cat, the more difficult the procedure is. Adult animals tolerate anesthesia less well. Also, if an animal marked in a private house or apartment for a long period of time, it could get used to this procedure and its smell, and therefore will continue to do its business out of habit.
Castration of a cat in a veterinary clinic
Repelling with foil, sprays and other methods
If a cat is marking its territory, what to do is a question that cannot be answered definitively. There are several methods.
You can scare away your pet by using regular foil. Basically, the animal chooses one or several places for its tracks. Having found them, you need to lay foil there. Cats do not like to touch this material because the rustling sound irritates them.
You can stop your cat from marking his territory using foil.
If you don’t have time for experiments, then you can purchase a proven product in the form of a spray, which contains cat pheromones that help improve the psychological state of the animal. You can purchase this product at a pet store.
Advice! When you have absolutely nothing at hand, you can use folk remedies, for example, lemon juice or citrus-scented essential oils. Their smell has a deterrent effect on cats.
Conflicts caused by “struggle” for territory can also influence their behavior
A cat is a special animal that can mark territory in order to indicate to other members of the genus that this particular area belongs to it, as well as in order to minimize contact with other individuals.
What might trigger your cat's territorial instinct? Neighboring animals or multiple pets in the same home, to name a few reasons. In the first case, urine splashing may occur near doors or windows, especially if your cat often sees other animals outside and feels threatened.
For example, if a stray cat comes into your pet’s field of vision, the natural reaction to detecting an “object” will be to mark its territory, which, by the way, it can also do by sharpening its claws on furniture.
If you have a lot of cats, one of the pets may spray furniture because they are confident that they are being threatened by another animal. Keep in mind, the threat can be a glance that is invisible to the human eye, explains the veterinarian. In this situation, it would be a good idea to carefully observe the situation, separate them, and improve the sense of security in the pursued animal.
Cats often view newcomers as intruders on their territory.
Another reason for spraying may be that you have adopted another pet. Even if your cat has previously lived with other pets, you should know that cats are more picky than dogs, and they may tolerate one animal and absolutely not tolerate another. In addition, cats often view newcomers as intruders on their territory.
Problem: Other cats - outside or inside - seem to be bothering your pet and this has led to the spraying.
How to Fix It: If you have multiple indoor cats, provide multiple sitting areas and sisal or carpet scratching posts. Cats need their own space, and conflicts can often be resolved simply by giving the animals more space. Creating space can be as simple as clearing out your shelves. If the problem persists, you may need to determine which cats are not getting along. Keep them separated from each other with bedding and sleeping areas and reintroduce them slowly by adding "rewards" such as treats. If cats outside the house seem to encourage your four-legged resident's marking, then close windows, blinds and doors to prevent the indoor cat from seeing them.
What to do when a cat marks in the house and how to stop it
If a cat marks objects in the house, then the surest way to stop him from doing this is castration. But changes in the animal’s hormonal background will continue to occur for quite a long time. In this case, there are several effective ways, not so drastic:
- Place peels of citrus fruits, the aroma of which animals cannot tolerate, in places where there are regular marks.
- Buy a special repellent spray.
- If the appearance of marks is associated with stressful situations, you must try to eliminate them by paying more attention to the animal.
- If the cat was caught in the act of a crime, then you need to lift it by the scruff of the neck and hiss, looking into the eyes. Hold the animal until it starts meowing and averting its eyes.
Worth knowing! There is no one 100% effective way to stop marking territory, because it is a natural instinct against which animals are powerless. But the above methods will help you get rid of leaving marks at least for a while.
The cat marks in the house
What should you not do when trying to stop your pet from marking?
When trying to wean an animal from leaving marks, you cannot:
- poke your pet into a puddle with its muzzle;
- forcefully place the offending creature in a tray and hold it in it;
- yell at the cat;
- use physical force.
The listed methods can cause a backlash, and the animal will begin to mark surrounding objects even more actively, especially the personal belongings of the offender. The cat simply does not understand what they want from him. Cats are very vulnerable creatures. Raising your voice and using physical force against them can cause them severe stress, which will negatively affect both their well-being and behavior.
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Is it possible to wean a neutered cat from the habit of marking premises?
If the cat is neutered and still continues to mark the territory, this can be facilitated either by stress, for example, due to a change in environment, or by a complete lack of attention from the owners.
You should definitely remove traces of cat marks by wiping the area with vinegar or spraying special deodorizing agents that are sold in veterinary pharmacies. Special cat pheromones, which are currently on sale, will also help to wean the animal from marking. But before using them, you should consult a veterinarian.
What to do if your cat is marking her territory during heat
A very difficult period for the owner is the moment when a cat begins to mark its territory during estrus. In this situation, you should not shout or intimidate, because such methods will not help.
It's worth using a few tips:
- Talk to the animal in a quiet and calm voice, without showing aggression.
- Pet him on the head or tummy, but under no circumstances should you touch the tail.
- To drive excess energy out of your pet, you should periodically give him different tasks, for example, catch a mouse and bring a toy.
- Give food in very small portions, but access to water should be constant.
- You can bathe your cat in warm water, but make sure that there are no drafts in the room.
All these methods calm the animal and relieve stress, as a result of which there is every chance that it will stop crap in the room.
How to find cat marks
To find a cat's mark, you can use an ultraviolet flashlight. If you turn off the lights in the apartment and turn on the flashlight, the marks left by the cat will be illuminated with green light. Thus, you won’t have to wash half the apartment, but it will be enough to eliminate only the trace left behind, which emits a cutting, foul odor.
Traces of cat marks under ultraviolet light
Tag prevention
To prevent the appearance of marks in the house, experienced breeders and veterinarians recommend using the following measures:
- Emasculation. An effective method of preventing the appearance of marks, only if the operation is performed before the onset of puberty.
- Proper education. This is not the most effective method, because if leadership qualities are inherent in a cat’s nature, then it will be quite difficult to fight them. If the cat is obedient and flexible, then with proper upbringing everything can work out.
- Accommodation in an apartment for a female and a male. This method does not fully guarantee that the cat will stop marking its territory. In addition, there will be another problem associated with permanent offspring.
Thus, there is no 100% effective way to prevent marks in a Scotsman, Briton or other breed, but you can fight marks with the help of educational and hygienic measures.
Pairing
In part, the marks are a way to indicate to the female cats that the male is ready to mate. Many people make attempts to match their cat with a female. However, this is not the best option, since subsequently the cat may only begin to mark the territory more often if he understands that he is given a cat every time.
If your cat pees anywhere, you shouldn't bring him a cat.
