Having a cat in your home is exciting as they are affectionate and social creatures. However, we are naturally different from our cats in terms of behavior. Domestication has enabled us to study feline behavior and now we are able to live with our cats. This is not always easy as sometimes you are not in control of your kitty’s habits. Patience and resilience, however, will help you correct any behavioral vice your cat might be engaging in.
Spraying is one of those vices that every cat owner will have to deal with at some point in life. On most occasions, cats spray to mark territories in the house. The reason behind this behavior may be as a result of insecurity or and sometimes your cat is in heat. You will have to determine this before you can embark on finding a remedy for the vice.
Your cat may feel insecure when subjected to various situations and thus mark their territory. They do this to reassure themselves of safety, especially when they are vulnerable. Usually, your cat can feel threatened in your absence, and especially when you have left him under the care of someone else. By marking your items in the house, your cat is leaving his scent. This will make him feel more secure.
How to stop cat marking territory in the house
There are several situations that may expose your cat to marking. Often, your cat will use his urine to get the job done. This, needless to say, will leave your house smelling of disgusting cat pee. However, you can be able to stop this behavior if you adjust a few things in your lifestyle. Here are some tips that will make it easier for you to control marking:
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Get back to the usual routine
If you own a cat, then you must understand how prone they are to anxiety. Anxiety will lead to your cat feeling out of place and thus mark to familiarize yourself with the surroundings. This being said, it is, therefore, important to avoid things that contribute to the latter.
Change is a great contributor to your cat developing anxiety, In fact, cats detest anything to do with change be it in their routine, moving from one place to another, and even having new people in the house!
As always, you will have to determine the reason why your cat has anxiety. If you have recently altered his routine, that could probably lead to urine marking. Your cat is doing so in an effort to communicate with you.
And since we do not have the same medium for communication, it is up to you to figure it out. You should get back to the usual routine. Note that the routine includes playtime, feeding, and grooming time for your cat. In addition, avoid changing the type of litter and diet for your cat.
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Provide a secure and calm home for your cat
Cat marking territory in the house cannot be overlooked since it could indicate serious behavioral issues. If your cat happens to mark territories in the house, he might be feeling threatened, as mentioned earlier. When you find that your cat has marked your windows, it might be that he can watch the activities on the outside.
If your cat happens to see other cats or even strangers on the outside, he might not feel safe anymore. He feels like someone is intruding on his home and thus the need to protect it. As his natural behavior, by marking your cat is reassured of his safety. This is because he expects the other cat or person to respect his boundaries.
In this case, you will only have two options. One is to either block the window view or keep other cats off your property. However, this does not always play this way as you cannot be able to stop movement and daily activity on the outside. For this reason, it is only logical to protect your cat by blocking his view of the outside. You can also use cat repellents to deter stray and local cats from accessing your house.
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Neutering/spaying
Unless you want to breed your cat, there is no reason why he/she is not neutered/spayed. Mature cats that have the ability to reproduce are bound to mark boundaries, especially when in heat. As mentioned earlier, the sprayed urine used to mark contain information about the cat such as age, sex, and intentions. This is to guide other cats and let them know that there is a cat in the neighborhood. It is how cats attract their mate.
Male cats are the culprits
In addition to this, male cats particularly appear to exhibit signs of hostility if left unneutered. This means he might become overprotective with you and the household. He might want to mark territory every time there is a guest in your house or even noise on the outside.
Therefore, it is important to get your cat neutered before he becomes of age. The same case goes for the female cats that should be spayed. Cats become of reproductive maturity at the age of 4-6 months.
If your cat is currently on heat, it is best to avoid getting him neutered. This could lead to complications as he may bleed too much. Therefore, it is advisable to keep your cat calm and comfort him until the season is over. Only after then can you get him neutered.
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Increase playtime
We had mentioned earlier that your cat needs to feel like he belongs to a family. Unlike in the wild where he would actually have a family, at home we are the only people they know. Therefore, it is important to allow your cat some bonding time. Remember that cats are quite social and need constant assurance of affection.
Failure to provide this bond leaves your cat vulnerable. In order to reassure himself, he may even pee on your bed to mark your duvet. By mixing your scent with his, your cat is least assured of the bond you share. You can avoid this by providing a much time as you can for bonding.
During this time, you may opt to play games that engage your cat. Alternatively, you can let him curl up on your thigh and pet him. This will eliminate the need to mark your items. It will also reduce boredom and loneliness that can lead to a vulnerable cat.
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Keep other cats and animals off your property
This works well especially if your cat is marking to chase away intruders. Let u be very specific here, the cat does have an amazing sense of hearing. They can actually pick sounds that we cannot, making them very sensitive. Upon hearing the intruder approaching your house, your cat might mark boundaries to warn them about his presence.
If you notice a stray cat around your property, it is advisable that you keep them off. They might also motivate your cat to mark territories if they are spraying your house. Therefore, keep the intruders off your property.
You can do this using various methods. For instance, you can use some essential oils that are used to deter cats. Eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender oil will work well to keep other cats away. Make sure you wash the sprayed spot in your house. Use enzymatic cleaners to get rid of the smell that might drive your cat to mark territory.
You make also use vinegar around your house to drive stray cats away from your home.
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Close the doors
Restriction works well to control cat behaviors. When your cat starts marking boundaries, it is obvious that he is going to come back and repeat the same habit, most likely on the same spot. Once he gets used to doing so, it is going to be a hard habit to correct.
It is therefore important that you restrict access to the previously soiled places. This way, you will keep him out of the room and possibly eliminate the need to mark once again. For instance, if you notice that he is marking your bed, be sure to always close the bedroom door.
Alternatively, you can be able to keep your cat out of the marketplace. You can buy a mat that beeps whenever a cat steps on it. This will always scare your cat away. In addition to this, you may use vinegar in diluted form to discourage your cat from accessing the place for marking.
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Check litter
In some cases, your cat is not necessarily marking territory in the house. This is why you should check whether your cat is spraying or simply urinating. spraying is usually a sign of marking territory while urinating may be a sign of inappropriate elimination. In order for you to be able to correct this behavior, you must be able to distinguish the two.
Nevertheless, it is recommended that you watch the litter box to make sure that your cat does not experience difficulties when using it. Make sure that you have the correct size of litter boxes for your cat. Additionally, it is important that you get the right form of litter for your cat.
This is because an unpleasant litter box could lead to inappropriate elimination. Get litter that has soft and loose material as cats prefer it over larger particles.
The location of the litter box is also an important factor that may contribute to inappropriate elimination. Your cat has to be comfortable in order to use the litter box. Place it in an easily accessible but also a place with low human traffic.
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Control cat stress
In the case where your cat has been exposed to stress, it could be the reason why he is marking the house. However, you can be able to control cat stress once you find to identify the reason why your kitty appears to be stressed. For instance, if you recently changed your residence, your cat may be finding it difficult to settle. Therefore, he might mark the place to somehow own it.
Any changes, as discussed earlier in this article, will affect your cat. It is therefore important to keep an eye on your cat to notice any symptoms of stress. In case your cat is stressed, there are several things you can do to help him.
Identifying stress
First, identify the reason for his stress, and then focus on eliminating it. Playing with your cat will also help you develop some type of bond and thus ease cat stress. Consider leaving the TV on a well as music to alleviate boredom especially if you leave him all alone at home.
In addition to this, make sure that all cats have access to adequate resources in a multi-cat household. This will eliminate the stiff competition that may occur among your cats. These resources should include clean litter boxes, food, and water. Also, consider getting your cat’s toys to play with.
Always remember that you can only be able to resolve stress in cats by eliminating the stimuli.
Why do cats mark?
Some cats can also mark territory in the house if he feels threatened. This is a common occurrence in cats that can get a view of the outside or live in a multi-cat home. This is because the sight of other cats and strangers on the outside may feel threatening for your kitty. In order to feel secure, your kitty may mark territory in the house.
In addition to this, you may find that your cat is marking your items to feel secure. This gives him a sense of bond with you and thus assured of safety. Your cat needs to feel your presence even when you are not at home.
Once you examine this behavior, it is not time to come up with a way to stop cat marking territory in the house. Before we proceed, it is important to mention that you have to find means that are not harmful to your cat.
In conclusion
It is important to find out the reason why your cat feels the need to mark territory in the house. In most cases, anxiety from a different situation is a great contributor to marking territory. Therefore, focus on making your home more comfortable for your cat. You can do this by making sure he had enough resources and by protecting him from intruders.
Restrict your room if your cat has started urinating on your bed. Instead, focus on resolving the underlying issues and offer him more attention and affection. In the case where you have not neutered your cat, wait until he is over the season and gets him neutered immediately. The above-discussed methods should help you stop cat marking territory in the house.
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