Does your male cat urinate in the house to mark his territory? This annoying habit can be due to several causes. So without further ado, here are all the possible causes of this problem, and especially how to react to this problem to know how to prevent a male cat from marking his territory.
How to Stop a Male Cat from Marking His Territory: Understanding Cat Marking
Cat marking can be done in different ways. The first is to use his face and rub, which is rather rare for marking out territory but very common when it comes to marking yourself as part of his tribe.
The second is to scratch objects with his pads, usually he will grope the sofa or soft surfaces to mark them as part of his territory.
And the third, the most common, is to urinate to mark your smell well, the marking is done in this case in height and with little urine, unlike the classic hidden pee and in larger quantities.
The marking will help him to let other cats know that they are on his territory and to mark it as being safe, so that he can feel safe there when he sleeps for example, or when he its needs.
How to prevent it?
Fortunately, there are many possibilities to make your cat stop urinating, here are the ones you can put in place depending on the causes, we will give you something to discern them.
Castrate your cat
The first thing to do is to neuter your cat, because an uncastrated cat will be much more territorial, indoors this gives a very aggressive cat and under the influence of its impulses, outdoors, the cat will have a much longer life expectancy. shorter, because he will take much more risk.
So even without the question of marking, neutering him is an excellent thing for you and for him, whether he lives in an apartment or has access to the outside. It is also a solution that addresses the root problem of cat urine as territory marking.
Use pheromones
Admittedly, pheromones are only a temporary solution, but when the cat is stressed, marking is more frequent and if your cat has problems with aggression or fear, giving him soothing pheromones will allow an immediate solution and keep his behavior under control in a fraction of a second.
Pheromones work because a cat’s sense of smell is very sensitive, whether to good smells or bad ones, as you will see in the next paragraph.
Spend time with him
By spending time with your cat you will also reduce its stress, so also act in parallel with the use of pheromones, some games will also allow it to channel its energy and stress, an electric fish for example, or a cat wheel on which he can run for hours.
Use repellents
Repellents are the opposite side of soothing sprays, as they release smells that cats hate, which is very useful if your male cat is marking his territory in a specific place, like the bathroom carpet for example , you have just to diffuse a repellent there so that your cat does not approach it any more.
Again, the solution is not made at the root, but the results are immediate and you will avoid having to clean his urine permanently.
Put diapers on her
If you’re not around during the day, putting on a reusable cat diaper will allow you not to have to worry about urine during the day, again it’s an immediate solution while waiting to treat the problem at the source, but which is still very practical.
Preparing him for change
If you have just experienced a change, a new spouse or a move, for example, your cat will inevitably be stressed and sometimes territorial. In this case, you must get him used to the novelty, soothing sprays can also greatly facilitate your task, especially by by broadcasting so that he plays with a newcomer, for example.
Provide adequate litter
Several factors must be fulfilled for your cat to use its litter box, otherwise it risks defecating elsewhere and taking the opportunity to mark its territory, after all that is where it will defecate and will therefore have to go there. feel safe.
The first thing to do is to give him a sufficiently large litter box, in which he will not feel cramped, so avoid closed models.
The second thing is to allow him to have good quality granules with 5 to 7 cm of content so that he is absolutely comfortable when he relieves himself and can always cover his pee without sinking into it and to get dirty.
The third thing is to place it in a safe and quiet corner, close to his personal corner, so that he feels safe there, which is vital since he cannot run away when he relieves himself.
The fourth thing is that it should be changed every week while the poop should always be removed every day. A litter box that is dirty or washed with strong-smelling products will be very unpleasant to your cat.
Do not bleach
Bleach excites cats because it smells like cat pee to their eyes, hence why it might mark its territory. So if he urinates in the places you washed with bleach, you know what you have to do.
Separate the corners of your cats
Cats are very territorial animals, don’t you dare share their personal corners, and above all, make them understand that the house belongs to everyone, you will have to make them tame by playing with them and always watching them by doing it. There too, bring your soothing spray to make it easier for you and their understanding.
Don’t punish him
Punishing a cat is never a good idea because it will not understand and especially it will see you as a source of danger. So use a punishment-reward system, i.e. have your cat totally ignored when marking its territory and rewarded when using the litter box, to create positive reinforcement .
How to clean urine?
To clean urine, forget the bleach, as we have seen, but use a product dedicated to cat urine to eliminate the substance and the odor and stop suffering unwanted feline markings.
When to go to the vet?
If your cat seems tired and listless, it could be a health problem such as a urinary tract infection, in which case the vet is advised, especially if he is in his old age.
When to go to the behaviorist?
If your cat has behavioral problems, which is common with those adopted from shelters or those who have been poorly weaned, then take him to a feline behavior specialist.
How to Stop a Male Cat from Marking His Territory: The Final Word
A cat that urinates everywhere or in certain specific places to mark its territory must stop doing it, for those the immediate solutions (sprays, nappies, repellents…) are perfect to stop the problem immediately, and to treat the problem at the source, we will have to see the reason why he does it and act accordingly.