Why does a cat mark territory and how to quickly wean him off it?

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Many cat owners face the same problem: sooner or later the pet begins to mark its territory, resulting in a characteristic unpleasant odor that is not so easy to get rid of. If such a problem occurs, you can try to wean the animal from an ugly habit using a number of approaches.

• 2 Why does a neutered cat continue to mark?

  2.1 Reasons for marking territory after castration - video

Why does a cat shit in the wrong places?

To eliminate the consequence, let's look at the reasons.

If a cat is not initially trained to use the litter box, that’s one story, but if she begins to “smear” and increasingly ignore her litter box, then there may be several reasons for such uncleanliness:

• Wrong pot sizes , read about their types and how to choose.
• Uncomfortable environment in the toilet room . Actually, it's not funny. If, say, you recently bought a washing machine and now it is located not far from the cat’s litter box, the cat may begin to avoid its usual place and look for a more secluded corner. And the cause of discomfort is often a new air freshener. Bring back “Sea Freshness” urgently!
• Demonstration of character. Sometimes cats express their “fairy” in this way to the presence of unexpected guests or the behavior of the owners of the house.
• Stress. Moving, a long absence of the owner, a new pet - the kitten’s “alarm clock” (according to A. Kashpirovsky) begins to ring unexpectedly and as a result the cat shits where it should, and not where it should
• Health problems. The pot is a good size, the atmosphere in the toilet is harmonious, according to Feng Shui, no one hurt the cat or left it for a long time, but it still craps? Then go to the vet immediately! Perhaps this is her way of asking you for help.

Difference between marks and normal urination

Wet spots are a tricky subject, they may or may not be a mark. We figured out the subtleties of distinguishing a puddle of urine from a “trace”. And the research results were presented in a convenient comparative table. Now you will definitely understand what is what.

Difference between a mark and a puddle

Why does a cat mark territory?

The smell of cat urine is not pleasant, but the smell left after the marks is almost unbearable! The fact is that after the decomposition of the urine of an uncastrated cat, thiols appear, which greatly enhance the smell, although, what’s more... they intensify the stench. Why do well-mannered cats begin to mark their territory? Because you can't go against your instincts. When getting a boy kitten, come to terms with the fact that when he becomes an adult cat, he will absolutely mark the apartment! Therefore - either surgery or?

But first, why does a cat start marking?

• Adjust the crown - the cat considers you an alpha male and strives to take your place in charge
• A cat may consider himself the leader of the pack and use marks to warn others that they are by default of lower rank than him.

It is important to honestly and clearly answer yourself - who you are in this pride and then together we will develop a behavior strategy.

Proper education of a male kitten

When getting a kitten, the owner must realize that it is unacceptable to let its upbringing take its course. This threatens not only with bitten hands and torn walls. When an animal reaches puberty, lack of proper upbringing can result in a desire to mark corners.

The child must understand from an early age who is the boss in the house. Permissiveness leads to incorrect behavior of a young animal during sexual hunting: screaming, aggression, marks. At the slightest disobedience, it is necessary to use light methods of punishment:

• spraying a spray bottle into the pet's face,
• noise exposure or loud voice commands.

It is important not to waste time and subject the mature kitten to the castration procedure in time, before territory marking becomes a habit. Timely castration guarantees the absence of unpleasant consequences in the form of territorial marks.

Why does a cat mark?

How to stop a cat from marking territory in an apartment

There is an opinion that a cat can never be weaned from marking its territory, but this is not true. There are several methods that have been found to be effective.

1 way – psychological

At the moment when his back is attached to some surface, grab him tightly by the scruff of the neck and lift him up.

Please note that the cat will instantly put its tail between its legs in the literal sense of the word.

Keep the cat in this position. Both you and the cat feel like the crown will fall off the tailed cat.

Then wipe the marks with your socks or an old T-shirt, covering the cat's autographs.

Method 2 – cardinal

Castration. Fast and almost certain. Almost - because in some cases the operation does not change the composition of the urine and it still smells bad. Almost - because in some cases the operation does not cancel the cat’s habit of marking. But these some cases are rather an exception to the rule.

Keep your cat's litter box and litter clean.

Create an imitation feline friend

The toy girlfriend method works temporarily, freeing the cat’s genitals from exhausting pressure. For these purposes, you can use an unnecessary soft toy .

A small pillow that the cat will bite and trample on like a cat is also perfect Cats love natural fur . If you give your pet a piece of skin with fur, there is a high probability that it will replace his female.

To attract your pet's attention, you can sprinkle the toy with catnip .

Despite the variety of methods and tips, not a single method provides a complete guarantee. Sometimes a cat has the character of an alpha male, in this case nothing will help except timely castration. In other cases, it is quite possible to wean an animal from marking if you follow all the above recommendations.

How to stop a cat from pooping in the wrong place

1. The easiest way is to take your cat to bed with you. This way she will begin to feel safe.
2. A tricky way is to use a soft cloth to go around the cat’s neck, and then with the same cloth to go over the places where she shits. We assure you that the animal will not pee where it smells of its pheromones.
3. Gastronomic way. In those places that were most often “mined” by the cat, place bowls with food. Let there be many of them. But the cat will not be able to overcome the internal taboo and will not shit where she eats.
4. Glamorous way. It would be a good idea to lay out some food foil on the floor in the places where the kitten was caught - the kitten won’t crap on something so shiny and rough.
5. Chemical method. Stores sell a huge number of special products in the Antigadin format - these can be sprays or aqueous solutions. Treat unscheduled litter boxes with them and the cat will simply have no choice and will start using the litter box. We'll talk more about these tools in the next chapter.
6. If all of the above does not help, move on to plan “B”. How to stop a cat from peeing anywhere? Lock your cat in a very small room for several days, with only room for a tray with fresh, familiar litter, water and food. 3-4 days will be enough for the animal to develop a reflex to the correct toilet.
7. If, it’s scary to say, even after this the cat continues to shit, then congratulations - you got an unusually stubborn animal. The solution is surgery. A sterilized cat does not take revenge and goes to the toilet in a litter tray.

How to avoid unpleasant odor?

After the cat has been weaned from making marks, you need to remove the unpleasant odor from the places he marked. The urine should be removed very carefully so that the cat does not smell the smell and starts marking again. For cleaning, you can use enzymatic or biologically active detergents that will help remove odors. You should not use products that contain ammonia, as it smells like urine. The washed area can be rubbed with mothballs or lemon slices. You can apply your scent: spray perfume or rub it on clothes that have been worn for several days.

Industrial products

Conventionally, all funds can be divided into purchased and popular ones.

It is not possible to list all the products sold.

Perfumed hygiene preparations are designed to develop inhibitory reflexes in pets. Among the most popular we note:

• Mr. Fresh anti-poo spray for cats
• Fernhaltespray
• Smart spray - protecting places NOT intended for cats' toileting
• Repeller for cats and dogs ANTI-CAT Trixie Anti-Kot (Trixie)
• Repelling lotion for dogs and cats TABU Baldecchi (Baldechi)
• Outdoor repeller for dogs and cats JELLY for Outdoors Beaphar Reppers Crystals (Beafar)
• Outdoor repeller Beaphar Reppers Fernhalte Spray

We also recommend purchasing a special lamp (UV flashlight) to help detect traces of marks. This will make it easier to get rid of them.

Is it all because of heat?

The first hormonal changes mark puberty in young individuals. After it, at intervals of 2–3 months, unsterilized cats and female cats enter periods of sexual heat. That is, searching for a partner for procreation. A loud, inviting meow, odorous markers in the apartment, demonstrative behavior are direct confirmation that the animal has reached “coming of age.” If until now you have not thought about his reproductive fate, now is the time.

Important: hormonal fluctuations and other joys of the “rut” put serious strain on the health of your purring friend. They are fraught with problems with nerves, heart, and behavioral disorders. So it is recommended to sterilize individuals that do not represent breeding value. The best age for this is from 6 to 12 months.

Lamur-mur-mur!

You can avoid wet signs in the apartment either by “trimming” in a timely manner, or by mating a mustachioed and striped one. The first option is more preferable. It serves as the key to a long, calm, happy life for you and your pet. Especially if he is not intended for breeding.

Important: letting the animal “walk” before surgery is a bad idea. Once an animal has felt the taste of life, even after sterilization, it will continue to mark, screaming invitingly in the hope of attracting a partner.

Lack of attention

Cats, like other domestic animals, need human affection and care. If you don’t show it towards them, then the reaction will be appropriate. Pets will begin to attract the attention of their owner. To do this, they can mark interior items. Pets especially often try to leave their mark on the door .

Solving the problem of attention deficit is quite simple. To do this, you actually don’t need to do anything except devote more time to your pet. Most of all, cats love to be played with, communicated with and petted. You need to devote at least 5 minutes to this process several times a day. The pet will gradually begin to understand that the owner loves him and will stop being mischievous.

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Conclusion

Cats love to mark their territory and leave their scent on the people they love. Our feline friends also love to rub against things to confirm their ownership, and there's nothing better than being greeted by your pet headgear when you get home from work. Labeling their surroundings helps cats feel balanced and more secure. This allows other cats and animals to know everything about the cats living there and helps prevent fights that could result in injury to one or both cats.

The desire to mate is another reason

One of the functions of territory marking is to convey information about reproductive ability. Cat urine contains chemicals (pheromones) that send “messages” to other cats, which is why males and females use spraying to communicate during mating season. This is why it is so important to sterilize cats.

Sometimes sterilization is the only option

Problem: you have an unsterilized (not neutered) cat who begins to spray urine with a characteristic odor - strong and pungent.

How to fix it: Spay your cat. This will change the scent and may reduce her motivation to mark. A proven treatment method for cats who use spraying for reproductive purposes.

Tag prevention

Owners are often stunned by the strange behavior of their charge. Panic from the series “the cat is marking its territory, what should I do?” - a popular request, since not all parents know about the physiological features of their pets. Hormonal surges force animals of both sexes to mark. Especially if people are not concerned about timely sterilization. Therefore, the best prevention of bad behavior is sufficient attention to equipment, which will ensure the most correct conditions of detention. And to eliminate a bad habit, you will need sensitivity, tolerance and attention to your cat. After all, we are the ones responsible for those we have tamed.