There is no doubt that cats are great companions: elegant, playful and intelligent. However, sometimes situations can arise that confuse us and break the harmony in our coexistence with our feline friends. One of these situations that can disturb us and be annoying is marking inside the home
You may be wondering why cats have the need to mark in the first place, even when spayedWell, this behavior is due to the fact that cats are very territorial animals, because despite being predators, they are also vulnerable to other animals or possible "intruders" of their own species, thus leaving olfactory and visual marks, they delimit their territory. and create a safe area where they feel safe. They also provide information about their age, sex, he alth status, time of the reproductive cycle, etc. Keep reading on our site for some practical solutions when a sterilized cat keeps dialing
If I sterilize my cat, will it stop dialing?
There are three ways of marking cats: facial, urine, and nails.
Neutering usually corrects between 53% and 78% of cases of urine marking in males[1]. In females, if it is due to heat marking, it usually disappears completely, not disappearing if the underlying cause is another.
The facial and nail marking, do not respond to sterilization. All these data must be taken into account when deciding whether or not to sterilize our cat and clarify all doubts about it with our veterinarian, setting realistic expectations of what castration entails.
Below we will review in detail the three types of marking in a little more detail and some practical tips to avoid them as much as possible possible when they pose a problem.
1. Face marking
Consists of rubbing the sides of the neck with vertical objects or with other animals or people. This behavior leaves a olfactory markthat the cat considers to be his safe zone and helps reduce the stress associated with the changes. It is usually a sign that you are comfortable and that you are "at home". Normally it does not cause rejection in the owner, on the contrary, it is a sign of affection and trust.
two. Urine marking
Without a doubt, it is the one that most often worries owners and is even sometimes a reason for consultation and abandonment in the worst case. To begin with, it is very important to know how to differentiate when our cat has a behavior of marking and when it is due to a pathological process
When a cat urine marks, it performs spray micturition on vertical surfaces, raising its tail. They usually do them all over the house and continue to defecate inside the litter box or outside if they go outside the house (the marking with feces is very rare). When the cat is whole (unneutered), the marking is much more frequent and the smell of urine is much stronger, due to the presence of a large quantity of a substance called felinin.
In cases of diseases of the urinary tract (the most common is cystitis or inflammation of the bladder), urination is usually on horizontal surfaces and the animal usually urinates little and frequently (dysuria), even showing signs of pain (stranguria) and, occasionally, bloody urine (hematuria). In cases of aversion to the litter tray, they usually urinate close to it but outside and in a normal amount, and they usually defecate outside as well.
If we suspect that the behavior shown may be due to a he alth problem, it is important to contact the veterinarian to have it explored. Especially in males, it can be serious and action must be taken quickly (in addition, in sterilized and overweight cats it is more common to have problems in the lower urinary tract).
When marking persists after castration, it is usually related to stress problems, being more common in multi-cat households. Likewise, diseases of the lower urinary tract may be due to infectious causes, but most are also triggered by situations of chronic stress.
Therefore, the advice that we will give you will be aimed above all at minimizing stress in our cats:
- Environmental enrichment: it is important especially in indoor cats, and ranges from spending time playing with them, providing them with appropriate toys, elevated places from those who can control their territory, platforms near the windows so they can look outside, enough resting places and feeders for all the cats in the house, water sources or places to hide if they need it.
- Grooming area: the litter tray is recommended to be away from the area where the cat rests and eats. We must be careful with hygiene and avoid frequently changing the type of substrate and the type of tray. It should be big enough for the cat to turn on its own and there should be a tray ratio of n+1 with respect to the number of cats we have. We should also try to place them in a quiet area and, if possible, one that is not a regular transit area.
- Cleaning the marked area: it is recommended to clean the area with an enzymatic detergent and once clean, dry it well and wipe it with a cloth with surgical alcohol. Finally, the use of a synthetic feline appeasing pheromone spray, spraying it over the marked surface, is very useful. In this way, the cat will already consider that it has marked that place and will not urinate in it again. We will avoid the use of cleaning products with strong odors such as bleach or ammonia.
- NEVER we must scold and much less attack our animal for having urinated. They don't do it as revenge but as a way to manage the anxiety they suffer and if we act aggressively we would only make the situation worse.
- If we anticipate that there will be a major change at home: the arrival of a new animal, a baby, reforms, moving, etc, we must try to make this change as gradual as possible and we can help ourselves again with the use of synthetic pheromones, either in spray or diffuser so that the cat feels that it is still its territory and is calmer. Rubbing your neck with a cloth and rubbing it over new furniture, the new house, the baby's crib, etc. may also help. And it is important not to force him to meet new members or strangers if he is scared and hides, we must respect his space.
3. Fingernail marking
In this case, we must also differentiate the case of marking with that of filing and wear of the nails and exercise of the claws. When the cat is wearing its claws, it usually does so by standing upright on a vertical surface, scratching the surface and stretching its back. They often use tree trunks if they are outside or scratching posts and/or furniture if they are inside the house. In this case, they tend to always choose the same sites. It is a physiological behavior and necessary for the mental and physical he alth of our kittens.
In the case of marking, they usually do it throughout the house, choosing strategic places such as door and window frames, walls… this type marking leaves a visual mark with scratches and an olfactory mark with sweat glands on the footpads, warning other members of the same species of the limits of its territory.
To avoid scratching our furniture and make it easier for them to use the scraper, here are some tips:
- Scratcher: it must be robust, stable and high enough so that the cat can stretch its back on it. It is recommended to place it near your resting place. If we see that it uses a piece of furniture, such as the leg of a table or the sofa, we will place it next to it and every time the cat tries to scratch there, we will take it gently and without scolding it to the scratching post and gently rub its hands on it so that learn that this is where you should sharpen your nails.
- We can use a catnip spray to encourage him to go to his scratching post. Never spray pheromones on the scratching post because it will prevent scratching as it is considered "marked". Find out more about catnip for cats on our site.
- In multi-cat houses, we will take into account environmental enrichment and the advice we have given in the previous section to prevent them from marking due to competition or stress.
- As in the case of urine, we will proceed to clean the area in the same way and spray pheromones at the end.
- If we see the cat scratching door and window frames, control the access of possible strange cats to the home. A good option may be the implantation of magnetic cat flaps.
If our kitten is still young, it is important to get him used to new situations, new people, other friendly animals, etc so that As an adult, don't be so sensitive to stressful situations. If our cat is already an adult and we see that the marking and other signs of anxiety are getting worse, its quality of life has decreased and we are not able to manage it, we should put ourselves in the hands of a veterinary specialist in ethology clinic to assess the case.
