Felines use different types of marking to leave visual and olfactory signals in their environment and thus be able to transmit relevant information to their peers. This means that marking has an important communicative function for cats and is a completely natural behavior of the species, although we may find it annoying or unpleasant that our hairy spray urine on the curtains at home or scratch the corners of the sofa.
If you share your daily life with one or more cats or are thinking of doing so and would like to know more about marking behavior, this article on our site is of interest to you, because in it we will talk about why and how cats mark, what types of cat marking exist and what we can do if our feline is constantly leaving marks around the house, don't miss it!
Why do cats mark?
Until relatively recently it was thought that cats only marked through their urine, that this was the exclusive task of males and that they did it for a single reason: to delimit their territory and prevent intruders enter it. However, today we know that, although the latter is a real reason, it is not the only one that exists and it is not true that cats mark exclusively through urine, since they also do it in other ways. In addition, as has been verified, female cats mark territory, so they also mark with the same frequency as males, so it is demonstrated that this is not a behavior that depends on the feline sex
Cats dial to communicate with each other, that's the main goal. Thanks to this system, animals can receive olfactory information about the sex, age or he alth status of the other felines in the area, as if it were a letter of introduction. But why do they do this? if cats emit all this information, it is probably for one of the following reasons:
- Delimitation of territory: This is the most documented cause. Cats mark the limits of their usual territory to warn other animals that they live there. Inside the house, the cat, whether male or female and regardless of whether or not it is sterilized, usually marks the spaces where the most valuable resources are found (its feeder, its toys or its bed, for example) or the areas where it most intense is the smell of the guardian, like the sofa. In general, cats are not very willing to share what they consider to be their home or their hunting or resting area with other unknown animals, so when other cats detect these messages, they tend to move away to avoid disputes.
- Sexual Interest: The information emitted through a marking can also have the objective of indicating the sexual availability of the individual and the intention of her to find a partner to reproduce with. This type of marking is observed in both sexes and, while in non-sterilized females it is much more frequent and intense during the mating season, in entire males it occurs practically throughout the year.
- Environmental factors and stress: Cats are very sensitive animals, so changes in their environment or in the animal's routine they can generate a lot of stress, which leads them to increase the frequency with which they mark, especially with urine, but also with their nails. In this case, the feline's goal is not so much to communicate with its peers, but rather to try to adapt to an environment that makes it feel insecure, reduce its anxiety and relax. Discover in this other article the Symptoms of stress in cats to act quickly.
Types of marking on cats
As we mentioned earlier, urine is one of the ways cats use to mark, but it's not the only way. Other behaviors can also be used for communicative purposes although, sometimes, we are not aware of it.
The main types of marking in cats are detailed below:
Urine marking
Urine contains a lot of olfactory information in the form of pheromones that cats detect and process through a special structure called the vomeronasal organ. This organ, located in the palate behind the upper incisors, is what allows felines to know, among other things, the sexual or he alth status of other animals. When the cat urine marks, it raises its tail to a fully erect position and moves it rapidly (as if vibrating) while releasing small spray droplets of urineon a vertical element. This behavior is carried out by males and females, so cats also mark territory with urine.
Because the urine passed for marking purposes is different from "normal" urine, many guardians wonder what marking cats smells like. The truth is that cat urine gives off a much stronger odor than that of other animals, which is why it is easily noticeable when they spray any area of the home with urine. In this way, the marking urine, like "normal" urine, also smells quite strong.
Foot marking
Anyone who is or has been a guardian of a cat will know that these animals tend to scratch certain items in the house such as sofas, the chairs or the trees in the garden. This, contrary to what many people think, they do not do it to "annoy" us and, although it is true that scratching is important for the maintenance of the nails, the main objective is not to sharpen them either. Scratching certain surfaces is a natural and necessary behavior in the cat and responds to a type of marking called "foot". Through this behavior, the feline leaves a signal that is, at the same time, visual and olfactory, because its legs also contain glands that release pheromones.
Facial Marking
Finally, we find facial marking, which is what cats carry out when they rub their face against certain objects, animals or peopleThe feline usually performs this type of marking when it is calm and comfortable in a space or with an individual and, in doing so, leaves a chemical signal (pheromones) on the surface in question. Thus, if your cat rubs his face against yours, he is leaving that signal on you because he feels safe and comfortable with you. Without a doubt, it is a clear sign of trust, but beware! It does not mean that he is marking you as something "his"; In the following sections we will talk about them.
When do cats start marking?
Now that we know the types of markings, at what age do cats mark? As a general rule, an increase in marking behaviors begins to be observed when sexual maturity is reached, which in cats occurs at an early age. In the case of females, maturity is reached with the arrival of the first oestrus, which usually takes place between 6 and 7 months, although depending on the time of year, the temperature or the breed of the feline, among other genetic and environmental factors, some female cats can reach maturity even earlier, being able to get pregnant already at four months of age. For their part, the males are usually earlier and at the age of 4 or 5 months most are already considered sexually mature.
Reaching sexual maturity means that felines feel the need to go out and find a mate, so markings, especially those carried out through urine, begin to be more frequent, both outside like inside the house. In addition, as they grow, cats begin to delimit their territory and protect it from possible intruders, which means that they will mark more intensely those areas that they consider to be More value. However, as we have seen, there are other types of marking that are not related to the reproductive instinct or to territoriality. Stress markings can appear in cats at any age, whenever they feel insecure or upset in a situation they are not able to control, such as a move, the arrival of a new member of the family or a sudden change in their routines.
On the other hand, the facial markings usually appear when the animal is calm, relaxed and happyand it is very common for him to carry them out on his tutors when he feels comfortable with them. This marking can also appear at any age, as long as the cat trusts the humans with whom it lives and feels safe in its environment.
How do cats mark?
We know the types of marking in cats and when they start to develop them, but exactly how do they mark? Let's see it to answer the most frequent doubts related to marking:
How do cats mark people?
As you have probably seen on more than one occasion, cats usually rub their face against their legs, hands or other parts of the body. body of people with whom they trust and with whom they feel safe, generally with their guardians. This is a type of facial marking with which they leave chemical marks on us.
As the most studied type of marking in felines has always been territorial, for a long time it has been explained that cats mark us because they consider us their property, that is, part of their territory. However, this explanation is somewhat simplistic and underestimates the relationship that the cat can have with its guardian, compared to the one it can have with any other inanimate object.
If we observe the behavior of cats we will realize that they also rub each other's faces when they meet after separated for a time and they do not do it because "they belong to each other". This behavior, which is often accompanied by purring, is carried out only with their closest companions, with those with whom they live or with whom they have a friendly relationship. Similarly, they rub against their guardians as a greeting and, leaving their scent, strengthen their bond with them.
How do cats mark their territory?
When it comes to marking territory, cats can do it in several ways. Urine marking and foot marking are the most common to delimit a space and warn other animals of their presence. Cats that have access to outdoor areas tend to mark the trees, walls and other vertical elements that are around their home, spraying them with urine or scratching them. On the other hand, indoor cats tend to prefer to mark door and window frames and areas where guardians spend a lot of time or where it is easier for them to properly introduce their nails, such as chairs, sofas, or beds.
Once they have delimited their activity, hunting and rest areas, they regularly renew their scent through facial markings, which that makes them feel comfortable in their environment. For this reason, it is completely normal and habitual to observe that the cat rubs against objects and furniture.
What to do when a cat marks?
Although it can be very unpleasant for our cat to spray urine inside the house or scratch the furniture, marking is a totally natural behavior in cats, so much so that they do it even when they do not live with other cats or when there is no possibility of other animals invading their territory. For this reason, it is ineffective (and in some cases even counterproductive) to punish them for it. However, this does not mean that there are no ways to reduce the frequency with which the feline carries out these behaviors and, depending on the type of marking and its purpose, some will be more effective than others.
Neuter/sterilization
The first option that probably comes to mind is castration. The truth is that the removal of the sexual organs is a very effective solution in the case of marking for reproductive purposes By eliminating the main source of sexual hormones, it reduces Marking with urine, as well as other problems associated with the sexual instinct, for example, unwanted litters or the impulse of cats to move away from the home to look for a mate, which can lead to accidents or fights, is significantly affected. However, castration can also have certain drawbacks, especially if it is carried out at an early age, so it should always be evaluated with a veterinarian and a feline ethologist.
On the other hand, the marking of sterilized cats can continue depending on several factors, such as the age at which they have been castrated and, above all, the type of marking. We talk about it in this article: "Why does my sterilized cat keep marking?".
Synthetic pheromones and enriched environment
On the other hand, the marking that takes place as a consequence of stress is not eliminated by castration, but by providing the cat with a enriched, calm and stable environment where you can feel safe. To create this space we can, for example, use calming feline pheromones, place enough towers and scratching posts for the animal to scratch and climb on them, or use boxes at kind of lair in which the cat can hide if it feels unsafe. Of course, we should never punish the animal for urinating or scratching the furniture, as we can increase its stress levels.
Don't miss our article where we share our Tricks to prevent a cat from marking.
Veterinary Consultation
Finally, keep in mind that urine marking is not the same as inappropriate urination, that is, that the cat urinates in places other than its litter box. If you notice that your feline begins to pee more frequently than usual or that it does so outside the space designated for it, consult your veterinarian to rule out possible pathologies, such as a urine infection.
