Animal Corner - Inappropriate cat urination - 11 March
Cats are very territorial creatures, it is very important to
them to have a defined territory one that is not invaded by other
intruders.
There are thought to be between 1 - 1.5 million domestic cats in
New Zealand (this does not include feral cats). Often meaning
several cats living together in the same small suburban property,
and surrounded by even more cats on neighbouring properties. To a
cat that is very territorial it stands to reason that this can be a
very stressful situation.
I am often asked the following:
Why does my cat pee inside?
Why does my cat insist on scratching the furniture?
Why does my cat keep getting into fights?
Of course, there may be many reasons for the above, but one very
common one is that your cat is simply protecting his home.
When a cat lifts its tail and pees on your computer, s/he is simply
marking it with his/her sent. They are not being bad or spiteful,
just sending a very clear message that it is their property.
There are, of course, other reasons for a cat to pee inside, i.e.
cystitis, so always make sure you have your pet vet checked to
insure you have the right take on the situation.
Although marking against other cats is very common, this behaviour
is not limited to guarding against feline intruders - a new baby, a
new couch, dog, cat or partner could also set your friend
off.
Marking can be identified as spraying urine in a standing position
with the tail erect.
Cats can also squat and wee inside if they are feeling stressed.
Many cats fall victim to being bullied outside. Peeing is a
venerable position to be in and some cats feel more secure behind
your TV than out in the open garden.
People often assume that cats scratch to sharpen their claws and of
course they do, but cats also scratch items of furniture to mark
their territory too. Next time your cat is scratching, try to
notice whether he/she is scratching a piece of carpet of furniture
in front of a cat door or doorway - if so it could be that your cat
is sending a message to other cats not to come in, that the house
already has a resident feline.
Cat fights are so nasty but so very common, especially in spring
when the un-desexed stray cats are roaming the neighbourhood. If
stray or a neighbours cat starts to invade your feline's patch, all
of the above behaviour is very likely. If your cat is unable to
defend his turf than huge the emotional strain can lead to some
pretty serious behaviour problems, like urinating throughout the
hose, pulling out its own fur and becoming aggressive.
Dealing with inappropriate urinating
- The first step to dealing with these problems is
understanding them. What is causing your cats stress?
- Never be angry with your cat, as it will just cause him/her
more pressure and heighten the problem.
- Try to remove the cause of the problem.
- Do not let strange cats have access to your home. An
electric magnectic cat flap may help.
- Desex your cat - this will lessen the likeyhood of strays
hanging around.
- Or give your cat acceptable and safe places to mark like
dirt trays and cat scratches placed in strategic
positions.
- If your cat won't use a dirt tray try a different type of
litter - sometimes they have a substrate preference.
- Clean the litter tray daily.
- Do not clean marked areas with urine with ammonia based
products - the sent will smell like another cats wee and your cat
will re mark over the top!
- Use mild soap, white vinegar or odour eliminator spray to
clean urine marking.
- Bach flower and rescue remedies can help relax your
cat.
- When introducing a new cat or item into the household get a
flannel and rub it around your cat's checks (their scent glands)
then rub the scented flannel over the new cat/object. This will
make the new item acceptable and less intrusive to your cat.
- Plug-in artificial pheromones can be very calming to a
stressed cat.
But always remember your cat is just trying to protect your home,
so please take the time to help him/her and ask for professional
help.
