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

What are cat tags and why are they needed?

A cat mark is a small portion of urine that a pet leaves on the territory in order to secure the right to its possession. In the wild, animals that smell the urine of a dominant male try to stay away from the object that he has appropriated. Otherwise, the cat will regard such interference as a call to fight. At home, most healthy pets retain similar instincts. The pet marks the territory not to annoy the owner, but so that everyone knows that this territory belongs to him.

Cats mark territory in order to designate their territory and protect it from the invasion of other animals.

Many people falsely believe that animals do not release urine, but some other liquid. This is not true at all. Cats mark their possessions with urine, only in very small quantities. The specific smell is due to the high concentration of certain hormones in the animal’s urine. It is with the onset of puberty that such an instinct awakens in the pet. Cats most often mark vertically located objects by lifting their tail high and raising their hind legs.

The following factors can push an animal into constant and frequent marking of an apartment:

• stress caused by moving to a new home;
• the appearance of another pet with whom you have to share the territory;
• improper castration;
• the arrival of a new family member;
• nervous overload;
• lack of love.

As it turns out, pets mark their territory not only with urine, but also with their anal glands, lightly touching something and raising their tail. Cats also do this by kneading the owner’s abdomen, back and legs with their paws, rubbing their cheeks and scratching their gums on the person’s hand.

At one time I had two cats. One of them was adopted when the second pet was already grown up. The cats immediately accepted each other, and there were no problems. None of the favorites ever marked territory. However, after the death of the eldest, the younger one began to feel sad, and began to notice that marks appeared. Another factor that provoked the problem was a change of place of residence, which at that time was impossible to do without. The cat only marked in one room. It was extremely difficult to get rid of the smell of urine. But after some time, the animal adapted and stopped marking. Fortunately, castration was not required.

Why does a neutered cat continue to mark?

Reasons why a neutered pet does not stop marking:

1. Habit. A castrated cat can continue to “play pranks” for several months after the operation, because a certain amount of hormones remain in the animal’s blood for some time, which push the pet to such actions. In this case, you need to be patient and wait a little.
2. Wildness and experience of marks. If the animal is used to living on the street and was neutered at over a year of age, then the bad habit may persist for another 2-3 months after the operation. As the concentration of hormones in the blood decreases, the cat’s behavior normalizes and he stops marking.
3. Cryptorchidism. It happens that an animal’s testicles develop incorrectly, and one of them does not descend into the scrotum. When performing castration, the doctor can only remove what is available to him. In this case, one testicle remains in the abdominal cavity, which provokes the appearance of marks after the operation. If a cat is diagnosed with cryptorchidism, then castration should not be carried out in the standard way, but using direct access - an incision in the abdominal cavity.
4. Presence of other animals. Fear, jealousy, and switching attention to other pets can contribute to the appearance of marks in already neutered cats.
5. Diseases of the urinary system. Cystitis, pyelonephritis, the presence of kidney stones - all these factors can provoke the resumption of a bad habit in a pet after surgery.

If there are several cats in the house, then the likelihood that the pet will continue to mark increases

Attention! If after castration you give your pet enough attention and show him your love and care, then the risk of resuming the harmful habit of releasing a stream of urine in the wrong place is reduced several times.

Reasons for marking territory after castration - video

How to wean your pet from the habit of marking

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to wean an animal from the habit of marking territory. Many people think that if you constantly scold a cat or rub his nose into a crime scene, he will stop doing it. Not only will the listed options not help, but they will also aggravate the situation, since during times of stress the pet will mark even more actively.

Scolding a cat is a dubious method that can only make the situation worse

The optimal method is castration. In this case, the habit will go away over time as the activity of the sex glands decreases. The operation is performed under general anesthesia and is considered minimally invasive and harmless to the pet. The cat’s body recovers quickly, and after 8–12 weeks the pet completely forgets about the habit of marking. In this case, both testicles are removed from the animal using a miniature incision in the scrotum area. The surgical suture heals quickly, and the cat returns to his normal life within 1–2 weeks.

After castration, a cat stops marking and becomes calmer

In addition to castration, you can try lavender oil. It not only scares the cat away from the crime scene, but also prevents the appearance of new marks. Essential oil can be applied in concentrated form to the place where the animal most often misbehaves. It is also recommended to add a few drops to a bucket of water when cleaning floors.

To treat already marked corners, you can use a cotton pad to thoroughly rub in the oil. As the ether wears off, the procedure can be repeated, but over time this need disappears, because the cat loses interest in the event in the presence of a pungent odor.

Lavender essential oil is unpleasant for cats

To rid your pet of a bad habit, you can also try Ecoprom spray “Does not crap, does not mark.” This product has a specific odor that is neutral for people, but unpleasant for cats. Before spraying the spray, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the areas where the animal most often shits. Treatment should be carried out 2 times a day until the pet stops marking the territory.

Spray Ecoprom “Doesn’t shit, doesn’t mark” allows you to wean your cat from the habit of mischief in the wrong place

Attention! Many experts advise influencing your pet psychologically in order to permanently wean him off the bad habit. To do this, it is recommended to take the cat by the withers with your hand and raise it to eye level, making sounds like a hiss, and lightly hit the ears with the other palm, thereby showing who is boss in the house. Adherents of this method believe that in this way the animal will cease to consider itself the main one in the territory. However, such actions will instill in the pet distrust of the owner and fears, which will only aggravate the situation.

Effective methods to combat cat odor

Special products based on natural enzymes will help fight marks on carpets, corners and slippers. These liquids can be used to remove bad odor marks once and for all. And, in addition, the treated area will reduce the animal’s interest in repeated bowel movements.

You can buy a composition with enzymes at a specialized pet store. The average cost of such a product is 500-600 rubles. Despite the high price, this liquid completely justifies the money spent with a rather effective effect.

How to get rid of the unpleasant smell of tags in the apartment

To get rid of the unpleasant smell of cat marks, you need to thoroughly wash the area where the cat has acted. Then let it dry and apply a special spray, which can be purchased at a pet store. Some of the most effective are Hygiene, “Stain, Mark and Odor Eliminator for Cats” and others. These sprays should be sprayed immediately after wet cleaning, before the cat marks again.

Spray "Stain, Mark and Odor Eliminator" effectively removes cat urine

To eliminate unpleasant odors, you can try tar soap, which has a bright woody aroma. It is best to use a liquid version, which can be easily applied to a dirty surface. The soap should be left until completely dry, and then take a damp sponge and wipe off. If necessary, you can repeat the procedure.

Tar soap has a pleasant woody aroma and helps remove cat marks.

Another folk remedy that allows you to get rid of the effects of cat marks is lemon juice, which should be used in concentrated form. Using a cotton pad, apply the liquid to the contaminated surface. However, it is important to thoroughly rinse the area with bleach first. Otherwise, the smell of urine will persist for a long time.

Lemon juice helps remove the smell of cat marks

In addition, many cat owners use a bite that effectively deals with the smell of cat urine. This product should only be used after thorough cleaning. The bite should be applied to the entire marked surface. The procedure should also be repeated the next day. Instead of vinegar, hydrogen peroxide also does an excellent job, which can be used to treat almost any surface.

Vinegar helps eliminate cat urine odor

Cat urine has a strong odor that is not easy to get rid of, so it is recommended to use several products at once.

How to get rid of the smell of cat urine - video

Rules for arranging a toilet: choosing a tray

Many cats love trays with bars that don’t get their paws dirty. It is important to rinse this tray thoroughly after each time your pet goes to the toilet. The tray can be filled with special absorbent granules. Then daily cleaning after your pet will only include removing solid waste from the litter. The granules absorb moisture and odor well, but tend to stick to the paw pads or roll out over the sides of the tray during the process of instillation. To avoid litter spillage, choose a tray with high sides commensurate with the size of your cat. The pet should be comfortable using its toilet.