One of the most common cat behavior complaints is urinating or spraying urine in the apartment. This is a normal behavioral feature of cats.
Cats that do mark primarily urinate on vertical surfaces, although they occasionally mark horizontal surfaces as well. They spray the area with a small amount of urine and exhibit typical behavior – moving backwards towards the object, lifting the tail and often supporting it, stepping from paw to paw.
Why is the cat marking in the apartment?
Reasons why a male or a female marks:
- Territory designation.
- Attracting a sexual partner.
- Stress.
- Revenge. Cats may leave marks if they are offended.
- Lack of games and attention.
- Health problems.
A cat that has begun to urinate in the wrong place should be taken to the veterinarian for examination. Cystitis or other urinary tract problems can cause your pet to feel tense and pass small amounts of urine frequently. An infection or irritation causes the cat to urinate immediately rather than trying to go outside or to the litter box. Such urination can sometimes be confused with normal marks.
What to do if Maine Coon marks at home?
The first step towards solving the problem of urine splashing by a cat in an apartment is to find out the cause of their occurrence. Cat behavior experts recommend ruling out health problems first. To do this, you will need to visit a urologist, pass urine for analysis, and conduct an ultrasound examination of the urinary system.
If you have several pets at home, then you need to determine which one is marking. If you’re not sure which cat is marking, talk to your doctor about using fluorescein, a harmless dye. It does not stain furniture or walls, but it does make urine glow blue under ultraviolet light for about 24 hours. If you can’t use fluorescein, then you need to temporarily keep your cats apart to determine which one is marking.
What to do next:
- If the cat is absolutely healthy and not neutered, then you should think
about neutering. Often this solves the problem. - Provide cats with enough toiletries. Make sure your home has one litter
box for each cat, plus one more. For example, if you have three cats, you
will need at least four toilets. Place an extra litter box in areas where a
marking cat spends most of its time. Change the filler completely at least
once a week, and remove lumps daily. Clean all trays with warm water and
unscented soap or soap-free baking soda. This helps to reduce the presence
of the ‘other cat’ odor. - Provide multiple seating areas. Cats need their own space. Conflict can
often be reduced simply by providing more shelves or beds so that all cats
have a place to rest away from the others. - Allocate resources. Provide multiple sources of food, water, scratching
posts, and toys so that each cat can use them without coming into contact or
conflict with another cat. - Play with your pets. This will help distract them.
- Thoroughly clean areas where your cat has left marks with an enzymatic
cleaner designed to neutralize pet odors. You can find this cleaner at most
pet stores. - All new items are best put away or let the cat rub his muzzle on them so
that she can leave her scent on them. - Use feline pheromones, which have been shown to have some effect on
relieving stress in cats. You can use a diffuser or collar. - In some cases, you have to use antidepressants. Because tagging is often
a sign of stress or anxiety, medications may be of additional help in
treatment. If you are considering these medications, be sure to check with
your veterinarian first.
What should not be done if the Maine Coon marks the territory of the apartment with urine?
Here are a few things to avoid when eliminating unwanted behavior in a cat:
- Don’t poke your pet’s nose into urine.
- Do not throw objects at or hit the cat.
- Do not use an ammonia-based cleanser to remove cat marks. By doing this,
you will attract your cat to the same place so that she will mark it again. - Do not force it into the tray.
- Don’t shout.
We have prepared this article to help you understand the causes of labels
and tell you about ways to deal with them. Each cat is unique and situations
may differ, so it will take time to understand what your pet’s unwanted
behavior is and eliminate it.
If you can’t get rid of the marks, then it’s time to turn to professionals
for help. Take your cat to a veterinary urologist who can diagnose,
prescribe a behavioral adjustment program and treat if necessary. Have
patience and you will be able to achieve the desire