Does your cat tend to urinate on any vertical surfaces it finds, including your curtains? Do not panic! The marking of the territory by jets of urine is a relatively frequent reason for consultation among veterinarians. It can even be a reason for abandonment, especially when cat owners are desperate to find a solution. However, this behavior is particularly easy to solve (yes yes!). We tell you how to do it!
Be careful, the fact that a cat urinates all over the house to mark its territory has nothing to do with whether or not it is sterilized. Indeed, even if sterilization can reduce this behavior, it is not a miracle cure.
1. Block their view
Most of the time, when a cat emits jets of urine all over the house, it is for the simple and good reason that it feels its territory threatened by another cat. Indeed, our feline friends are aces of observation. However, when a cat passes under their window or in their street, there is a good chance that they will see it.
Thus, in order to warn this potential threat that the territory near which it is venturing is already occupied, your cat does not hesitate to leave its body odors everywhere, especially on doors, windows or even walls.
And even if you don’t see a strange cat prowling around your house, that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. For this reason, try for a few days to close the curtains or the shutters of the windows which overlook places where cats could pass. You can also use parchment paper on your windows to block the view but not the light. If your cat stops marking urine, you have found the solution!
2. Stop using bleach
It’s well known that cats are attracted to the smell of bleach. The reason? The latter has a pH close to that of urine. So when you clean an area of your house with bleach, your cat will think another cat has peed there. It must then urinate in turn in the same place in order to mark their territory again. A real vicious circle, in short.
For this reason, cat owners are strongly advised to choose other household and, if possible, natural products.
3. Offer a marking alternative to your cat
Your cat has other, less awkward ways of marking its territory: rubbing against furniture and walls and scratching. In this sense, to encourage them to use these two methods rather than marking by urine jets, do not hesitate to place scratching posts in the areas where it urinates.
Also, consider rubbing catnip or spraying pheromones on urine-stained areas to encourage your cat to rub instead of urinate.
4. Avoid changes
The arrival of a new animal, a visitor, a move or even the simple change of place of a piece of furniture can stress your cat. Your furball will then seek to regain its bearings in its environment by marking its territory. Indeed, our feline friends are very attached to their little routine of life. And the slightest change can make them particularly anxious.
So be sure to avoid upsetting your cat’s life as much as possible!
5. Use positive reinforcement
Finally, you can try changing your cat’s association of their favorite marking areas with their urine streams. To do this, perform other activities, pleasant for your cat, in these areas. It can be play sessions or cuddling sessions.
Likewise, do not hesitate to feed it in the places where it has marked its territory so that it associates them with meal areas. Indeed, cats tend to very clearly separate the areas of urine marking and the places where they take their meals.
