Many cat lovers are familiar with the fact that many cats are not doing their business where we would like. This is a very frustrating problem that many people find difficult to get rid of. In addition to the cleaning work that entails, this also very often leaves an unpleasant, penetrating smell in the house. To better understand this cat problem, we need to understand this cat behavior better. What is the difference between spraying, marking, and being unclean in cats? What are the causes and how can we solve this problem?
- Why does your cat spray, mark or urinate in the house?
- The difference between spraying or marking and being unclean
- A number of reasons why your cat might spray
- The reason for spraying or recognizing the uncleanliness is the first step
- A last resort
- How do you best clean a spray spot?
Why does your cat spray, mark or urinate in the house?
A cat is a mammal and like all mammals that reside both indoors and outdoors, the cat also marks its habitat.
This can happen in different ways, namely:
- by spraying
- by scratching
- through faeces
- by emptying the anal glands
- by giving cups
Most cats start spraying when they are sexually mature. Spraying can be recognized by the position the cat adopts. He straightens up and urinates a small amount of urine back. While during the spraying its tail vibrates. It is a misconception that neutered or neutered cats no longer spray. About 10% of the neutered males and about 5% of the neutered females spray and mark.
The difference between spraying or marking and being unclean
To mark
Spraying and / or marking is part of normal feline behavior. Cats use this method to communicate messages to other cats, including:
- Who marked?
- When was it marked?
- The emotional / hormonal status of the person who marked it
- Where the boundaries of the territory are
They do not only mark with urine and faeces, but also by scratching objects and giving cups.
Uncleanliness
We speak of uncleanliness when the cat in a normal urination position urinates (or defecates) on a horizontal surface, with a normal amount of urine or feces. The following causes can be at the root of the uncleanliness:
- An aversion to the gravel in the litter box
- An aversion to the place of the litter box
- Preference for a different location than the location of the litter box
It may also be that the cat has learned as a kitten to urinate on, for example, towels or something similar instead of going into the litter box because this was easier for the kitten to reach. In this case, this is a learned behavior and the cat will always seek out something similar as it will prefer it to its litter box.
Uncleanliness and spraying in the house can be remedied, if you can find the cause and remove it. In addition, the cat must unlearn the wrongly learned behavior.
A number of reasons why your cat might spray
Very often cats go spraying in the house because of stress. This can include:
- major changes: the cat is insecure due to a move or a change in family or animal composition
- a new cat in the house
- change of place of furniture
- the neighbor’s or nearby cat intimitates your cat
- the litter box is not cleaned often enough
- the cat has a “negative bowl experience”, for example loud bang while sitting on the bowl
- there is only one box for several cats
- cleaning is done with bleach: a cat finds this a wonderful smell to urinate on
- there are too many visitors and the cat receives too little attention
- Objects lying around have attractive smells to the cat, such as grass-scented shoes
The reason for the spraying or recognizing the uncleanliness is the first step
It is very important to find out why the cat keeps spraying and / or urinating in the house. For this you will have to observe him for a while and possibly keep track of when and where he sprayed and urinated. Depending on how you think you have discovered the reason, you can make changes to the home, your lifestyle or the number of pets. You can usually achieve success with this, but sometimes not.
A last resort
If you’ve already tried everything, you can try the following:
- clean the spray spots
- make the spray spots unpleasant by placing aluminum foil, for example
- change the location of the litter box to a quiet place
- you can possibly try to put the food bowl on the spraying place
- buy a litter box: ideal is the number of cats + one
- refresh the litter box after each visit
- change cat litter
- put valerian drops in the litter box
- try to let the cat stay with family or friends for a week: in the meantime you clean your house from top to bottom. This sometimes works with cats that spray out of habit, the circle is then broken.
- You can use a special spray to treat the spray spots
- try “potty training”: at night and when it is absent, confine the cat in a small room with its litter box and food until it only puts it on the box, then gradually widen the space.
Remember, pushing or punishing the cat with the nose in the urine is completely pointless.
How do you best clean a spray spot?
Prepare a warm 10% solution of biological detergent, for example biotex. Then rinse and dry. Then spray the area with an alcoholic solution. This can be methylated spirits. Vinegar also works well. You can put this in a plant sprayer and spray it. Rub off with a cloth if necessary. Let it dry well before the cat can rejoin it.