Why does a cat start tagging in the house?

By understanding the reasons, the owner will be able to better understand the pet. Only after that, you can begin to take action and correct the behavior.

How to teach the cat to tag?

Growing up in kittens manifests itself in the form of foul-smelling tags, which the pet tries to leave all over the apartment. You can't scold or punish your pet, because he follows his instinct and doesn't understand what he has done wrong. What to do then? Understand what the reason is. We will tell you how to wean your cat from this bad habit, and what to do if a neutered cat marks his territory.

Both males and females can tag territory. Animals communicate with each other in the wild through smells, it's also a territory marker.

How do you know if a cat is ticking?

Check the litter box; it may be dirty and time for a new one. It's quite possible that dirty sand with a characteristic odor does not please the animal, and he begins to look for another place.

Medical Problems

Diseases of the urinary system and kidneys, inflammatory processes – all this can manifest itself in uncleanliness and unpleasant odor.

Stress factors

Stress is a situation in which the male feels insecure. The arrival of new animals in the house, guests, the birth of a child from the owner, as well as repairs, travel can provoke the animal to tag .

Puberty

Owners know that an animal during the mating season begins to tag corners, furniture, and other objects. This is an instinct with which it cannot fight. Puberty begins at the age of 7-8 months at puberty. And the process proceeds very individually, not only in different breeds, but also in individuals of the same breed. Unpleasant smell of urine is one of the manifestations of puberty. Even if the cat doesn't urinate, the litter box will need to be changed more often than usual due to the unpleasant odor.

How a cat urinates

It's important not to miss the point when a cat starts to sweep. They usually start doing this during puberty. They leave marks in different ways:

Yes, but perhaps you take it as a display of love and affection. A cat rubs its owner's legs to mark it with its scent. There are special glands on the cat's body that secrete a secret with a specific odor, and each cat has its own. These glands are located on the muzzle, between the toes on the paws and around the anus. Cats can also leave odor tags, which is the smell of urine with secret.

Note. When a cat raises its tail high and jerks it slightly, it is marking its territory. In this way, the animal stimulates the paranasal glands, from which the secret is secreted.

Sometimes the scent secret is called pheromones. This interpretation has nothing to do with the paranasal secretion, but in some cases it is still appropriate. Some cats like to lick their owner's armpits and legs. So they "wash away" the smell of a person and leave their own in that place.

What the owner should do

If the owner can't figure out what has caused the pet to get into such a state, the best solution is to contact a professional. The following can be done at home:

• Strictness. Physical punishment is excluded. You can scold the cat, but only if the owner caught the animal in the act. A stern look, a slightly raised tone of voice – no physical punishment. If the owner uses punishment, the cat can start to retaliate even more.
• Discouragement. As soon as the owner has noticed that the animal has begun to assume a characteristic posture and shake its tail, you can take the sprayer and spray the cat. It is unlikely that the animal will appreciate such a gesture. Repellent only helps if the owner caught the cat in the act of committing a crime. Scaring away can also be done with noise. At the critical moment, as soon as the cat raises its tail to apply the tag, you should clap your hands loudly, ring the bell or sharply squeeze the squeaky toy.
• Applying special compositions. Animals are more likely to leave specific markings on the corners of the house, legs of chairs, sofas and doors. Surfaces should be treated with substances that pets do not like. For example, you can use alcohol solutions, colognes, vinegar, citrus fruits. The most unpleasant are essential oils of grapefruit, orange or lemon.
• Using special products sold in pet stores. You can correct cat behavior with special sprays, such as Smart Spray, Protect Places, Antigadine Spray.

You can correct your pet's behavior with affection and patience. By giving a bored cat enough attention, the owner will be able to correct the pet's behavior. It is important to clean the litter box regularly and wash food and water bowls. Cleanliness of the dog bed is also very important. A pet that lives in the house should be given maximum attention and care when a new family member arrives. This way, the cat will not feel abandoned.

How you can teach the cat to litter

A number of rules should be remembered – do not use physical force or punishment, do not yell at the animal and do not try to "bump" his face in the "deed". Help in weaning the cat to tag, will help:

• Fairness and severity .. If the owner caught the cat for "crime", it is allowed to scold him severely. You can slightly raise the tone of voice, add a stern look.
• Discouragement .. During the time when the pet intends to mark the territory, it changes the position of the torso – it raises its tail and starts shaking it. At this point, the owner can spray the pet with a spray gun or clap his hands loudly.
• Using Special Tools. Those places where the cat leaves his tags should be treated with special compounds in the form of sprays. It will help in weaning the cat from tagging such products as "Smart Spray", "Antigadine Spray" or "Protect Places". Alcohol-based solutions can be used to treat chair legs, sofas, doorjambs or corners of the house. Citrus scents and colognes are also suitable. Essential oils of orange, grapefruit and lemon are considered unpleasant for cats. But not always.

The pet's behavior can be corrected by a patient and affectionate attitude. It is important to give a bored pet enough attention and time, to clean the litter box regularly, to wash bowls, to give him treats. If the cat suddenly begins to actively tag its territory, which was not previously observed, the owner is desirable to observe the animal more closely. The cause may be pathology in the urogenital system (cystitis, urolithiasis, kidney sand).

Will neutering help if the cat excretes?

One radical solution is to have the cat neutered. For the first 3-4 weeks after surgery, the animal may continue to vomit. The reason is unstable hormonal background. Some time is needed for the body to restore balance.

When neutering an adult cat over 1 year of age, the owner must be prepared that the cat will continue to vomit in the area for several months. You should have patience and use special deterrents. It is absolutely useless to punish or scold the animal.

In cases when a young cat tags territory for more than 1 month after castration, it is recommended to seek help from the veterinary clinic. The fact is that cats are often diagnosed with cryptorchidism. A testicle that did not descend into the scrotum in time, may have been left and continues to produce male hormones. Problems are solved by repeated surgical intervention, only in this case – cavity surgery.

Due to the high volume of questions received, free veterinary consultations are temporarily suspended.

Why does the cat mark the territory

There is a popular belief that only cats can mark corners of walls, doors or furniture, while females do not observe this unforgivable behavior. But it's not true, sometimes even a cat tags like a cat. The cat usually comes to the vertical surface, lifts up its tail, shakes it and lets out a few jets of urine. And she does not just pee (females in sitting position), so the whiskered prankster puts her "trademark" markings on the surface which interests her. In this article we will examine why the cat marks the territory, and we will also find out how to combat such behavior.

To be fair, cats tag territory much less often than cats. But the owner of a female cat that sweeps at home is not relieved by this. And to begin with we need to understand why in general the pet suddenly begins to leave urine marks here and there. Let's list six main reasons:

1. Attempts to urge the male during heat.. In most cases when the cat is in heat it tags the front door. They do this to alert a potential mating partner that they are ready to mate;
2. Fighting for territory with other cats or cats that also live in the apartment. Many females are dominant and are not ready to give up any space. With its markings the cat leaves a unique smell of its own urine on the furniture (bed, chair, sofa and so on), doors or walls, which lets the other animals know that this space is already occupied;
3. Moving into a new home. The smell in the cat's home seems familiar, but in someone else's home the cat feels uncomfortable because it is soaked with foreign scents. There is nothing surprising that a cat can start tagging in the new apartment or in the new house to spread there the smell of its own excrement. Cats can, by the way, also tag in their own home after a renovation, when the new wallpaper, floor, carpets or furniture give off an unfamiliar odor;
4. Stress. It also happens that a cat will tag the corners or doors when its emotional state is unstable. What are the causes of stress in cats? There are many of them: an abrupt transfer to a new food, a change of owner, moving, repairs, a new family member in the house, illness, or constant fear of someone or something. When stressed, the cat sweeps, suffers from blood pressure spikes, appetite swings (from complete refusal to eat to irrepressible gluttony), screams loudly or lies idly in a dark corner, begins to excessively follow the coat (literally licks the coat to bald spots, chews itself, even if there are no parasites). In some cases, animals have urinary incontinence, diarrhea or constipation;
5. Boredom and loneliness.. Sometimes a cat tags its apartment if it does not want to socialize and play with its owner. In this case, leaving tags is a peculiar way to draw attention to the adored owner;
6. Revenge. Cats are nice animals, but many of them are rather vindictive. They can easily take revenge on the owner for something (for example, for shouting, cursing, or kicking the boot on the bottom). In such situations, not only doors or walls, but also the owner's personal belongings (his pillow, clothes or shoes, bag, etc.) may be marked.

How to deal with cat tags

So now there is no doubt whether cats mark territory like cats. But what should the owner do, whose Murka leaves urine streaks in the apartment? You can try to act like this:

• A cat should always be scolded for tagging, but only in hot pursuit. You can even lift your pet and look sternly into her eyes. One should not beat the cat, because physical punishment can only make the situation worse (the cat will tag when the owner is not home). But it is possible and necessary to bring the cat with your muzzle close to the urine leak. Let it know what the owner is unhappy about;
• Sometimes scaring it off is the best way to teach your cat to pee. Whenever the cat gets into a characteristic pose and shakes its tail, it can be sprinkled with water from a sprayer. The pet is unlikely to like such a "shower". But let's specify that such a punishment may be of some use, if you sprinkle the cat directly at the moment of tagging;
• Noise effects can also be used as a deterrent. For example, at the moment "x", when the cat raises its tail to make a mark, you can whistle loudly, ring a bell or squeeze a child's squeak toy several times with force;
• As a rule, cats sprinkle urine on certain places in the apartment Cats usually sprinkle urine on certain places in the apartment (they mark doors, corners of rooms, sofas, etc.). It is advisable to periodically treat all surfaces that suffer from cat urine with substances with pungent odors. Almost all cats cannot stand the smell of vinegar, alcohol, perfume or cologne, citrus (you can use lemon, orange, grapefruit or other citrus essential oil). Small bowls of aromatic red or black ground pepper can be placed near the problem area;
• Detergents and pet stores sell special productsthat help correct feline behavior in the area of territory marking. Such preparations include, for example, Natures Miracle No more spraying antigading spray or Apicenna Smart spray Protection of places NOT meant for the toilet;
• Sometimes the owner himself can teach a cat to make tags without any improvised means. It is important to treat your pet with patience and affection, to play with it regularly, to monitor its health, cleanliness of bowls, litter box and bed. It is especially important to pay more attention to the cat if you have a new pet or a new member of the family. Pussycat should not feel abandoned and unwanted;
• If a cat is only urinating when she is in heat there are only two things to do.If a cat is only urinating when it is in heat there are only two ways out: find a mating partner or have the cat spayed. After the operation most cats stop marking their territory, but it often happens that a neutered cat will tag the doors and corners of the apartment until her hormones are back to normal (it can take 2-4 months). But it is not worth saving yourself with hormonal drugs to suppress sexual activity. These drugs have a lot of contraindications and side effects (one of them – the development of cancer);
• If the owner does not plan to have the cat sterilizedIf the owner is not going to spay or neuter his cat, you can put on absorbent diapers (such as brand "Neoomutsu", "Cliny", etc.) during the heat. They will not allow the pet to urinate;
• If a cat urinates after neuteringIf a cat urinates after neutering, although the operation was carried out long ago, it is likely that the cat's emotional state is not good. In such situations, sedatives such as Cot Baiun, Fitex, Stop-Stress, or Feliway may help. But it is better to give such preparations to an animal after agreement with the veterinarian.

Why does a cat mark his territory?

Cats are our favorite house friends, who can make us laugh, lift our spirits and reassure us with their gentle, even-tempered purring. But sometimes these whiskered-tailed pets don't behave very nicely, leaving tags everywhere in the apartment. In this article, we're going to look into why animals tag, and how to deal with it.

It may seem to some that the cat is tagging everywhere simply because he or she is not well mannered. But most of the time, animals are tagged for completely different reasons:

1. The cat is tagging in the house, declaring war for leadership on other animals (usually other cats, less often dogs). By leaving urine streaks here and there, the unfriendly pet simply wants to prove its own power to its competitors;
2. Sexual prey is another of the main reasons why cats tag. The smell of heat in male cats can smell it perfectly from a great distance. So do not be surprised that the tailed rooster sprinkles urine on the front door every now and then, if there is a heifer cat living next door. The cat simply wants to use the scent of his tags to call the female to mate;
3. It happens sometimes that a cat marks his territory because of stress.It makes no difference if the cat is neutered or not. What can cause stress to an animal? Yes, many things, such as moving, change of ownership, mistreatment by someone in the family, chronic diseases, severe fright, a visit to the vet;
4. Sometimes, marking his territory, the cat is just trying to create a cozy atmosphere around him. It is the owner who does not like the smell of animal urine, but the whisker is very pleasant. Thus, some males may tag those corners of the house where they spend most of their time;
5. In some situations, the male will tag the corners of the house to spite his owner.. And the most vengeful ones may even tag personal belongings of their owners (shoes, outwear, handbags and so on). Some cats can even tag their owners! What are the reasons for animals to hurt people? Oh, there are many! For example, a cat can easily get angry at its owner for a slap or a loud scolding, for any prohibitions (for example, forbidding to sleep on a pillow or to steal from a table);
6. Some cats always urinate in the same places in the house, but there are also cats that exclusively urinate on objects with a foreign odor (for example, on household appliances delivered from the store or on the owner's outdoor shoes). In this way the animals are simply trying to "overpower" the unfamiliar odor of others;
7. Boredom is also one of the reasons why cats tag. Busy owners often don't have enough time to play and socialize with their pets. A cat that feels unwanted can meow, misbehave (scratching the wallpaper, climbing the curtains and so on) and use tags to attract the owner's attention;
8. Neutering in 95% of cases eliminates the habit of cats to leave urine on walls, doors and furniture. However, In 5% of cases, a cat will urinate after being neutered.. Why does this happen? First of all, at first the animal's hormonal background is simply not in order. Secondly, the reasons for the tags may lie not in the game of hormones, but in the same stress. Thirdly, inexperienced veterinarians sometimes perform neutering on cryptorch male cats, i.e. on cats with one of their testicles not descended into the scrotum. The surgery removes only one testis, while the other testis located in the groin or abdominal cavity continues to function, secreting sex hormones. So, a seemingly neutered (and in fact neutered incorrectly) cat can continue to want to mate with cats.

When does the littering period begin in cats?

Now let's understand at what age cats start to tag. Most often The male cat's marking period begins at puberty. For small and medium breeds (Munchkins, Singapore, Devon and Cornish Rex, etc.) it is 5-7 months, but representatives of big breeds (Maine Coons, Pixiebobs, Siberian and British cats, etc.) mature about 10-12 months. But there are situations when first time male cats of middle age and even elderly cats start to sweep in an apartment.

If the pet pet sweeps very rarely (1-2 times a year), the owner does not seem to have any special problems. But what to do if a cat sweeps daily and repeatedly? Some individuals are able to leave up to 20 marks on the walls, doors and furniture per day. Here are the measures the owner who has suffered from the antics of a pest-eared cat can take:

1. Any mark (whether fresh or dried) must be removed. The smell of its own urine will attract the cat and make it mark the same surface again. You can "kill" the smell of cat urine using folk remedies (vodka, hydrogen peroxide with baking soda, laundry soap, vinegar, lemon juice), but the best effect will be produced by special products ("Desosan" and "Zoosan" from "ZooClean", "OdorGone" from "ChemtechInternational" and others);
2. Areas usually affected by cat scratches (e.g. room corners) can be treated with products with a strong aroma that are unpleasant for the animals (citrus essential oils, lavender, rosemary, peppermint, alcohol, toilet water, ammonia). Small containers of tobacco, ground red or black pepper, cinnamon, saffron, cloves, dried mustard, dried ginger, cardamom, curry or other spices that have a spicy pungent smell can be placed on the floor in the "x" areas. In pet stores you can buy preparations that should be used to treat the surfaces that are most often tagged by cats ("Spray Crap and Tagging Attention" from "ECO Zoolekar", "Antigadine" from "Chemol", "NoMoreSpraying" from "8 in1" or others);
3. On the floor, in those places where the cat used to leave tags, you can spread something rustling (foil, bubble wrap, tracing paper). As a rule, animals do not like to step on surfaces that make such a sound;
4. As mentioned above, In most cases, neutering can wean a cat from its habit of marking things. And it's better not to delay with the operation and go to the clinic when the cat is just entering the phase of puberty. If a neutered cat is ticking his territory, the reason is not sexual attraction to cats, but something else;
5. The less free time a kitty has, the less often he tags. The owner should give his mustachioed friend daily attention by playing with him, petting him. A cat can be bought a variety of toys with which he can spend his leisure time when the owner is not at home. If there are several pets in the house, none of them should feel neglected;
6. If the reason for the tags is due to stress, it is advisable for the owner to find out what caused the cat to become emotionally disturbed. If possible, the cause of the stress should be eliminated. The animal in such a difficult period can be given sedatives ("Cot Bayun", "Fitex", "Fospasim", "Stop-Stress", "Amitriptyline", etc.);
7. And how to teach the cat to tag the territory if he does it out of spite of the owner? Prove to the pet that a human is in charge of the house.. As soon as the cat's tail goes up to, say, mark the door, the owner should pick up the cat by the belly with one hand and the other by the withers, and then raise it to the level of its own eyes and hiss frighteningly. Such educational measures should be taken whenever a cat tags something in the apartment;
8. A cat that has just made a mark is allowed to be scolded. It is not necessary to shout loudly, just use a firm, condemning tone. It is also possible to give the cat a light ear rub or a flick of the nose with your finger but under no circumstances should you hurt it (i.e. you should not kick it, hit it with your slipper or throw it from a height and so on);
9. Cats hate loud noises.. And this can be to the owner's advantage when trying to fight tags. Whenever an animal tags, you should blow a whistle. Only it is important to act as soon as the misdemeanor has been committed, so that the cat develops a "tag – loud unpleasant sound" bond.

The old-fashioned way

How did we all teach kittens to use the litter box as children? That's right, we caught the animal and poked its face into a puddle. Therefore, when choosing what to do if the cat began to tag the territory, many people think of this method. Unfortunately, it has a number of disadvantages. Kittens leave puddles out of ignorance, and they are detected easily. Usually they are transparent puddles on the floor. And, being sent to a convenient litter box, in which you can also bury the products of life, they quickly get used to it.

An adult cat tags in another way. He walks up to a vertical surface, lifts his tail and sprays a small amount of pheromones, sex hormones, urine and seminal fluid on it. This place is very difficult to find, and it smells for the whole house. If you managed to catch the culprit, then catch him by the scruff of the neck and shake him well. If the cat meows with pity, it means that he admitted that you are the boss of the house. Maybe the tagging will stop.

Special Treatments

When a cat starts tagging territory in the apartment, the owner is ready for anything to make it stop. Supermarkets offer a huge selection of liquids and sprays, patches and similar products to discourage animals from their chosen places for tagging. It's no secret that cats usually return to one or more of their favorite corners.

About the effectiveness of these means one can argue for a long time. Here, more likely to play a role and propensities of your pet, and its sensitivity to a particular composition. Some people rub lemon in the corners for this purpose, others sprinkle black pepper.

What cat owners say

A cat marks the corners, the smell stands on the entire apartment. Many owners of fluffy pranksters faced with such behavior. What do they advise to do?

• Neutering is the best way out, according to cat lovers.
• Once is worth a good punishment, say other owners.
• Regularly wash corners with disinfectants, recommend a third.
• Show the vet, insist four, in case it's due to a disease.

The best option is the first one. Neutering, in most cases, spares owners from feline mischief in the form of tagging.

To summarize .

• The causes of this phenomenon vary. They include: bladder problems, heat, stress, a change of scenery, the arrival of a new family member.
• How to deal with bullying? First of all, find out the cause, and if it is not associated with diseases, there are several options: sterilization of the cat, cleaning with special means, weaning the pet to tag, cleaning the area with the help of improvised disinfectants. They kill the smell and repel the cat with their own scent.

Now you know why the cat tags territory and how to combat this undesirable behavior.

First you have to look for the cause. Whether it is a disease or a reaction to some change in the environment, you should find out. If the tagging is related to bladder disease, the cat will have to undergo treatment. If this is not the case, the ways to deal with the fact that the cat marks the corners of the apartment are described above.

How to fight cat tagging?

Poke the tag with your nose and scold it

This method rarely works. A cat can't read minds and understand human speech. He might think you don't like it, that he doesn't crap much, which can lead to more tags, or he might be afraid to defecate in front of you, which will make him tag you in other places.

Mating

Some owners think the solution to the tagging problem is mating. Sure, that's one reason for the problem, but it's not the only one. The cat, once he gets a mate, will decide that the tags attract cats and the behavior will take hold. Not a workable method from the word go.

Scaring the cat away from the tagging area with a scent

There are cat owners who scare cats away from the place of the mark with the help of special remedies, lemon or orange peels and other devices. The smell may indeed scare the cat away, but the cat will simply change the place of the tag. The method works, but is pointless.

If you do decide to use smell to fight the tags, then by no means use bleach to do so. Cats like the smell a lot and may lick the place where the smell is coming from for a long time. This can lead to poisoning or even death of the animal.

Castration

The most effective way to get rid of tags is castration. After neutering, the cat's hormonal background changes. After this change, the cat no longer wants to mark its territory, except when the cat is stressed. In such cases a neutered cat can also poop somewhere.

Medicines

A more humane method is to use medicines which alter the hormones in the body so that the cat stops shitting. Sometimes they are effective, sometimes not. Such drugs can really help you, but they only work for a while, which means you have to take them more than once. You can choose castration and solve the problem once and for all, or you can buy remedies, which can be considered a more humane way. It is up to you to decide.

What to do if the cat still craps?

Most likely, it is already a problem with the kidneys (urolithiasis) or with the litter box.

If the cat does not like the litter box, you should change the litter. Most often it is the reason for refusal of the litter box.

If this does not help, then it is most likely urolithiasis. There are the following signs of this disease:

Even in the early stages of the disease, it is better not to try to be a veterinarian (unless, of course, you yourself are a veterinarian by profession) and treat the animal yourself. You can only make things worse by doing so. Go straight to the veterinarian. He will be able to diagnose the disease and prescribe treatment.

Also keep in mind that once your pet is diagnosed, it will not live the same life as before. For example, if your pet eats dry food, you'll almost certainly have to change it or your pet won't live long.

What you can do about it:

Offer to play on the bed for a while so the cat has positive associations. Treat the pet.

• Resolve conflict with another family member by asking that person to feed the cat.
• Resolve any problems with the litter box as well as other cats. Make sure the pet feels safe coming out of your bedroom.
• Try changing the bedding, including the quilt. Look for different fabrics and textures.
• Take your pet to the veterinarian to rule out other contributing factors.

Conclusion

Always provide space for climbing, resting and feeding, especially if you have many cats. It is very important that the cats have plenty of space to avoid conflicts and that the animals do not feel the need to mark their territory.

Make sure each cat has a litter box that is cleaned daily and add an extra litter box.

Make sure your home and work routines don't change too often – moving, noisy parties, or new roommates can cause your pet stress, which can contribute to tagging.

Finally, if your cat's behavior doesn't change, consult your veterinarian first to rule out any medical reasons why your cat is tagging.

Please note! – this message is not intended to make a diagnosis. If your cat is found to have any behavioral problems – it is best not to diagnose yourself. Consult your veterinarian. May your pets always be healthy!