How to Prevent a Cat From Marking Their Territory

Cats mark their territory in several ways. One of the ways a cat may try to leave its scent on something he views as his property is to rub his head, face and sides along the object or a person. This is often thought as being sweet and affectionate, but what the cat is really saying is "This belongs to me, paws off." A less charming way for a cat to claim a place or object is to urinate on it. From germs to smell, this is an intolerable behavior that can usually be corrected.

Things You'll Need

Litterbox
Household cleaner

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the entire house thoroughly before introducing a new cat. The new cat may urinate in any areas that smell of cat urine. The new cat may smell odors that cannot be detected by the human nose so even if it looks and smells clean, clean it again.
- 2
  Spay and neuter cats to reduce unwanted litters and some marking behaviors. Both male and female cats urinate to signal their sexual interest and availability to other cats. The best way to eliminate behavior that is reproductively motivated is to reduce those reproductive urges by having the cat surgically altered. Reduced marking is just one of the many benefits of having pets spayed and neutered.
- 3
  Minimize changes to a cat's routine to reduce stress. Marking can be stress related.
- 4
  Keep litter boxes as clean as possible. Buy a clumping cat litter and scoop out messes daily. The stereotype of the finicky cat has some merit. Cats like to be clean and prefer a clean environment. If the litter box is full and dirty, a cat might reject its use altogether and find other places to urinate. Households with multiple cats might also need multiple litter boxes.
- 5
  If cats are frequenting areas around the doors and windows to the home, an indoor cat may continually mark those areas. Do not encourage strays to remain on the property. Call a local animal shelter or humane society for help with the stray population.