How to Stop Cats From Marking

Cat marking -- also known as cat spraying -- occurs when a cat sprays a small amount of urine on various surfaces as a way to mark its territory. This is not to be confused with a cat that is not trained to use a litter box. There are many different reasons a cat could be marking, from claiming territory to being stressed or lonely. In order to best prevent a cat from marking, try a variety of approaches.

Things You'll Need

  • Water pistol
  • Loud rattle
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Instructions

    • 1

      Neuter or spay your cat. If your cat is male and not neutered, that fact alone is a major reason why he's spraying. Male cats are the most likely to be sprayers, but most stop after they have been neutered. Spaying female cats is also very helpful although not quite as helpful as it is for males.

    • 2

      Use behavior modification techniques. The downside to this method is that it is very time consuming on your part; however, it's an effective method. To do this method, you need tools to distract your cat, such as a water pistol or a loud rattle that will get its attention. When you catch your cat marking, spray it with the water pistol or shake the rattle to make a loud noise that will scare it. Repeat this often over time and your cat will stop spraying.

    • 3

      Neutralize the area. Cats are very careful to mark only those areas that are foreign or that they rarely use. Your cat will not mark the areas where it eats, plays or sleeps. Use this to your advantage by moving your cat's food bowls to areas where it has previously marked. Play with your cat in these areas, too, as well as position its bed there. This will prevent the cat from marking those areas again.

    • 4

      Keep strangers away. Cats will often spray when surrounded by strangers, whether the strangers are people or other cats. By preventing your cat from seeing too many new people or having too many cats in one household, you make your cat more comfortable.