Cat Marking
Pet Lady
Cheryl Falkenburry
Q: My cat has
recently started marking in the house.
He’s a four-year-old indoor cat and has never done this before. The vet couldn’t find anything physically
wrong with him. My husband is fed up and
wants the cat to go. He’s such a
wonderful cat; I don’t want to get rid of him.
A: There’s
probably been a change somewhere in this cat’s life that has made him start
marking around the house. Often a new
carpet, new furniture, new animal, or a new person in the house can start this
type of behavior. The change makes the
cat feel the need to mark in order to announce that this is his territory. If no obvious changes have been made inside
the house, check around outside. There
may be a new cat in town that started this cycle. Although your cat is an indoor cat, he may
have seen the new cat from a window.
Look for signs outside that a cat may have marked bushes or the side of
your house. Your cat may be keenly aware
of this new visitor and wants to make it clear this is HIS house. If this is the case, block his view of the
outside for a while and take steps to discourage the visitor cat from coming
around. Put tin foil around bushes near
windows and the front door so the cat will not want to go to those areas. If you actually see the cat, you can squirt
him with a squirt bottle and hiss to discourage his visits. You don’t need to drench him, just give him
the idea that he’s not welcome. Thoroughly
clean any areas where your cat has marked inside—be sure to use a cleaner
without ammonia. Put tin foil in those
areas to discourage your cat from going back.
Add another cat box to the house to give him some options for
elimination. This is a problem that
can be stopped with some patience and consistency. Ask your husband for a little more time. After all, this cat is just doing what comes
naturally to him. He deserves the opportunity
to learn a different behavior that is more acceptable to the humans in his
life. The number one reason for relinquishment of cats to shelters is for
elimination problems that could be solved.
Don’t give up on this little guy quite yet. For more ideas on cat
elimination problems, log on to www.centerhillschool.com
and click on “Behavior Issues” or call Cheryl at 434-591-6113. Private sessions are
available to help find solutions to behavior problems. People owe it to their animal companions to
try everything before relinquishing them to a shelter for behavior problems. Thanks for taking the time to seek an answer
to this troubling problem.
