Understanding Indoor Cat Marking

Dear JoAnne:

Xanadu, my one-year old Abbysinian, is really playful and full of energy.  He's great with litter box but he pees in different parts of the house.  I think he's marking his territory - what should I do?

Regards,

X Marked the Spot

Usually neutered cats do not mark their territory unless something drastic has changed in your house. So I would ask a few questions:

• Is your cat neutered? If not, this would be my first suggestion as neutered cats do not have the same territorial urges that un-neutered cats have.
• Does your cat appear to be tender around the abdomen area, crying a lot, or just appearing distressed?  Sometimes male cats develop a urinary tract infection, bladder infection or stones which causes them to urinate in places other than the litter box. I would suggest a trip to your veterinarian to make sure he is not suffering from any of these problems.
• Have you made some major changes in the home?  Cats are very sensitive to change and often react to even the smallest changes. Once I put a large area rug in the dining area where there used to only be wood floor. One of my cats refused to go in there for the longest time. He would even run out if I picked him up and took him in there. Eventually he adjusted, but it took a long time. You can work on this problem by limiting your cat to certain areas where he feels safe and eventually introduce him to other areas where there have been changes.
• Have you introduced another cat (especially a male) into the household?  This is major change and can trigger all kinds of problems. There are lots of products on the market now that can discourage a cat from spraying on furniture and other items.

"Our male cat was peeing on drapes, furniture, etc.  I talked to my vet and he said to get Cat Attract" litter.  When we put it down our cat IMMEDIATELY  quit peeing all over the house.  There is something about this litter that makes cats use it."

Often once a cat starts this behavior, he may not be able to stop. Speak with your veterinarian if your cat continues marking for an extended period of time.  Good luck!

Hang in there,
JoAnne