Cat Behavior: Urinating

When Peppers was the newest addition to the family, he gave us a hard time. Peppers, in spite of being litter trained continued to pee in the house. I had a hard time convincing my mom that this cat behavior: urinating in house will soon stop. He did overcome this urinating problem and hasn't had an accident ever since (touch wood). There can be many reasons for this cat behavior like urinating outside the litter box, urinating on bed and urinating in house. Most of the cat owners often have to face this strange cat behavior like urinating. Cats communicate using their cat body language. Once you understand cat behavior and what they mean, you will be able to overcome many cat behavior problems. Let's see what may be the reason behind this problematic cat behavior.

Cat Behavior Problems ~ Urinating

You may be a staunch cat lover, but some cat behavior are just not acceptable. Just like urinating in your house. It is quite a task cleaning up the mess, the persistent urine odor and stains on rugs. What can be the causes of cat behavior like urinating? It can either be a physiological or health problem in your cat that compels it to urinate around the house. Or it may be a method of marking its territory. Let's see some of the reasons for cat behavior problems of urination.

Cat Behavior ~ Urinating in House

Is you cat urinating in house? The reason may be spraying or marking territory. Male and female cats both have the tendency to spray their urine around the house. If you cat is peeing on vertical surfaces around the house like windows, doors, walls, curtains, dustbins, shopping bags, etc. it indicates spraying. The cat is using its urine to scent mark its territory for it to remember and other cats to know, this area belongs to it. This cat behavior usually occurs when the cat reaches sexual maturity. In females, high levels of estrogen compel them to spray and attract the tom cats for mating. The male cat behavior trait is to spray and let the other cats know they are in his area. Also, if you have more than one cat in the house, urinating in house will be a common observation. Even if you bring home a new baby or have a change in the furniture placement, the cat may feel like spraying around for comfort. A cat tends to leave its scent marks on furniture around the house. Any redecorating affects the placement of his markings. In order to bring order to chaos in his world, the cat may begin urinating in house.

Cat Behavior ~ Urinating on Bed

You may often observe cat urinating on bed, freshly done laundry as well as shoes. This may be due to stress the cat may be undergoing. A cat may be stressed due to presence of new people in the house, new objects placed around the house, issues with other pets or litter box problems. It may so happen that the cat for no reason, considers the bed as his litter box. An anxious cat may begin to search for places that have strong scents from you. The bed, laundry and shoes all have your scents. The anxious cat may go and pee on these objects to strengthen the bond between you. It is his way to marking your scent with his scent. This is helpful in sending a message to other cats, 'This human belongs to me, keep you paws off him/her'. Another reason for this repetitive behavior is the strong scent of urine lingers in the bed. This may confuse the cat further and attract him to the same place to urinate again and again. Therefore, it is very important you clean the place thoroughly and leave no scent of urine lingering around.

Cat Behavior ~ Urinating Outside Litter Box

If you cat is urinating outside litter box, it may indicate a cat health problem. The above two cat behavior problems too may occur due to health problems. A cat with urinary tract problems may suffer from painful urination. The cat begins to associate the pain with the litter box and pees outside the box. Other health problems like kidney disorders, liver problems, intestinal parasites, gastrointestinal problems, thyroid diseases, etc. may cause the urgency in passing urine. This urgent urge to pass urine or even defecate may be reason for not using the litter box. Sometimes, older cats affected by arthritis, nervous system disorder or muscular disorder, may find it difficult to use the litter box. As it can no longer jump in and out of the litter box, it begins to urinate elsewhere. Therefore, you should get your cat checked by a vet to eliminate any of the pressing health issues.

The other reason for urinating outside litter box can includes aversion to litter box. Cats are fussy about cleanliness. If you have not cleaned up its litter box or its litter box is smelly, the cat may refuse to enter the litter box. Many times, cats do not like certain kitty litters used. Either the fragrance or the texture of the granules under their paws deters the cat from sitting in his litter box for urination. A cat loves his privacy while he is answering nature's call. If the cat litter box is placed in a high traffic area or the cat is not comfortable in the particular area, he may not use the litter box.

If your cat urinates outside the litter box, immediately clean the area with a strong detergent or enzyme cleaner. Place plastic or foil over the area. This will make it unpleasant for the cat to walk on this area. If you think your cat is scent marking territories, get the cat neutered or sprayed. If your cat is already neutered, you need to check for health problems. Sometimes, the cat does this out of separation anxiety or uses this as a way to get your attention. Understanding cat behavior will help you overcome the bad cat behavior like urinating. As for my Peppers, neutering helped overcome his cat behavior problems of urinating in house. Hope the above information helps you stop this unacceptable kitty behavior.