Help! My cat is urinating indoors

Marking or toileting?

Spraying small amounts of urine against vertical objects such as chairs or walls is a territorial marking behaviour. Male and female cats urinate in a squatting position leaving a greater volume of liquid.

Why do cats spray?

• Entire male cats are the most likely to spray
• Medical problems such as cystitis, diabetes, kidney disease and obesity exacerbate abnormal toileting behaviour.
• Anxiety and stress are the most common causes of spraying. Cats are creatures of habit and like to have their own space and toys. Even though they are willing to share a house and bed with you they need places and things of their own to be happy. If they think that something that belongs to them is being taken over by someone else they feel threatened. They have to let everyone know that it is theirs. The natural way to stake their claim is to mark it with the facial scent glands or urine. This is like writing their name on their things. Putting urine or facial scent on a thing or place makes a cat feel secure, especially if they feel out of place, nervous or afraid.

What makes cats anxious?

• A new cat or kitten. Introduce a new pet into the household gradually. Let them get used to each other through a screen or glass door. Exchange their bedding and let them sniff and sleep on it. Remember to reassure and cuddle the established pet as well as the cute new one.
• A new baby. Let your cat hear the sounds and sniff the clothes of a new family member from a safe, private place. Give the cat lots of attention.
• Changes in furniture or carpets and disruptions such as building or painting. Lock your cat in a room well away from tradesmen and the strange sounds and smells associated with their work.
• A strange cat wandering in the garden or even through the cat flap.
• The loss of a human or animal companion. Strongly bonded cats will need extra care and attention if mourning a friend who has moved or passed away.
• Incompatible cats, especially if a lot of cats live together. Determine which cats do not get along and keep them in separate parts of the home with their own litter and sleeping areas.
• Stress. Enriching a cat’s environment minimises stress.
Cat scratching posts, toys that mimic prey, tunnels, outside runs and a variety of high spots and hideouts will keep your cat happy and stimulated. Vertical space is often more important than horizontal space. Some cats appreciate an indoor garden sown with grass, cat nip and cat mint. Find several toys they like and rotate them regularly. Your company is important. Even an old cat will appreciate a game with a ribbon on a stick or a glittery ball. Make your cat work for food by hiding it in various locations around the house or in food puzzles such as plastic containers with holes cut in the sides. More suggestions for the indoor cat.

Routine is important for some cats. Ten minutes each day play and grooming your cat to provide regular predictable attention that helps reduce their anxiety. Feed them at a set time.

What if I can’t identify or remove the source of the anxiety?

If you cannot identify or remove the source of the anxiety then provide your cat with a safe haven. A room where your cat can safely retreat or relax without fear of disturbance is ideal. A small, enclosed and elevated space lined with your worn clothes is also good. Most cats will mark a limited space with facial rubbing and bunting only.

Clean urine marked areas with a special enzymatic cleaner like Urine Off that eliminates the scent. If your cat can smell urine he will mark it again. You may have to lock him out of the room for a while to help him forget it.

Protect a habitual spraying site by placing dry food or a bed at the base. Cats are usually reluctant to spray their own key resources. Food and beds are also reassuring and may reduce anxiety. However, a stressed cat may move to other areas and mark there instead.

A natural pheromone spray called Feliway calms some cats and reduces the urge to spray and mark. Spray it on previously marked areas or plug a Feliway diffuser in or near the area he most marks.

Never punish cats. If caught in the act they can be picked up and placed on the litter tray, stroked and calmed. Never ‘rub the cat’s nose in it’ as this will make a nervous cat even more likely to toilet indoors.

Cats with anxiety related behaviours like spraying often need anti-anxiety medications in addition to the above changes to resolve the problem.

Cats on the prowl

Male cats hit the tiles in late winter and spring looking for females and trouble.  Adrenaline levels rise and even the most placid felines - entire or desexed - will ready for a fight with intruders.
Already this winter we have seen a couple of cats with abscesses that have come up after a brawl in the backyard.  Sometimes the scratches and bites are obvious and carers bring their cat in for preventative antibiotics and pain relief.  More often the first sign is a swollen face, a lame foreleg or pus discharging from a soft lump.  If not treated with antibiotics and drainage of the pus, blood poisoning and infection of deeper organs develops.
Wandering cats cause anxiety in some inside cats, too.  We see cats marking doors and windows, passing blood in their urine and overgrooming because they are feeling anxious.  These behavioural problems are much harder to treat and it is almost impossible to prevent strange cats wandering through your yard.  Refer to the Indoor Cat link to the right of this blog for some suggestions to try at home.  Sometimes we have to supplement your efforts with calming medication (for the cat!).

A Kitten in the Family

Looking for a new kitten?  Time spent meeting and playing with a prospective new kitten is time well spent.  After all, your kitten will be part of your family for up to 20 years.
Kittens are optimally socialised if they are left with their mother and siblings in a cat-friendly family for at least the first 8 weeks of life.  In the rough and tumble of litter life they learn to temper their play  responses so that they are much less prone to aggressive play with people later on.
 Suki's kittens, pictured on the right, have been well-handled by a variety of people including children and men.  A big labrador dog loves to 'mother' them and they are gradually meeting other species such as horses as well.  With this broad spectrum of experience in the impressionable first 8 weeks of life they will no doubt fit into any family situation.
Because they have a more uniform genetic makeup pedigreed kittens are more likely to take after their parents.  However, any calm, laid-back parents will usually produce calm and confident kittens.
Steer away from shy kittens because shyness in cats is partly genetic in origin and may never be overcome no matter how much you work on it.
Avoid feral kittens or kittens that have not been handled by humans in the first 3 months.  They have a far greater chance of remaining pathologically anxious for life.
Above all talk to the family that has raised the kittens.  They will know the budding personality of each kitten and you can choose one that will fit best into your home.