Like dogs, many cats mark places that are new and unfamiliar to them. Intact male cats are more likely to mark than neutered males or female cats. Marking behavior can be modified if you start training early. When introducing your cat to your home, be prepared. Here are a couple tricks for a marking quick-fix.

Health Check: If your cat is suddenly marking, take him to your veterinarian to rule out any potential medical issue that may be contributing to the behavior. 

Eliminating in corners:

Cats will often mark their territory by putting waste at the edges of that territory. Cats will use both urine and feces to mark territory. If episodes are occurring in a room that is seldom used, begin to spend time in that room each day to show the cat that the room is part of the living quarters. Feeding in the area where the cat is eliminating may help. Using a Comfort Zone® with Feliway® diffuser should calm your cat and reduce the likelihood of marking. 

Eliminating on personal belongings:

Urinating/defecating on personal belongings is also a form of marking. The cat may be trying to comingle scents as a form of bonding, or may be trying to repel the owner of the belongings. In the case of the former, be sure that all belongings that the cat targets are put away. Again, Comfort Zone® can be beneficial. For the latter, the cat needs to establish a positive association with that person. The person should feed the cat his favorite treats and play with him daily. It may even be necessary for others in the household to withdraw interaction from the cat for a couple of weeks.

If the above don’t help it may be necessary to give the cat less territory so he doesn’t feel the urge to mark. This means no longer allowing outdoor access if the cat is permitted to go out and/or confining to one room in order to rehabituate the cat to solely using the litter box. Our behavior specialists can walk you through these steps.

If you would like information from an Anti-Cruelty Behavior Specialist regarding this behavior topic, please call 312-645-8253 or email behavior@anticruelty.org.

Recent Articles

Back to Top
Play Biting

Play biting is normal kitten behavior. For kittens, playing is really just practice for hunting, and hunting entails biting. Though she will probably never grow up and need to hunt, the play instinct is hardwired into your cat. Play biting may also be seen in adult cats that weren’t properly trained as kittens.

Keeping Cats Off Countertops and Tables

The first step in keeping your cat off countertops and tables is to remove any opportunity or temptation. As responsible pet owners, we want to give our pets the best chance possible to behave well. 

Make sure all your food items are put away or stored in cat-proof containers such as Tupperware or a bread bin

Improper Attention Seeking in Cats

Cats are for the most part social animals that enjoy our company. They are also pretty smart. Put those two facts together, and suddenly you have a cat that quickly learns how to make you heed his call. Responding to your cat’s pleas for attention isn’t always a bad thing. However, if your cat always seems to want to

Litter Box Lapses

The most common behavior problem that cats engage in is eliminating outside of their litter boxes. It is important that you treat this problem early, as the longer the cat continues to do this, the more likely it is that it will become a habit, regardless of why it started.

The first thing you should do when