Feline marking behaviour
To help them feel more secure, cats mark out their territory using a variety of visual and scent signals. This is a normal behaviour for cats and is necessary for their well-being.
Feline urine spraying is one of the primary methods used by cats to mark out their territory. Whether male or female, neutered or not, it is exhibited in some way by almost every cat. Read more...
But while spraying urine outdoors may be acceptable, most owners find the behaviour difficult to tolerate in the home due to the strong odour and potential hygiene risks.
Urine marking is a very specific behavioural sequence where the cat adopts a posture that is easy to recognise:
- He approaches a vertical surface (wall, item of furniture…)
- He sniffs the surface and is seen to treads the floor
- Turns his back
- Standing with his tail erected, he emits a horizontal jet of urine onto the object
For more information on how Feliway can help you stop this type of marking, click here
Marks of urine are generally small and seen above the ground. Urine on the floor, large volumes of urine or urine in the sleeping area are typically not signs of urine marking. It is advisable that you consult your veterinary surgeon.
There are several kinds of scratching:
Scratching horizontal surfaces when waking up, during play or sexual excitation:
Scratching on vertical surfaces to keep claws in trim:
Scratching on vertical surfaces to send a signal. Only this can be qualified as marking behaviour.
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How can you differentiate the two types of vertical scratching?
- If the cat is targeting only one or two specific sites in the home, usually in hidden or otherwise discreet areas, it is likely he is keeping his claws in shape for hunting.
- If the scratching becomes more widespread, particularly in visible areas around doorways and windows, or is centred on prominent objects such as a settee. The cat scratches to increase the number of visual and scent signals in the immediate environment. This may be an indication that the cat is unsettled and his level of anxiety increased.
For more information on how Feliway® can help you stop this type of marking click here
The placing of facial pheromones is a behaviour which is well known to all cat owners. Read more...
When a cat feels safe in its environment, it rubs its head from the side of the chin to the base of the ear, against the furniture, the corners of walls or the bottom of curtains, leaving pheromone (scent) marks.
These marks convey a message of well-being and a feeling of security.
