Cat Urine Marking

In the wild, big cats leave clear signals to establish their territory and avoid conflict – which is important because they’re dependent on themselves to stay out of trouble.

Your kitten displays the same natural behaviour, and one of their favourite ways to leave their mark is by urine marking, or spraying.

Clever communication

When big cats are hunting, they’ll rarely meet with other cats. But they still need to let their neighbours know where they’ve been, and when they’re ready to mate. Like their cousins in the wild, your kitten will use a complex system of scent-based signposts to ensure their territory isn’t being over-hunted, and to keep unfamiliar cats away – what’s more, they'll continually refresh these signposts to keep them up to date.

Unwanted wee

Sometimes, urine marking can be a sign that your kitten is insecure, perhaps believing their territory is threatened. If you’re having to deal with unwanted wee, don’t worry – there are lots of things you can do to help prevent it:

• Get your cat neutered to reduce their desire to urine mark
• Avoid using ammonia and chlorine cleaners – these smell similar to cat urine and may actually encourage marking
• Try not to clean up the wee while your cat’s around – disrupting the scent might make them more stressed
• Clean the affected area with a 10% solution of biological washing powder, and spray it with an alcohol such as surgical spirit
• Soon after you’ve cleaned the area, encourage your cat to play there – this will help them feel more secure
• If the problem continues, get in touch with your vet