Cat Marking Her Territory
 

Hello Everyone,

Do any of you have ideas or have been successful in perventing your cat from urinating on the carpet to mark its territory?

We will be moving into a new (to us) house soon and the current tenants have two small dogs that have urinated on the carpet. We can't spell anything but we're certain our calico will.

We are having the carpets cleaned (chem-dry cleaned) prior to us moving in and eventuallly we will have the carpets replaced, but until then how do we keep our cat from marking her territory?

Does anyone have a success stories or experience with this?

Your input, as always, is very much appreciated.

Larry

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1439908555.jpg

Stress is one of the reasons they mark.

Moving can induce stress.

They do it because it makes them feel more secure.

Territorial marking is generally seen in the presence of other cats, both indoor and neighbors outdoor cats. While not unheard of it's unlikely the dogs marking will trigger a territorial issue especially with the dog absent.

Having the carpets cleaned is a good idea but don't use overly fragrant chemicals to try and mask it as that may cause the cat to mark for a different reason.

Get some Nature's Miracle down after the cleaning. The unscented, the citrus, to me, smells really foul.

Try Feliway. I've used it with moderate success, works on some cats but not all.

If you know the areas the dog marked start with placing the cats food and water in the vicinity. Cats will generally not mark in proximity to their food and the presence of their food in the area reassures them the "territory" is theirs.

Nice looking Calico you got here. Does she have that feisty Calico personality?

Afaik, only the un-neutered male cats spray their boundary lines.
Cats do not pee on previous dog spots.
You should be ok.

If your female cat is peeing excessively in the house, she might have a serious health problem or the wrong type of litterbox brand is being used.
Some cats do not like certain heavily-scented clay.

I would rent a rugdoctor and go over the carpet again to remove the residual chem-dry in the carpet fibers.
It will be soggy for a day, and might damage any nice wood floors underneath, but it will get rid of chemical dust.

BTDT: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/702627-i-have-crisis-cat-pee-5.html

FWIW: the cat is still doing it. I'm convinced she's just stupid.

Thank you. Yes, she's feisty and very vocal. She meow's all the time for almost no reason at all.
:D

we adopted a dog..

we have several "events". rugs had to go.some spots got absolutely hosed down. our cat is cool with it..no marking.

i'm betting you wont have a problem. cats KNOW they own the joint, they dont need to tell anyone with anything as mundane as a pee spray.

that's a bad ass looking cat.

Cats spray usually to mark territory. Cats will usually spray if they feel threatened (see other cats outside/inside), want to attract a mate or feel imposed on. You can try and prevent spraying in cats by having them "fixed." You may want to close the curtains so they can't see other cats. I have had indoor cats for years and the only time they marked was when they saw other cats outside.

Even though you will be cleaning the carpets of your new house, that will not remove all traces of the smell (and potential marking spots.) Urine migrates to the floor underneath, and the only sure fire methods I have found are removal of the sub-floor and/or encapsulation. Once it gets to the wood, the smell will always be there until it is removed or encapsulated.

"calming treats" from the pet food store may help with stressful cat situations, such as when moving to new territory.

While it may or may not apply to the OP's cat, current thinking has mental illness occurring in animals too.

I had to put one of mine on Prozac. Truth.

You can try peeing over the cat's pee. That way, they know it's your house.