When do cats start marking territory?

The cat is a furry that, by its own instinct, will mark everything that it considers to belong to it: the sofa, the chairs, the bed,… in short, everything in the home. This is a completely natural behavior in him, since in nature it leaves its particular mark on branches and trunks to let others know that this is its land, its place, and that it will protect it at all costs.

Obviously, when he lives with us he has no need to defend the house, but even so the instinct is very strong, so if we decide to have a feline as a friend, it may be necessary to ask ourselves when do cats start marking territory. Let us know the answer.

How do cats mark?

Cats can mark their territory in different ways:

With urine

Both males and females will stand very straight on their four legs, lift their tails and expel urine that will fall directly on the wall, furniture, etc. They can do it for two reasons: good to defend their territory, that is, so that if there is an animal that passes by, it knows that that area is his, or to attract a possible partner.

This way of marking is undoubtedly the one that we humans like least, and with good reason, because it is not only how unpleasant it is to find your furniture full of urine, but also the smell that it gives off is ... well, very bad.

With your nails

In addition to keeping them sharp, cats also use scratchers, furniture, etc. to mark their territory. The goal in these situations is to defend it. As in the case of urine, it is like when we buy a house. We put our name, address, telephone; that is, it becomes ours. Well, cats with their nails do the same, without any roles involved, but in an official way too 🙂.

Through contact

When they rub their head against objects, or any part of the human body (legs and hands are usually the most common) they leave their body odor that will carry pheromones, which are substances that transmit messages, which in this case are positive.

That is why if our beloved felines rub against their legs for example, what we have to do is smile. The situation is well worth it! Why? Because cats only rub against those they trust. And if they rub against the furniture, we can also be happy, since they will only do it when they feel comfortable in that home.

At what age do cats begin to mark their territory with urine?

It will basically depend on the cat itself. If he castrates before the first heat (at 5-6 months), he will begin to mark his territory only through contact and his nails from 6-7 months, but if it is not castrated, it will do it before and also with urine. The marking behavior cannot be eliminated, but if we prevent our friend from having zeal, we can be sure that he will mark much less than if we do not take him to operate. Why?

Well, the answer is the following: a "whole" cat during heat will have the need to look for a mate, but also if it is a male cat, if it meets another cat that is looking for the same thing, it can get into a fight, so that to avoid it you must mark with urine.

The other two ways of marking territory (with contact, and with his nails) he will begin to use from a very young age.

What to do to stop a cat from marking territory?

To stop marking territory there are several things that can be done:

Castrate him: as we said above, a neutered cat, that is, a cat whose testicles have been removed in the case of males and the ovaries in the case of females, will be a feline that will live calmer, without the need to find a partner nor to mark their territory with urine.
Protect furniture with a scratch-resistant cloth: You cannot prevent a cat from scratching surfaces. It is in their nature and that is important that all those people who want to live with a feline and who already do so always keep it in mind. But it must also be known that they sell specific anti-scratch fabrics, which protect furniture.
Provide you scrapers: whether they are tall like scratching trees, carpet type, ... whatever. Scratchers are very important for cats, and also for their humans since they fulfill their function (take care of feline nails, keeping furniture safe), and they are also beautiful.

Is it possible for a neutered cat to mark the territory?

If he is spayed and not neutered, yes, without a doubt. With sterilization, heat is not eliminated, since no reproductive gland is removed, so that the behavior of heat is maintained. Therefore, it is normal for a sterilized cat or cat to continue marking with urine.

But if they are neutered and still mark, then you have to go to the vet as it could be that they had a urine infection or stress.

Myths about feline spaying and neutering

Why does my cat mark with urine?

The most common is usually for a urinary infectionAlthough stress or a food allergy cannot be ruled out either. Therefore, it is best to consult a professional to rule out possible causes, and thus find the correct one. From then on, we can take the appropriate measures: change his diet, give him medications, ... or whatever the specialist tells us.