While visiting relatives out of town recently, we had a problem with Action Jackson and urine marking. On one hand it was good it was family because they’ll love you no matter how much your dog embarrasses you, on the other hand it’s not so good because you feel like they think your dog does this all the time, and he doesn’t. Since I figured I’m probably not alone with this problem I looked up urine marking in dogs and urine spraying in cats on the ASPCA.org website, and I’m going to share it because this is a common excuse as to why people surrender their animals. It’s not a hopeless situation and pets can be trained to stop this behavior.
Urine Marking
Urine marking is a form of communication among dogs. Dogs are drawn to the strong-smelling marks of other dogs and are apparently able to discern information from them, such as the identity, sex and reproductive status of the marker. Males are more likely than females to urine mark, and reproductively intact males are more likely to mark than neutered males. However, intact females may mark prior to coming into and during estrous to advertise their availability. Both males and females will lift a rear leg to urine mark.
A dog who is marking generally deposits only a small amount of urine. Some will target only a few areas, such as prominent vertical objects or areas around exit doors and windows. Some dogs, however, mark everywhere! Some dogs will urine mark during walks, yet never mark inside the home. What prompts a dog to urine mark inside his own house? Typically, it is related to some perceived threat, such as an unfamiliar person or dog in the home, or the introduction of something new—anything from a new pet or baby to a new couch, suitcases and grocery bags. Sometimes even the odor of other animals on the owner’s shoes will spark marking. Conflict between pets within the home can also lead to urine marking. On rare occasions, a dog who marks frequently during walks may become highly aroused and continue the behavior upon returning home. Some dogs never mark in their own home, but will mark when they visit others’ homes.
WHAT TO DO:
- Your first line of defense? Neuter your male dogs and spay female dogs. Neutering male dogs successfully eliminates or greatly reduces household urine marking in about 50 percent of cases.
- Restrict your dog’s access to things that are likely to be marked, and do not allow other dogs to visit
- Get a “jock strap” or bellyband (also known as a male dog wrap) for your dog, so he can still mark but won’t soil the home. These can be ordered from pet supply companies.
- If your dog repeatedly marks specific objects (bags, suitcases, shoes, etc.), place treats under and around the objects. The objects will then become a source of food, rather than a “trigger” for marking.
- To discourage your dog from returning to already-marked areas, you’ll need to make them unpleasant. Use double-sided sticky tape, vinyl carpet runner turned upside-down to expose the knobby “feet,” or other types of booby traps in these areas. (Be advised that the dog may simply select another place, however.)
- Address conflicts between family pets. If one of your pets is a newcomer, you can re-introduce them by carefully following our instructions on introducing pets. If the pets have been together for some time and are suddenly not getting along, you will need to consult with a certified behaviorist or certified dog trainer to resolve the problem.
WHAT NOT TO DO:
- Do not scold your dog for urine marking. It rarely works, even when you catch him or her in the act.
- Do not prevent the dog from urine marking during walks. If anything, this may frustrate the dog and increase the likelihood of marking at home.
Urine Spraying
Cats sometimes engage in a behavior called urine spraying or urine marking. The cat stands, backs up to an object, holds his tail up erect and quivering, and releases urine out backwards onto the object. The urine sprayed differs chemically from the urine cats normally release from a squatting position because it also contains oily secretions from the anal glands. Sprayed urine is extremely pungent. Some people describe it as smelling like ammonia; others say it has a heavy musky odor. Cats occasionally spray from a squatting position.
Why do cats spray urine? They spray during territorial disputes, during aggressive conflicts, and during sexual encounters. The majority of cats who spray just do their spraying outside. They advertise their presence in a territory by spraying visually conspicuous sites. Cats “time share” territories, so the marks enable the cats to space themselves out so that they don’t often meet. Some cats spray urine inside their homes. Often indoor spraying results from conflicts between cats in the home or from the resident cat feeling threatened by outside cats.
Most often, cats who spray are reproductively intact males (toms) but females do sometimes spray. Neutering is the most effective way to curb spraying in a tomcat. In one study, 77 percent of cats stopped or significantly reduced spraying within six months of being neutered. Neutered cats can spray as well. Ten percent of male cats neutered before 10 months of age will still spray as adults. In households with numerous cats, at least one cat will likely spray, even if all the cats are neutered.
What to do:
- Neuter or spay the spraying cat.
- Identify the reasons why your cat may be spraying. For instance, if your cat is reacting to the sight of cats outside, block your cat’s view. If your cat is reacting to the scent of cats outside, possibly through a screen door or from odors on your shoes, prevent your cat from coming into contact with these scents. Keep the door closed and remove shoes outside, before entering the home.
- Discourage cats from hanging around outside your house. Motion-activated devices, such as the Critter Gitter™, the Scarecrow™, or the Scraminal™, all function to frighten outdoor cats away. The Scat Mat™ and the Sofa Saver™ can be used to keep outdoor cats away from doors and windows.
- If your cat is spraying in one or a few locations, you can make these areas less appealing, using some type of booby trap, such as Ssscat™. Ssscat™ is a motion-activated device that sprays the cat with a harmless but unpleasant aerosol. Alternatively, you can put out an “unwelcome mat” for the cat by placing foil, plastic wrap, or upside-down vinyl carpet runner where your cat sprays. Be aware that cats often just choose a new spot to spray.
- You can also try eliciting a different behavior in the sprayed locations. Place items that stimulate behaviors incompatible with spraying, such as the food dish or toys, in the spots.
- You can try placing a litter box in each location. If the cat is spraying on the wall beside the litter box, try attaching a liner on the wall and drape it down into the box. Should the cat spray there, the urine at least will drip down into the box.
- Spray Feliway™ in the areas where your cat is spraying. Feliway™ is a synthetic pheromone designed to elicit calm, friendly behavior in cats. Research supports the claim that Feliway™ reduces indoor urine spraying.
- If the spraying is due to conflict among resident cats, you should seek counsel on resolving the conflict. You may need to separate the cats or at least isolate the spraying cat until you are able to restore harmony. If this is not possible, re-homing to reduce your numbers may be the only viable solution. A spraying cat might not spray at all in a new home with fewer cats.
- Drug therapy can help resolve a spraying problem. There are numerous medications that have been demonstrated to be effective in individual cases—e.g., the Benzodiazepines (i.e. Valium), other anti-anxiety drugs (i.e. Clomipramine or BuSpar), or progestins.
- Make sure you clean sprayed areas with an enzymatic cleanser designed to eliminate odors.
- If you can do so safely, allowing the cat to spend time outside sometimes results in the cat spraying outside the home rather than inside. Building a large wire enclosure for the cat outside may be sufficient to stimulate him to spray outdoors.
What not to do:
- Do not punish the cat by hitting, spanking, or slapping for spraying. Similarly, do not take the cat to the area and admonish him. This might well teach the cat to be afraid of you. The cat may actually spray more if he is stressed by the punishment.
There will always be difficult situations with untrained animals, but with patience and understanding, along with a little education on our parts, we can find the solution to most any problem. It may take some hard work, but the love we receive from our pets makes it worth every moment of angst we suffer through. Behaviors can be changed but it’s up to us to make it happen. And never forget, it is only through you that the Randolph County Humane Society continues to save lives, one by one.
