Common feline problem behaviors: Urine spraying

Abstract

Practical relevance: Urine spraying (synonymous terms include urine marking or scent marking) is commonly described as urine deposited on vertical surfaces while the cat is in a standing position. With the increasing trend of keeping cats indoors in some countries and the potential resultant increase in frustration-related behaviors, urine spraying may occur in the home. Although also a normal feline behavior, it is usually not deemed acceptable when the cat targets household possessions. Urine spraying is a common behavioral complaint that practitioners receive from cat owners and has the potential to disrupt the human–cat bond. In fact, feline elimination issues are a frequent reason cited by owners when they relinquish their cats to shelters and rescue organizations. Clinical challenges: While the location of the deposited urine should be diagnostic, this is not always the case. Urine marking can occur on horizontal surfaces, thus complicating the diagnosis. Urine spraying by intact males and females is used to signal availability for mating but the behaviour can also be exhibited by neutered animals. Multiple factors including medical problems can trigger the onset and maintenance of urine spraying, and correct identification of these is necessary for treatment to be most successful. Evidence base: This review draws on information from multiple studies that have been published on the normal aspects of urine spraying in cats, the frequency as reported by owners, the relationship of urine spraying to intercat aggression and various treatment options including behavior modification, pheromone therapy and use of psychoactive medication.

An Initial Open-Label Study of a Novel Pheromone Complex for Use in Cats

“…• Problem urination (defined as urinating away from the litter box indoors while in a standing position and against a vertical surface-this definition was chosen to minimise the likelihood of confusion between behavioural urine marking and periuria associated with lower urinary tract disease [22] [23]); • Problem scratching (defined as scratching vertical surfaces indoors, other than scratching posts, such as sofas, carpets, and curtains); • Problem fear (defined as fearful behaviour such as hiding in response to visitors, unusual or loud noises, unusual situations, etc. ); • Problem inter-cat conflict (defined as signs of conflict, fighting, intimidation between cats when indoors and when there were two cats in the household).…”

Identification of separation-related problems in domestic cats: A questionnaire survey

“…For cats, the abandonment usually occurs when the animal exhibits behaviors perceived by owners as problematic, such as aggressiveness towards people and other animals in the house, inappropriate elimination and destructive behavior directed at the house [1,2,[5][6][7]. Other behaviors considered problematic but natural to cats include scratching, climbing to high places, nocturnal activities, attention seeking, plant chewing, attempts to escape from the home and vocalizations [8,9].…”

Veterinary Professionals’ Understanding of Common Feline Behavioural Problems and the Availability of “Cat Friendly” Practices in Ireland

“…Section two presented 10 vignettes, which depicted advice from a veterinary professional (VP or VN) regarding a common feline behaviour. The behavioural problems used in the vignettes were selected by drawing upon recent research by Golden and Hanlon [1] as well as current literature [7,[10][11][12] and the authors' experience. Vignette development is described in Section 2.2.…”

“…Vignettes 2 (spraying), 3 (destructive behaviour), 5 (anxiety-child related), 6 (anxiety-moving house), and 10 (aggression-cat/cat resource-based aggression) depicted the best outcome scenarios based on the following rationale. Vignette 2 (spraying) was considered likely to support best outcome because it incorporated a multifaceted approach to limit spraying, including neutering [11], use of a non-ammonia based cleaner to remove olfactory signals, and application of pheromones to replace spray marks, and a physical barrier to impede the neighbourhood cat from coming into the garden [11]. The advice to address the scratching of furniture depicted in Vignette 3 was considered likely to support best outcome because it aimed to redirect this normal but destructive behaviour in a positive way using a combination of pheromone treatments and catnip [13,16].…”