Do your cats pee when they’re scared? You’re not alone. In fact, many cats do this when they’re feeling afraid or uncomfortable. If your cat starts urinating every time it gets spooked, don’t worry – there are some things you can do to help them feel more comfortable. Keep reading to learn more.
Why do animals pee when scared?
The reason that animals may get scared and then pee is that they’re using this type of behavior to help calm themselves down. When the brain senses danger, it produces adrenaline.
Adrenaline increases blood flow to several parts of the body to improve physical performance – in this case, to help the animal fight off its opponent or run away. This causes body temperature and blood pressure to increase and may cause the animal to tremble from nervousness.
The kidneys work more quickly, so they have a heightened need for fluids – which is why some animals urinate when they get scared or nervous, even if they don’t have to go yet.
In any case, where an animal is nervous or fearful, a heightened need for water is usually involved.
Why would a cat pee when it’s scared?
Cats peeing when scared is similar to urinating cats sometimes seen during veterinary appointments. Scaredy-cat may be harder to take than other models because their litter box training goes haywire.
Many cats get scared and run away. Some may go pee over the place, while some will go hiding under the bed or some other place. We can help our cats avoid such behavior by not scaring them in the first place, but if they get scared of something, you should talk to them or take them away from the thing that scares them.
Cats are very intelligent animals, and they know better than to pee over the place, so if a cat does start urinating in inappropriate places, then it means you have done something wrong to scare your cat. So you should calm yourself down first because cats can sense any change in your behavior and then try to talk in a very soft and normal tone of voice. If that does not work, take the cat with you and remove him from where he is scared.
Cats are known to be independent pets, but they still need more care from us than dogs do because cats can’t tell us when something is wrong with them. They try their best to hide the problem, where we come in. You have to be a little observant if your cat does change his behavior a lot of times.
Do cats pee during fights?
When cats pee during their fights with other animals, this behavior is usually seen in male cats. Male cats will try to show off their dominance with other animals, and they have a keen sense of territory. Sometimes the cat who pees first gets the advantage.
What happens is that a cat may get into a fight with another cat, and if he feels threatened or scared, then the first thing they do is to try and mark their territory. This marking of territory through urinating on things comes from when cats spray urine to mark their territories in the wild.
This behavior is usually seen in male cats because it is one way of showing off dominance. Many people ask this question – do cats pee on things other than the litter box when they are mad?
If your cat is doing this to make you feel bad, it shouldn’t be a big deal because that’s not what is really going on. The first thing you should know about territorial marking through urination in cats is that cats don’t really mean to pee on things. Cats just want to mark their territory.
So how do you prevent this type of behavior? Well, the best way to stop it is by scent-marking your cat yourself. This may sound weird, but most cats love being scratched under their chins or between their ears. They will actually rub themselves against you, and if you rub the scruff of their necks, then they go crazy.
How do I stop my cat from peeing when scared?
You have to take your cat with you when you leave the house. If your cat pees whenever he gets scared, then he will soon get out of the habit because there won’t be any need for him to pee anymore. Also, you can try redirecting your cat’s attention to something else or distract him with a treat or a toy.
It might take some time for your cat to stop peeing when he gets scared, but if you are persistent with it, then your cat will learn in the end.
You should also ensure that your cat gets enough playtime every day because cats need lots of exercise and activity to stay healthy.
Do cats pee to mark territory?
This is a very important question that many people ask all the time. The answer to this question is that it depends on whether or not your cat’s urine contains pheromones or not.
Some cats spray when they pee to mark their territory. Usually, male cats will do this around their litter box because they want to clarify their property.
But when a cat scrubs his tail in the litter box, he does this because he wants to cover up his scent with his own pheromones.
When cats rub their tails against your legs or objects, then they are actually trying to mark you as their territory too.
To stop your cat from marking territory everywhere, try putting his scent on those objects so he will have those things his own and won’t feel the need to mark.
Conclusion
Understanding the behavioral neuroscience principles behind why cats pee when they are scared can help you prevent this type of behavior. If your cat is doing this to make you feel bad, it shouldn’t be a big deal because that’s not what is really going on.
It might take some time for your cat to stop peeing when he gets scared, but if you are persistent with it, then your cat will learn in the end.
