Stop Cats Marking Territory–A Holistic Approach
Do you know how to stop cats marking territory?
I love cats. In fact, I love them so much I can’t have just one! Nearly all my life I’ve had a multiple cat household, and as far as I know I have never had issues with a cat marking territory in the house. Cats do this to send messages to other cats (either indoors or outdoors), establish dominance, display jealousy, and control their “space”. If you’re dealing with unwanted outdoor kitties upsetting your indoor cats, it’s important to find ways to deter them from coming around.
About three and a half years ago our oldest kitty, Kiwi, crossed the rainbow bridge. Overnight we had a hierarchy shift, and all hell broke loose! Our twin boys, Rocket and Gunner, decided it was time for them to share top cat duty even though they were the youngest family members. They began to bully and pick on our other cats making life very stressful for them. We also started to notice cat urine marking in various places around the house. One or more of our cats was marking territory! My husband and I were left scratching our heads wondering what happened to our happy little family!
To make matters worse…
We also had a challenge with the male cats spraying and standing up when they used the litter boxes instead of squatting. We purchased special litter boxes with 11″ sides from NVRMiss to help keep the pee inside the box. Most of the time this worked beautifully; but it was becoming apparent that someone was tall enough to aim just over the edge. The smell and mess became a daily challenge. Clearly this was a behavioral issue that needed a quick solution. Using drugs or a product with synthetic chemicals was not even a consideration.
Flower essences to the rescue!
I ended up finding a solution using flower essences! Flower essence remedies treat negative emotions which if left unresolved make themselves noticeable in the form of physical symptoms. These essences work on the mental, spiritual and emotional aspects of the cat. In case you’re not familiar with them here are some quick facts about flower essences from the FES Flowers website:
What are flower essences?
Flower essences are liquid extracts used to address profound issues of emotional well-being, soul development, and mind-body health. They are part of an emerging field of subtle energy medicine, which also includes homeopathy, acupuncture, color therapy, therapeutic touch and similar modalities.
Where and when did flower essences originate?
Although flowers have been used for healing for many centuries, flower essences in their modern form were first developed in the 1930s by an English physician, Dr. Edward Bach. He prepared 38 remedies, mostly from English wildflowers. In recent decades companies such as FES have researched new flower essences from other plant species.
How are the essences prepared?
Flower essences are dilute, potent herbal infusions prepared from wildflowers or pristine garden blossoms. They are made directly in the “laboratory of nature,” where the four elements of earth, water, air and fire are found in harmonious balance. To this is added the fifth “quintessential” element of the sensitive awareness and attunement of the preparer. The fresh, dew-filled blossoms are gathered in the early morning of a clear, sunny day. Floating on the surface of a bowl of water, they are irradiated by the warmth and light of the sun for several hours. This process creates an energetic imprint of the etheric energy pattern of the flower in the water, embodying the healing archetype of that plant. This “mother essence” is preserved with brandy and then further diluted and potentized to form the “stock” which is sold in stores and to practitioners.
Up until then I had only used Bach’s Flower Rescue Remedy, a popular flower essence that works well in calming kitties and/or people in stressful situations like going to the vet. I came across a product called Animal Relief Formula by FES Flowers. It helps calm and comfort animals in transition or trauma. I sprayed it in the litter boxes daily, and after a couple of months the “accidents” stopped!
Custom flower essence remedies
Rocket’s custom flower essence remedy
Just recently I noticed that “someone” was urine marking on baseboards again and even the back splash tiles in my kitchen. By muscle testing the “evidence” I was able to determine it was Rocket. Rather than use a general flower essence like Animal Relief Formula I decided to create a custom blend for him that would address the negative behavior and emotions he was expressing. By muscle testing through a list of possible emotions and behaviors for cats only four resonated with him: demanding, jealousy, spraying, and territorial. The flower essences that address these issues and emotions are chickory, holly, beech, and willow. I ordered these four essences from Directly From Nature along with a mixing bottle for my remedy.
Making a custom remedy is easy:
- Put 2 drop of each flower essence in the mixing bottle
- Fill the bottle with purified or natural spring water
- Give 4 drops 4 times per day orally, mixed with food or water, or by rubbing it on the inside of the cat’s ears or over the lips and nose
- It can also be sprayed on the cat’s fur or bedding
Besides Rocket, Gunner and Aylen also tend to display signs of jealousy and domination over our older cats Hershey and Lili, so I muscle tested them for the same remedy: positive! Now all three cats are getting doses of this custom remedy four times a day.
Be patient!
We’ve increased the amount of interactive playtime and made extra effort to give each kitty more one-on-one affection to ease the jealousy. It’s important to remember that bad behaviors don’t usually resolve overnight. It takes consistency and lots of patience as the flower essence remedy heals and balances the emotions of the cat. So far I haven’t found any more urine marks anywhere. I am confident that this custom remedy will help restore harmony in our house and stop the urine marking.
Are you dealing with a cat marking territory in your household? Contact me at pam@purrrfectlyholistic.com so I can help you find a custom remedy for your cat!
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