We have a wee problem.

For most cat owners, cat urine is such a familiar smell, it probably doesn't bother them nearly as much as people who live cat free. The pungent smell takes over our whole bodies, even our clothes. Ever wondered why people say you smell like a cat? Now you know..

Suffice to say, nobody likes the smell of urine, whether it's human urine or cat urine, it's just a bad smell. Cat's on the other hand don't have the same sensitivity to urine smell and actually like it quite alot. This is why you see little evidence of them suffering or showing discomfort when sniffing the behind's of their feline friends.

Cat's use their urine as a way of marking the area that they consider to be theirs. The distinctive smell of urine alerts other cats that this is their territory. Territory aside, the urine also indicates the eligibility of the cat, often signalling it's willfulness to copulate. Cat's near the top of the pyramid will even use faeces to mark the boundaries of their territory!

Thankfully, it is the males who tend to display this kind of unwelcome behaviour, and it is simply an expression of their feline instincts. We may be cohabiting with cats, but that does mean they won't have their inherent instincts. Most people choose to deal with this kind of behaviour by de-sexing or neutering the cat. Sometime before their sexual maturity of 6 months, the operation not only helps with curbing undesirable behaviour such as urine / faeces marking, but also unwanted kittens.

Rest assured, if you find your cat continue this strange behaviour, then the next action to take is check the following :

1. Litter Tray - This should be "refreshed" after every use, and completely changed every few days. It is common for cats to shun their litter trays if they find them to be too dirty for use.

2. Stress - Finding the source of stress for your cat is important because urine aside, you should hope that your cat is happy and not experiencing something detrimental to their long term physical and mental health. Sometimes it helps to give your cat some place to hide and retreat to to 'detress', providing them with a quiet corner, or a box will do the trick!