Is your cat stressed out? Here's one way to help him deal

Do you know why your cat rubs his cheek up against furniture or your leg? There is a motive behind it - it's definitely "marking" behavior. As your cat rubs on you or other things in the house, he does so to mark his territory - but it also gives him a sense of calm. You know that feeling that you have when familiar things or people are close at hand? It gives you a sense of peace, right? The feline pheromones rubbed on things in his territory do that same thing for your cat. It's a built-in coping tool. This is especially true when cats are under stress.

There are times when feline facial rubbing isn't enough to give cats the security that they need. Situations when a cat, male or female, feels especially ill at ease or "challenged" it can lead to a distressing problem for their human counterparts: urine-marking, or spraying indoors. (If your cat is exhibiting urine-marking behavior, it's always a prudent idea to take them to the vet to be sure that there is not an underlying physical problem, like a urinary tract problem - and to check their overall health.)

flickr photo courtesy of Claudio Gennari

The College of Veterinary Medicine at OSU has put together a comprehensive website called the Indoor Cat Initiative, which has easy-to-implement tips to help keep the sanity of your cat - and you. One interesting way that is mentioned to assist your cat in dealing with stress is a synthetic version of feline pheromones, called Feliway. Available in two different delivery systems, Feliway promotes a sense of stability. Depending on if your cat is spraying, behaving stressed, scratching or exhibiting other destructive behavior will indicate if you need spray or a diffuser. The product can be a pre-emptive strategy when stressful situations arise, like fireworks, storms, new baby in the house, construction and more.