If you read last month’s blog on cats peeing or pooing outside the litter tray, you’ll already understand that this behaviour is often linked to a cat not feeling safe or secure in their environment.
So, the natural next question becomes:
How do I actually help my cat feel safe again?
Because while understanding the emotional cause of ‘problem behaviours’ is important, there comes a point where you want to know what you can do to support them, especially when you’re living with the reality of it day to day.
Not that long ago, I found myself in this exact situation with Leo.
We had a vet specialist appointment that involved an hour and a half car journey, sedation, an ultrasound, and then the same journey back home again. It was a long, intense experience for him (well for us both actually), and although everything was done with the intention of supporting his health, it was clear afterwards that it had a much deeper impact.
Within a short space of time, he started to wee around the house.
And if I’m honest, I struggled with it.
I like to think that my cats are happy, settled, and well supported, so to come downstairs and find wee, or to walk into a room and catch him in the act, brought up frustration, anger, and a sense of “why is this happening?”
But alongside that, there was also the awareness that this wasn’t random.
He wasn’t doing it to annoy me.
He was trying to tell me something.
When I connected in with Leo, what came through very clearly was that he didn’t feel safe or secure in his environment anymore.
And that was hard to hear.
Not because it reflected something I had done wrong, but because despite everything I had created for him, his experience had shifted after that vet visit. What he had gone through felt overwhelming for his system, and the way he responded to that was by trying to re-establish a sense of safety in the only way he knew how.
Cats use their environment to regulate how they feel.
Their territory is not just physical space; it’s something they shape and anchor through scent. Urinating or defecating in different areas is one of the strongest and quickest ways they can do this, almost like placing markers that say, “I’m here” and “this is mine.”
So, while it may feel frustrating or even upsetting when it’s happening in your home, from your cat’s perspective it’s a way of coping.
Once you begin to see the behaviour through this lens, the focus shifts from stopping it to supporting your cat in feeling more settled again. And while every cat is different, there are some simple, supportive ways you can begin to create that sense of safety for them.
What matters most here isn’t doing everything perfectly but approaching these changes with consistency and intention.
You might start with:
At this point, you may be doing some of these already and still feel unsure about what your cat needs, or sense that there is something deeper going on beneath the behaviour. You’re welcome to book a Cat Communication & Energy Insights session where we can explore what your cat is experiencing and find a way forward that supports you both.
Whether you explore additional support or continue with these changes yourself, one of the hardest parts of this process is that it doesn’t resolve overnight.
In Leo’s case, it took over four months before the behaviour fully settled.
During that time, there were practical adjustments I had to make in the home, like keeping blankets over certain areas that had become his hotspots. It wasn’t ideal, and at times it felt frustrating, but it was part of meeting him where he was rather than expecting him to immediately change.
What also shifted over time was my own response.
In the beginning, there was a stronger emotional reaction when it happened. But gradually, that softened into a moment of recognising what he was communicating. There would still be a flicker of frustration, but it was quickly followed by an understanding of “you’re still not feeling safe, and you’re showing me that in the only way you can.”
That shift in perspective changes the energy in the home, and that in itself can support your cat in settling more quickly.
It’s easy to focus on creating a loving home and assume that this automatically means our cats feel safe.
But safety goes deeper than that.
It’s not just about the space they live in, it’s about how they feel within it. Their emotional state, their experiences, and how they process what happens to them all play a role in whether they feel settled or unsettled.
Cats are sentient beings with their own emotional responses, and while we can’t force them to feel safe, we can create the conditions that support them in finding their way back to that state.
That might take time.
It might require patience, consistency, and a willingness to see things from their perspective.
But when you do, you’re no longer just trying to stop a behaviour. You’re supporting your cat in a way that honours what they’re experiencing, and that’s where real, lasting change begins.
I really hope this blog has helped. If you need more support, please reach out, you don’t need to struggle on your own. I look forward to working with you and you cat.
With love,
Julie-Anne
Soul activator for cat guardians, empath, author and cat mum.
Helping anxious humans with anxious cats.
Giving cats a voice and changing the world's perception of cats.
And if you’d like to be part of a warm, spiritual community of cat lovers who cherish deep connections, spiritual support and gentle souls, join my FREE, online community: The Soul Space.
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