Cat Spraying

Fed Up With Cleaning Foul Smelling Cat Urine?

Unfortunately, a cat spraying urine indoors is fairly common.

Knowing this doesn’t make the job of cleaning it up any less onerous.

So what’s going on?

There’s a difference between a cat spraying and a cat urinating outside of their litter box.

When your cat sprays small amounts of urine in the house, he’s marking out his territory.

It has nothing to do with housetraining; it’s all to do with letting everyone know “You are now entering my home. This bit’s mine….and so is this…and over here…watch out, this is mine too!”

Cat spraying also takes place as part of the sexual reproduction cycle. A cat can broadcast to all other cats in the vicinity that they are available for mating.

You can find more about cats peeing outside their litter box here.

Cat Spraying: Why Do They Do It?

Ok, so there are two good reasons why cats like to spray, but why do they suddenly start doing it when they never have before?

• Stress or anxiety
• A new house – either a change of location or even a renovation can be enough.
• A new addition to the family. This could be a new baby. It could also be a new kitten, pup or other animal.
• A reduction in attention. Do you have a new job, friend, hobby that is taking up more of your time?
• Has your routine or lifestyle changed lately? As above, do you hav ea new job that means you are coming home at a different time? A new friend that means you occasionally stay away from home over night or go out more? Has there been a change in the number of people living at home?

Cat Spraying: Are Some Cats More Prone To Marking Than Others?

Potentially, all cats mark. However, having your cat neutered greatly reduces the likelihood of it happening inside your house.

Intact male cats are by far the worst offenders and they really can’t help themselves. Spraying and marking is very much a part of who they are. Having a male cat neutered removes the strength of the odor of marking and also reduces the territorial urges of the cat.

You need to be aware that neutering won’t solve the problem completely. Around 10% of toms and 5% of females keep on spraying even after they have been neutered.

Cat Spraying: How Do I Stop My Cat Marking?

As you may have gathered, there is no 100% cure for this habit. Cats find it highly desirable. It’s only us silly humans who are offended by it!

However, there are some things you can do to reduce your cat spraying, and you never know, she may stop altogether!

Take Her For A Checkup
Occasionally there is a medical reason for a cat to urinate in the house. It pays to rule this out before embarking on any other treatments. The vet will undertake an analysis of your cat’s urine and give her an overall checkup.

Neuter Your Cat
If you have the ok from your vet, then the next step would be to neuter your cat. If you don’t have the cat specifically for breeding, then it is a responsible thing to do for your community anyway.

And of course, the main benefit in this case will be an immediate reduction in your cat spraying urine inside. As much as 87% if cats stop spraying immediately and a further 9% stop during the 3 months after neutering.

Cat Behavior Modification
You can have real success in reducing cat marking through behavior modification. Yes, it takes time and effort, but you will see results with persistence.

Some of the tools to use include water pistols and noise cans. A noise can is a tin with a few coins or small stones inside. When it is rattled it makes a loud noise that momentarily distracts your cat.

Every time you catch her marking, give her a little jolt by either squirting her with the water pistol or rattling the can.

Redesign The Sprayed Areas
As with cat behavior modification, this little trick makes your cat think about marking in a different way.

Cats don’t like to spray in the same place they eat or sleep. If your cat chooses the same place to mark every time, clean it up and then put her food and water bowl right next to it. You could even put her bed there and play there as well.

Some areas must just look like they are made for marking; changing they way they look and are used makes them less attractive.

Make Your Cat’s Territory Safe

One of the main things your cat is doing is marking her territory.

So, ask yourself, “Why does she need to do this so actively?”

Do you have more than one cat? Or is there a strange cat hanging around?

Even if they aren’t outwardly aggressive to one another, if one or more of the cats is routinely marking inside the house, then there is a deep feeling of conflict and unease being expressed.

Problems With Neighborhood Cats

Cover your cat flap. I know these seem like a great invention, but they can really make some cats uncomfortable, especially if there’s a dominant feline neighbor prowling around.

After all, do you leave your front door ajar? Would you be able to relax knowing that anyone could wander in and help themselves to whatever they want at any time?

If your cat is showing that they believe they need to assert their territory, then it’s time to ditch the cat flap.

Just try it for a few weeks if you don’t believe me. Cover it with heavy cardboard front and back so your cat feels really secure.

Make an effort to chase other cats out of the yard. You aren’t messing with your cat’s social life. She doesn’t want them there, remember?

Keep a water pistol handy and squirt any interloper without hesitation. Talk to your neighbors about keeping their cats in at night as even if your cat is inside, she will still be able to hear what is happening outside.

Problems Inside: If You Have More Than One Cat

There is no real rule on how much room a cat needs. It depends on the individual.

Some cats may be happy with just their own chair (that they won’t share with anyone!) and some want the house, the yard and the whole village to themselves.

You’ve probably already noticed that your cats are fussy about eating with one another, so just help them out by making sure they have their own food and water bowls and their own litter trays.

If there is a definite conflict, it may be a good idea to give them a holiday from one another. Set them up in different parts of the house, keep them apart and see if the marking ceases.

You’ll need to clean the sprayed areas really well, as even just the whiff of the marked area will encourage your cat to continue.

Once the spraying has stopped, give them a little more time and then gradually bring them back together again for short periods of play. Keep building this up until you feel confident you can let them roam freely again. You may have to keep their food bowls on opposite sides of the room, and definitely give them separate litter trays, but at least your home won’t be divided down the middle or smelling like a toilet.

A Final Word On Cat Spraying

Give your cat every chance to use a litter tray when she needs to. If your house is multi-storied or very large it may pay to have a tray on each floor or at either end of the house.

This is especially important as cats age.

If you have more than one cat then make sure you have a tray for each of them. In fact, why not throw in one extra for good measure?!

Clean the boxes often. Cats are fussy about the smell of the litter.

Really, this is just the start of how to deal with this annoying habit. To really learn about how to overcome cat spraying and other cat behavior problems, then I would recommend you read Complete Cat Training.

Complete Cat Training is an expert cat training manual based on techniques for training your cat to change and improve her behavior.

The book comes with a money back guarantee and a free email consultation with a cat behavior expert, plus more freebies on cat treats and cat pampering. Check it out here…

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