Our cat Puffy has been driving the entire family crazy with his spraying everywhere. We bought de-scenting sprays and special cleaners, which he ignored and re-marked all over the house. Some advice? I refuse neuter my cat.
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Puffy is doing what comes naturally to an adult, fully endowed, male cat. The best way to stop territorial spraying is by neutering, however, if you choose not to neuter, then the natural behavior will continue.
Neutering a male or a female cat is part of the solution only if the cat has not already started territorial spray, that is if the cat is neutered before he is 6 to 8 month old. At an older age, even only a few month older, neutering is a poor solution, especially for female cats as they do territorial spray to defend their territory, as male cats do, but they also use territorial spray to attract male cats.
Unfortunately, neutering is the solution. Full adult male cat will spray. The more they do it, the harder it is to prevent them from doing it.
Addressing Inappropriate Urination
When your cat starts shunning its litter box in favor of other places throughout your home, it is definitely not something you want to become a habit. Address the issue quickly with these simple ways to help your cat stop peeing outside of the litter box.
Define the Problem
The first thing you need to do when you discover pee where it doesnt belong is determine whether it is the result of spraying or inappropriate urination. Spraying is a result of cats marking their territory, and is generally just a splatter, whereas inappropriate urination will be a larger puddle.
Tackle the Problem Quickly
You will want to address any urination outside of the litter box quickly, before it becomes normal behavior for your cat. If your cat is spraying, try making it feel more secure in its territory, as that is often why cats get possessive. In a multi-cat household, it may help to provide separate living areas for each cat.
Thoroughly Clean the Mess
Be sure to thoroughly clean all areas where your cat peed outside the box. You really want to be sure youve eliminated the odor, not just for your own sake, but so the smell doesnt draw your cat back to that same spot.
Add an Additional Litter Box
One litter box is often just not enough. The general rule of thumb is one box per cat, plus an extra one. Think about it if you were on the second floor of your house, would you want to run all the way downstairs to use the bathroom? Neither does your cat. Making it convenient for your cat to use the litter box will usually avert problems.
Address Litter Box Location
Think about where you have the litter boxes located. If you have multiple stories, you'll want at least one on each floor. If your litter box is too tucked away, somewhere inconspicuous, your cat may not bother to go find it. If your cat keeps peeing in the same spot despite your best efforts, try moving the litter box over that spot, and then slowly moving it back to where you want it.
Try a Different Box
An enclosed litter box may fit nicely within your decorating standards, but your cat may not agree. Enclosed boxes can be small, dark, smelly and difficult to turn around in not conducive to cats doing their business. You will also want to make sure the sides of your litter box are not too high for the cat to easily step over - especially as the cat reaches old age.
Clean Your Litter Box Regularly
A dirty litter box is one of the first things that will send a cat peeing elsewhere. Cats are very clean creatures by nature. Would you want to go walking barefoot through your cat's litter box? Well, neither do they. Be consistent about cleaning out the box and changing the litter.
Check the Type of Litter
Heavily perfumed litter may seem the better choice (who wouldnt want to smell perfume rather than a dirty litter box?), but cats tend to disagree. They also like to stick with the familiar, so if you adopt an adult cat, it may urinate outside the litter box if you switch up the standard, non-perfumed litter. Studies have shown that amongst cats, the all-around favorite litter type is a loose, clumping, unscented clay litter containing activated charcoal.
Observe the Social Dynamics
Conflicts between multiple cats, or the introduction of a new cat, may cause inappropriate urination. Occasionally, the case may be that your cats got into an altercation in or near the litter box and it has left one of them with associated bad memories.
Consult Your Veterinarian
If inappropriate urination has become an issue with your cat, the most important thing you can do is make an appointment with your veterinarian. Your cat's doctor will perform a physical exam and urinalysis to determine if the problem is medical. Urinary tract infections and kidney failure are just some of the common health issues that either cause a cat to produce more urine, or add an increased urgency to urination. If your cat is given a clean bill of health, you can then move on to addressing environmental or behavioral issues.
Sarah
Visit your local County Animal Services and ask to see the kittens and cats that they will be killing that day. NEUTER YOUR CAT!!! Also, even if a neutered cat spays, it doesn't smell anywhere near as bad.
Neuter the cat
Why would you "refuse" to neuter your cat? Spraying is a natural part of an intact male's behavior. Neutering is the only way to stop this from happening. It is part of nature. If you "refuse" to neuter him, you better get used to the smell.
A neutered male will still spray...just saying. My boys, 7, were both neutered as kittens, as was my older female, 15. They have lived together for 7 years and yesterday, one of the males started spraying. I can't imagine keeping an un-neutered male in the house, which means he's probably going outside? Yes, please go to the ASPCA or pound and see the number of adorable cats that are not going to be adopted and have to be euthanized.
Our male cat is neutered. Has been neutered since he was a kitten. Neutering is not the only way to fix it.
That's just stupid if you love your pet not neutering can bring on testicular cancer. Not to mention unwanted kittens.!!!
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