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Getting a Cat to Stop Spraying Inside

25 Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

May 3, 2016

We adopted a rescue cat when he was an 8 week old kitten and he has been a great cat. We have 2 others, in total we have 2 males and 1 female cat. They are 15yrs, 10yrs, and 5yrs in age. When Tank was a kitten we had him neutered, just the like other male cat, and the female is spayed. They all get along and on occasion the male cats with get into a scuffle, but get over it quick. We do live in the woods and they spend time outside.

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When we go to bed or leave for work for the day, we call the cats into the house like dogs and they respond well. What I am saying is that Tank behaves and we have no issues with him except for the fact that he sprays everywhere in the house. He also sprays all over the place outside, which is what we wish he would only do outside.

We have tried everything and we always clean it up and he goes right back to the area and sprays again. I have tired the aromatherapy, collars, candles, etc. that everyone swore worked and it did nothing. He sprays even if there are no cats around outside. He has been to the vet and he never had an urinary track infection or any other problems. He is healthy and physically active. We do not want to get rid of the cat being he is like one of us in the family, but I am running out of options and it is not healthy for the cat or us humans in the house. Other than maybe keeping him outside all the time ~ what else is their to do?

Answers

May 5, 20161 found this helpful

It is extremely difficult to stop a cat from spraying once the behavior is entrenched. However, if you give the cat to a shelter no one else will want to deal with this behavior either, and with good reason.

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I suggest that Tank be an outdoor cat from now on. He will need a small insulated doghouse that is somewhat elevated, an outdoor sandpit for litter (or give him a covered litterbox and scoop and change it), and food and water that is in a feeder or bowl set that can't be turned over.
It will be hard to keep him out of the house at first. Installing a screen door will help.
I know that outdoor cats statistically have shorter life spans. However, if you give him to a shelter his life will end as soon as they realize he is unadoptable.

 
September 17, 20160 found this helpful

or a reminder course in not spraying while indoors. Dog crate with litter box and water bowl at times when you can't supervise, especially if daytime, cats sleep all day anyway.

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To address another post in here, Sometimes older cats develop a distaste for their litter. It may hurt their feet, they may just be getting fickle like an old person. They get picky, they may eat less, they may vocalize an unusual amount and they may take to spraying. Try finding a softer more sand like litter and sprinkle in some cat nip, alternatively, mix vinegar, lemon juice, and rosemary into a solution to spray where he has sprayed. Also put small pcs of food in those spots. dont' try to correct it with "discipline" that will make it worse. If you must put in the bathroom when you are not home, litter box in bathtub/shower, access to food and water. Also in a multicat household, make sure there are plenty of perches for cats to get high off the ground, it makes them more secure. Lavender sachets can help like a Feliway diffuser. Or get lavendar oil and one of those stick diffusers.

 
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January 17, 2015

Our female cat is fixed, and there is lots of love in our home. We have two litter pans for her. She is 2 1/2 years old. These past few months I have been finding she is spraying up the walls and onto our carpet. I've cleaned with the proper cleaners for cats. Yet it still continues. She has been peeing in the tub and on our tile floor on a landing.

We are becoming very frustrated. We have taken her into our vets, and she is healthy. They say it's not normal for a female to do this even after she's fixed.
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We clean her box, and clean up her messes daily. And it has been very stressful. We don't know what else to do. Nothing has changed in our home, her temperament is the same. Please help us.

By Louise D.

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Bronze Answer Medal for All Time! 220 Answers
January 18, 20150 found this helpful

You could consider another vet's opinion of your cat's behavior?

 

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January 19, 20150 found this helpful

Spraying on cold surfaces often means bladder infection. Have her checked again for that. Cats can have painful urination from cystitis, and there is not always bacteria present. It is an inflammation of the bladder, but it usually goes away, but can recur.

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The other thing to consider is she feeling territorial because of other cats outside? This can really drive them crazy but you may not even notice. Other cats will come right up and spray on your front door. Good luck solving this mystery.

 
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June 2, 2011

I have an adult male cat named Smokey. I had him fixed when he was young, and he stopped spraying for some years. I recently moved, and he has started spraying again. Help! I don't want to get rid of Smokey, but I can't stand the smell. Can I get him fixed again?

By Cynthia C.

Answers

June 2, 20110 found this helpful

If he has been neutered, he cannot be neutered again. The testicles are removed. Once they're gone, they're gone. There is nothing to remove again.

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Smokey is probably stressed out from the move. Do you know if any animals lived there before you moved in? Perhaps their scent is still there and he's marking his territory. You should try an enzymatic cleaner. I've bought it both at Petsmart, and in the pet supplies area of Wal-Mart. It will actually break down the residue so that the scent is gone, and the cat isn't attracted to the same area again. And you can always consult with Smokey's vet. Sometimes medical problems will cause undesirable behavior.

Best of luck! I hope you find something that works for both of you!

 
June 3, 20110 found this helpful

First, have him checked by the vet to be sure he is not suffering from a medical problem. Male cats especially can develop urinary issues especially if they are fed dry food. It could just be a coincidence that he started the problem after the move. Once a medical problem has been ruled out, make sure you have not changed brands or style of litter. Did you buy a new litter box when you moved or did you bring along the old one? Where have you placed the new box. Perhaps he doesn't like the new location. Did he have privacy in the old house but now his box is in an area where there are more people around?? You might try confining him to one room-maybe the guest room with his litter box. Once he starts using it again you can give more freedom to roam the entire house.

 
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June 3, 2010

My male cat is fixed and spraying all over his litter box. What can I do?

By yolanda

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June 4, 20100 found this helpful

Hello,
Please take him to his Veterinarian, there could be a urinary track problem going on.

 
June 4, 20100 found this helpful

Talk to your vet first to rule out any underlying medical issues. If all checks out fine, then you need to ask yourself some questions. Do you have any other cats? If so, cats can be territorial. Rule of thumb: Always have one more cat pan than you have number of cats. Also you may need to have the cat pans spread out away from each other. Kitties like their space. Next question. Any changes in the household? Cats can be easily upset and react accordingly. Some changes can be easily adapted by your cat. Some can't. New people, new furniture, different scents, people relationship problems?

If it is a new pet, some pets, just like people don't really like the other one's personality. You may have to have your vet help you with this one. You say the cat is spraying all over his litter box. Not quite sure what you mean. If he is spraying over the top of the edge, try different litter pans to help contain the problem. If he is spraying outside the litter box and not inside the litter box. Could be multiple things. Is it being kept as clean as he likes it? Some are real picky and won't tolerate much waste in the pan. I scoop my pans 2X a day (4 males and 1 female) and I don't have any problems.

Does he not like the litter that you are using? Some are large pellets and some cats don't care for the feel on their feet. Experiment with different types of litter. I use a cracked pine. Cats seem to like it, pleasant smell, easy to clean and it keeps the odor down. It comes in scoopable and non-scoopable forms. If you are using a litter pan liner, he may not like that. Personally, liners never worked well for me. Good luck, just don't give up. Trying to find out what the problem is can take persistence. Until you can speak "cat" you will have to play Sherlock Holmes to find out what he is trying to tell you.

 
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October 17, 2016

My 11 year old male indoor cat, has recently started to spray all over my house. I've been single for 5 years and now have a new live in boyfriend.

It is the only thing I can think of why he would feel threatened. How can I get him to stop?

Answers


Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 107 Posts
January 31, 20170 found this helpful

This article goes into length addressing reasons why a cat might be peeing inside. It covers issues from illness to unsuitable litter boxes to territorial reasons: www.allfelinehospital.com/feline-inappropriate-elimination...

It is pretty typical for a cat to feel threatened or territorial by a new person in their space. Is there any chance that your cat has not been neutered? If not, you pretty much HAVE to have him neutered. Because he is probbly displaying typical male behaviour.

One thing that really helps threatened cats is to 'catify the space', which essentially means creating shelves and nooks above eye level for them to perch. In this way they no longer have territorial feelings and, if hey have adequate litter, they will most likely stop spraying. jacksongalaxy.com/.../catification-beautiful-cat-climbing...

 
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October 26, 2013

I have an 18 month old desexed male inside cat and a 10 month old desexed female who also is not allowed outside. 3 months ago she has started spraying and weeing in all different parts of the house. I can be standing in the kitchen and she will just come in and wee in front of me. I have 2 litter trays which both cats use. Someone suggested that she may not like the odour of the male's urine in the tray, hence won't use it, but the trays are cleaned daily.

I know she is about to spray because she runs around like a maniac and then jumps up on the couch and sprays over the wall. I have bought the spray "Urine Off" and regularly spray where she has sprayed, but this is no deterrent, as it just doesn't work. I have taken her to the vet many times to eliminate a bladder infection, etc., but she is perfectly healthy. Unfortunately my next step is to give her "Valium" or a similar drug which I don't want to do. Any suggestions would be really appreciated as I just don't know what to do next.

By Sandra

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Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts
July 13, 20180 found this helpful

She is marking her territory. You might want to consider using synthetic pheromones.

 
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August 10, 2013

I have heard that the plant star of Bethlehem will reduce stress in a female cat that is spraying. Is there any truth in that? I have tried the Comfort Zone thing in the store, but it is very expensive. And doesn't last very long.

By MG

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October 1, 2010

I have 4 cats. They got along famously until I bought a kitten 4 months ago. All of them are used to her now accept one who is really annoyed, as she is constantly chasing him, so he spits and loudly hisses. He has been fixed, as are all the others and my new kitten was fixed two weeks ago.



Today I noticed he sprayed urine, so I am assuming he is really stressed. I had a spare bottle of Feliway and have it plugged in. It has worked within 24 hours in the past, but will it work for this?

Thanks.

By Joan from Toronto, Ontario

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June 23, 2017

It's generally accepted that neutered cats are less likely to spray in your house. This page looks at reasons why a neutered cat may start spraying and ways you can stop this behavior. While not an easy task, you should be able to reverse this behavior.

Photo of a fluffy Persian cat.

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ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.

October 1, 2010

I own two domestic cats and last year picked up an injured feral kitten.

 
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June 3, 2010

I was just wondering if anyone knew of a home remedy to prevent my male cat from spraying. I can't get him neutered until the end of April and the smell is killing me.

 
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February 1, 2010

We just received a very nice, gently used couch from a family who has a dog. Our cat has decided that he needs to mark his territory with urine. How do we deter the cat from going there again?

 
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January 8, 2010

How can I stop my cat from spraying around the house? He's a 4 year old tabby and he's never done this before.

 
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December 19, 2009

My neutered male cat has begun spraying when he doesn't get what he wants. At first I thought it was a mistake then after observing this behavior over several months, it became clear it's deliberate.

 
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February 14, 2007
Click to read more ideas from older posts on ThriftyFun.
 
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February 11, 2006
Click to read more ideas from older posts on ThriftyFun.
 
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