By Nancytoby from FT Myers, FL
Hi there, I think for a start, all you folks slating this person saying they are considering putting the cat to sleep need to take a step back. I believe they said the thought of putting him to sleep made them feel awful an perhaps they may think the poor thing is sick an it may lead to this. They come on here looking for answers, not for you to be opinionated and tell them they are sick.
I'm sure they love their cat very much otherwise why would they be looking for answers on why the poor thing is acting up. I have had the same problem with my cat - first of all don't worry! This behaviours usually occurs with stress.
My male cat kept spraying when he was stressed when our smaller cat returned home. She had been staying at my parents house while we were having the hous decorated - she isn't old enough to go out yet. Anyway when we returned her home our male cat obviously was a bit concerned and started the behaviour again. He did this before when we first introduced the female after we lost our previous cat to feline leukaemia. He settled down once back into routine and all is well - as say he usually flares up and sprays when he is stressed and we try to find out what had made him that way, obviously we were aware how it happened this time again and since then he's been grand and happy to have his chum back! Hope this helps!
Well, I highly suspect your cat is indeed "stressed" as you consider putting him down for acting like an animal. If you are seriously thinking of ending your pet's life because he sprays, I agree with "Pixiedust7" that you need to find a new home for him. Pets are dirty, stinky, shedding, peeing, pooping and puking creatures. As others said, this is a behavioral problem and unworthy of a death sentence.
I'm sorry for being so crass. You obviously love your cats, all are older rescues who have been living with you for years. Just hang in there with them as they deal with their own issues and do your best to interpret their messages. I agree that something has changed in your cat's life that might be upsetting him. It's your job, as a pet parent, to figure out what that problem is. If your vet hasn't been able to help, schedule a consultation with another vet.
I have a few suggestions that might help you eliminate the spray odor. If it's something that can be washed in the washing machine , add a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. If it is a hard surface, wipe it down with vinegar. If it is carpet or upholstery, (test on any fabric in a discrete area first) try dousing it with wintergreen scented rubbing alcohol. You will smell the wintergreen for a day or two, but that is not unpleasant.
I wish you much luck, just please don't consider putting down your cat because he acts like an animal.
Both sexes will spray, not only males. Many females shake those tails and aim high too. Sometimes a cat isn't marking but will continue to squat on an item like a blanket, throw rug or towels. It may take 2 to 3 washes to get the smell out of heavy items. One wash usually won't do. It's the same with a wall, door or anything else. The spot has to be cleaned really well before their noses can't pick up the odor. My first load is with oxyclean, the second with regular stuff and some fabuloso for the fragrance. It seems to work.) I haven't ever figured out how to stop an individual cat from doing it, ever, other than keeping them out of the main part of the house.
My pee'ers live in the garage now. I keep it cleaned up and notice that they do their business outside when the door is cracked open with no spraying inside. One other thing. KMart carries a large kid's sandbox shaped like a turtle. It's big and can handle a 40lb bag of litter. I've noticed that there is much less spraying for the ones using it. Perhaps it's the size. It's big but easy to clean and maintain with the tall sides.
It's horrifying that anyone would even consider putting a cat down (i.e. killing it) because it is spraying in the house. If a child couldn't learn potty training, or became incontinent, would you kill the child? This is a behavioral issue and can be resolved with thoughtful patience and care. Try to remember what was going on when the cat began to do this - perhaps he was disturbed by some change in the household routine, or issues have developed between him and one of the other cats. If you do not have the patience to deal with this, then please give the cat to a sanctuary, where he can live out his days in the care of the sanctuary staff. Killing should never be used as the "solution" to such a problem.
Is he stressed out over something? Has something changed? Is he mad at you? We had a male cat (who was also 'fixed'). I found him when I was a teen & he was 1 day old. When I would come home to visit as an adult, he would be mad at me for being gone & would pee and/or spray my suitcase if he could get to it! He also did that around the house when he was upset with my mom sometimes. My mom had to clean up after his 'fits' with one of those odor neutralizers. He didn't start that until he was around 10 years old, did it for a year or two, then quit! He lived to a ripe old age of 19.
I have 8 cats, 5 males and 3 females, all 5 males are fixed. The females will be soon. All of a sudden one of my males (one I've had longest) is starting to spray on my microwave and my entertainment center. I have never had a problem with it before and he has been fixed for over 2 years. Can anyone tell me why he might have started doing this and is there any way I can get it to stop?
One of my neutered male cats was doing this. Any flat surface would do..top of microwave, top of dryer, bathtub, storage box lids, etc. Took him to the vet. Turns out he had intestinal ulcers. He's now on "calmicon" and hasn't sprayed or peed on anything inappropriate since he started the tiny little pills. He gets 1/2 a pill, once a day, so the cost is about 10 cents a day.
How do I get my male cat to stop spraying even after he was neutered?
By Lexie
When a male cat sprays his territory it is something that they rarely, if ever give up. I'm guessing that the cat was older and probably exibiting this behavior before he was neutered. Unfortunately, it seems to be more of a "habit" than a result of his wanting to procreate.
I just got my male, neutered cat today. He is a little over a year old and was neutered 12 days ago. I think he is spraying or at least he just smells really bad! Is this due to the fact he was recently neutered and is in a new environment? Is it likely that he will stop or he will stop smelling?
By Jenny S.
I agree with muttmom. Your cat may have an infection. Get him to the Vet as soon as possible. If you let it go much longer it could be very serious. It is an easy fix if caught early.
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.
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.
I have been having trouble for a couple of years with my male, neutered, indoor cat spraying around the house. He has a litterbox that I scoop everyday. He's been checked out by the vet. The vet also suggested an expensive pheremone plug-in that didn't work. I spray affected areas with enzyme spray. There are periods of time he doesn't do this, but it is definitely an ongoing problem. He is about 10 years old and never had a problem with this before. Any advice?
Sheila
By LITTLE SUZY
By guest Mary
You might want to give the spray pheromone a chance. I was using the spray pheromone (Feliway) and thought I would try the plug-in instead. I was very unhappy with the plug-in. I didn't think it was effective at all so I went back to the spray. (09/11/2007)
By Maryeileen
By spotscrazy
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