Behavior Cat

How To Stop Cat Spraying

You may have witnessed your cat lifting up its tail, intensely quivering its hindquarters and directing a stream of urine on to a surface. (Perhaps your new George III Polychrome decorated satinwood Pier tables?) What can you do about spraying…  a common problem faced by most cat owners?

Let’s first look at why a cat will engage in this behavior.
Cat urine has a strong odor because it contains that a fatty ingredient that allows it to cling to object and because of this, it has a particularly strong smell.   Spraying is a marking behavior used to tell other cats of their presence in that area.  The urine of un-neutered male cats is particularly pungent and unpleasant, but both male and female cats mark their territory by spraying.   Male cats spray more often due to their heightened testosterone-driven territorial agendas.

Stop Cat Spraying due to Illness
If all is well and your cat suddenly engaging in spraying behaviors, it is important that you take him or her to the veterinarian to rule out any medical problems.  A cat may suddenly begin to spray due to physical problems such as Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). A simple urine test performed by your vet can determine if your cat has FLUTD. Thankfully, this it is very treatable illness.

Stop Cat Spraying due to Stress
Again, if all is well and your cat suddenly starts to spray, you should ask yourself some lifestyle questions.  Have you and your cat moved recently or introduced a new human or animal member to your household?  If so, the stress of such changes may trigger spraying behaviors as a response.  Male cat spraying and female cat spraying can be triggered by stressful events.

How to stop cat spraying?
OK, now we know why our cat is spraying, but how do we get him or her to stop?  
Get Your Cat "fixed" to Stop Cat Spraying
The number one remedy for cat spraying is to get your cat spayed or neutered.   This immediately stops the problem in 78% of cases. 9% will stop in a few months. Unfortunately, 13% don't stop.

Medication to Stop Cat Spraying
If you are unlucky and your cat is among that 13%, there are other treatments. Your veterinarian may recommend you give your cat an anti-anxiety drug to curb the stress that may be causing spraying behaviors. Valium and Clomicalm are common prescriptions, as is Buspirone, a drug that has been used with success in spraying cases involving territorial stress due to competition between cats in the home.
You may want to consider this if the problem is persistent and you are at the end of your rope. The sad fact is that inappropriate urination problems and cat spraying and are among the most common reasons for pet cats to be surrendered to cat shelters and/or put to sleep.  It is better to have a medicated cat in a good home, than a non-medicated cat in a shelter cage.
Of course, medication options must be discussed with your veterinarian.

Natural Pheromone Sprays Stop Cat Spraying
Pheromones are part of a cat’s communication repertoire.   As spraying is a marking behavior, there is a new product on the market that according to the Humane Society of Wisconsin, has had much success in stopping cat spraying.
The product is called “Feliway” and it mimics a cat’s facial pheromone.
When you see your cat rubbing its face across surfaces, it is activating glands that release the facial pheromone and mark that surface to communicate to other cats its presence in that area.  Spraying surfaces with Feliway, will discourage your cat to mark those areas.   When the cat returns to those areas, he or she will sniff the Feliway and get the message that this spot has already been marked facially and he or she will not feel the need to spray.

This product can be sprayed on spots that cats have previously sprayed to discourage further spraying incidences. When the cat comes back to that area to spray again, it will get the message that the spot has already been marked and be on its way. When this product has been used as directed, pet owners have reported much success in stopping cat spraying.

Mechanical Devices to Stop Cat Spraying
Employing mechanical devices is another way to stop cat spraying.  If your cat has found a favorite spot to mark and you have tried other methods to stop him or her spraying that area without success, a mechanical deterrent device may be your answer.   SSScat is an aerosol repellent and a motion detector that upon sensing  your cat coming into restricted territory, will release a harmless spray and scat your cat away.

Another mechanical device is called ScatMat, which is a pad that responds with a harmless static pulse whenever your cat touches it.
With the help of these mechanical devices, pets learn pretty fast which areas to keep away from.

Remove Cat Spray Odor to Stop Cat Spraying
Felines have about 200 million odor-sensitive cells in their noses compared to only about 5 million for humans. A cat’s sense of smell is one of the most important ways in which he or she receives feedback about his or her environment. Cat spraying is your cat’s way of posting a sort-of community bulletin to other cats. This being the case, it is ESSENTIAL that you clean up areas where your cat has previously sprayed. Just because you can’t smell it, doesn’t mean your cat cannot. This is why employing a specially made product to illuminate pet odors is highly recommended.

I hope this article helps with your cat spraying problems.  Please visit me at http://toilettrainacat.com/stop-cat-spraying for a free step-by-step on how to stop cat spraying, stop cat biting, stop cat scratching and other common cat training dilemmas.

About the Author

Tara Devlin is a graphic designer, comedian, blogger and lover of pets. Born and raised in NYC, she lives in Queens with her two toilet-trained cats, Tara Junior and Francis.

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