What to Do When Your Cats Spray
Cat spraying refers to the cat’s deposition of urine on different areas like walls, hallways, doorways, sides of windows, and sides of cabinets and other furniture. Most of the time, cats spray on vertical surfaces, and they do this by backing into the target surface and spraying urine usually in small amounts. Cats spray primarily to leave their scent in the area as a way of communicating to other cats that it is their territory. It is a manifestation of cat marking behavior and does not necessarily indicate that your cat needs litter box training.
Spraying urine is also the cat’s way of sending the message to other cats that it is sexually available. Spraying is done by male and female cats alike, although the male cat that has not been neutered tend to spray more often. Male cats start urine spraying at 5 to 12 months of age or once they become sexually mature. The spray of male cats has a distinct strong and pungent odor.
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Spraying has been reported to continue in some cats even after the male cat is neutered and the female cat is spayed, but the smell does become less pungent. Generally, however, male cats and female cats will stop spraying after they have been neutered and spayed, respectively. The earlier your cat is neutered or spayed, the less likely it will spray in its lifetime.
Cat spray is also an indication that the cat is experiencing some kind of stress or threat. A new cat appearing in the neighborhood can be considered a threat. Changes in the household routine can be a source of stress for the cat, and you may find your cat spraying often. It would be good for you to observe and identify the factors, whether threat or stress factors, that are causing your cat to spray, and find a way to remove those factors. Of course you should not rule out possible medical problems that may be affecting your cat’s urinary tract.
What should you do to the surfaces your cat sprays on? Cleaning the surface can help, although the cat will just tend to keep coming back to the same spot to spray again once it detects that the odor is gone. Some people use products containing pheromones that mimic the scent of a cat’s cheek gland. The idea behind this is when the cat smells the scent of a cat’s cheek gland, it will most likely stop spraying on the area because the area is now marked by a different scent. Instead of spraying, the cat will now mark the area by rubbing its cheek. You can also use this product in places where you think your cat will most probably spray to avoid future spraying.
If the cause for spraying is anxiety, there are some anti-anxiety drugs that you can give your cat. But make sure you talk to the vet first; do not administer these drugs without knowing their use and effects. Examples of anti-anxiety drugs that can help reduce spraying include Valium and Clomicalm. You should keep in mind that some cats may react negatively to such drugs and may experience unpleasant behavioral changes.