How to Stop Cat Spraying

Cat spraying on a wall.

Does this sound familiar? Your cat backs up to a vertical area with his tail twitching and lifted vertically, has an intense look of concentration on his face, and with little or no crouching sprays a small amount of urine from beneath his tail.

Sprayed cat urine contains pheromones, a substance produced by animals that is used for communication. Combinations of pheromones work like fingerprints - they identify the cat.

Instructions

1. Examination: Have your veterinarian examine your cat to eliminate the possibility of a medical problem. Cats may suffer from medical conditions that make them urinate outside the litter box.

2. Litter Boxes: Make sure there are enough litter boxes, at least one more than the number of cats in your household. Keep the boxes cleaned regularly. Place them at all levels of the house.

3. Spay and Neuter: If your cat has not been neutered, consider having it done. This may solve the problem completely. Most castrated Toms stop spraying from the day they were operated.

4. Clean-Up: Clean urine marks thoroughly with a special product designed to neutralize the odor. Avoid ammonia-based products, which smell like urine. The smell of urine or ammonia encourages the cat to spray on the same spot again. A solution of 1:1 white Vinegar and water is inexpensive and works.

5. Eliminate Stressors: If your pet is in a stressful situation, such as conflict with other cats or separation anxiety, try to identify and eliminate the cause of the stress.

6. Restrict the view: When your cat sees another cat, its natural response is to mark its territory - your house. Cover the view of the outdoors by using blinds or curtains to cover windows, moving furniture to deny access to certain windows, shut the doors to certain "high risk" rooms, and close off your screened-in porches.

7. Be Consistent: Change often causes spraying. Feed your cat at the same time each day and keep its food, litter box, and bed in their usual places. When you have visitors, put your cat in a separate room(especially if your visitors have cats of their own and may carry in their scent).

8. Patterns: Recognize the typical pattern of urine-marking and consider possible reasons for the behavior. Think about the events that occurred at the same time as the urine-marking, such as a new person in the house, the absence of a key household figure, or the introduction of a new pet, especially another cat.

Tips & Warnings

• Spraying is marking behavior, not a litter box problem. It is an important part of nonverbal communication among cats - it helps them establish and define boundaries and reassure them what area belongs to them.

• Cats have various methods to mark their territory. They may scratch, rub against things, or leave their feces uncovered. Spraying is the most common method of urine-marking.

• Intact males have the greatest motivation to mark because of their testosterone-driven territorial agendas, but neutered males also spray if aroused. Though females can spray, especially intact females in heat, they urine-mark more commonly from the squatting position.

• If you encounter any problem that involves urinating outside the litter box (spraying or otherwise), consult your veterinarian. Some of these conditions may be life threatening if not treated right away.