We have 2 female that are spraying inside our house

Question
We have 15 cats in our house about a year ago 1 female started spraying only my stuff, then 6 months ago her sister started spraying everything from the kitchen counter, getting up on the counter and spraying on top of canister sets, knife block, jars of food(not opened), dish drain board, the corners of the kitchen, both bathrooms, both bedrooms, hallway,the french doors, bathtub, office area, NOTHING is safe with these 2 cats. We now put all other cats in the 2 bedrooms and leave these 2 out alone all night. It seems they are spraying less. We can't put them outside because we live near a big highway, and they have both been fixed and front declawed. They are mean to humans and other cats, but not our big(100 lbs) dog they actually love her and bath her.
My husband refuses to even talk about finding them new homes.

Also we have several feral cats outside who are now bringing their babies to our house for food. We noticed that they are all scratching. We can't catch them they run when we go out to feed them. How can we help the flea problem? We would treat them if we could catch them.

Thank you,
Nancy

Answer
Hi Nancy.  Tough situation I even find myself faced with.  Spraying from stress is common in households with more than 5 cats.  Some say it's the cost of having a cattery (generally anything over 10 cats is considered a cattery) and simply proof their homes for easy clean up.  The fact that they're declawed doesn't help matters.  Inappropriate urination is the number one complaint of owners of declawed cats.

I would recommend first trying a product called Feliway.  It's a synthetic pheromone to help reduce stress (cats spray because urine is full of pheromones).  I would say the plug-in diffuser, called Comfort Zone, would probably be a good choice in your situation.  It's available at pet stores, some vet offices, and www.felineway.com.

If that doesn't improve the situation in a few weeks, I would really recommend talking to a vet about anti-depressant medications.  I've used amitriptyline and fluoxetine in my cats and can say for sure I'd use them again if needed.  There are other choices, including buspirone and clomipramine, too.  In most cases, the medication can be tapered off and discontinued after a few months, once the behavior has been corrected.

Also, be sure to clean soiled areas with an enzymatic cleaner to remove the scent of the urine.  These use enzymes to break down the fats in cat urine that make the scent stick.  You can use Nature's Miracle, available at pet stores.  My preference is to use Greased Lightning Orange Blast, in the auto section at most stores.

As for the ferals outdoors, I'm not aware of any flea treatment that could be given without direct contact.  Some vets used to carry an oral treatment called Program.  I'm not sure if it's still available.  Aside from that, some people use garlic mixed into the diet.  However, garlic is TOXIC to cats, and I would not recommend this route.