Stop Cat Spraying Inside Your House

Is your cat spraying in your home? If the answer is yes, then you are familiar with the terrible odor and the frustrations of trying to get the cat to stop spraying. Before you can solve the problem, you need to find out why your cat is spraying.

The main reason that cats spray is to mark territory. Felines want to let others of their kind know that they are in the neighborhood. The desire to mate drives other cats to spray. Other cats in your home that pick fights can cause your kitty to spray from stress or aggression. If your feline sees other kitties out the window, he or she may spray. A new baby, a new house, or other disruptions to the cat's normal daily activities can cause the behavior. A loud living environment or other stressful situations can lead to spraying.

Generally, male cats are sprayers. Females may also spray when they are stressed or in heat. The spray smell is different from regular urine because spray contains chemicals from the anal glands along with urine.

The easiest fix to spraying is often just spaying or neutering your cat if he or she is still intact. Most altered cats will not spray, although some will. For the best chance of ensuring that your cat will not spray, the surgery should be performed before the kitty reaches six months of age.

You may consider punishing your cat for spraying. Felines do not realize the connection between a punishment and the precipitating behavior. Actually, punishment may lead to even more spraying since the cat could become more stressed. Do not punish your cat!

Make sure that litter boxes are cleaned regularly and scooped on a daily basis. Cats may spray if they are frustrated with litter box cleanliness. Keep routines consistent including feeding time, fun time with the you, bedtime, and litter box cleaning. Clean any accidents with enzyme cleaners so that the odor is removed. Otherwise, your kitty may smell the odor and think that spraying the offending area is acceptable.

Be sure to have your cat checked by a veterinarian. A bladder infection or other illnesses can cause spraying. Your vet may also suggest a trial of an anti-anxiety drug such as Prozac since anxiety or stress could be causing the behavior.

Try confining warring cats to different areas of your home. The best solution to this problem may turn out to be separating the cats permanently to different homes since a stressful home life is not good for either cat or your family. The cat may even stop spraying if removed from other cat and placed in a new home.

Another option if the spraying appears to be over territory is to confine the cat to a small area of your house. The feline will not have as large of an area to defend, and may decide to stop spraying. At least the number of messes to clean should be lessened.

Cat behaviorists will work you and your cat to solve behavior problems. They may be able to retrain your cat to behave appropriately after analyzing what factors are leading your feline to spray.