ONE for CAT LOVERS and OWNERS*?

Question

I have 4 cats. 2 boys 2 girls.Neutered.
They are not allowed in the house at night when we are in bed.
They have access to our lean-too, they have enough beds for all of them.
Food and water and generally very comfortable.

The prolem im having is that one of them is spraying (at least i suspect its them could always be a visiting cat)
They are spraying up any white goods thats out there. Tumble dryer and freezer.
Sometimes its my wellies.
WHY, WHAT can i do.
They have plenty of room and are neutered and nothing has changed with-in our lifes.
ANY IDEAS?

Please no sarcastic comments like just get rid of the cats.

Thanks Angel for your anwser, but they can spray, ive watched them mark bushes outside.
Thanks.

Answer 1

neutered Toms can and do spray with great relish Try using a citrus based deterrant spray on the areas that they are doing this.

Answer 2

My neutered cat could spray and she's a girl to boot. I was shocked because I thought it was only boys and un-neutered ones at that. What got her worked up enough to spray was another cat had walked right into our house. I'm guessing an extra animal (might not be a cat, could be some other unwanted wildlife) is causing this unwanted behaviour. As for us we just showed the other cat out. You may want to shut you cats in by themselves at night with some kitty litter so the other unwanted guest gets the hint. Hopefully you'll only have to do it for a week before the stray moves on.

Answer 3

Maybe not in your lives but perhaps in the cat's. If a new cat has entered the neighbour hood there could be a small territorial war going on.

Unfortunately there's not much you can do about it except protect things out there as best you can. Normally I'd say spray the area with citrus but with your cats sleeping out there that's not an option.

Given time they should sort out the territory themselves. You'll just have to keep your wellies on a shelf!

Answer 4

Whoa!! For just a split second, I thought you'd had the kids neutered.

Either you have another male in the neighborhood, or one of yours is expressing his displeasure. Male cats mark their territory by spraying.

Just read your add on. All the neutered males I have noticed sprayed down, not sideways. If the guys were neutered after puberty, it is probably them. Time to close in the washer & wellies.

By the way, that wasn't sarcasm, just exhaustion. Good night.

Answer 5

Stress-induced urine marking is probably one of the most difficult behavioral problems to correct. However, before assuming this is the only reason for your cats' ongoing spraying, I'd first eliminate physiological causes, especially in your 12-year-old female, as inappropriate elimination can also be a sign of urinary tract inflammation or infection.

Assuming everything checks out okay on the vet front, you can tackle the problem step-by-step.
Most behaviorists believe in a two-step process:

1) Discourage inappropriate behavior and

2) Reward good behavior.

The first task in discouraging bad behavior in this case is to level the "playing field" by removing every trace of urine scent from your house and your garage. Wash down all vertical surfaces with a vinegar-water mix and dry thoroughly. If traces of scent still remain, you can use an enzymatic product which neutralizes urine, available in pet stores.

Fortunately, a relatively new product has been developed for discouraging cats' urine spraying. Developed by Feliway Farnam, the product comes in both a spray, to be applied to areas previously marked with urine by cats, and in a Plug-in (Feliway Comfort Zone), for whole-room treatment. Feliway works by mimicking the "friendly facial pheromones which cats use to mark their territory. The theory is that cats will not mark with urine on areas they have previously marked with facial pheromones, and it works very well, judging by the accolades this product has received.

Now comes the fun part: rewarding good behavior. Your cats need to view each other as the source of *good* things, rather than as territory invaders. Good thing include special treats, fun play sessions, and snuggling and petting. You can accomplish this by playing with them together, using a wand-type toy so you are somewhat removed from their mutual play. As they start to play together, reward them with lavish petting to both cats, and follow-up with treats, always in the presence of the other cat.

None of this will happen overnight. You have to pretend that you are introducing the "new" cat to your older girl all over again, and let them become acquainted with each other slowly, very slowwwwwly.

In the meantime, keep cleaning up errant sprays, and using the Feliway. If, after several weeks of the new regime, the cats are still insistent on marking, you might want to ask your veterinarian about using medication. Some behaviorists have gotten good results from a med called "Buspirone," which apparently does not have the undesirable side effects found with Valium or other tranquilizers.

I hope this information will be of value to you. I also highly recommend the book, "The Cat Who Cried for Help," by Dr. Nicholas Dodman. This book covers territorial battles, as well as a number of other behavioral problems.

Answer 6

Neutered tomcats will still spray if a new cat is on its territory, cat flaps do seem the way to go

Answer 7

I read somewhere that if you take a cloth and rub it against the cheeks of the offender then rub that against the areas where they are spraying, it puts them off spraying there. Our cat often "shakes her tail" against our kitchen bin but I don't think she actually sprays.

Don't know if it works but it's worth a try.

Answer 8

ALL CATS CAN STILL SPRAY BOTH MALE AND FEMALE EVEN AFTER BEING SPAYED...They usually don't spray where they sleep so it could be another cat coming in ..you will have to try to watch.. all your cats will still mark their territory outside but not inside ..i have 4 cats myself they spray outside but not inside
they have all been spayed also have a cat door so they can get away from other cats...

Answer 9

what might be going on is that there is another cat coming in and your cats are marking their territory.mind you i thought that as well that toms didn't spray once neutered they do i caught mine doing it i dont think there is anything i tried watered down vinegar rubbing it on the walls, which didn't smell very nice i even went to pet shop which cost me loads of money and didn't even work, but sum one has told me to rub tea tree oil on my wall but i don't really want to do that cause i got cream walls, so thank you for asking question i might be able to get sum help xxx

Answer 10

Hi, I've had cats all my life and I can tell u that tom cats can spray even when they are neutered..although it doesn't normally smell.
I would speak to ur vet and ask for sum advice...
My mam had trouble with a cat who used to spray and she found that by diluting lemon oil (so it doesn't stain ur furntiture) and spraying it onto the items the cat likes to spray on, it stops them from spraying as cats don't like any citrus smells....
Be very careful of ur electrical appliances as one time my mams cat sprayed on her t.v and it caught fire, we had to get the fire brigade out...(so embarrassing)...
Hope this helps.....x

P.S I cant believe that you put ur cats out on a night??!!!!!
They need their comfort and warmth just like everything else....!!!!!!!!!!!