Cat Spray?

Question

My cat is spraying like crazy, worst of all it's doing it on the counter.

My cat's such a good cat, normaly and doesn't really have any bad habbits other than that. I'd really hate to have to have him nutered, but I'm starting to worry that's the only solution but is there anything else I can try?

I notice it started around when I got it a different brand of litter.. could that be it?

Also... any tips on keeping him off the effin counters?

That's freakin not cool.

Answer 1

Hi there...in all honesty, neutering will be the only way to cease this behaviour--territorial marking/spraying. You are fighting against hormonal urges which are very strong -- spraying behaviour are instinctual. Neutering is the ONLY way to control those instinctual behaviours. The longer a cat sprays it becomes habitual and difficult to stop even after being neutered. It's not a barbaric practice and the procedure is quick and male cats heal within a few days. A veterinarian would be more than happy to explain the whole process if you have any concerns. If finances are of concern, most animal shelters will perform the procedure for a low fee (e.g. $25) and sometimes for free for qualifying low income individuals. If you are located in the USA ring 1-800-SPAY-USA to locate the nearest shelter.

I would highly encourage going back to the previous litter as well. Some cats are not fond of changes and will respond with inappropriate behaviours aside from spraying. However, spraying is 98% hormonal behaviour so neutering is the only way to cease this instinctual habit.

To stop cats from counter surfing consider using double-sided sticky tape. Cats dislike having their paws stuck to the tape and avoid areas which are unpleasant after a multiple attempts with the bad encounters.

Here are some articles on why neutering cats are a benefit:
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_neutering_the_male_cat.html
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/neutering.html
http://www.hdw-inc.com/spayneuter.htm