How do you stop house cats from spraying, 2 females, 1male all have been fixed.?

Question

1 female alone for a while, took in another female later, then a stray male. They seem to compete for territory by spraying. Any help would be appreciated. Have tried vinegar, moth balls. No help.

Answer 1

Hi there...if this is something that recently developed, first consider all the possibilities such as:
- changes with litter brands
- location of the litter box isn't private enough
- some cats like to have one box to defecate and another to urinate
- cleanliness (some cats are very finicky and prefer a super clean box)
- as a general rule there should be one litter box for each cat plus one extra as a back up
- kittens who are over 5-7 months can become sexually mature and urine spray as well as defecate inappropriately to mark territory.
- senior cats develop age-related disorders such as chronic renal failure (CRF), hyperthyroidism, diabetes, etc.

If all these have been ruled out, there's a chance that your cat may have developed another underlying medical problem such as something as simple as a lower urinary tract disorder: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_feline_lower_urinary_tract_dis.html which can contribute to accidents outside of the box. Cats will associate pain while using box and change their habits as a result.

Here's an article about why cats inappropriately soil outside their litter box by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html

House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. It includes urination and/or defecation outside the litter box, as well as urine spraying.

Why do cats eliminate outside of the litter box?
One common misconception is that cats soil in inappropriate places for revenge. It is tempting to conclude, "He defecated on the living room carpet to punish me for leaving him for the weekend." But this kind of calculation requires sophisticated cognitive abilities that cats aren't believed to possess. Furthermore, this conclusion assumes that cats view their urine and feces as distasteful, when in fact they do not. It is only we humans who view it that way.

Medical Problems
So why do cats urinate or defecate on your bed or carpet? Medical problems are one possibility. Inflammation of the urinary tract may cause painful or frequent urination, inability to urinate, bloody urine, and crying during urination. An affected cat is likely to eliminate outside the litter box if he comes to associate the box with painful urination, or if he has an increased urgency to urinate. In addition, kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases often lead to increased drinking and urination. Inflammation of the colon or rectum, intestinal tract tumors, intestinal parasites, and other gastrointestinal conditions may cause painful defecation, increased frequency or urgency to defecate, and decreased control of defecation. Age-related diseases that interfere with a cat's mobility (for example, arthritis, nervous system disorders, or muscular diseases), or with his cognitive functions can also influence his ability to get to the litter box in time. In short, any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal elimination behavior can lead to house soiling.

Litter Box Aversions
Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three.

...please consider visiting the website for further details


Female cats who spray urine: http://home.ivillage.com/pets/cats/0,,2j1z,00.html

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Last year my beautiful Manx cat Theodore went out for the evening and never came back. I love cats and the house didn't feel the same without one, so I picked up Lola from a rescue centre. She was very frightened and would pee all over the house. I found Cat Spraying No More� on the internet and the techniques worked almost immediately. I haven't had a problem with Lola since. Amazing!

Can't stop your cat peeing in the house? Then worry no more...

Answer 4

I can't believe the bad answers that have been given here so far.

What it comes down to is that both males and females, unaltered and altered, can and do spray. Cats mark using their urine, so having them altered makes no difference in their ability to do so. It's just that unaltered toms (male cats) tend to be more territorial and therefore do more marking or mark more aggressively.

What it sounds like to me is that you're having three cats who are competing with each other, and as such, the marking is stress / anxiety induced. That is not uncommon in homes with several cats that did not grow up with each other.

The first thing you need to do is to remove all traces of cat odor from your home. Vinegar helps remove the smell, and a wide variety of enzymatic cleaners can be helpful as well, such as Nature's Miracle, and other such products sold at pet chain stores.

The next thing is to make sure that the cats have adequate space - for three cats, you should have three litter boxes plus one spare in your home. They need to be kept clean so that there will no urine smell build up that can trigger competitiveness again. Feed them separately as well - separate rooms may work best at first.

You can use products such as Feliway, which is used to spray places that have been marked, and Feliway Comfort Zone, a plug-in that releases pherhomones telling your cats "all is okay, feel comfortable here" that help address some of the territoriality issues between your cats.

If none of this helps, please take them to your veterinarian. The original spraying may have started if one of the cats had a bladder / urinary tract issue, and if that is still the case, the cycle won't stop because of the cat's continued need to eliminate in inappropriate places (which your other cats may take for "marking"). There are also medications your vet can prescribe, such as Buspirone, which has an effect similar to a tranquilizer, and will help with the competition / anxiety issues that are causing the spraying if it's not a physical issue.

Answer 5

A Feliway diffuser might be worth a try. Put it in the room where they are spraying. Vets sell them for around $40, the pet discount store here has them for $30. Once you have the diffuser you can buy refills for less. Don't buy the spray as that won't work as well.

The diffuser is plugged into an electrical outlet and will last about a month.

Spayed female cats DO spray. I have one who sprays the outside fence as there is a cat on the other side.

Answer 6

I have never heard of female cats spraying, but it's possible I guess... Usually it is the male cat... And are you sure he's fixed?
Maybe you should keep him as an outside cat because cat spray stinks! I am having trouble with my dog peeing in my house... and I clean and clean and clean and still have some smell in here!!! GGRRRRR I am so mad at her.
But I do with you luck! I'm sorry, and I hope you don't have to get rid of your cats. I would never want to get rid of mine for sure.
♥
Best wishes I hope you find the solution and I am sorry I couldn't give it to you.. WISH I could have helped... Sorry.


Stacy M.

Answer 7

Do you know which one is spraying or when it started? Unfortunately cats are territorial and they do spray to mark their territory. If you know who is doing it have it examined by your vet to be sure there are no physical problems. Your vet can then help you deal with the behavior. It could be stress induced and your vet may try an anti-anxiety medicine. Unfortunately this is not an easy problem to correct or deal with. Good luck!

Answer 8

i had my male cat fixed after he was 6 months and when i moved i brought him in thinking that since was was fixed he wouldnt spray and yep low and behold he would there were no new cats around just the ones he grew up with and my sister in law got her male cat fixed before he was 6 months old he was at the age to get fixed and he never sprayed and shes had him in the house for years and he never sprayed the vets said that if a male cat sprays once he'll kept doing it so to solve that issuse was to make sure you get him fixed as soon as hes old enough and before he sprays once.

Answer 9

Stop Cat Peeing Outside LitterBox - http://tinyurl.com/lWAQCjXYTo

Answer 10

Females don't spray. Even if the male is fixed there's no guaranty he won't spray. Have the male fixed and completely disinfect the "sprayed" area with ammonia. I found that cleaning the area where he sprays works well.

Answer 11

Find out where they are spraying, and cover those places with aluminum foil. Cats hate the sound of their wee-wee hitting aluminum foil; maybe it's like fingernails on a blackboard to them.