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it's getting ridiculous! i have a male and two females. they are all great cats, except for they try to spray everywhere! even when i'm standing there looking at the boy, he still does it! at first the females were just wiggling their tails and nothing was coming out, until she'd been been trying for awhile, then was able to do it! i've tried squirting them with water as they are doing it, i clean up with a product specifically made for that, and have a black uv light to find spray i cannot see(cat urine glows in black light). nothing is working! i am moving into a new house soon, and these spoiled kitties are going to have to be outside only cats, because i will not tolerate that extemely bad habit in my new house. i know why they're doing it and that it's a natural behavior, but i cannot stand it! please tell me if there is something...Anything that will break them of that habit!

2007-03-06 03:34:28 · 3 answers · asked by maryjane 1 in Pets Cats

3 answers

Your cats may be having territorial stress issues. Do stray cats come around outside? Try spraying a cat repellant spray around your doors & windows to keep strays away. Buy or build some cat trees, so your cats can have places to climb - this will increase their territory in the house by adding some vertical space, and having different heights of platforms to climb on will help them work out any status issues they may be having. Buy a Feliway comfort zone plug-in from the pet store or your vet - it will help de-stress the cats and reduce the likelihood of territorial marking. http://www.petcomfortzone.com/czcats.htm (You may need more than one, depending on the size of your home.)

Set aside a regular time every day for interactive play with your cats, to help set a routine and de-stress them. See this article for the importance of play therapy: http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=playtherapyforcats

How many litterboxes do you have? You'll need to get one box per cat +1, so if you have 3 cats, you need 4 boxes, to reduce territorial problems with the litterboxes.

Did someone with cats live in your place before you did? If so, they may have had a cat who sprayed, and your cats may be spraying because another cat sprayed there first. If that is the case, moving may actually help. When you move, confine the cats (with some cat trees) to a room that can be easily cleaned - this is usually a good idea to help minimize moving stress anyway, and will be an opportunity for you to be sure that they've stopped the behavior before you allow them the run of the new house. http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=movingwithyourcat

Have you had them checked by the vet for urinary problems? Sometimes urinary issues can cause a cat to spray, especially males, and then the others may be following suit because the male is spraying. The vast majority of litterbox issues in cats, even neutered sprayers, are related to health problems - this is definitely worth checking out before you consider putting your cats out. Urinary issues are very painful, and your cat may be trying to tell you something. If you're certain the male is the one starting this, take him to the vet, but if you have any doubts, go ahead & take them all in to be checked - females can have urinary problems too.

Are the litterboxes big enough for the cats? Some cats don't like small or covered boxes, and will go outside the box to express their displeasure. Most boxes sold in stores for cats are too small for average or large cats - choose a jumbo-sized box or a larger plastic storage tote instead (I use the 18-gallon Sterilite totes & cut a hole in the side for the cats to walk through). Sometimes if cats don't like the texture or fragrance of the litter they'll go outside the box (use a fine-grained, unscented litter such as Cat Attract). Clean the boxes by scooping twice a day - some cats are very fastidious about their boxes and will go outside the box when it's the least bit soiled. If your boxes have been in use for several months, it may be time to replace them - plastic can absorb odors over time, and the odor can drive cats away.

Make sure the litterboxes are in a private location where the cats won't be disturbed by noisy appliances, other pets, or children when they go to their box, yet are where the cats can get to them easily.

These articles have more information about litterbox problems and solutions in cats that you may find helpful:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/Housesoiling.html
http://www.catinfo.org/litterbox.htm

Hope this helps!

2007-03-06 04:10:22 · answer #1 · answered by Bess2002 5 · 1 0

He is doing it simply to mark you as his territory.There are 3 options to try to stop it, first place some food that is glued to a piece of paper near the blankets because cats typically will not spray or urinate next to where food is, second is to place some of the stay away powder that most pet supply stores have around the area the blankets are at, third is to take a dry washcloth and rub his face especially his cheeks with it for a few minutes then rub the cloth around the area the blankets are at. Cats have glands in their cheek that leave a scent that they can smell but we cant, wiping it with a washcloth and wiping it on the area will place his scent there for him but without the yuck smell. Hope this helps.

2007-03-06 20:00:58 · answer #2 · answered by melissa 2 · 0 0

Reguardless if your cats are S/N or no they can still spray. It could be as simple as the natural need for terriroty to them being in stress. Also depends on when they were S/N

If the cat was S/N before their sexual maturity they are less likely to spray, then those not however its no guaruntee.

Stress could be your answer since animals tend to know when big things about to happen (IE: you're moving).

However i'm not sure on how to get them to stop but I must also say its not their fault, and its completely natural to them, they don't do it to irritate you.

2007-03-06 11:43:10 · answer #3 · answered by Faylina M 1 · 0 0

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