Is there a way to keep my male cats from marking their territory?

Question

I used to have a cat that did this all the time. and the smell wasnt great. :( and it was hard to get this smell out of the house.
but what I wanted to know was if there is a way to keep my 2 new cats from doing this?
they havent started doing it, yet. to my knowledge.
but my only solution is that im thinking of getting rid of them before they start doing this. because the smell is disgusting and I would not like my house to become like that.
is spay/neuter the only way? or will they still "spray" afterwards if i do get them fixed?

I also heard that spaying or neutering an animal makes them mean/meaner than they were before.
is this true?

Answer 1

Get them neutered before they start. None of my many male cats ever sprayed. No..the personality does not change for the worse at all.

Answer 2

I have no idea where you got the "information" that neutering will make a pet "meaner"---just the opposite is true.
Even if it weren't for territorial marking, your cats will make FAR better pets when they are neutered. They won't be near as likely to roam looking for a mate (with all the accompanying problems that could cause) and they will be far less likely to fight. They'll just be more friendly, laid-back and less aggressive.
I can't imagine why you would give your cats up when neutering them is such an easy solution to the problem! They may spray for a short time after being neutered (until all the testosterone is out of their system) but they WILL stop. Please get your cats neutered, and you'll have happier, healthier pets---and you'll have a nice-smelling home.

Answer 3

If your cats are male, and not neutered, then the best way to prevent them from spraying is to neuter them.The spraying is a hormonal marking of their territory, and neutering effectively eliminates most of those hormones. It's not 100%, especially of the cat has already started spraying, but if he hasn't,then it works really well.There is also a spray you can get for your cats called "Felaway" and it is a pheromone, that makes them less likely to want to spray. Neutering a pet should not make him more mean, in fact it should work the other way around, because you are removing all that nasty testosterone, so the aggression should go way down.PLEASE neuter your cats, and keep them to love.

Answer 4

Cats that are neutered before they get into the habit of spraying will not spray.

Spaying/neutering does not make an animal mean - in some cases, it makes them better, more affectionate pets as they are less likely to roam or show territorial aggression.

Answer 5

Nuetering your cats would be best, i got my 1st male done when he was 6 months old. He is now 2 and actually so much better behave then he was before and he is the most loving cat ive ever had. he is a lot more coorapative now too. im getting my second male done next week, hopefully it chills him out a little too. but i have a 8 year old male that is outside, and he wanders around, sometimes leaving for weeks at a time. hes mean too when we try to pick him up... but my male that is fixed right now, he doesnt spray at all, i dont htink they have what they need to do it after they get snipped... hope that helps :)

Answer 6

Hi! Oh please dont get rid of the kitties just becuase they might spray. If they have not done so yet becuase they are still young, chances are they will never do so if they were neutered now. My 1 yr old neutered male has never sprayed because he never did before he was neutered. On the otherhand, my 9 yr old will spray outdoors (cars, tree trunks, fences) to mark his territory and becuase he was neutered when he was already 2 years old and had already learnt the behavior.
If you have your cats fixed now, they are highly unikely to begin spraying.

Answer 7

Neuter him, it 's the only solution. He might still do the behaviors of spraying (if he is a older cat) but he will not be able to spray.

Answer 8

Some of my fixed male and female cats still spray even after being fixed at young ages (6 months females & 7 months males).

Answer 9

get them fixed they shouldnt spray also if you have a fixed male and female together they are less likely to mark the territory because they dont feel as threatned if there are two males or two females, and getting them fixed offen times calms the animal down rarely does it make them meaner.

Answer 10

get them neutered- no it doesn't make them mean it actually mellows them down because it cuts down on the testosterone in their system. They may still lift their leg when in the litter box so remember to put a little newspaper around the litter pan.