If your cat has a habit of urine spraying in your home, the behaviour can be difficult to stop! Both male and female cats, and unneutered and neutered cats can spray indoors.

So, when do cats start spraying and what is behind this behaviour? How do we deter cat spraying and what can we do to stop a cat from spraying? This guide will help you deal with the unpleasant issue of cat spraying and that pungent cat spray smell.

How Do Cats Spray?

When cats spray, they do it from a standing position. The cat will back up to the surface they want to spray against, tread on their back feet, twitch their tail and then squirt small amounts of urine onto the surface. It’s possible for cats to spray on horizontal surfaces as well and this can make the behaviour difficult to distinguish from inappropriate urination (when cats squat and urinate indoors instead of using their litter trays).

Vertical surfaces like door frames are often a target for cat spraying – they're a vertical spot close to the entrance to the house or a room. But furniture, curtains or any household equipment can be used.

Cats may also spray a new object that has been brought into the home or even spray people. Spraying objects that are strongly associated with the scent of their owner are often another favourite spraying site. If this happens, make sure to keep your bedroom door closed!

Why Do Cats Spray?

Spraying urine is one of the ways cats leave their scent and mark their territory. Marking with their individual scent makes cats feel more secure in their surroundings. Spraying can also let cats communicate with other cats that they're ready to mate, as well as letting other cats know to back off.

As the smell of the sprayed area fades, cat's will re-mark that area. It’s normal cat behaviour. Owners may notice their cat starts spraying after a change in their environment so discovering what has triggered the behaviour is a good start to reducing spraying.

Indoor cats and outdoor cats alike can become overexcited when outdoors and may exhibit spraying behaviour upon returning to the house. This tendency is particularly noticeable when there is a new cat in the neighbourhood.

Do Female Cats Spray?

Yes, female cats spray, but male cats do as well. Unneutered male cat spray tends to have a stronger smell than female cat spray. While neutered male cats (and female cats) are less likely to exhibit this behaviour, spraying usually occurs due to an emotional cause rather than a sexual cause.

How to Get a Cat to Stop Spraying

Shouting or punishing your cat won’t help. It will just make them more anxious and insecure and more likely to spray. To find out why your cat is spraying may involve a bit of detective work. Likely triggers for the behaviour may be:

• A change of routine – owners going away on holiday or for work can make cats feel unsettled.
• Moving house.
• Social conflict with other cats - is there a rival cat or a new aggressive cat that comes into their garden or even enters their home via the cat flap?
• New cat, dog, or baby in the household.
• Ongoing building work or redecorating.

Something new or a change in your cat’s environment is making them feel stressed and less secure and spraying is a way that they mark their territory. If there’s a new cat in the household that’s making them feel threatened, reduce conflict by adding more litter trays, bowls, places to scratch, sit and sleep.

If your cat is distressed by something inside the home, then internal doors may be a favourite site for their spraying. You can make the area they spray on less accessible by covering it with aluminium foil. Or try spraying the area with a citrus scent – this may help deter cat spraying as they don’t like the smell.

If the behaviour is triggered by seeing a rival cat that comes into their garden, put opaque window film up at windows and doors so your cat can’t see outside. A clue that an outside cat may be causing your cat to feel insecure, is the site of the spraying. So, check if your cat is spraying against external doors or windows or their cat flap.

It may be that another cat has sneaked into their home via the cat flap. Try closing off the cat flap (or install a microchip activated cat flap) and only let your cat out when they ask. Move their bed, litter box, scratching post, and feeding and water bowls to a room where they feel safe and give them lots of affection. Once they feel safer, the behaviour will settle down, then the rest of the house can be opened up to them, room by room.

It may also be worth trying to spread your cat’s scent onto the objects they use for spraying so that their scent is already there. Use a soft, cotton cloth to gently wipe their face and pick up their smell from their scent glands, dab this scent onto the problem area and repeat daily.

If the problem persists, ask your vet for advice. Your vet will check your cat to determine if an underlying medical condition like a urinary tract disease is behind the spraying. Medication may help in the short-term but won’t tackle the reason behind your cat spraying. Your vet may also recommend using a feline pheromone diffuser or spray or refer you to a feline behavioural specialist to get to the root of your cat’s unhappiness.

How to Get Rid of Cat Spray Smell

Standard disinfectants don’t work, and some just encourage your cat to re-mark the area. If the disinfectant contains ammonia (a constituent in cat’s urine), they may think another cat has been spraying in their territory. You'll need to use a 10% biological washing powder solution or enzymatic cleaner. Rinse the area with cold water and leave it to dry, then spray with surgical spirit.

Spraying a natural cat scent (pheromone) that only cats can smell may make it less likely that your cat will spray again in that spot. After the area is clean, move your cat’s feeding bowl (fill with dried food) to that area as cats tend not to spray near their eating area. However, if the reason for your cat’s spraying hasn’t been addressed, they may keep spraying.

A cat spraying in the house is a sign that your cat is feeling anxious. Use a biological or enzymatic cleaner (rather than an ammonia-based disinfectant) to clean up the sprayed area and try to find out the reasons behind your cat’s spraying.

Taking measures to reduce your cat’s fear and stress will make them feel more secure. If the trigger for this behaviour can be identified and managed, the cat will feel safer. This can help to reduce their spraying, and everyone will be happier!

Everypaw Cat Insurance

Everypaw's Cat Insurance comes with 24/7 unlimited access to vets and vet nurses that can help with your pet's health, care, nutrition and behaviour. So you can rest assured your kitty will be well looked after.

Get a quote

 

Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Felis - www.vetlexicon.com/felis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.