Cats don’t need high-tech devices to communicate. In addition to body language, vocalizing, scratching objects and rubbing, they use urine to broadcast their intentions and emotions. Cat spraying, which is one form of urine marking, is not hugely popular with people, especially when done indoors.
It can be difficult to tell the difference between cat peeing and cat spraying because some cats stand instead of squat while urinating. The smell and the amount of urine indicate whether it’s urinating or a cat spraying behavior. Spray is highly pungent because it contains pheromones. This unpleasant smell sometimes is the only indicator that cats have sprayed in the house. One positive note is that less urine is deposited when cats spray than when they urinate.
Kitties are sometimes caught in the act — backing up to a vertical surface, treading with the front paws, and quickly twitching their tails while spraying. Simultaneously, they may close their eyes.
The reasons behind cat spraying
Urine is a powerful communication tool — cats can tell a great deal about each other from it including age, sex, status and sexual availability. Although adult cats of both genders, whole as well as fixed, might spray under specific circumstances, intact ones are most often guilty of the smelly behavior.
Whole males, as a rule, are prone to cat spraying behaviors. Pheromones, released into the urine, advertise they’re ready, willing and on the alert for girlfriends. Additionally, cat spraying broadcasts clear messages to other male cats to stay away. Intact female cats spray, too — the chemicals in their urine indicate where they are in their cycle.
Spray from intact cats is more pungent than from those who are fixed. The unpleasant smell is easier to detect from a distance — important for advertising for a special friend.
What causes cat spraying in spayed and neutered cats
Although spayed and neutered cats aren’t looking to connect with members of the opposite sex, they have other reasons to engage in cat spraying including …
1. Marking boundaries
Cat spraying is the feline version of drawing lines in the sand and putting up “no trespassing” signs. Kitties are territorial — the far-reaching effects of the pungent urine lets other animals in the hood know the extent of their stomping grounds.
2. Reacting to neighborhood cats
Inside cats sometimes spray around doors and windows when they see or smell unfamiliar cats hanging out around their homes. They spray to mark territories and because they can’t reach the intruders to chase them away or engage with them. Often, the unwelcome visitors leave their own calling cards, which the resident felines smell.
3. Recognizing their own scents
Cats sometimes will spray inside their territories so they can smell and recognize their own scents.
4. New objects and furniture
Some cats will spray new furniture or objects that are brought into their homes.
5. Stress
Insecurities and stress can trigger cat spraying. Some cats are more sensitive than others, responding by marking to situations such as other cats, household changes, owners traveling, illness, new household pets and even schedule changes.
6. Mingling scents
Some cats will spray their favorite people’s belongings in an effort to mix scents together and create a bond. Another reason is for security. Stressed, fearful cats will sometimes spray objects that smell like their owners, helping the cats feel a little more secure.
7. Not adjusting to change
Some cats do not adjust well to household changes, including problems between the humans residents, a new baby, schedule changes, moving and remodeling.
8. Conflict resolution
Conflicts in multicat households can cause cat spraying. Stressed, anxious and threatened felines will spray in order to communicate status and territorial boundaries. In theory, the smelly behavior might keep cats from fighting. Cats who engage in hostilities often are scratched and bitten. Settling wars through cat spraying is much safer.
How to stop cat spraying
The following tips and suggestions help stop cat spraying, and they also help stop the behavior before it begins:
1. Don’t punish cats
Never punish cats when they spray. Don’t yell, rub noses in the urine, or hit them. Those responses will cause kitties to feel more stressed and escalate behaviors. Sadly, it also breaks the bonds between them and the punisher. Kitties aren’t being bad — they have good reasons for marking. Instead, identify the causes for the behavior and address them.
2. Use an enzyme cleaner
Thoroughly clean marked areas with an effective enzyme cleaner. It might take a couple of applications until the smell is eliminated.
3. Change mental connections
Change your cat’s association with the targeted areas after the areas have been cleaned with the enzyme cleaner. Do activities she enjoys such as playing, petting and clicker training on the areas. Placing toys and scratchers near them will also change how she relates to the sprayed spots.
4. Use synthetic pheromones
Using synthetic pheromones around the marked areas can help calm and relax your cat.
5. Close doors
Temporarily keep your kitty out of the rooms that are being sprayed.
6. Interaction
If your cat is spraying a family member’s belongings, encourage the person to feed, play, and interact with the kitty every day.
7. Address inter-cat issues
Increase the resources to reduce the competition in multi-cat households. Provide more vertical territory, hiding places, scratchers, and toys throughout your home. You might need to add feeding stations, placing them a distance from each other. Make sure there are enough clean litter boxes — one per cat, plus one, and place them in different areas of your home. Sometimes separating warring cats from each other and gradually reintroducing them will stop the squabbling and cat spraying behaviors.
8. Discourage neighborhood cats
Keep neighborhood cats off your property by placing safe deterrents around the outside perimeter of your home. Temporarily block your kitty’s view of the unwelcome visitors by covering windows. After the intruders stop visiting, uncover the windows.
9. Spay and neuter
Although all adult cats can spray, the chances of their marking are greatly reduced by spaying and neutering. In addition to eliminating the reasons to mark, spaying and neutering also helps curtail hostilities.
10. Daily interaction
Help your cat feel more secure and less anxious by doing activities she enjoys every day, such as playing, treasure hunts and clicker training.
11. Vet check
Before assuming your cat has a behavior challenge, have a veterinarian examine her in order to rule out any possible medical problems that could be causing her to spray.
12. Gradual introductions
Newly adopted kitties need to be separated from your resident felines and gradually introduced. It might take a month or longer to introduce them to each other with a minimum of stress.
Some final thoughts on cat spraying
Although cat spraying can happen with any cat, it is a behavior that intact cats are more likely to engage in than those who are fixed. Once the reasons for the smelly behavior are identified, you should be able to stop it or at least reduce the occurrences by addressing the causes and modifying the environment.
Can’t tell if your cat sprayed and not sure how to clean it up? Follow these tips >>
Thumbnail: Photography © debibishop | iStock / Getty Images Plus.
This piece was originally published in 2015.
Read more about weird cat behaviors on Catster.com:
- Why Some Cats Hate Dogs & What to Do About It
- Cats and Sneezing: Why Your Cat Acts So Weird When You Sneeze
- How to Ease Your Cat’s Stress Before and During Vet Visits
About the author
Please follow Marilyn on Facebook!
Got a cat behavior question for Marilyn? Ask our behaviorist in the comments below and you might be featured in an upcoming column. If you suspect a behavioral problem, always rule out any possible medical issues that may be causing the behavior by first having your cat examined by a veterinarian.
Marilyn, a certified cat behavior consultant, owner of The Cat Coach, LLC, solves cat behavior problems nationally and internationally through on site, Skype and phone consultations. She uses positive reinforcement, including environmental changes, management, clicker training and other behavior modification techniques.
She is also an award winning author. Her book Naughty No More! focuses on solving cat behavior problems through clicker training and other positive reinforcement methods. Marilyn is big on education — she feels it is important for cat parents to know the reasons behind their cat’s behaviors. She is a frequent guest on television and radio, answering cat behavior questions and helping people understand their cats.
66 thoughts on “Cat Spraying — Why Does It Happen and What Can You Do?”
I was having issues with my adopted cat Sgt Meow spraying all over the place. I love him dearly but it was starting to get really annoying. A friend recommended me this guide https://sites.google.com/view/catspraynomore/home The results have been amazing and Sgt Meow stopped his spraying completely. It took some patience but it worked. Highly highly recommended….:))
my cat bella has always bothered me with her problems, she is always quarrelsome and I never run out of orders. and among the problems I had with my cat bella was not using her litterbox,,,,where my cat urinated everywhere in the house, like the kitchen, the bedroom, the sofa, and the carpet.. which caused me a great inconvenience, ….However,recently Ifound this plan : ( https://tinyurl.com/5awkdcsj ) ( copy link and put it in browser ) .After I followed this plan, my cat bella became obedient and only urinated in its litter box.
Our cat Puffy has been driving the entire family crazy with his spraying everywhere. We bought de-scenting sprays and special cleaners, which he ignored and re-marked all over the house… Some advice? Thank you.
Well, you can find guides that solve this and other training issues. Instead of the expensive sprays, you can guide your cat to "not think out of the box". HaHa! I found out what we were doing wrong and quickly solved what my cat's communication problem was. There is a vast amount of information on the Internet, but most of it is useless. You should find a good guide somewhere on this page https://bit.ly/3HqMFKG Good luck!
Thanks for sharing a piece of great information with us. I read your content I like it very much
https://catsadore.com/the-owner-showed-how-he-bath-his-three-cats-people-in-wonder-how-did-you-do-that/
Your article is amazing. Many peoples have different type of hobbies and they like to spend time with their pet.
I have only a small dog and his name is any.
My cat used to pee and the house and it made my home smell like a litter box. I was continually spending a lot of money continually cleaning the carpets and replacing furniture. I didn't want to scream and shout at my poor little cat or give hime away like some of my friends had done when their cats would not stop spraying outside the box. Luckily, this veterinary technician has a website that helped me train my cat and he has not peed outside his box in 3 years: http://www.bestquicktips.com/real-ways-to-stop-cats-from-spraying
Thank you for this very insightful article! It makes things alot clearer and puts the problem into a new perspective (at least for me) and while we no longer have the spraying issue for about 12 days now (we are following this stop spraying program https://2ajwiba.com ) I would definitely love to address any lingering behavioral issues! I didn't really notice any change in our cat's behaviour but I will be looking into what caused the issue in the first place using your article!
Very good information has been provided in your article.Thank you for this, your similar articles impress us.Seeing you, I have also written Must Read It for an article chair.
Thank you
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I’m glad to found your blog! Is just lovely!
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Compared so real. Like the way that how they connected.
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After a long time read a beautiful article.
I have a 10 year old spayed female cat that sprays. The vet check found no medical issues. Yesterday she walked into bathroom on husband and sprayed next to toilet while he was sitting on toilet! This morning she jumped on bed while hubby was still laying in it and sprayed on covers! HELP!!!!! There have been no changes in house, we have 4 litterboxes in different places for our 2 cats. Separate food bowls. Indoor only. She appears to get along well with our neutered male-(they sleep together and have been together her entire life). She will play with me and let me brush her, but follows my husband around the house. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Hi! I’m glad to found your blog! Is just lovely!
Great idea! ????
Well, you can find guides that solve this and other training issues. Instead of the expensive sprays, you can guide your cat to “not think out of the box”. Haha! I found out what we were doing wrong and quickly solved what my cat’s communication problem was. There is a vast amount of information on the Internet, but most of it is useless.
If you live in a house ….buy or built a cat catio!
Only thing I can tell you!
Mine stopped spraying as soon I sprayed & neutered!
But I still built the catio!
I have a household of 6 rescue cats. They have all been fixed since they where kittens and were adopted in pairs all litter mates. 2 N. males 10 yrs old, 2 S. females 8 years old 2 N. males 6 years old twins. They were adopted as kittens 2 years apart from each set. My problem is the last 2 we adopted Teddy and Buster are twins they have a mix of orange tabby and flame point Siamese. Their parents were both Farrell and our twins were born in a trap during a catch and release project. Mom was not touchable but the twins had plenty of human interaction all positive. My problem started 3 years ago just out of the blue Teddy started peeing on area rugs and throw rugs. He was found to have crystals in his urine so that was treated and followed very closely I have made all the necessary changes to his diet to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I even added 3 more litter boxes so I have 8 litter boxes in total. They are scooped several times a day to keep them clear. He has continued to pee in front of the boxes and on the floor through out my house . I have had him put on anti tress meds I have the calming plug ins through out my house and I put a calming tonic in their water dishes. The problem persists and now his brother Buster has join in on this behavior. He too has been checked for urine issues and there are none. I might add Buster has his own issues he has I think it’s called Picca where he eats none food items. So this is a challenge also. I am at my wits end with this they have caused so much damage in my house and not to mention the vet bills and the special items I have purchased to help stop this but no results. Do you have any suggestions I should try that I haven’t tried already? Help MEEEEE I’m desperate because I don’t want to give up on them and just resign myself that they will only be able to be barn cats because that life really isn’t a good one and barn cats don’t live long.
I completely understand You!
Been thru all of it!
Luckily when I spayed & neutered It stopped!
But I still made a Cat Catio Because My furniture was ruined!
I was buying new furniture yearly!
After 5years I said I can’t do this any longer!
And I was never going to declaw them!
Please don’t give up on them !
Goodluck!
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I have a 4yr old female cat, had her spayed at 6 months old. For the last 5-6 months neighbours cats follow her and even sit on the fence waiting for her to go out, they’re not nasty to her at all, but some of them sit outside my door, the smell of cat urine around my door and even just inside my door is awful, has anyone got any suggestions to keep them away, I’ve tried orange peel but that’s not worked
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Our cat Puffy has been driving the entire family crazy with his spraying everywhere. We bought de-scenting sprays and special cleaners, which he ignored and re-marked all over the house… Some advice? (I refuse neuter my cat.) Thank you.
Well, you can find guides that solve this and other training issues. Instead of the expensive sprays, you can guide your cat to “not think out of the box”. Haha! I found out what we were doing wrong and quickly solved what my cat’s communication problem was. There is a vast amount of information on the Internet, but most of it is useless.
I had the same problem a few months back but now my cats are fine and don’t spray at all. I used a program that helps you train your cats psychologically so the problem is permanently solved.
Hi Thomas,
We have a spraying cat too and would like to know what program you used?
My 10yr old cat started spraying after I got sick with pneumonia my neighbor gave me this ( Skunk – Out ) n it’s been working. I wash the area with soap n water 1st then I put skunk out with a little bit of water n clean over the spot then I put s/o in a spray bottle n spray the spot smell gone n no respray works on clothes n the laundry. I use the spray bottle to spray where I think he might do it. He doesn’t like the spray but I do it’s a fresh smell… Hope it works 4 u….God bless
This article helps nothing. Instead just tells people to keep cleaning up the rancid stains and smells. Basically telling people it’s their fault their cat is ruining their things and to just give them more. I have 3 cats and since moving one started to spray and ruin any clothing /towels I own. And guess what? Punishing works very well. Don’t hit them or anything. Spray them when they back up to spray
I had the same problem. Suddenly my cat had started spraying all over and it was so tiring to keep cleaning all the time. Moreover, the smell wouldn’t go completely. I tried various sprays and they seem to work initially but never found any long term solution.
A few months back I had come across an article online on cat spraying
that offers various suggestions along with product recommendations, but the one I liked was the digital program that they recommended me. The program is written by an ASPCA Veterinary Technician that exactly teaches you how to stop your cat from peeing and pooping outside the litter box – permanently. I gave it a try and it worked. My cat doesn’t pee outside the litter box anymore.
I suggest you read through the article and see any of her recommendations work. Or you can directly try out the program like me.
I have a neutered male 5 y/o cat who has been spraying EVERYTHING in the home for about 8 months now. I have spent hundreds of dollars on vet bills to rule out any medical issues and the vet determined it is behavioral. We even tried prozac with no luck. I have cleaned and treated the areas with every online home remedy and purchased 2 separate commercial product. Still, with no luck on getting him to stop.
This is a Multiple times Every day event with him now. Can anyone recommend the best deterrent product? I am at my wits end and am not sure what more to do. I can’t bring myself to take him to the local shelter. But, in the same respect, I cannot continue to live like this. He is RUINING Everything in my home :(
Zep Odor Control and Zep Professional Carpet Cleaner that I got at Lowes. It works well in the washer for clothes or towels etc that you need to get the smell out of. I put it in my detergent dispenser with my liquid detergent (only takes a small amount I’m going to say no more than 2oz for my front load. I have put blankets on soak or delayed wash. My daughters kitty is scheduled to be fixed in 2 days, but we had to wait a little over a month bc our vet was booked. It has been a nightmare. I mix it in with the carpet cleaner after I have followed the instructions regarding pretreatment of the area where they have sprayed or peed. Just make sure to read all the instructions on the north bc they are professional strength. It’s the first thing I’ve found that will actually eliminate that odor completely. The odor control also is a disinfectant so that is even better. It has a variety of uses and is cheaper than all the other brands I’ve tried. Best carpet cleaner as well. I mix up some in a spray bottle to pretreat areas first. Since I’m going to rinse it with clear water after you shampoo the carpet, I mixed it stronger to spray one of the areas he repeatedly marked before I could locate the exact spot. I closed the door so none of the animals could get in to that room and let it sit overnight. Then shampooed the carpet later the next day. It took care of the smell and that carpet cleaner is awesome. Good luck and I know your frustrations. I had to clean my carpet in the living room again yestersay, bc I had closed off every room but that one. He isn’t a year old yet. He doesn’t go outside and hasn’t since we got him. The other intact male doesn’t spray, but he is very timid. He was here prior, thanks to my sister and older than the one that is doing all the marking. Both are trying to hump my fixed male when he comes in to eat though. I put him in my oldest daughters room, so he will be left alone. It has been a a long several months. My mom was in the hospital, we all had that head cold that was going around, so I was late calling my vet. Hence the added month plus dealing with this. I couldn’t of done it without the both of the Zep products and they make a lot for less than $20 for both gallon size bottles, even with me mixing it a bit stronger and using it in the washer.
i have cat problems too the neighb ors cat visits my tom neutered cat and sprays the door outside my cat smells it and pees right there on the rug by door, i saw something made by Natures Miracle called No More Spraying, i love my cat but he does not like the tom cat visiting my house, i will buy this tomorrow and spray by my two doors, also a lady used Skunk Out, she says it stopped them from spraying and the scent smells good
I have a semi-feral female 2yr old cat we brought inside. She has been spraying and peeing on ONLY MY CHAIR, CLOTHS AND EVERYTHING ELSE WITH MY SCENT. I read that when a cat is stressed or behavioral, they will spray. But my cat, to my astonishment is marking my things with her scent to combine them to create a bond! She is still a nervous and skittish cat and will let me pet her some but ONLY WHEN IM SITTING IN MY CHAIR! She walks up to me and meows and I bend down and pet her. She won’t let me pick her up and she won’t jump up and sit with me. If I sit in the floor hoping to get her to come so I can get her in my lap, she won’t come near me. My vet said to use FELIWAY. It’s a pheromone that calms cats and helps with a lot of issues. INCLUDING BEHAVIOR SPRAYING!! It’s comes in multi products to choose from and has great reviews. I prefer the spray for the area they spray on and the plug in at night when my cat likes to do her natural instinct of roaming and peeing the most. I hope if you give this a try, it helps. I’m sure if it helps a feral cat it will most definitely help a domestic. Good Luck to you!
We have 3 cat’s my Lil boy 9 month’s all of them has been fixed ,a few days ago we brought home 2 older cats I believe they’ve been outside for a few years my Lil boy is very aggressive I’m really afraid they will fighting please help .
Today when I read the Blog that you have posted and it was amazing.
The contents were useful and knowledgable.
Thank you for Sharing this, for sure it will help many others too.
Thank you so much for this article!
Got some great information and advice
My Cat (11 Years old) would spray all over the house and he’s neutered but now thankfully he’s stopped completely!
Thanks again for this aritcle
That’s great news!
May I ask how you manage to stop this behavior? Any special tips or advice?
It requires patience and time too!
Your Cat won’t just stop spraying but you have to figure out the why and this article explains it very well!
If you prefer to follow like a step by step system or a guide then I would recommend checking out Cat Spraying No More
I bought this myself and i would recommend it to all Cat parents
Check out the review and you can decide if it’s for you
Wish you all the best!
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I have a male cat that is a stray with the cold weather I have been letting him come in to eat and warm up very friendly I can’t afford a vet at this time but now he is getting more comfortable and is wondering my house I do have 2 other female cats that are fixed they all get along and eventually I would like to keep him but he stated to spray in the house now and I don’t know what to do any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
I have a three year old neutered tom that has started spraying indoors because of cats outside. I have tried the available pheromone products. I took him to the vet as advised. The vet told me to close the cat flap (which I don’t have) and buy a dog to see off the intruders. A dog won’t follow him over fences at 6am in the morning. Or sit under the car in the rain watching the world go by. I am looking for a new vet and thinking about getting rid of all the furniture.
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My cat sprays after a bath. He didn’t do spray or anything before, but recently we had a flea infestation and he ended up with three baths in four days. Now he sprays after every bath though it’s been roughly three weeks since his last bath. I’ve reduced the amount of time he’s in the bath,so no more than two minutes, no loud running water, no harmful stimuli. But he still gets upset and sprays. I keep him in the bathroom for up to thirty minutes to try get him to calm down or spray if he’s going to spray. Lately, he’s been fine in the bathroom, then when I let him out, he goes to the hardest spot in the house to clean and sprays like he’s trying to get back at me. I can’t not give him a bath since fleas are horrible even with an exterminator and the cat and the dog are both allergic to fleas. Not sure how I can stop the spraying after bath time.
Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out! Here is an article that provides more information about fleas and how to fight them:
The article you previously read explains how the chances of cats marking are greatly reduced by spaying and neutering. If the behavior continues, we suggest taking your cat to the vet for a checkup.
What you are bathing your cat! Cats don’t like water so you are simply stressing your cat out.
Visit your vet for a full health check and the recommended flea treatment and treat your home too. Continue every month until you are on top of the issue.
Cats should never be bathed by a human. It’s extremely harmful to their skin and coat. They are excellent at cleaning themselves and don’t need your help. So save yourself the chore, and from the ‘marking’.
A few months ago my parents got a new kitten from friends. They thought the kitten was a female but it turned out to be male. They already have a male cat that is definitely not happy about the kitten. The older male cat spends most of his time outside but at night we force him to come inside. He usually begs to go back out and he would just give up eventually. Now he has started to spray us when we don’t let him out.
I have 6 cats, all females. They are
17 year old,
2 x 5 year old sisters.
3 year old
18 months old and a recent addition 14 week kitten.
They were all left alone to their own devices when each additional cat was brought into their home but I made sure that the additional cat had her own safe space to retreat to.
They have always eaten in the same room in separate dishes and they do swap and change dishes a lot.
There’s plenty of cat toys around and laser games, so they do all play together. If kitty gets too close or invaded another cats space, that cat will strike out at kitty but only 1 of the cats hasn’t relaxed enough around kitty and she will hiss.
Kitty crouches down when that cat comes near as if submissive, that allows that cat to come as close as she feels comfortable with kitty.
Given time, a pecking order will form, after all, I have a pride of cats living in my home and most of the time it’s very harmonious.
The spraying has also settled down from what it was 5 weeks ago when kitty arrived. 2 of the queens have now began to mother the kitten and play crazy together.
Just clean up any spraying and make sure you interact with all your cats both one to one and individually.
I have a 16 year old female cat who sprays anything and everything. We have had vet visits, put her on Prozac, tried pheromones, have several litter boxes throughout the house (she uses them regularly). We have cleaned the areas with enzymes. We have completely replaced flooring and parts of the drywall. Nothing has stopped her. I am at a loss on what to do. This has been a slight problem of her just spraying in one or two rooms of the house, which was easy to control, when she was younger, to mow nothing I safe. She has zero health issues. Please help!,
I have a 16 year old female cat who sprays anything and everything. We have had vet visits, put her Prozac, tried pheromones, have several litter boxes throughout the house (she uses the regularly). We have cleaned the areas with enzymes. We have replaced completely replaced flooring and parts of the drywall. Nothing has stopped her. I am at a loss on what to do. This has been a slight problem of her just spraying in one or two rooms of the house, which was easy to control, to anywhere and everywhere. She has zero health issues. Please help!,
Hi Tanja,
Definitely discuss this with your vet and here are a few articles that might provide more insight:
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/5-cat-marking-behaviors-might-surprise-you
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-tips-marking-spraying-head-butt-bunt-middening-litter-box-scratching
My male cat is two years old. His has always used his litter box. He was neutered as a kitten. About two months ago I noticed he sprayed which he has never done. The urine was a medium red. After a vet check the next day, he was given a shot and oral antibiotics for a bladder infection. With no improvement after two weeks another visit was made and I was told he has a kidney infection and two small stones. More antibiotics and food change was recommended. It’s been another two weeks on this new regimen. He his now spraying 1-3 times a day in roughly the same areas and “meows” when he uses his litter box. The vet bills are increasing and I hate to see him having any discomfort or relief . Is surgery our only other option. Are any treatments such as vitamins to his food that may help?
Angela sorry just found this article but some vinegar drops on the back of kitty’s neck and rubbed in will help his kidneys sounds odd but I have seen it work wonders . The vinegar breaks up what’s in the food causing the problems apple cider vinegar
Look on Amazon
I have my cat on kidney meds that is all natural, plus urinary meds that I got off amazon n it’s working.
I wish u the best
God bless u n your kitty????????
One of my cats was sprayed on by a street cat. Now my other cat sniffs at him and starts hissing and running away from him. He won’t even let him come close. I have cleaned my cat with a wet clothes multiple times but that doesn’t seem to help. Is there anything I can do to make them 2 get along again? They are siblings and got along really well till one of them got bitten and was sprayed on by a street cat. Just to clarify, The wound isnt too serious.
Hi there —
Could you try giving the sprayed cat a full-on bath?
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/how-to-give-a-cat-a-bath
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/should-you-bathe-a-cat-what-to-know-about-cat-baths
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/health-care-grooming-tips-how-to-give-a-cat-a-bath-should-not
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/what-cats-need-grooming-bathing-and-brushing-your-cat
This sounds like feline nonrecognition aggression:
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-health-behavior-training-tips-reintroducing-cats-vet
Best of luck. You may want to contact your vet about this and the wound.
Thank you for sharing such in-depth and great information! Some other thoughts…
Male cat spraying is a natural signal tom cats use to communicate and mark their territory but may also be a sign of stress. To be able to stop your cat from spraying, you need to understand why your cat is spraying and act accordingly.
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Sorry, but if I knew that your reply would always be, “we suggest that you go to your vet and pay him or her to…” I wouldn’t have read the comments section. Your replies to people requesting help are of no value…
My cat is about a year old and he has been sray ing all over how do I stop him
Hi Tammy — We suggest discussing this issue with a vet and/or behaviorist. Best of luck!
We have 2 neutered male litter mates 9 years old.
They are indoor only healthy Manx/ Maincoon breed.
The dominant one has started to spray or urinate in many areas of our home.
I have started a log of dates, locations, and environmental conditions.
Typically this behavior follows a visit by family or friends.
For instance, spraying on the interior of a door that leads outside when visiting with friends outside.
And the latest, spraying the interior of the front door while visiting with family on the back porch.
I clean the areas throughly, and use an enzyme formula and pheromone sprays.
He will also spray the counter in the kitchen where I keep my shopping lists, coupons, mail, tablet etc.
I believe the spraying with guests involved is territorial, but I don’t know why he sprays when we do not have guests.
Hi Sue —
Sorry to hear about your issues! We suggest consulting with a vet. Best of luck!
I have a three year old Bengal that sprays now once in a while since he has been put on pills to calm him. I can not stop him from spraying. I have tried everything. The spraying started when I brought a female in the house and they never got along she always attacted him. So I rehired her. He does have tricamonisis and it is now under control. My in laws stopped buy to visit outside on patio which has cat fence around it and he sprayed against the fence in front of us buy the gate part. I have to check the house a lot with black light. Only once in awhile this happens now. If he is not on his pills he is worse. He cries a lot and sprays a lot ,thank heavens for the calming pills. But I can not stop him completely from spraying.