How to Prevent Cats From Spraying in the House
By Angela Tempest Submitted On May 17, 2015
There can be a number of reasons why a cat will spray in the house or otherwise not use their litter box correctly. Sometimes it is a behavioural problem but sometimes it is a sign of a medical condition.
If your cat begins to deposit their waste somewhere other than the litter box, then medical issues should be investigated before behavioural ones are examined. Usually this can involve a physical examination, a blood count, blood chemistry panel and analysis of their urine. Other specialist tests needed can include radiographs using special dyes to outline the urinary tract.
Medical problems
One of the most common problems leading to inappropriate elimination is a bacterial bladder infection, or bacterial cystitis. This causes an inflammation of the bladder that makes the cat think it needs to urinate all the time and often before they manage to reach the litter box. Other conditions such as bladder stones or a tumour can also cause problems with the shape of the bladder and have the same effect. FLUTD or Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease is another similar condition but there is no bacterial infection involved and can come from a range of reasons both physical and psychological.
Cats suffering with this type of condition may squat frequently but only product a small amount of urine. They may also continue to strain when nothing comes out and even cry out when doing this. There can be a reddish tinge to the urine from a small amount of blood and other symptoms include not eating, lethargy and hiding.
Behavioural problems
Around 10% of all cats will urinate outside their litter box and some stage and it is one of the most commonly reported problems that cat owners experience. Sometimes the cause of the problem is their litter box or its litter while other causes can be relating to stress in their environment. But around 30% of these cases are actually not really a problem but a natural, if unpleasant, behaviour - urine marking or spraying.
In the wild, cats don't tend to live with other cats apart from when breeding. They aren't sociable animals the way that dogs are. However, they often have overlapping territories with other cats and this can lead to fights if there is no system of communication in place. This is why cats have learned to spray as a form of communication. They mark their territory so another cat knows they are there and to keep away. They can also do it to show they are looking for a mate.
In pet cats, this urge is still present, particularly in cats that haven't been neutered. While they don't have the same problems their wild ancestors do with other cats, they still have the urge to mark their territory or to try to find a mate.
Understanding and stopping urine marking
So how to do you know the difference between inappropriate elimination and urine marking? Normally, when a cat urine marks it will deposit the urine onto a vertical surface - it will back up to a wall or a chair and spray the urine into the item, tail held in the air and often twitching. Urine markings also usually contains a smaller amount of urine than normally left behind so if the urine is only a small amount, this is marking. The urine will smell particularly strong as well, this is the communication element of the process.
Neutering or spaying your cat is the best way to stop the behaviour as this removes the urge to find a mate and eases somewhat the territorial urges. If your cat marks when it sees other cats, consider blinds or closing the door so he cannot see them.
If your cat is part of the multi cat household, then the other cats may be the reason for spraying. Consider adding another litter box, extra food or water bowls or more toys so that the cat doesn't feel territorial over its belongings.
Cleaning up
When cleaning up urine markings, don't use a cleaner with ammonia, as this will only encourage the cat to re-mark the area. There are now specialist cleaning products for pet urine and this is the best option. You can also get a feline hormone spray or diffuser that acts as a natural calming agent and relaxes them so their urge to spray is reduced.
If your cat begins to deposit their waste somewhere other than the litter box, then medical issues should be investigated before behavioural ones are examined. Usually this can involve a physical examination, a blood count, blood chemistry panel and analysis of their urine. Other specialist tests needed can include radiographs using special dyes to outline the urinary tract.
Medical problems
One of the most common problems leading to inappropriate elimination is a bacterial bladder infection, or bacterial cystitis. This causes an inflammation of the bladder that makes the cat think it needs to urinate all the time and often before they manage to reach the litter box. Other conditions such as bladder stones or a tumour can also cause problems with the shape of the bladder and have the same effect. FLUTD or Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease is another similar condition but there is no bacterial infection involved and can come from a range of reasons both physical and psychological.
Cats suffering with this type of condition may squat frequently but only product a small amount of urine. They may also continue to strain when nothing comes out and even cry out when doing this. There can be a reddish tinge to the urine from a small amount of blood and other symptoms include not eating, lethargy and hiding.
Behavioural problems
Around 10% of all cats will urinate outside their litter box and some stage and it is one of the most commonly reported problems that cat owners experience. Sometimes the cause of the problem is their litter box or its litter while other causes can be relating to stress in their environment. But around 30% of these cases are actually not really a problem but a natural, if unpleasant, behaviour - urine marking or spraying.
In the wild, cats don't tend to live with other cats apart from when breeding. They aren't sociable animals the way that dogs are. However, they often have overlapping territories with other cats and this can lead to fights if there is no system of communication in place. This is why cats have learned to spray as a form of communication. They mark their territory so another cat knows they are there and to keep away. They can also do it to show they are looking for a mate.
In pet cats, this urge is still present, particularly in cats that haven't been neutered. While they don't have the same problems their wild ancestors do with other cats, they still have the urge to mark their territory or to try to find a mate.
Understanding and stopping urine marking
So how to do you know the difference between inappropriate elimination and urine marking? Normally, when a cat urine marks it will deposit the urine onto a vertical surface - it will back up to a wall or a chair and spray the urine into the item, tail held in the air and often twitching. Urine markings also usually contains a smaller amount of urine than normally left behind so if the urine is only a small amount, this is marking. The urine will smell particularly strong as well, this is the communication element of the process.
Neutering or spaying your cat is the best way to stop the behaviour as this removes the urge to find a mate and eases somewhat the territorial urges. If your cat marks when it sees other cats, consider blinds or closing the door so he cannot see them.
If your cat is part of the multi cat household, then the other cats may be the reason for spraying. Consider adding another litter box, extra food or water bowls or more toys so that the cat doesn't feel territorial over its belongings.
Cleaning up
When cleaning up urine markings, don't use a cleaner with ammonia, as this will only encourage the cat to re-mark the area. There are now specialist cleaning products for pet urine and this is the best option. You can also get a feline hormone spray or diffuser that acts as a natural calming agent and relaxes them so their urge to spray is reduced.
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