How to Stop Your Cat from Spraying Indoors

 

Cat spraying (urine marking) is a social, sexual or territorial behavior. The cat is displaying his emotions. Your cat could be frustrated and even feel insecure. 

Normally males spray, but some females will do it , too. First, is the cat neutered or spayed? Under normal conditions, a neutered or spayed cat will stop spraying. But not always. 

Figuring out the REASON why your cat is spraying the walls will help solve the problem.  Here are questions to ask yourself about the cat:

>Is the cat healthy? Has it been diagnosed with a health issue?

>Have the social living conditions changed in your house? Recent divorce? Someone new moving in?

>Did you get another pet in the household?

>Are you ignoring your pet (even if it’s not intentional) because of your work hours or something else taking a large amount of time away from the cat and/or the house?

>Has the cat’s routine changed lately?

>Did you just move into a new place with your cat?

>Have you been petting someone else’s cat outside your home? 

Review these questions as they are all things that can cause a cat to spray. The primary cause of spraying is your cat’s insecurity in his territory. I know it sounds crazy, but you’ll need to increase his confidence and make him feel more secure. Purposely flood him with tons of praise and attention. Talk happy to him, play with him, pet him, hold him, anything to show your love for him and to build his confidence and feel secure.

There are also products that can be used on the spraying areas to discourage the behavior. Check with your veterinarian is she recommends a special medication that can be temporarily given to your cat to stop the spraying. 

Outside factors could influence a cat to spray, too. If he sprays windows, doors, or any place where the outside scents could drift inside, then chances are there is something out there causing him to do it. Another cat stalking around outside, a female cat in season, a dog that often enters the yard could trigger your cat to mark his territory by spraying. 

Close off windows so your cat cannot see outside. Drops of your perfume on windows and doors can help mask other smells. Give your cat tons of attention to build his confidence. You will feel the urge to discipline him but that will only give your cat more stress, possibly making the spraying problem worse! 

Try to keep other animals away from your house. Possible options: Use fences. Spray irritants in the yard and around the outside of the main window/door that kitty looks through and sees the intruders, to try and discourage the other animals from aggravating her. Use motion-detector devices outside that either blast intruders with air or water or noise. If it’s something like a possum or raccoon, perhaps set a friendly trap to capture the critter and then release it somewhere farther away.

Give your cat extra litter boxes at the main spraying locations and gradually start drawing them away and closer to the main litter box over time – perhaps weeks – until you can eliminate extra boxes and get back to the original/main potty spot.

Be sure to spend time daily playing with your cat and showing her that you do love her. Sometimes completely ignoring your cat or screaming at it can makes matters worse.

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