Does your cat act like a toddler with a garden hose, spraying everything within reach and leaving you to clean up the mess? At first, you might assume you need to treat this behavior the same way you would if your cat were ignoring their litter box. However, spraying has its own causes and qualities, and it’s definitely one of the more undesirable cat habits.
How to Tell If Your Cat Is Spraying
Before you address your cat’s spraying habit, verify that’s actually what’s happening. Urinating outside the litter box and spraying share similarities that can make them tricky to distinguish if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
When a cat pees outside of their litter box, it’s usually on a horizontal surface, and you’ll notice more urine. Furthermore, the urine should have a typical color, odor, and consistency.
Alternatively, when a cat sprays, they most often do so on vertical surfaces. Your cat may investigate the surface, sniffing and rubbing against it before backing up to it to spray.
Before spraying, they raise their tail, perhaps plodding their back paws on the ground. Then, their tail starts to vibrate, and they release a small amount of urine.
Since both urinating outside of the litter box and spraying could have underlying medical causes, it’s essential to identify the correct action. Providing your vet with all the information you can helps ensure a speedy, accurate diagnosis so you can pursue appropriate treatment options.
Why Does Cat Spray Smell So Bad?
Not that you would expect any kind of cat urine to smell good, but if you’ve ever experienced cat spray firsthand, you know it’s in a league of its own. Cat spray goes beyond a regular urine smell, giving off a pungent, musky odor that’s somewhere between ammonia and fish.
Sprayed urine smells more intense because it contains additional cat pheromones and compounds that are much more potent. It’s so strong that if you fail to clean it quickly and correctly, it can seep into furniture, carpets, clothing, and walls and remain long-term.
Why Do Cats Spray?
Cats spray for several reasons, including behavioral and underlying medical conditions.
Cats Spray to Communicate With Other Cats
One of the most common reasons that cats spray is to communicate with other felines. If you live in a multi-cat household, some cats may spray to claim specific areas as their own.
Cats are typically solitary creatures, and they can become territorial over everything from their food dish to their litter scoop. Spraying is their way to stake their claim, especially if they feel as if other cats in the home are encroaching on their resources.
Cats also spray to claim their territory from other cats in the neighborhood. Even indoor cats may perceive nearby outdoor cats as a threat, so they spray to basically say, “Hey, this place is mine, so move on, kitty.”
They’re Trying to Attract a Mate
Intact male cats spray urine to attract mates or reach out to female cats in the vicinity. Therefore, urine spraying tends to be more common with non-neutered males.
Spraying Could Be a Stress Response
Stress makes everyone do strange things, and cats are no exception. A change in routine or environment can ramp up your kitty’s stress, leading to unwanted behaviors like spraying.
Other factors that potentially contribute to your cat’s stress are new pets or people in the home, loud noises (construction or roadwork outside the house), or remodeling.
It Could Be Underlying Conditions
In some cases, underlying medical problems may contribute to spraying, but they can also cause urinary issues. A trip to the vet is the first step to determining if things like a UTI, kidney problems, or bladder stones are causing problems for your pet.
Do All Cats Spray?
It’s a common misconception that only male cats spray, but females do it, too. Although males are more often the guilty party, female cats in heat can spray to signal they’re looking for a mate.
Typically, cats are more likely to spray after reaching sexual maturity, around 6 months. Furthermore, intact cats are more likely to spray, but that doesn’t mean neutered and spayed cats can’t.
Tip for Preventing Cat Spraying
And now the question you’ve been asking yourself over and over. How do you get your cat to stop spraying? (Or at the very least, get them not to do it as much.)
The steps you choose will depend on why your cat is spraying, so that’s a crucial starting point. Observe your cat to determine the reasons they’re turning everything into their personal target practice, then decide what you need to do next.
- First, rule out any underlying medical conditions by bringing your cat to the vet. Explain what’s been going on so your vet can examine your pet, run any necessary tests (usually bloodwork and a urinalysis), and pinpoint the likely cause of your cat’s spraying
- If your cat isn’t already, have them spayed or neutered to reduce the chances of spraying.
- Reduce stressors. Maintain a clean litter box and a regular feeding schedule. Provide mental and physical stimulation, such as cat trees or interactive toys. Calming sprays, like Feliway, and providing hideaways and perches for your cat to escape to when they feel stressed are also helpful.
- Talk to your vet about the possibility of anxiety-reducing supplements or if you should give your cat medication to help with their stress.
- Address and conflict between cats within the home. Make sure each cat has the resources it needs to feel comfortable and secure. Provide each cat with their own perch, food and water bowls, and there should be one litter box per cat, plus an extra.
- Gradually introduce new cats. When introducing a new pet to the home, do so slowly to give everyone a chance to adapt.
- Keep neighborhood cats out of your yard. Cover the windows with blinds, shades, or curtains to block your cat’s view of outdoor cats. If outside cats spray your yard, use white vinegar or citrus-based sprays to eliminate the smells.
Understandably, cat spraying is a frustrating behavior to deal with, but it’s not impossible to fix. Keep a log of your efforts to curb your cat’s spraying habit.
Note where they spray, how often, and what triggers it. These notes are helpful when you’re deciding how to approach fixing the habit and when providing your vet with as much information as possible.
No matter what, never punish your cat for spraying. Remain patient, vigilant, and diligent in working with your cat and your vet to find a solution.
Get Rid of the Cat Spray Smell
It’s essential to clean cat urine immediately so the odor doesn’t continue to attract your cat to the same spot. The best way to target pungent cat spray odor is to use an enzymatic cleaner that neutralizes the smell instead of merely covering it up.
Clean up as much of the urine as you can first, then apply the cleaner according to the product’s instructions. Work the cleaner into the area and allow it time to penetrate before blotting it with a clean cloth. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners, as they can encourage your cat to keep spraying the affected area.
Check out the Neater Pets blog for more helpful tips on everything pet parenting so you can be the very best you can be for your furry friend!