Why Do Male Cats Spray?
One of the major ways cats communicate is through depositing their scent, which can come in the form of rubbing their body parts on objects, and (unfortunately for cat owners) urinating on things. Many people wonder what is cat spray. Cat Spraying occurs when your cat unexpectedly urinates on walls, furniture, or other objects in or around the house. As strange as it sounds, cats don’t think their urine smells bad. It is merely a symbol of their scent and presence and makes them feel more comfortable and in charge.
Cats usually spray for one of the following reasons:
Mark their territory: Cats transfer their scents to different objects in order to claim “ownership” and mark their territory to let other cats or humans know it was in that location.
Anxiety induced from conflict or change: Spraying can also occur when your cat becomes anxious and stressed. This can be caused by a variety of things, including changes in furniture, presence of other cats, the departure of humans from the house, and other environmental changes.
A call for mating: Many people wonder why do male cats spray more than female cats. Female cats can spray, but on average only 5% ever do. This is because it is common for male cats to begin spraying in order to deposit their scent and communicate to female cats that it is available for sexual reproduction. Male cats usually begin spraying around the 6 month mark, which is when they typically reach sexual maturity and begin desiring a female partner. This is why most vets recommend neutering male cats at the 6 month mark.
How to stop a cat from spraying:
Cat Anti-Stress Spraying Deterrent
One of the easiest ways to stop a cat from spraying is with an anti-stress spray deterrent. All you have to do is plug the calming diffuser into an outlet and that’s it. The best part is that one filling lasts for an entire 30 days. This is our favorite method of stopping a cat from spraying because it requires no work. You can purchase a Spraying Deterrent online from Amazon for $21.
One of the biggest mistakes we see cat owners make is using negative reinforcement and punishing their cats for spraying outside the litter box. By forcing the cat into sprayed areas or yelling at him, the cat can become more anxious and this will only make the cat more likely to repeat the behavior.
If your male cat has reached sexual maturity, our first suggestion is to get it neutered if you haven’t already. The odor of male cats that have not been neutered have a distinct smell. When a male cat is neutered, the scent of its urine changes and other cats are able to recognize that the cat can no longer reproduce. Thus, only 10% of male cats continue to spray after they have been neutered.
Cat Spraying No More
If your cat has already been neutered, another suggestion would be to thoroughly clean the sprayed area. Don’t just use water, which will only dilute the smell and can encourage your cat to re-spray the area. We recommend using Cat Spraying No More stain remover to clean up your cats urine. No More cat spray is a all natural stain and odor remover that will prevent your cat from urinating at the same spot twice. No More spray removes existing stains and odors left from urine, and replaces it with lemon and cinnamon scents. No More Cat spraying can be purchased from Walmart for less than $20.
As mentioned earlier, your cat may be spraying because it feels intimidated. This is common in multi-cat households where a timid cat may be scared or anxious to share litter boxes, sleeping areas, or food with other more dominant cats. You can fix this by adding additional areas for the cats to pee, sleep, and eat, in order to reduce competition and intimidation.
One of the most inconvenient forms of spraying is when your cat pees on your personal objects. Your cat is likely to do this if it wants more attention or it misses you. If this is the case, we recommend increasing your daily interaction with the cat.
If none of these recommendations are decreasing your cat’s spraying behavior, we recommend consulting a veterinarian. They may prescribe some form of anti-anxiety medicine or cat calming spray to fix the problem. Before consulting your vet, we recommend you read this article about Cat Pharmacy and how to buy medication for your cat.
Should I be worried if my cat is spraying? How to tell the difference between spraying and urinary infections and other underlying medical conditions in cats
Spraying is a common behavior among cats, and should not be a cause for concern. However, a lot of times spraying can be mistaken for urinary infections or other litter box issues. One way you can spot the difference is by examining the position of the urine. While spraying, cats usually raise their tail and urinate on vertical surfaces, where as other urinary issues tend to occur on horizontal surfaces. If you believe your cat may have a urinary condition, we recommend consulting this article about underlying medical conditions associated with irregular urinating.
Urinating in the house may also be caused by litter box avoidance. This is likely if the cat is also leaving stool deposits around the house. To determine if this is the cause, we advise you to clean the litter box more frequently and perhaps add another one in the house. As a reminder, the number of litter boxes should equal the number of cats plus one. You may also want to reconsider the box’s placement or type of litter. If your cat continues to avoid the litter box, you should consult a veterinarian.