Articles of Interest

'Cat spraying' is when a domestic cat will soil its house to mark its territory by backing into furniture or any household item and release a pungent spray. Approximately 40% of all soiling complaints are made of such instances. Females cats will sometimes do it when they are in heat, but generally it is mostly un-neutured male tom cats.

There are many reasons cats spray. One is to mark their territory. They will also spray if they encounter another cat in heat, if they are stressed or after a fight with another cat. Marking their territory is a social way for the normally solitary cat to reduce conflicts with others in the vicinity. Most spraying is done outdoors, but if there is a conflict within the home, a cat will spray there as well.

When a cat "sprays" an object, the spray releases a rancid odor most akin to ammonia. The smell may encourage the cat to spray again, so it is importantly to remove the smell rapidly and completely. When removing the smell, clean the object thoroughly with an enzymatic cleanser, one specially designed to remove bad odors. Avoid cleansers that contain ammonia: they will only make the smell worse!

How can you stop your kitty from performing his normal instinctive behavior of spraying? You'll find that if you have your cat neutered, he will be far less likely to spray. Employing a cat whisperer or cat psychologist to come into your home to resolve problems can also lessen the problem. For cats which only spray in one place, rearrange your furniture to make this area a much less attractive location for him to spray. If the spraying problem is outdoors, just keep your kitty inside until the issues he has with neighborhood cats are resolved.

Don't ever try to punish your cat by bringing him into the area and hitting him. This will lead your cat to be fearful of you. Your cat will probably have increased stress, which can in turn make your cat spraying problem worse.

Even with taking all the precautions, cat spraying will be difficult to eliminate completely but can be easily be controlled and minimized. It is just an occurrence that comes along with the responsibility and pleasure of owning a feline friend.