Effective Strategies for Stopping Cat Spraying
Feb 06,2025 | puaintapets
Cat spraying is a behavior that can be both frustrating and puzzling for cat owners. It involves the cat releasing a small amount of urine in various locations around the house, which is different from normal urination. Understanding why cats spray and implementing the right strategies can help put an end to this behavior.
What is Cat Spraying?
Cat spraying, also called territorial marking, is a behavior in which a cat releases a small amount of urine onto vertical surfaces. While regular urination involves the cat squatting, spraying is a more targeted action, where the cat stands with its tail upright and often quivers while releasing urine. Spraying is different from normal urination because it’s a means of communication, and it’s typically done in response to stress or a perceived threat.
Why Do Cats Spray?
Understanding why your cat is spraying is the first step in addressing the issue. Here are some of the most common reasons why cats spray:
1. Disease factors
Urinary disorders: such as feline lower urinary tract disorders, cystitis, urethral stones, and infections can cause painful urination or changes in urine output, causing them to associate physical discomfort with the litter box and choose to defecate elsewhere.
Other diseases: arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, cognitive degeneration, endocrine disease, incontinence, etc., may also be accompanied by symptoms of chaotic urination, as well as other symptoms such as frequent in and out of the litter box, licking the urethra opening, difficulty in urination, hematuria, changes in the frequency of drinking and urination, changes in the amount of food and body weight, and poor appetite and mental condition.
Related: How to Prevent Kidney Disease in Cats
2. Behavioral factors
Marking behavior: cats have a strong sense of territory and will mark their territory, declare their sovereignty or send messages by urinating in a specific place during the rutting period or when they sense changes in the environment or the intrusion of other animals into their territory.
Environmental factors: The cat litter box is too dirty, the type of cat litter or odor is not preferred, the location of the cat litter box is not suitable, the size of the cat litter box is not suitable, and the replacement of the new cat litter may lead to the cat's aversion to the cat litter box, and thus choosing to defecate in other places.
3. Cat litter box
Psychological factors: such as anxiety, nervousness, stress and other emotions may cause the cat to show messy urination behavior. For example, situations such as a new pet in the house, moving, renovation, or the owner being away from home for a long period of time may cause the cat to feel uneasy, which in turn may be expressed through indiscriminate urination.
4. Other factors
Habitual problems: Cats may have developed the habit of defecating in a specific location and may continue to urinate in that location even if the environment changes.
Attracting the owner's attention: some cats will intentionally urinate in front of the owner or in a specific place in order to attract the owner's attention, and they may do this frequently when they find that this behavior can cause a reaction from the owner.
How to Get a Cat to Stop Spraying？
Now that you understand the reasons behind your cat’s spraying, let’s look at the steps you can take to stop it. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, these tips can help address the behavior effectively.
1. Disease treatment
- Observation of symptoms
Observe whether the cat has abnormal symptoms such as frequent urination, painful urination, bloody urination, difficulty in urination, loss of appetite, vomiting and lethargy. If there are these symptoms, it may be a urinary system disease or other health problems causing disorderly urination, and you need to take your cat to the veterinarian promptly.
- Seek medical examination
The veterinarian may perform tests such as urinalysis, blood tests, X-rays or ultrasound to determine the cause and develop a treatment plan accordingly. For example, if it is a urinary tract infection, it may need to be treated with antibiotics; if it is a urinary tract stone, it may need surgery or other treatment.
- Follow your doctor's advice
Follow the veterinarian's recommendations for care, such as feeding the cat medication, adjusting the diet and increasing water intake. At the same time, pay attention to observe whether the cat's symptoms have improved and provide timely feedback to the veterinarian if there is any abnormality.
2. Environmental improvement
- Increase the number of litter boxes
Generally speaking, the number of litter boxes should be the number of cats plus one. For example, if there are two cats, three litter boxes should be prepared. This will prevent the cats from urinating indiscriminately because the litter box is not enough.
- Choosing the right litter box
Choose the right litter box according to your cat's size and preferences. Some cats do not like fully enclosed litter boxes and may refuse to use them because they feel uncomfortable in them. At the same time, the size of the litter box should be large enough for the cat to turn around and squat in it.
- Place in the right location
The litter box should be placed in a quiet, well-ventilated and easily accessible area, avoiding placing it near your cat's eating or resting area. At the same time, make sure there is no noise or other distractions around the litter box so that your cat can use it with peace of mind.
- Keep the litter box clean
Clean the cat litter box in a timely manner, at least once a day, and replace the litter regularly. If the litter box is too dirty, the cat may not pee in it because it resents it.
3. Behavior correction
- Eliminate odors
Cats are very sensitive to odors and may pee there again if there is a residual urine odor in the previously littered area. Special pet deodorizers or other methods can be used to completely eliminate the urine odor.
- Use Positive Motivation
When your cat pees in the right place, praise and reward him or her promptly, such as petting, praising, and giving small treats. This will let the cat know that peeing in the litter box is the right behavior, thus encouraging it to keep it up.
- Avoid Punishment
Don't punish your cat for messy peeing, such as scolding or confinement. This may make the cat feel scared and upset, which in turn will aggravate the problem of messy peeing.
4. Other aspects
- Provide enough water
Ensure that your cat has clean water to drink at all times to maintain the body's water balance and minimize the occurrence of urinary disorders.
- Pay attention to your cat's mood
Changes in your cat's mood may also lead to messy urination. For example, a new pet in the house, moving, renovation, or the owner being away from home for a long period of time may cause the cat to feel anxious or nervous, which may lead to indiscriminate urination behavior. It is important to minimize the impact of environmental changes on the cat and give the cat enough love and companionship.
How to Adjust the Diet for Cat Messy Urination?
Provide fresh, clean water: make sure your cat has plenty of fresh, clean water to drink at all times. Multiple water bowls can be used and placed in areas where the cat is frequently active, such as the living room, bedroom, kitchen, etc., to make it easy for the cat to drink water at any time.
Mixed feeding of wet and dry food: Increase the proportion of wet food in your cat's diet, which has a higher moisture content and can help hydrate your cat. You can feed a mixture of wet food and dry food, or give some wet food as a supplement after the cat has eaten dry food.
Increase water-rich food: In addition to wet food, you can also feed your cat some water-rich food, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. For example, watermelon, squash, pumpkin, etc., but be careful to feed in moderation and not overdo it.
Supplementing nutrients for urinary health: You can add some nutrients that help urinary health, such as vitamin C, to your cat's diet. These nutrients can help prevent urinary tract infections and stone formation.
Avoid overfeeding: Overfeeding may lead to obesity in cats, which is a risk factor for urinary tract diseases. Therefore, control your cat's food intake and adjust the diet according to your cat's age, weight and activity level.
Split feeding: You can divide the cat's food into multiple feedings to avoid excessive food and water intake at one time, which may cause frequent and indiscriminate urination.
Prompt medical attention: If the cat's indiscriminate urination persists or is accompanied by other abnormal symptoms, such as frequent urination, painful urination, hematuria, loss of appetite, vomiting, lethargy, etc., the cat should be taken to the veterinarian promptly.
When to See a Veterinarian
If you’ve tried the above methods and your cat continues to spray, it may be time to consult your veterinarian. A vet can help to rule out any medical conditions that could be causing the spraying, such as a UTI or bladder infection. In some cases, your vet may recommend medications to help manage anxiety or stress.
FAQs
What scent will stop cats from spraying?
Conclusion
Getting your cat to stop spraying requires understanding the cause of the behavior and taking the right steps to address it. Spaying or neutering your cat, providing a stress-free environment, keeping the litter box clean, and managing multi-cat interactions can significantly reduce spraying behavior.
If the behavior persists, or if there are signs of health problems, consult with a veterinarian for further advice. With patience and the right approach, you can help your cat overcome spraying and restore harmony in your home.
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