The cat backs up to the door, lifts the tail and releases a fine spray of urine. Sprayed cat urine contains pheromones, a substance that animals use to communicate. A spraying cat marks his or her territory with cat urine. Cats in heat are attracted by the odor of cat urine. If you don’t know why your cat sprays, discuss it with your veterinarian.
The cat backs up to the door, lifts the tail and releases a fine spray of urine. Yes, your cat is spraying.
Figures from the British Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors say that aggression in dogs and marking behavior in cats are the biggest behavior problems in the UK pet population.
Spraying is marking behavior, not a litter box problem. Sprayed cat urine contains pheromones, a substance that animals use to communicate.
Combinations of pheromones work like fingerprints: they identify the cat.
A spraying cat marks his or her territory with cat urine. It may even have an opposite effect: more spraying.
Cats in heat are attracted by the odor of cat urine. For them, spraying is something like an invitation to love. The results may be there in 65 days: a nest of cute little kittens.
Cats do not only spray during sexual encounters. Some also do it during conflicts with other felines, or when they are stressed.
Thankfully most cats spray outside. What if you have a cat spraying inside?
The most effective and radical thing you can do is neutering or spaying your cat. Most castrated toms stopped spraying from the day they were operated.
Maybe you have a reason not to neuter your cat. In that case try to find out why your cat sprays.
Maybe it sprays only when it sees another cat. Or it sprays because of a conflict with another pet.
Discuss it with your veterinarian if you don’t know why your cat sprays. Chances are he will advise you to neuter or spay. Your vet can also check if there is a medical problem.
Anyway, do not leave this problem unsolved. Cat urine odor and stains can make your home a very uncomfortable place, and your cat will still remain a cat even when it doesn’t spray anymore.
