If your neutered cat is spraying the house, don’t panic, although we know from experience that the smell alone can cause quite a scare! Unfortunately, spraying is a common problem, and it can occur when a kitty suddenly feels territorial. good news? there are actions we can take as cat parents to stop this behavior.
While male cats tend to be the main culprits for territory marking (peeing around the house), it’s important to note that some spayed female cats do it as well. It’s a cat thing, not a gender thing. don’t discriminate ?
what do I do if my cat starts to spray?
We recently wrote about the importance of not punishing your cat. If your cat is spraying, it is an instinctive act and should not be approached with punishment. no matter how annoying it makes you. or how terrible it smells. honestly, punishing him won’t change his behavior, so it’s a waste of time anyway.
The first step to take is to assess why your cat suddenly started spraying. often this starts when there has been a change in the house. when we adopted kittens, our neutered cats started spraying because they felt the need to mark their territory and show newbies that this was their home first.
sometimes, finding the root cause can be difficult. your cat may have seen a stray kitten outside your window while you were sleeping. or maybe the neighbors set off fireworks while you weren’t home… you may never know the root cause, but a little positive reinforcement can be a game changer.
Our cats learn best through positive reinforcement. taking a little time to build their confidence can build a security in them that can curb their behavior quickly. click the link above for instructions on how to do trust-building sessions with your kitty.
Scent swapping is another great tactic that can help if your neutered cat is spraying the house. Take a clean sock, reach into it, and rub your cat’s face and whiskers. immediately take the sock and pass it over the entire area that your cat wants to mark. this marks their territory so they no longer feel the need to mark it themselves.
Another tactic that we have found helpful in this situation is to add a new litter box, specifically for the kitty with a problem, and let him (or her!) mark (urinate) in the box first ( if you have several kittens). We’re not a fan of clay-based litters, but if the situation is dire enough, we recommend filling the new box with dr. Elsey’s cat attracts sand. over time, we transition from sand to our pine pellets once the problem is resolved.
The key is to help our cats not feel like they have to mark their territory. Many times, the real root of this inconvenient problem is our cat’s sense of security. As cat parents, we want to do everything we can to provide that reassurance, and sometimes (sometimes for unknown reasons), our cats let us know that they need a little reminder.
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