Nothing smells worse than cat spray. Along with cat urine outside the litter box, cat spraying is one of the leading causes of cats being given away, abandoned, or euthanized. Marriages have been put under enormous strain, when one spouse puts their foot down to stop the cat spray problem or give up the cat. The owners have forced the tenants to move out or get rid of the spray cat.

This is very sad, because cat spraying problems can be solved or greatly reduced in many cases. First though, we need to differentiate between cat spray and cat urine. The spray is actually a bit of urine mixed with pheromones secreted from your cat’s glands. The positions your cat takes to spray are also different from those to urinate: they stand upright and lift their buttocks into the air to spray instead of crouching down to urinate.

Spray for both male and female cats. Unneutered males are the most likely to have this problem, neutered females the least likely. Although people find spraying a problem, it is perfectly natural behavior for cats.

Be aware that your cat may suddenly start spraying when sick. For example, bladder inflammations are known to cause cats to spray. If your cat is neutered and suddenly develops this behavior, you should take him to the vet before doing anything else.

One of the main reasons cats spray is to attract mates. Thermal spray cats to announce that they are ready. Male cats spray to mark their territory: they say “Get out! The females here are mine!”. This is one of the reasons why you should always neuter your cats. Unneutered male cats are very prone to spraying. Once he develops this behavior it is very difficult to stop him even after neutering him. Many vets are willing to neuter your male cat as long as he is at least 6 months old. Some prefer to wait until he is 9 months old while others are willing to do it even sooner. You should also spay cats when they are 6 months old, before their first heat.

When you bring a new pet or a new family member home, this can also cause your cat to spray. Whether you explain it as stress and insecurity or territoriality or dominance behavior doesn’t really matter. The point is to make the kitten feel safe and secure again. Once you successfully make him feel that he is still Number One, he will stop spraying. While your vet can help you investigate why your cat is spraying, you know Kitty best. You are the best person to find out why she is spraying. Asking your vet to play private investigator can be time consuming; he will take a methodical, step-by-step approach to the problem. Cases have been published in veterinary journals where it took years to resolve the problem. If you really love your cat, you’re still the best person to get him to stop spraying.

Once your cat has sprayed a particular spot, she will likely go back and spray it again. One way to stop this is to thoroughly clean the area you sprayed. Regular soap and water will not do the job. Just because you can’t smell anything doesn’t mean your cat can’t smell anything. The best solution is to use a black light (UV lamp) in the dark to find the stains and clean them with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature’s Miracle.

Cat spray is a very smelly problem that has caused many cats to be abandoned by their owners. However, this is a problem that can be solved. If you love your cat, you have an obligation to him and to yourself to prevent him from spraying.