I've had it with my cat spraying!!

sarathan

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Warning: I'm on a HUGE rant here....


I am THIS close to taking one of my males back to the animal adoption place where I orignally got him. He will NOT stop spraying in house and I've HAD IT!! It's one thing for him to spray on the wall or other hard surface where it's easy to clean up, but now he's moved on to the furniture. This morning I walked into the living room and found very fresh cat spray on our nice couch, .
It is SO hard to get the smell of cat spray out of the furniture. No, he does not have a medical problem. Yes, he's neutered. I'm sure it's because he sees other cats outside, but there's nothing I can do about that. I don't even care WHY he sprays anymmore, I just want it to stop. I've been daydreaming about not having him anymore and how nice it would be to not have to deal with it anymore. I think should buy stock in Nature's Miracle, God knows I've bought enough of it. This morning I yelled at him, "Stop spraying in the house you STUPID CAT!" and scared my 2-year old.
I do feel bad about that.

No need to respond, I'm just having a big 'ol tantrum.
 

white cat lover

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Just out of curiosity....you say he has no medical problem. When was the last time he was checked for a UTI? I've had kitties test negative for a UTI & 3 days later test positive for one. When Ophelia was spraying & the vet said she didn't have a UTI, I kept retesting her every 3 days until it finally showed up!
 

bab-ush-niik

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Have you tried Feliway yet? It worked for Patches; she was peeing all over the house for an unknown reason. And my friends cat was peeing because his owner was busy with night classes. Feliway stopped the spraying there, too. My parents just bought the diffuser. My friends bought the diffuser, and they bought the spray and used it in all of the places the cat was urinating.

Both cats stopped within 24 hours. We still don't know what the deal was with Patches, but my parents now have extra Feliway on hand since it seemed to solve the problem.

It's worth a shot. You can get it online for cheaper than a pet store.
 
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sarathan

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Thanks for your responses! There's no medical problem... it's purely behavioral. I *just* ordered the Feliway diffuser online, I can't wait to try it!
 

tickytat

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I know it's frustrating. And the smell SUCKS. But if you take him back to the shelter, there's a good chance they'll probably just put him down as he'll be viewed as "unadoptable." That's what happens with our shelter when someone returns a cat with a spraying problem (granted... they do test for UTI first and it's not like they put the cat down ASAP... they wait to see if he keeps doing it in the shelter.)

You could also try cat litter attractant, encouraging him to go to the litterbox. But I've heard that Feliway stuff works well too. Good luck, and don't give up on him just yet.
 

rosiemac

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Originally Posted by sarathan

This morning I yelled at him, "Stop spraying in the house you STUPID CAT!" and scared my 2-year old.
Like you say you feel bad about yelling and it scared your 2 year old so imagine how scared your kitty was


Can i ask how you know for sure that it isn't a medical problem?.
 

missymotus

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I noticed in your other thread that you've added a female recently. Was he spraying before or after that?
 

crazyforinfo

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I totally understand where you are coming from. I recently moved 3 cats into my mother's house with 4 cats. Connor has been spraying everywhere. He was never fond of my cat Lucky. The feliway isn't helping Connor at all.
He has been much better with my mom back from vacation.
I also know it's behaviorial with Connor and really wish he would calm down.
All I can suggest is patience. It's tough but once the cat starts to relax the spraying should stop.
 
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sarathan

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Originally Posted by TickyTat

I know it's frustrating. And the smell SUCKS. But if you take him back to the shelter, there's a good chance they'll probably just put him down as he'll be viewed as "unadoptable." That's what happens with our shelter when someone returns a cat with a spraying problem (granted... they do test for UTI first and it's not like they put the cat down ASAP... they wait to see if he keeps doing it in the shelter.)

You could also try cat litter attractant, encouraging him to go to the litterbox. But I've heard that Feliway stuff works well too. Good luck, and don't give up on him just yet.
I won't be taking him back, I just *want* to sometimes. It's a no-kill animal adoption agency anyway. They have a policy that you can bring your pet back to them anytime if it's not working out.
 
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sarathan

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Originally Posted by Rosiemac

Like you say you feel bad about yelling and it scared your 2 year old so imagine how scared your kitty was


Can i ask how you know for sure that it isn't a medical problem?.
I took him to our vet and she said he's perfectly healthy.
 
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sarathan

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Originally Posted by missymotus

I noticed in your other thread that you've added a female recently. Was he spraying before or after that?
Yes, he was spraying before her. It's actually gotten a little better since we got her, go figure. I think he's in love with her, he just doesn't realize it yet.
 
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sarathan

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Originally Posted by Crazyforinfo

I totally understand where you are coming from. I recently moved 3 cats into my mother's house with 4 cats. Connor has been spraying everywhere. He was never fond of my cat Lucky. The feliway isn't helping Connor at all.
He has been much better with my mom back from vacation.
I also know it's behaviorial with Connor and really wish he would calm down.
All I can suggest is patience. It's tough but once the cat starts to relax the spraying should stop.
I've actually been reading your thread, I really feel for you!
What are you using to clean it up? I found this new stuff called Dumb Cat, I really want to try it. Connor is a beautiful looking cat, by the way!
 

cheap sushi

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I have a litter box in my bathroom.
So...... I would lock the cat in the bathroom for 2 days (with the light on).
It will give it rest. And hopefully it will get the message. Its NOT evil. Keepeing the cat in there is a LOT better than keeping it in a cage.
If it cries, just ignore it. Make sure you have food and water in there!
 

danimarie

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I have a litter box in my bathroom.
So...... I would lock the cat in the bathroom for 2 days (with the light on).
It will give it rest. And hopefully it will get the message. Its NOT evil. Keepeing the cat in there is a LOT better than keeping it in a cage.
Maybe not evil, but I really think that is cruel. How the heck is the cat supposed to know *WHY* it is being locked in a room? It's not like you can have a conversation with the cat outlining the details of his punishment. I think locking him away for days will just confuse him. Do you sleep with the lights off? How would you like being stuck in a small confined space for two days with the lights on???

Sorry to seem snappy, but that is just upsetting to the UNTH degree.
 

amberthe bobcat

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Originally Posted by Cheap Sushi

I have a litter box in my bathroom.
So...... I would lock the cat in the bathroom for 2 days (with the light on).
It will give it rest. And hopefully it will get the message. Its NOT evil. Keepeing the cat in there is a LOT better than keeping it in a cage.
If it cries, just ignore it. Make sure you have food and water in there!
Sorry, but this is terrible advice. Spraying is not a litter box issue, it is a behavior issue or a health issue. Cats spray for a reason, not because they are bad. To a cat, spraying is a perfectly natural behavior, as I know all to well. In order to deal with a spraying issue, you have to determine what may be causing your cat to spray. Do you have other cats that come into your yard? Feliway may help, but you may need more than one. One of the best prodcuts on the market, to eliminate odor, is Zero Odor Pet. I have read many product revues and it is ranked as one of the best, but I have never used it. Do you have other pets in your home that your cat may feel insecure about? Your cat is not stupid and should not be treated this way. Try to look into what may be causing him to feel so insecure. Yelling at your cat will not help either. How many litter boxes do you have in the house? The rule of thumb is this. 1 litter box for each cat plus one. So, if you have 2 cats, 3 boxes are what you need. If your cat is having a behavioral problem, your vet can prescribe medication that may help. I hope you can figure out what is causing your cat to spray and please keep us updated on the progress
 
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sarathan

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Yeah, I don't think I could lock my cat in the bathroom either. It would make him SO miserable, which in turn would make ME miserable. And I don't think it would do anything about the spraying anyway.
 
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sarathan

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Originally Posted by AmberThe Bobcat

Sorry, but this is terrible advice. Spraying is not a litter box issue, it is a behavior issue or a health issue. Cats spray for a reason, not because they are bad. To a cat, spraying is a perfectly natural behavior, as I know all to well. In order to deal with a spraying issue, you have to determine what may be causing your cat to spray. Do you have other cats that come into your yard? Feliway may help, but you may need more than one. One of the best prodcuts on the market, to eliminate odor, is Zero Odor Pet. I have read many product revues and it is ranked as one of the best, but I have never used it. Do you have other pets in your home that your cat may feel insecure about? Your cat is not stupid and should not be treated this way. Try to look into what may be causing him to feel so insecure. Yelling at your cat will not help either. How many litter boxes do you have in the house? The rule of thumb is this. 1 litter box for each cat plus one. So, if you have 2 cats, 3 boxes are what you need. If your cat is having a behavioral problem, your vet can prescribe medication that may help. I hope you can figure out what is causing your cat to spray and please keep us updated on the progress
Yes, I realize yelling is not the answer either. It was just a moment of weakness, sorry. I'm 99.99% positive he's spraying because he sees other cats outside. We moved about 2 1/2 months ago so I think he is just feeling insecure right now with new house, new yard, new cats, etc. The vet said it will probably get better with time as he feels more settled here. But the vet also said that sometimes cats get into a "habit" of spraying and it's a hard habit to break. I will check out the Zero Odor Pet, thanks!
 

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My 2 cents on cleaners: I've used a lot of them. With 13 cats and 2 dogs, we get a lot of interesting clean-ups in the house.

Zero-odor: works very good, but very expensive compared to others. I don't believe they sell economy size and if you have a mess in the furniture, the spray bottles aren't enough to saturate it. I use it for the "wet dog" smell that gets on my furniture. The great thing about it is that it by itself doesn't leave a lingering odor of the spray.

Urine Gone: Works very good, but what I don't like about it is that it's obvious that you've used it afterwards.

Nature's miracle: can get the economy sized jug. I keep a large jug handy for the dog messes - mine are both prone to loose stools.

Nature's miracle citrus scent for cats: I just started using this stuff and I like it because cats don't like the citrus smell. It neutralizes the smell, and it deters the cats from returning to that spot.

Nok-out: just bought some based on a recommendation from another large cat household member from here who swears by it. I haven't had the need to use it yet but will tell you how it works when I do use it.
 

seaturtle

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I have two males who were spraying all over the house (there are strays in this neighborhood, lots of them). Nothing worked until the vet put them on amitriptyline. Takes about a month to click in, but it is working!
Just a spray once a week or so, as opposed to the everyday 2-4 I used to have.

Won't be forever; the meds are supposed to change the behavior. Off the meds, the behavioral changes should last.

Just a suggestion, but I was ready to give mine up, too. And I can't bear that.
 

rosiemac

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Originally Posted by Cheap Sushi

I would lock the cat in the bathroom for 2 days (with the light on).
It will give it rest. And hopefully it will get the message. Its NOT evil. Keepeing the cat in there is a LOT better than keeping it in a cage.
If it cries, just ignore it.
I'm sorry but i beg to differ there. That's certainly not going to give the cat the message, if anything it could make more problems.

The reason it's crying is because it wants out
 
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