Does male cats' spray smell worse than females'?

My eleven year old Missy is an avid sprayer. It just started recently, after I got Armani. Missy went into heat at his arrival and with that came the spraying. I thought it would stop once the heat was over but it hasn't. Armani had sprayed a bit before he got neutered, and I thought maybe she smelled Armani's urine even though I had cleaned those areas very well. But after cleaning them again she hasn't gone in those places since. Her favorite spots are the curtain in the dining room, the front door, and the entertainment stand where all the dvds are kept. Very rarely do I catch her in the act; I usually don't notice until the curtain has been so saturated that it starts to take on a "crunchy" texture or I go to get a dvd and they stick together. All of these areas have also been thoroughly cleaned, to the point that the front door, the wooden baseboard in front of it, and the entertainment stand are all beginning to warp. I'm doing more damage to my apartment (yes, I rent) cleaning the mess than Missy is doing by spraying.

Then yesterday I shampooed all of my carpets (which didn't deter her from spraying my clean carpets and the freshly washed curtain). As I was undoing all of the cords to the entertainment center to move it, my hands got coated in her urine, as I'm guessing she had sprayed the cords prior. I couldn't tell it was urine at first, I smelled my hands and there was no scent to it, I didn't know for sure until I found where a drop of it had dried on one of the white cords and it was very obviously yellow. So that got me thinking. I smelled the curtain she had just sprayed and that too had no odor.

So I wonder, what is the harm in not cleaning the areas since there is no odor? Obviously the floorboards underneath the carpet will eventually suffer damage, but no more than I've already done trying to remove the urine. I'm sick of soaking my carpets just to have her soil the area again. I'm fighting a losing battle here.

Just FYI, I use the hydrogen peroxide solution that someone had mentioned on here to clean the areas with (my grandmother knew this trick and told me about it ages ago). I also use a Feliway plug-in. Missy has had urinalysis done and everything was normal, no UTI or crystals. Besides her age and weight and the obvious issues that you see when the two factors are combined, she is healthy as can be. I have considered spaying her but at her age there's only a very, very slim chance it will help, and I'm told that the operation itself could be very risky. I think I would rather have her around, unspayed and spraying than live with myself if there are complications during surgery and she doesn't make it.

So back to my main question, is it really so bad to just leave it be? Obviously, if I catch it while it's still wet I will soak up what I can, but I think I'm doing more harm than good soaking the carpet everytime. I will be moving in the next year or so and as part of my lease agreement here, I have to have the carpets professionally cleaned when I go. I could always soak the carpet one last time prior to that if I'm worried about the smell, but for now smell doesn't seem to be an issue.

Any thoughts or advice?

Other than bringing Armani into the house nothing has changed. I have only had Missy and her daughter Callie for about 6 months (I think lol, it feels like alot longer) so they weren't here for very long before we took Armani in. These two have had a slew of behavioral issues since I brought them home, just about every problem you can think of I've dealt with from one or the other. It's possible that she has been spraying since I first got her but if so I just didn't notice until Armani came around. I was a bit preoccupied with all of the other behaviors so that could very well be the case. She has been keeping to herself more lately but that is very recent, the past couple of weeks or so, way after Armani was in and settled. I honestly don't think she has a problem with him because everytime he goes near her she rolls over on her back and makes this odd cooing/purring sound. I don't know what could be causing her behavior unless like I said maybe she's been doing it all along and I just didn't know. I think I will try that Nok Out stuff and see if that helps any but at that price I can't keep treating the area repeatedly if she keeps soiling it. I don't have it in my head to rehome her at all, if that's what anyone is thinking. After everything I've already gone through with the bunch I have, the spraying to me is really just a minor nuisance but when you're renting you have to be mindful that it's not your property being destroyed. My landlord isn't thrilled with the number of cats I have but she has been very understanding so I do try my best to keep the apartment in the best shape I possibly can. That's really my only concern here.

Yeah, I never really addressed that in the main post, just got off on a little tangent. Missy is the only female I've had that sprayed and her urine is pretty much odorless (to my nose, anyway). I remember the few times that Armani sprayed you would know it as soon as you entered the room because it was so strong. Ugh.

Yes, it's a very large household. Everyone seems to have their own spots though. Kipper is my back-of-the-couch percher. He is definitely the alpha in my house, it's quite apparent. Even Armani who is twice Kipper's size cowers from him. I've had him the longest so it kind of makes sense to me. I do notice a bit of a hierarchy beyond that and yes, Missy is toward the bottom. Kipper and Callie, the two top most kitties in said hierarchy, fought (quite literally) for their position and I just don't think Missy has it in her to struggle for superiority. She just can't keep up with the younger, fitter cats. The Feliway has helped immensely with the dominance issues but you're right. I never thought that would still be an issue but it very well may be. She also doesn't seem to have a relationship with any of the other cats. There's lots of little cliques and just now thinking about it, I realize that she isn't part of any of them. Not sure what I can do about any of that though. I already have the Feliway, so what am I supposed to do? I can't force them to be friends.

I have considered that but the only room I have like that is the bathroom and it's tiny. I had put Armani in there when we first got him and with a litterbox and food/water bowls in there it's almost impossible to move around. For temporary purposes it worked (he was only confined for about a week) but I've got no idea how long I would have to keep her in there, and I feel it's too small for a cat to be more or less living in there for very long. Not to mention with her weight and bad joints, she can't use any of the vertical space which makes it even more confining for her. If it was summer I'd put her in the basement, no problem, but during winter it gets very cold down there.

I think after I treat it with the Nok Out, I am going to get a rubber welcome mat to put in front of the door, that might stop most of it from absorbing into the carpet, and also a plastic carpet protecter for under the dining room window because you'll hardly see it with the curtain there anyhow. Still got no idea what to do for the entertainment stand though.

This bit was when neither of them was really potty-trained at all...ugh. It was horrible. Callie has started using the bathtub again as of recently but if I keep the bathroom door closed she will use the litterbox instead of going elsewhere, so that's what I've been doing. I tried Rubbermaid boxes as well, but Missy can't get into them. She is starting to have difficulty getting into the covered boxes I have now too but I am dreading putting out shallower uncovered boxes because the other cats do seem to prefer those too and it's a mess and a PITA. Also the walls get scratched up when the box isn't covered. But I'm hoping if she loses weight, her joints will be in better condition and that won't be an issue anymore. When I first got Callie and Missy, I was using shallow uncovered boxes. I didn't notice a huge improvement in their bathroom habits until I got the ones I have now, so I *think* these are what they prefer. My other kitties seemed to like the Rubbermaid box, but like I said, Missy couldn't get in them and I think that's when Callie started using the tub again. So I switched back in a hurry. I've taken all the doors off though, and that seems to help. I think they felt claustrophobic with them on. Not to mention Kipper and Armani only fit in the box if half of them is sticking out, and the door got in the way of that.


So far I haven't taken the food up yet or switched Missy to a low-cal diet. I haven't thought of a way to do that yet. Your idea does help, and thanks for that. The problem I keep running into is when to feed them their portions, since my fiance and I do work. The morning is fine because I'm always home but I'm usually gone by 3 or 4 p.m. and the earliest either of us gets home is 9 p.m. (I've deducted that most people on here feed twice a day, once first thing in the morning and once at 7 p.m., which I obviously can't do). The best I can come up with is to feed them 3 times daily: once in the a.m., once before I go to work around 3 or so, and once when I get home. For now I've just been "redirecting" Missy when I see her binging. I just go up and pet her until she forgets what she was doing. I also took the food out of the bedroom where she spends a majority of her time, so at the very least she has to walk to the dining room to eat. I figured that would deter her somewhat and if not at least she was getting some excercise on the way there.

I have been making a point to give her extra love and attention whenever I can, and this has resulted in her coming out more often seeking affection (yay, excercise!). I made sure to do this after I punished her as well. I'd wait a few minutes after she ran away from me, then go sit with her and pet her and scratch her enormous belly, which she loves. I didn't want her to think I hated her, but at the same time I wanted her to understand what she did was wrong. Maybe it was the combination of both that caused the behavior to cease for the time being. She and Callie are still very shy though. They seem to feel threatened when approached unless I am on the floor, at their level. I think that's why Callie favors the mantle, where she's up higher than me and can "defend" herself. I am hoping that spaying them will help that, and now that you've reported having good results I'm very excited for April to come.

I have been planning to do this for some time now but money and time constraints always seem to get in the way. When we move though, I am going to check the new house with a black light, and also wash the walls and have the carpets cleaned to remove the smell of other pets. Even if they didn't spray anywhere I'm worried the smell of another cat that lived there would stress her and cause her to start the behavior again. Of course this place will get the same treatment before I go. I am determined to get my security deposit back, and also make a good impression for future cat owners. My landlady has been very cool and understanding, I'd hate to leave her with a mess to clean up.

Thanks for all the help and advice.

No, my vet turned me away. He seemed to think that the idea of spaying her was laughable. He told me that no vet in his right mind would spay her in that condition. He said it's risky with a cat her age who is healthy and fit, let alone NOT healthy and fit. So I will be going through a low-cost clinic for her spaying, and they on the other hand have been extremely helpful. They set up an appointment to have the vet see her for an exam prior to spay-day, and offered to run a free senior blood panel. They were the ones who advised me I should help her slim down, but that's more to reduce the danger to Missy than anything else. The lady I've been talking to seems to think they will do it anyhow, if I still want to go through with it despite the risks. So I am trying to slim her down because I don't want to have to make a really tough decision if the risks are extreme. I'd really like to have her spayed, not only because of the urination issues but also because I think a pregnancy would kill her. There is only a very slim chance of that happening since all my boys are now neutered (so she would have to get outside) but there is still a chance none the less. Also, as KatKisses said, it may help her open up and not be so shy.

I have 3 litter boxes for my 8 cats. At one point I had 5 but after changing the style of boxes and from non-clumping to clumping litter, I've been able to cut the number down without a problem. The only picky one I have is Kipper, and he hates clumping litter, so when we switched we gradually mixed more and more of it in with his regular clay litter over a period of 2 months. Doing it slowly like that he transitioned just fine and now we have only clumping litter in the boxes. Everyone else seems to actually prefer the clumping. I've never tried any "alternative" litters, though when I lived with my parents we used Feline Pine for a short time and were always getting splinters in our feet, and the splinters were really hard to vacuum out of carpet, so I don't want to use that kind again.

The past couple of days someone has been going on the floor (number 2) but it's hard to tell who unless you catch them in the act. It's too big to be Milo's or the kittens', so that leaves Missy, Callie, Armani, Kipper and Mira. It's not the boys, I do know that much because I hear them in the box trying to scratch a hole in the lid everytime they go , and Kipper always seems very offended by the accidents and tries to cover them up (he's even dragged dirty clothes over the top of them). I've never had a problem with Mira either, so that leads me to suspect one of the other 2 especially given their history with bathroom problems. I'm more leaning towards Missy though. The whole time I've had her I've never seen her use the litterbox. She had to have been using it though because I went a very long time with no poo accidents, only her spraying. I'm thinking she finally gave up on trying to get in and out of them so after I am done here I am going to bring up one of the shallow ones from the basement and set it up for her to see if that helps any. Could still be Callie though, as some of the piles were out of Missy's usual boundaries.

Oh, no. It's Daisy! I just saw her in the box then smelled something rank and turned to say something to her and she was going on the floor. Guess it's not too big to be kitten sized. She was sick not too long ago. I took her to the vet because she was having bathroom issues and they found tapeworms and another parasite and treated them (everyone else got treated for them as well). Things went well until about 2 days ago when I started finding accidents again...Ugh. Looks like another vet trip is in order.

Anywho...since the last couple of paragraphs were pointless...I think I'll still bring up the shallower pan for Missy. I've been making her come to me for affection. I call her, then when she comes I coax her up onto furniture (bed, couch, etc.) so she has to jump up to get her lovin'. Every little bit helps. As for the feeding, KatKisses, the *earliest* we get home is 9 p.m. Some nights it's not until midnight or 1 a.m. We both work in food business so our hours are unpredictable. We can't even go by our scheduled shifts because we always have to stay a couple hours late if it's busy. It would be nearly impossible to stretch the meals out to every twelve hours when we don't know when we'll be home. That's why I was thinking 3x a day, so at least they've already eaten twice and can wait for their dinner if we get stuck working late. I just don't want to make them wait more than twelve hours in between and since Missy and Callie were starved before I think it would be traumatic for them if they don't get fed on time. This is why I've never schedule fed, and if I can figure something out I'm hoping it will only be temporary. I wish to go back to free-feeding after Missy is spayed, and maybe the bout with scheduled feedings will calm down her urge to gorge herself (or make it worse, I'm not sure yet). Would it be okay to feed smaller amounts more often?

Oh, and more to KatKisses. The LBs are in the bedroom, living room, and dining room. We try to scoop everyday but honestly that usually doesn't happen. The longest we let it go though is 3 days because that's about when I start to worry they will go on the floor because the box is too dirty. They are usually pretty good about it though.

For the most part, I have pretty good cats. They don't seem to mind litter changes (except Kipper of course), will eat anything that's put out for them (though I have figured out what sets well with their tummies and what doesn't), and no major health problems as of yet. Daisy will have to see the vet again but that should be something minor. Maybe she's even perfectly healthy and just has to be re-trained to use the box, I'm not sure. I still haven't found a spot where Missy has sprayed either. I've been checking her favorite spots daily and they all still smell like the cleaning solution I used on them. I had a ton of issues with Missy and Callie when I first got them, between their lack of potty training, chewing, and extreme aggression...I just didn't know where to start. Thankfully I got just about everything figured out.

I'm really looking forward to April when everyone gets spayed. I think my house will be alot calmer. Not that it isn't now but there's always at least one cat in heat at any given time and frankly it's beginning to get irritating.

Thanks, Otto, I think I will start schedule feeding tomorrow. Their bowls are just about empty now so I will let them run dry then feed them in the a.m. I have the next 3 days off work so I figured it would be a good time.

I love my cats and I take the best care of them that I possibly can, and that's all I can say. Just because I don't have time to scoop litterboxes 5 times a day and don't have room for a dozen boxes doesn't make me a bad mommy.

If I'm not being attacked for one thing, I'm being attacked for something else. I'm done trying to do right by you people. You won't see me on this site again.