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Cat spraying indoors for first time

post #1 of 12
2/23/10 at 5:16pm
Thread Starter 
Hi -- My wife and I own a very rambunctious and socially needy six-year-old male cat. We adopted him a couple of years ago as an adult cat. He's always been very tidy and has never sprayed, urinated, or pooped outside of his litter box. Overall no concerns of this kind, ever.

However, this evening he sprayed our bookshelf in the living room, right in front of us. We were shocked. Totally random! First time that we know of.

I should note a few things:
  • my wife is four months pregnant.
  • we both work from home in a small apartment.
  • my wife was not feeling well all day today, so she spent the entire day in bed when normally she is up and working.
  • the cat is REALLY needy for attention and playtime, and to be honest, it's to a point at which we have trouble always satiating his social needs.
  • the cat is obsessed with his litter box. It's a covered box with a shelter top, and he'll go in there to scratch the walls for minutes at a time. We're a little concerned about that because it's such an anxious behavior.

Do you guys think these could be factors? I googled around and found that cats pick up changes in work schedules. And my brother and his wife own a dog, and as soon as my sister-in-law got pregnant, the dog started urinating indoors. Cats too?

Anyway, if anyone has similar experiences with their kitties, post away. Thank you!
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post #2 of 12
2/23/10 at 5:24pm
First - was he spraying, or urinating? This article may be helpful.

Quote:
The difference between regular urination and spraying is in the position and choice of location - when urinating, a cat uses a squatting position on horizontal surfaces.
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post #3 of 12
2/23/10 at 5:33pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks. Based on the info on that page, it was definitely spraying. His tail twitched rapidly as he backed up against the bookshelf to spray. He urinated his box today, like normal.
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post #4 of 12
2/24/10 at 12:25am
Is he neutered, and have you seen any cats outside of your house reccently?
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post #5 of 12
2/24/10 at 4:43am
Thread Starter 
He is neutered. The upstairs neighbor has a cat, but they never come in contact and both cats have been in this apartment for almost two years.
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post #6 of 12
2/24/10 at 5:08am
More than likely it is because your wife is pregnant and he can sense the changes. My boss's wife recently had a baby and when she got pregnant, their male cat suddenly started peeing on their bed. My boss is a MEGA jerk and had his cat put down because of this. (I was told after the fact or I would have fostered him!)

Let's hope it was just a one time "Hey I'm here and this is MY territory." type of deal, but if it is not I would take him to the vet ASAP. Have the vet rule out any health problems, but if it is not health related, the vet may be able to give him some medication to help him "chill out". I would also make sure you 1) Still give your kitty LOTS of attention. 2) Try Feliway or Rescue Remedy as a lot of people here have had a lot of success with both products when it comes to territorial behaviors.

Aside from that, good luck, congrats on your upcoming baby, and I'm hoping for the best!
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post #7 of 12
2/24/10 at 6:40am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the info. I know dogs' senses are through the roof, but never figured a cat would also sense an owner's pregnancy.

Your boss is a total jerk.
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post #8 of 12
2/24/10 at 7:04am
Cats are extremely sensitive creatures. The tiniest thing can affect them and how they are feeling. Stress, even stress that a human would not even notice as stress, can cause illness.

If it happens again, please take your boy to the vet, he may be developing a urinary tract problem, which can become fatal in male cats very quickly.

As for the litter box scratching, that is perfectly normal cat behavior. Many cats act that way in their boxes, scratching walls, floors, neighboring boxes, and for many minutes at a time.

Please let us know how your kitty is doing.
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post #9 of 12
2/24/10 at 7:23am
I agree to take him to the vet. My Micky sprayed the front door once right in front of me and did the tail twitch thing and everything. I had no idea what he was doing or why! But that was the only time I actually caught him. All of the other times he did it, I wasn't home or didn't see him do it. Since we moved, he started spraying the door that goes out to the garage. I never did find out why he was doing it. The vet couldn't tell me, either. But since both doors he kept hitting were my main exits, I think it had something to do with him being mad that I had to leave to go to work and stuff. I would have liked to find out why, but unfortunately I never got an answer.
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post #10 of 12
2/24/10 at 11:30am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the postings, everyone.

I'm thinking he has a growing attachment to my wife as the pregnancy progresses. He was by her side all day today, and meowed like crazy when she went to shower and then left to run an errand. Interesting!
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post #11 of 12
2/24/10 at 6:47pm
hi,
same thing happened to my brother. his wife got pregnant and their cat started spraying every corner in the house. what was even weirder was that their cat is female.
so they took her to the vet to rule out any illness. the vet told them she was in perfect health so he suggested that they got a second cat.
now I know it sounds crazy, you know, expecting a baby and getting a second cat. but they tried it and it totally worked.
it took the focus of my sister in law,the cat had lots of activity with the second cat and she stoped spraying.
it may not be the solution for you but it's just an idea. for my brother it was perfect and the cats are happy and she isn't obsessed with my sister in law anymore
blessings for the baby
greeting from chile
bye
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post #12 of 12
2/26/10 at 7:14pm
I don't have any other insight for you, but I can tell you that Holland scratches at her litter box too. Has your boy always had a covered box? I've heard that some cats don't like the covered litter boxes because of the smell, and because cats always have to have a "plan B" to get out of a place quickly.

Good luck with the new baby!!
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