To spray or not to spray

Just came from reading the thread by equlizer.Boy, now I feel so guilty...You mean, you ARE NOT suppose to spray your cat AT ALL?
This is very confusing. I have been told by other cat owners that it is all right. I have done it to stop the terrible cat fights. I mean, blood was drawn when my kitties clashed. A squirt of water would stun them long enough for me to separate them. These fights were very violent; I would have broken vases, fur flying all over the place, pee and poo sometimes, and of course the bloody faces,
They no longer fight so I just use the spray bottle to water my indoor plants...But now you are saying I made a mistake!This is really very confusing!

I do not know which thread you are refering to, but NEVER feel guilty for spaying (or neutering) your pets!!! Spaying (and neutering) is one of the BEST things you can do for your pet to ensure a happy, healthy life, both metally and physically.

Originally posted by JenLuckenbach
I do not know which thread you are refering to, but NEVER feel guilty for spaying (or neutering) your pets!!! Spaying (and neutering) is one of the BEST things you can do for your pet to ensure a happy, healthy life, both metally and physically.

Click to expand...

I think you read it wrong Jen He said SPRAYING like with a squirt bottle of water.



Yup everyone on here says to never spray your cats. not sure why really but I was also told by other cat owners to spray them. so Natural being a first tiem cat owner I used to spray Willow when she would do something I didn't want her to do. And when I first brought her into the home my SO had a cat that was just miss HISSY so we would spray her when she would throw a fit. Now I don't spray any more. We all make mistakes How else are we gonna learn for out next furbaby

YUP......that's me, a little dyslexic at times.

Well for one thing alot of cats don't care if they get sprayed with water or not. If you notice when you spray your cat it scares them, personally I am not into scaring my babies. But I would think if they were fighting and hurting each other that would be an exception. The problem with spraying to train them is that they are NOT stupid. If you spray them when you see them on the counter they are going to know they can only go on the counter when you are not around, not that they are not supposed to jump up on the counter.

The problem with spraying is that most people use it as a means to punish their pets, but don't follow up with what they SHOULD be doing. A spray gets them running, and there is no room for pointing out the positive behavior. I'm a firm believer of teaching the right things to do, rather than punishing the bad. I used to use a spray bottle, but have learned by trial and error over the years that this is not a good approach. Also, anyone that works with scared strays or ferals know that spraying just reinforces the fear that they might have with you, and socialization is all a matter of trust, not fear. A single spray can set your positive effort back months.

With that said, I admit that I do keep a spray bottle handy for extreme circumstances (such as fighting as you described), but haven't had to use it for a years. I never use it on any cat that isn't fully socialized, in spite of any of their behavior (I prefer a scratch when separating them than scaring them).

I think all was already said here .
I myself have used the spray bottle years ago I have noticed that when spraying them they just run and later on will continuing with what ever the cat/s started . So I stop using a spray bottle since there is no use . But in time I learnt in cat magazine's that teaching is the right think to do . And now I found this wonderfull site and even learn more then any magazine I got . So don't feel bad , that's why TCS is here for to edicate people and help people and their cat/s . I sure have learnt a lot since I am here

Spraying them when they are full on fighting with blood and teeth showing, heck yeah. Another effective way to stop fighting cats is to drop a dark blanket over them that startles them out of the behavior, or carefully place a kitchen chair (wooden preferably) over their fighting forms.

But using the spray bottle instead of correcting behavior like jumping on counters, scratching the furniture, peeing outside the box, is not a real good idea. Last year, a member was always talking about how she sprayed her cat "real good" for unacceptable behavior. Then member vanished for awhile, and I got an email from her and she was very upset. She had sprayed her cat one time to many, and had got water into the cat's ear (by mistake) this upset the ph balance and the cat started having problems walking and couldn't jump. It cost her a pretty penny at the vet's office to make this right again.

Thank you so much everyone! Phew, what a relief!
Yes, PurrfectCatlove, I also learned a lot at TCS.Isn't it the greatest?
You said it, Princessfurr, cats are smart!
Willowsmom, thanks for reminding me that everybody makes mistakes.
And of course, to Hissy, thanks for telling me another way to stop cat fights. So far, my kitties have not clashed. It doesn't look they will!
The only non humans to be sprayed with water around my house will be the plants!

yes Yayi TCS is the greatest , I am happy to be part of it .

M.A. a cat got water in her ear and was out of balance , wow . I never heard of that one . I am sure glad when I use the spray bottle many years ago that this did not happen to me and my cat .Oh my , poor baby .

What I have done in the past to separate a bad cat battle is to simply drop (or GENTLY toss) a small pillow into the fight. It doesn't hurt the cats and startles them into stopping.