Will you help me help this meowmy?

So, there's a post in the cat lounge...lunasmom said something & she was right. This woman is putting her cat up for adoption w/ my shelter, & after thinking about what lunasmom said, I should be trying to help her, not get mad at her.


Here's the story.
A woman came into the shelter I volunteer for last night. Her 6 y/o cat is spraying. There is no crystals/UTI...the cat just has a difference of opinion. She is spayed & here's the kicked FOUR PAW DECLAW!! I wanted to smack her upside the head & tell her "your cat is spraying because you had her declawed!" At least she is willing to keep the cat at her house. The only reason she is listing her is because her husband says she has to get rid of the cat. This woman says "I would rather have her live in a farm than be euthanized". Too bad we will not put a 4 paw declawed cat outside. Poor Cali has to suffer because of her owners stupidity!

What advice, links, or products can I tell this meowmy about to help Cali? The mother & daughter(10 y/o) came in & they obviously love Cali, but the husband isn't going to put up with her spraying for much longer. If a cat is spraying because of declawing(which seems to be the culprit), is there any way to train her out of it? She has been spraying for a year now, so under the best circumstances, this is going to be difficult.

I considered telling her to confine Cali to one room(preferably linoleum). Line the walls about 2' up with tin foil. Plug in a Feliway diffuser. That might be a start to helping Cali get over her spraying. If she doesn't spray, there wouldn't be any problems.

Your suggestions are good ones. Additionally, I'd recommend to her the book "Cat Confidential" by Vicky Halls - she's the feline version of the "Dog Whisperer" and the "horse whisperer".
Also, you could do some detective work, searching for some of the common causes: Is there only one litter box (too few)? Is the litter unscented( irritates kitty's nose and/or confuses her re: scents)? Is there another pet in the home causes disruptions in the hierarchy? Is there marital strife (if the husband is angry, sometimes the cat responds by trying to maintain it's territory)? Is there another cat or dog outside that comes near that part of the house, that Cali is trying to communicate with?
There is an oil-based paint, called Killz, I think, that masks odors - it might be a good idea if they paint the marked spot with that & touch up with a final coat. Whether or not they get rid of Cali (please, I hope & pray that they DONT) they will have to contend with the odor on the wall anyway.
Please keep us posted! I have a soft spot for calicoes Susan

I don't know - but I wanted to say that you are doing the right thing.

Did the cat start spraying shortly or immediately after having the declawing done? (poor kitty)

That killz paint does work to completely cover up the scent - at least to the human nose.

I applaud you for trying to help this woman fix this so that she can keep her cat.