Desperate! Neutered Male Won't Stop Spraying! Nothing Works!

[caitiec1233]

So, my husband and I are expecting our first human child in April. We moved with our 3 feline children to a new condo with brand new carpet a little over a month ago. 2 out of 3 cats have taken to the new place just fine, but my darling 4 year-old neutered male cat Pickles has been perimeter spraying all around our living room and dining room. We feel like we are fighting a losing battle. We are gone all day at work, and then sleep all night and in that time, he sprays in more spots than we can find and clean. We can smell our brand new house being destroyed. If it was just the two of us, we would clean up the mess and figure it out, but with a baby on the way, we cannot have a house coated in urine. We have tried everything we have read to do online. We sprayed Feliway all around the house. We also got a diffuser. We use enzyme cleaner. We got him a calming collar. We closed all the blinds. We re-purposed the sprayed areas. We added litter boxes. We've taken him to the vet who says he doubts any medical problem is to blame. We are taking him back tomorrow to see if maybe anti-anxiety medication could help.

Now, all we can do is try to prevent him from doing more damage - but that of course causes more stress for him, which causes more spraying. We've been closing him in our laundry room with a litter box, food, water, a bed, and toys while we're at work and at night when we are sleeping and can't watch him. It feels so cruel, but I don't know what else to do. We tried putting him in a crate with a litter box, bed, food and water at night so he could at least be in the open where he could see the other cats, but he ended up dragging the bed into the litter box and peeing all over himself. I had to give him a bath and that of course sent his stress levels through the roof. So last night he went back in the laundry room where he'll have to stay until we can be home to watch him. He yowled and cried all night.I know we can't go on like this, and if we can't fine a solution soon, then the only option will be to re-home him. I love Pickles and it breaks my heart, but my human child has to come first.

Please, I am desperate for any advice. Has anyone else been at wits' end like this, and found a solution?

 

[FeebysOwner]

I take it this house has not been lived in before, correct? If so, he might be reacting to the new flooring materials, even perhaps the paint used on the walls.

Try cleaning the walls with a water and vinegar mixture. The non-carpet flooring might also be able to be cleaned that way, depending on what it is made of. And, the carpeting might need to be steamed cleaned, using a vinegar solution. However, you might have already done this, as I don't know what you mean by 'repurposed the spray areas'.

It could also be a cat that is hanging around outside - maybe even a dog - that is freaking him out. Is he using his litter box for pooping - and 'actual' peeing?

And, just to be on the safe side, I would ask the vet to do a urinalysis, including a urine culture, to ensure there is nothing going on with his urinary tract. There is also the possibility of this being a form of cystitis, which can be brought on by stress, but can also cause urinary tract infections as well. If the reason behind cystitis is not determined, it is usually treated with anti-anxiety meds, just as you are about to prepare to do with the vet.

I've included a couple of articles about spraying, just in case there might be some helpful information in them for you.

How Do I Stop My Cat From Spraying in the House?
How to Stop a Male Cat from Spraying

I hope other members will come along soon and have some tips/advice to offer.

 

[caitiec1233]

Thank you, the house was lived in before, but was repainted & re-carpeted before we moved in, so there could still be foreign smells. By re-purposing sprayed areas, I mean that I put scratching posts and food dishes in spots that had previously been sprayed. This didn't deter him, he still sprays right by the food bowl. I can steam clean the carpet, but my worry is that because he is spraying the walls, the urine is getting in the cracks and can't be removed without tearing out the carpet There is a cat that hangs around that I have seen under our deck. I'm not sure what to do if that is what is making him nervous, other than close all the blinds, which we've done. He does use the litter box for actual peeing & pooping. Thank you for your help and for being kind.

 

[FeebysOwner]

If the cat outside is bugging him for some reason, try buying a cat deterrent spray and use it on the outside perimeter of the house, under the deck, etc.

Again, sorry for giving you bunch of reading material - but take a look at these articles for cat deterrent sprays. Maybe some of them might even work inside your house?

cat deterrent spray
How to Make Homemade Cat Repellent

The corners of the carpeted area can be treated with a product called "The Equalizer" (can be found on Amazon.com, as well as a few other on line sources). I have found this product very effective for spot treatments - which would apply to the corners. And, it is nice because it does not require saturation, hence a shorter drying time.

 

[FelisCatus]

From watching My Cat From Hell and reading your post thereby dismissing a lot of the causes, my most likely guess would be what was mentioned in the comment above me.

There is probably a stray/neighbour cat hanging around at night and they are triggering your cat. Do you have a camera you could set up to record at night? Or spend a night hanging around the windows like on a weekend?

Thanks for giving your cat lots of opportunity before straight up rehoming them like a lot of people do!