I have a friend (really, it’s not me) who has two male cats, neutered, and they spray.
I have two male neutered cats and I’ve never seen/smelled any spray. One is about 7 years old, the other is 4. In fact, I didn’t think neutered cats COULD spray. (Shows what I know.)
So far, I think she’s tried a commercial anti-spray spray, which she thinks helped. She also has some kind of device that “highlights” where the cats have sprayed, and she is religious about cleaning those places. Which was supposed to help.
Today, she says, one of them sprayed the microwave, so she got a scat mat to keep them off the kitchen counter.
Her husband is, pardon the pun, pissed. (She had the cats before she had him though.)
Have any of you cat lovers tried anything that’s worked?
Cecil may be right about the vinegar. When potty training our puppy, we read the Monks of New Skete books and they recommended washing down an area where an animal has relieved itself with a mixture 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water. This is supposed to completely remove the odor, even to pets’ sensitive noses, so they won’t be able to return to the scene of the crime to refresh it.
Another suggestion I read once is to cover the areas where the cats spray with aluminum foil. The cats won’t like the sound of the urine hitting the foil and won’t return to that spot. They’ll probably just pick a new spot, though, and before she knows it, your friends’ house will be completely wrapped in foil, as well as smell funny. I dunno, she may want to just move.
Myself, I’ve been extremely lucky. Both my cats are male, and both were fixed at 6 mos. The big cat is 8 1/2 years old and the little cat is 1 1/2 years old, and neither have ever sprayed in the house. Lucky me
“I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it,” Jack Handy
my cat, çebeaux is neutered and is spraying, nevertheless. he does it when he doesn’t get the attention he wants when he wants it. to be honest, other than unrealistically dropping everything when he utters a mew, i haven’t a clue how to get him to quit spraying fatty acids out of his nether regions. but what i do know is that vinegar is magical at removing the scent. which is definitly good news, cause we all know how once a cat sprays something, they’d continue to spray it as long as the scent is there… and that scent does NOT like to go away.
“human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust; we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.” - albert einstein
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Another suggestion I read once is to cover the areas where the cats spray with aluminum foil. The cats won’t like the sound of the urine hitting the foil and won’t return to that spot.
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I tried that. The cats thanked me for pointing out with that shiny paper exactly where they should pee! It did make clean-up easier, though, just pick up foil (carefully!) and throw away.
I don’t think I really need to go into how confusing and odd cats can be. Cats are very particular creatures, and when something upsets them they will act out, with aggression, spraying, or other types of unacceptable behaviors. The trick is figuring out what is making these cats mad. Dominance issues? New home? New family members? Re-arranged the furniture? The smallest thing can set a cat off. If a solution is not found in a resonable amount of time, the spraying may become a habit that cannot be broken. The best bet is to have the cats taken to the vet for a thorough check up, just to make sure there isn’t some sort of physical problem. If they check out physically fine, client and vet need to work together to discover the root of the problem. The answers may not be immediate and patience is needed. The vet may suggest an animal behaviorist if he or she cannot solve the problem. Animal behaviorists are not your typical dog trainers. These are people who have doctorates in animal behavior. Right now there aren’t that many out there but a vet school will probably know where to find one. As a last resort, there are drugs that can be used to help curb behavior problems.
In the meantime, keeping the home clean is very important. Cats have a better sense of smell than we do, so even if something seems clean to us, it may not be to them. There is a product called nature’s Miracle that works really well in getting rid of pet smells, so that even the pet can’t smell it anymore. If the cats prefer to spray in one or two areas, keep them away from those areas. When the cat sprays, do not yell or hit the cat.
I am sure a solution can be found as long as the owner is willing to be patient and possibly have to spend some money in vet care.
