Cat Spraying As A Marking Your Home?
Cat spraying at home is attributed to anxiety, territorial markings, a bad experience at a certain place, anger, litter box problem and health reasons. Spraying is just like urinating but the similarities end here. Spraying is when the cat goes bushy-tail against a vertical surface, like a door or windowpane, and gave a short blast of urine.
On the other hand, when a cat urinates or defecate, they prostrate themselves horizontally to the surface. Some even pee on their high legs. Usually, it takes a while for them to finish peeing, and they urinate in large quantity which usually emptied their bladder.
Cat Show Of Displeasure
As I mentioned earlier, health reason may be one of the factors, why cat spray. They might find it difficult to urinate and are struggling. This the only way they know how to show their displeasure to spray everywhere that something is not right. Then you have to take your cat to a vet for a checkup and treatment.
If your cat is not potty-trained in a litter, probably he will urinate and defecating everywhere in the house. The smell from the cat’s urine can be overpowering and unpleasant and the cat’s spraying is worse. The cat’s spray may include other bodily chemicals fluid which the cat’s information about health, sexual needs and all other important cats message only cats can decode.
You may download this free ebook on cats behaviour problems and how you may solve them here.
Stopping Spray Marking
Normally, when a cat is about six months, they are matured enough to start to look for a mate. They usually advertised themselves of their reproductive availability, especially the unneutered males. Although female cats do spray, the males have more reason for obvious reasons.
Cat’s urine is not just urine. That is why cats can learn so much of another cat’s urine mark. Their markings determine their territory and their markings help unwanted individuals, like cats, dogs and also human away.
If there are multiple cats in the household, there is more likely the dominant cats will urine mark their territory.
Changes In The Household
Changes in the household, triggered by a new pet, someone moving in, make cats stressed. One way a cat deals with stress is by marking its territory, or they might comfort themselves with their own familiar scent. They have to constantly need to mark their dominance if they are several cats at home.
However, there are steps you can take to minimize the chances of spray marking:
Cats do not like to share their litter boxes because they would refrain from using it if it smells of another cat’s urine. They would go back again and again if the urine smell is of its own. Provide a separate litter box if you have several kitties in the household and chances they will do their elimination there. Oh yes, don’t forget to have one or two for spare of different sizes.
Preferably, use unscented clumping litter for your cat. Clumping cat litters are designed so that when your cat urinated and defecated in it, the urine and faeces can be easily removed from the litter without having to remove the whole box, Most clumping litters contain the chemicals known as bentonite that allows the litter to form solid clump as the litter absorbs liquid.
Cat Have A Keen Smell
All litter box should be cleaned regularly, depending on how frequent your cat used it. Cats are clean animal and poor litter box maintenance is often to blame for accidents, Cats are avoiding these dirty litter boxes and may be driven to other spots in the house. What may look and smell good to you might be stinking to a cat because they have a very keen of smell, far better than that of human.
After you have cleaned and disinfected the area your cat sprayed, put some barrier or markings to deter them from spraying again. Cats will usually return to the same spot they have sprayed to renew the scent they have made earlier.
If you are planning to have more kittens, it is better to have your cats being neutered. Neutering involves both male and female cats sexual reproduction organs. In female it is known as “spraying” and it involves the removal both their ovaries and uterus. In the male, the process is called “castration” and only both the testes are surgically removed.
Cat’s Raging Hormone
When your kitten reached sexual maturity between for to six months old, they are potentially able to father or getting pregnant even though they are still kittens themselves. With their raging sexual hormone, they begin to spray to show of their availability. Neutering them is the best solution if you want to avoid any unplanned pregnancies and this also prevents your cat from spraying to attract the opposite sex.
The Neutering operation is very simple, and the cat is given an anaesthetic to ensure they don’t feel any pain at all and all this can be done at your local vet. To ensure, your cat does not feel any pain or discomfort, your cat will be given post-surgery pain relief injections. Your vet should also provide for your cat anti-inflammatory medicine of any pain-killers to take home with you.
Stress in your cat may lead to frantic spraying marking. Address first the issues that may lead to your cat’s nervousness. However, most of the time you are unable to do so unless you do some detective work or done spying on your cat.
You may download this free ebook on cats behaviour problems and how you may solve them here.
Prevent Cat Spraying: Fear May Be Keeping Your Cat Away from the Litter Box
Unlike dogs, cats are very particular at the cleanliness and suitability of the place for elimination. Before you check out any strategies to prevent any accident, first and foremost bring your bundle of joy to see a vet if there is any health problem that is preventing them from using the litter box.
Sometimes even with the addition of the family or a new cat, can upset the norm of your cat and may create unnecessary stress. When under-stressed, they would felt under treat and would avoid the litter box.
Your cat may associate the litterbox with painful elimination, even the cat may have fully recovered from its illness. Try positive assertions and use a lure to enough the cat to use the litter box again. Try to Introduce a new litter box so that the cat won’t associate the new with the old.
Cats Litter Matter
Gone are the days where cat owners used sand and ashes in litters. Today, you’d be faced with a vast variety of materials made up of silica gel crystals, wheat hulls, corn, recycle paper, clay, walnut shells, and bark, and much more. These come with different sizes, textures and scents to choose from.
If your cat did not show any behavioural changes towards litter they used, don’t change anything for the sake of changing. It may even upset them and as a result, avoiding the litter altogether.
Cat’s Approval
Preference for the type of litter to use depends on the approval of your kitties, as well as the type of little box and where do you place them.
Picking the right litter which are eco-friendly, and have a low dust production for obvious health reasons. Clumping clay are good absorbent but is the drawback is this type of letter is dusty. The non-clumping litter, on the other hand, doesn’t absorb urine and it doesn’t form clumps, leaving the litter moist. Cats dislike a wet litter and may totally abandon it.
They have a preference for litter made of clay clumping, with very fine granular material made with other types of substrates. They hated litters with either citrus or a floral scent and would feel comfortable with no odour litter, which mimic their natural environment as much as possible.
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Litter Box Cleanliness
You know that keeping animals as pets, besides providing them with food, shelter and love, you’d have to clean up their mess. Besides cleaning up the litter box, changing the litter, you have to get rid of the odour. This is essential to the health and well-being of all in the family, including the pets.
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Just as you thought you have clean up an accident spot, the cat keeps returning to the scene to mess up things again. The mess is gone doesn’t mean it’s really gone. Odours that are undetectable to the human nose are like an odour of piece of cheese magnified 100 times. In addition to chemicals, to clean your cat’s spraying from carpets, rugs, sofa, and litter boxes, air purifier also helps to eradicate the smell from the air. Read my blog on how to clean the air here.
You may download this free ebook on cats behaviour problems and how you may solve them here.
No More Cat Spraying: Why Your Cat Might Be Afraid of the Litter Box
The fact that your cat is avoiding the litter box is the fear itself towards the litter box, for whatever the reasons may be. Your cat could have associates that box in a certain location in the house with an unpleasant of a traumatic experience. They may be impacted with anxiety over bad domestic situations, abusive environments, and neglect. If replacing it with a new litter box or simply move the box to another spot is not an option, there are many ways you can help your cat to overcome their fears of the litter box.
Cats love privacy when it comes to elimination time. The box need not have a lid and the box side should not be very high. The box should locate in a quiet, and the low-lighting area where your cat is able can escape when he sees and danger approaching.
Cats Need Their Privacy
Do not give your cat any treats to entice them when they are urinating or defeating. They do not want to be disturbed, but you can place toys or treats near the box to help her to overcome the fear of the box. Places where the cat eats or drinks are not to be near the litter box.
Use positive reinforcement and not drag your cat to the litter box. Scolding will not help and this makes them more fearful of you than the box itself. Despite all the efforts to make your home as cat-friendly as possible to use the litter box, but fail, you may consider contacting an animal behaviourist or a vet for consultation.
You may download this free ebook on cats behaviour problems and how you may solve them here.
Improper Elimination and Your Cat’s Feelings Leads To Cat Spraying
Domesticated cats have been survived together along with humans for as far as we can remember. They have been our pets living in our homes and co-existed for a long time. They may curl up on our lap and sunning on our windowsills or just watching the world goes by without a care. This is the cat we used to know.
However, a slight change in the routine of the household or the surrounding could bring turmoil and unsettling to your cat’s well-being. Such a sensitive animal, it needs proper care to prepare for their physical as well as their psychological needs as a cat owner.
Cats Throw Tantrum
Cats are an astute animal, meaning they will show their displeasure or anger if they do not get what they want. Their message could be subtle and also be straight-in-your-face if you ignore them.
There are many reasons why cat sprayed and urinate everywhere except in the litter box provided, and if medical problems are ruled out, then it could well be their feelings or status quo have been disrupted.
Your pet cat, who is affectionately close to you, can display anger mannerism if you are not around for a long period of time. They will eliminate themself everywhere except the litter box. Without you realizing it, they have taken possession of you, and when you are away, they feel threatened and insecure.
If there are arguments in the house, children fighting, baby’s crying, people talking loudly, this can upset a cat. Your neighbour’s cats or dogs can equally excite them and this may lead to anxiety. They will start spraying vigorously at the door or gate to defend their territory.
Rivalry Among Siblings
If you have recently added a new cat member in the family, most likely the older cat will show their jealously and hostility towards the new sibling. Spraying is one of their tools to show their displeasure and they had to mark their territory. to ensure their security. Urinating and defecating everywhere are common signs in such a situation.
Moving to a new house or apartment is frightening to a cat where he has not settled down in its new environment. Even if you have brought his favourite litter box with you, they would find it not the same as before because the room or the place is put looks alien and threatening. During these trying time, you need the proper techniques to make your cat use the litter box to prevent spraying and accidents.
You may download this free ebook on cats behaviour problems and how you may solve them here.
Picking Out the Sneaky Eliminator: Who’s The Cat Spraying Culprit?
If you have more than one cat in the house, pinpointing to the culprit who is spraying and defecating in the night couldn’t be easier. Watch their daily day time habits of urinating. The cat who doesn’t patronize the litter boxes might be the one roaming wild at night.
Or alternatively, get a pet security camera installed could solve your problem straight away. Those security cameras can be costly unless you’d enjoy doing a bit of sleuthing.
If you have found the guilty cat who has been breaking the house rules, find out if the cat has a medical issue with the vet. If the cat has no medical problem, then you have to find out what could have upset him from using the litter box, whereas the other cats in the house use theirs.
Territorial Claim
There might be a territorial dispute among the cats, where the other more dominate cats lay claim to her territory. She might felt threatened or feels unwanted and she is forced to find another place to eliminate.
You can solve the territorial issue easily by placing a few more little box in another area of the house far away from the disputed litter box which other cats have laid claim.
If you have recently added a new litter box which is way too high along the edges, this makes the cat difficult to get in. An older cat with arthritis may find it hard to jump over it. That is why they might be avoiding it.
Cats don’t like litter box that has a lid as a cover. In their natural habitat, they love to have a lookout when they are eliminating. In case of danger, they would able to make a quick dash to escape. If there are in an enclosed space, they might feel very insecure and will try to avoid such litter boxes.
You may download this free ebook on cats behaviour problems and how you may solve them here.
Unpleasant Associations Can Prevent Cat Spraying Accidents
You have yourself a nightmare when you accidentally step on a puddle of urine on the way to the kitchen, or you discovered a pile of faeces on your sofa. You know who the culprit was and you without hesitation, in a fit of anger, wanted to drag your kitties out of the house and verbally or physically punish him for what he has done.
Breaking into a fit, may not solve the problem. As a cat mom, you have to understand how cats lived their lives. They do not live by your rules but instead, you have to accommodate in every aspect of their life. So, understanding of a cat’s physic helps to better manage your cat.
No Deal
Managing your cat is simple if you know what are their fears that associate them with the use of the litter box. Why aren’t they obeying the rules in the house? Litter boxes are provided and their favourite litter is used and yet they refused to bulge. You become frustrated and you are on wits on end trying to look for the elusive answer.
If you have bought a new type of litters, try to introduce it slowly for your cat to adjust to its new litter. Mix a little of the new type, and slowly increase in the proportion each time you change the litter. Cats will adapt faster if they find they are similar ground.
Preferably, you can bring the cat to a new litter box to investigate on its own, but it is counterproductive to drop it inside together with treats, hoping they will like it. This will likely backfire by making the cat feels uncomfortable or afraid.
If the type of litter your cat is fond off is no more made available then you have to take drastic measures. Buy two or more of different texture and scent and placed them in a litter side by side and see which one your cat refer.
Each Cat Have Its Own Preference
Try adjusting different in depth of the new litter, especially if the new texture your cat is not familiar with. There is no choice, but to try and error, because your cat has its own preference. Most feline would prefer a shallower little for not more than 5 cm, whereas, the longer-hair breed need a deeper litter because they love to dig deeper after elimination.
Avoid using the motorised self-cleaning litter box as this may risk causing anxiety and frightened by the motor sound, and as a result, refuse to use the litter box again out of fear and traumatized.
Be sure to have your vet check your cat before starting an aversion program to rule out a bladder infection, stones, or other health problems.
There are several tips to make soiled areas in the house by making less appealing for the cats to make a come-back. If your cat has been spraying of eliminating in dark hiding places, instal a bright light to discourage it from using again.
Cold Feet
Placed strips of tin foils or double-sided tape on rugs and carpets. I’m sure your cats would find it unpleasant to walk on. Pin long curtains up, out of reach until the cat is back to use the litter. Cats feet are very sensitive to rubber mats with snubs or stepping on rounded points. This will certainly prevent them to step on it again,
An important factor to this aversion training is to remove all traces of urine or faeces odour, which will otherwise attract the cat back to the area. Enzyme cleaners work best at removing these smells.
You may download this free ebook on cats behaviour problems and how you may solve them here.
Conclusion
Regardless of all the steps, you tried to solve your cat from spraying or elimination, here are a few things to avoid:
- Never rub urine and faeces on our cat’s nose.
- Refrain from dragging your cat to the litter.
- Scolding and punishing your cat is not an option if they refuse to use the litter.
- Do not confine your cat to a small room with the litter for a few days to make them learn.
- Urine contains ammonia, and that’s what attracts cats. Therefore, do not use ammonia-based cleaning material to clean up accidents, they attract them more!
You can find out more on how to stop your cat from spraying here.
“Cats are only human, they have their faults.”
– Kingsley Amis
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. The contents of this article are for informational purposes only.
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