If your intact male cat is spraying to attract a mate, neutering them can help deter them from the behavior. Neutering can also drop testosterone levels, making cats less territorial. In that regard, it can also help lower a cat's desire to mark their territory with urine spraying.
A: The vast majority of cats do not spray. Males are more likely than females to spray, but if a cat is neutered before 6 months, he will almost never spray. If an intact male cat does begin to spray, neutering him will solve the problem in about 95 percent of the cases.
Both male and female cats can spray. Unneutered male cats are the most likely to mark. They also have the strongest smelling urine. About 5% of neutered females and 10% of neutered males continue urine marking after they've been fixed.
Most pet cats are neutered and do not spray indoors, probably because they do not feel they need to. Spraying indoors is a sign that the cat is feeling stressed and needs to make itself feel more secure, surrounding itself by its own scent.
Spraying is not the same as peeing outside the litter box. When spraying, a cat's tail will stand up straight. The tail may vibrate a little. By spraying, they deposit small amounts of urine on vertical surfaces: especially doors, walls and windows are likely victims.
You should start to look for signs of spraying when your kitten reaches maturity. For most cats, spraying tends to start when they are 6 to 7 months old, although male cats can reach maturity between 4 to 5 months.
In one study, 77 percent of cats stopped or significantly reduced spraying within six months of being neutered. Neutered cats can spray as well. Ten percent of male cats neutered before 10 months of age will still spray as adults.
In most cases, the spraying cat will back into the area, the tail may quiver, and with little or no crouching, will urinate. Although much less common, some cats will also mark their territory by leaving small amounts of urine, or occasionally stool, on horizontal surfaces.
Urine spraying is more common with intact (not neutered or fixed) male cats, but female and neutered male cats can do it as well. Intact male cats spray to attract mates or communicate with female cats in the vicinity.
Is it a common problem? In the neutered population it is estimated that 10% of males and 5% of females engage in urine spraying. The incidence of urine spraying in a household is directly related to the density of the cat population.
The urge to roam may be particularly strong during mating season. Castration reduces roaming in approximately 90% of cases. Although neutering greatly reduces sexual interest, some experienced males may continue to be attracted to, and mate with females.
Be patient and persistent with your applications. If your cat is spraying or defecating in a particular area, clean up and deodorize the area before spraying with vinegar. Cats are attracted to these scents and will avoid the spray to remark their territory.
It doesn't matter whether your cat is confident or anxious, male or female – any cat will spray if they feel like they need to. Spraying of this kind normally becomes an issue when a cat feels threatened by something in the house and sprays indoors in order to help them feel safer.
Spraying/Scent Marking
Cats use scent marking as a means of social communication – usually to keep other cats at a distance. Cats also have a phenomenal sense of smell. When we smell urine-spray, all we detect is ammonia. Cats can smell so much more: male or female; in heat or not; friend or foe; calm or afraid.
Unneutered male cats will wander from home and may not return. They may also spray inside the home and may be aggressive to their owners. Therefore it is desirable to neuter kittens early enough to ensure that the above problems are prevented. Most people do not want to live with an unneutered male cat.
Effectively, cat urine odour can last forever. It's one of the most persistent smells imaginable, with a way of hanging around no matter how much you try to scrub the stain or cover up the offending smell with air fresheners or pot-pourri.
Cats spray smells potent, with a strong and distinctly unpleasant odor. It is often described as a mix of musk, ammonia and a hint of sulfur or skunk-like scent.
Other causes of stress
Cats who spray near a door or window usually are doing so in response to seeing outdoor cats roaming near the house. Indoor/outdoor cats can get so over-stimulated while they are outside that they spray when they come in the house.
Changes in a household can cause stress that triggers a cat's insecurity, leading him to spray to claim his space. If your cat has been spraying, establishing a routine can reduce his stress and eliminate spraying. Feed your cat at the same time each day, and keep his litter box, bed, and toys in the same areas.
What About Male Cats? Male cats don't have heats. However, if unneutered, they reach sexual maturity around the same age as their female counterparts — as early as four months, but usually closer to six months of age.
Cleaning cat spray properly is very important. Not only because it smells worse than regular cat urine, but also because if your cat continues to smell it, he will likely spray the area again. While soap and water might get rid of the offensive scent for us, a cat's sense of smell is much more sensitive.
Cat spray looks and smells like urine, to a point. A well-hydrated kitty produces light yellow urine with its typical acidic odor. But because of pheromones in cat spray, it's often darker yellow and smells particularly more pungent.
Powdered coyote and fox urine will keep domestic cats away with the fear factor of a predator.