Castration or neutering will change the odor, and may reduce the cat's motivation for spraying, but approximately 10% of neutered males and 5% of spayed females will continue to spray. While cats in multiple cat households are often involved in spraying behaviors, cats that are housed singly may spray as well.
If your neutered cat is spraying this is called “reactional spraying”. This kind of spraying occurs when there has been a change in your cat's environment, either physically, or with the addition of new cats or people.
First, determine whether your cat is spraying or urinating. Cats urinate by squatting onto a horizontal surface; spraying occurs standing up. The cat makes a treading motion with her back feet and quivers her tail, leaving her scent mark on a vertical surface.
The majority of male cats will stop spraying within 6 months of being neutered. However, cats may still spray long after being fixed. When a cat experiences a stressful situation, such as a change in environment or the addition of new pets or people to the home, their reaction may include urine marking.
Thoroughly clean the area by wiping it down with warm soapy water, or a mixture of alcohol and water. Use a clean towel to blot it dry, let it dry naturally or use a vacuum. Do this a few times if necessary until there's no trace of the smell.
When an intact male sprays urine, it will have the characteristic “tom cat” odor that is strong and pungent. Castration or neutering will change the odor, and may reduce the cat's motivation for spraying, but approximately 10% of neutered males and 5% of spayed females will continue to spray.
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.
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. As indoor spraying indicates that the cat feels threatened by something.
Neutered cats can spray as well. Ten percent of male cats neutered before 10 months of age will still spray as adults. In households with numerous cats, at least one cat will likely spray, even if all the cats are neutered.
For male cats, neutering before 5 months of age would substantially reduce or eliminate male territorial marking, fighting, and roaming.
What does cat spray smell like? 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.
Cats aren't well equipped to handle confrontation. When confrontation or change happens, they can get stressed. “Spraying,” or urine marking, is their way of telling other cats or new people to back off without a direct confrontation. Your cat may be spraying to communicate about territory or something else.
Cleaning the area thoroughly with vinegar first and then applying an enzyme treatment will break down and evaporate the uric acid and your home will be free of cat odors. Vinegar and enzyme cleaners work on all surfaces: hardwood floors, carpets, mattresses.
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.
FELIWAY Optimum is clinically proven to help reduce unwanted cat spraying. The “happy messages” will help your cat feel relaxed and comfortable in it's environment and help to reduce unwanted cat spraying. Continuous use of a FELIWAY Optimum will help prevent any relapse of cat spraying in the house.
When spraying, a cat usually backs up to a vertical object like the side of a chair, a wall or a stereo speaker, stands with his body erect and his tail extended straight up in the air, and sprays urine onto the surface. Often his tail and sometimes his entire body twitch while he's spraying.
Applying odor neutralizers anywhere your cat has sprayed may prevent him from spraying there again. Feliway, a synthetic pheromone that, when applied to household surfaces, mimics the scent of cat cheek gland secretions., and this may reduce spraying.
Since cats can't be in two places at once to monitor their territory, they have many scent-based ways to leave their calling card. Felines have scent glands on their cheeks, paws and flanks and when they rub against something—a door, a chair, you—they put their own personal scent on that object.
Vinegar, while a bit smelly itself, works to remove the lasting odor of sprayed cat urine because vinegar is an acid that neutralizes the alkaline salts that form in dried urine stains. A solution of one part water and one part vinegar can be used to clean walls and floors.
Marking with urine is not usually a litter box issue. Cats that are spraying may also use their litter box but find certain places around the house to urine mark.
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.
Orange and lemon peels (cats dislike citrus smells), cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, & mustard oil.