Cat urine spraying

Cat urine spraying on prominent surfaces is an important means of communication for all members of the cat family. The spraying of urine is not a function of relieving a full bladder. Instead it is a specific means of communication in much the same way that male dogs will cock their leg and mark a lamppost to deposit their scent and mark territory.

Cats will spray urine droplets, whether they have a full bladder or not. Cat urine spraying is the function of depositing urine smell in small short jets from a standing position. If the cat in question were relieving the bladder a squatting position would be taken.

This spraying of cat urine is practiced by both sexes of cats, and even by neutered animals. Spraying occurs against vertical surfaces like trees, fence posts, trashcans and unfortunately, for some cat owners areas around the house.

There is no doubt that cats spraying in the home is a major source of distress for many cat owners, and it can sometimes be difficult to solve this cat urine issue. No one wants to live in a house where there is an overpowering smell of cat urine odor.

Solve cat urine spraying

In most cases when the cat is spayed or neutered this marking cat behavior is stopped right at that point. In fact, fixing your cat is the first step that should be taken. Spraying in neutered males and females is considered a behavioral problem associated with anxiety.

These cats have psychological problems, of which urine spraying is a manifestation. These cats are likely to spray repeatedly in the house as well as pass urine in the litter box, and this is often confusing and frustrating for owners who do not understand the underlying reasons for this bad cat behavior.

For example, some owners even believe the cats spraying is deliberate action, mainly in retaliation or showing resentment towards the owner.

When actually the cats are performing this action to gain reassurance for underlying anxiety issues. In other words, it makes them feel more confident in their surroundings when their scent is deposited in the area.

Behavioral advice for cat spraying

Once it is understood that the trigger for this negative action is anxiety then efforts can be made to locate the cause of the anxiety and take action to reduce it. The cause can vary between cats and in difficult cases input from pet behavior specialist is strongly recommended.

Common causes for cat spraying

Some common causes for unwanted cat urine spraying may include a new cat, pet or person in the household. Also a new cat in the neighborhood can cause cat spraying behavior. Another common cause is house alterations resulting in new scents in the house.

Cats that have the tendency to perform this territorial marking may need to be confined to a small area until the problem is solved. As a special note any form of punishment is not recommended for this problem, because it will likely make the situation worse by adding to the cats insecurity and anxiety.

When cat urine spraying is occurring generally within the home, one of the first steps is to simplify the cats environment and remove access to those sprayed areas. It is vital that any cat urine marked areas be cleaned properly and quickly or otherwise, the cat will be prompted to return and remark the area.

The chemical nature of the pheromones present in cat urine means that only certain cleaning methods are reliable. For more on this subject, please visit my cat urine removal page.

From cat urine spraying back to cat urine issues page

Cats behavior and health start page