What does it mean when a cat sprays? Cats speak a different language than humans, so their behaviour is often the way they actually speak. Pissing is one of those actions, but unfortunately, it’s not something cat owners like, let alone cleaning. Knowing why your cat can water and what you can do about it can help relieve stress and frustration for both you and your cat.
What is Urine Sprays?
Male cats may urinate outside their box and practice inappropriate elimination but when they pee vertically and not on the floor or other horizontal surfaces it is referred to as spraying or marking. When a cat marks, urine is sprayed against a wall, table leg, couch, or another surface as a male cat stands, raises its tail, shakes, and backs up to the item. It is typically a small amount of urine that sprays out instead of a steady stream that is produced during a normal, squatting, urination. But while the amount may be small, the smell is often not.
What Causes cat spray
Cats spray, or urine mark, as a normal way to communicate with others. While most cats mark by releasing small amounts of urine on vertical surfaces, occasionally they may also spray on horizontal surfaces, or even defecate.The majority of cats that spray are males that have not been neutered; hormones can play a significant role in urine marking.
Cats may spray for territorial reasons or when they feel anxious or threatened. The presence of stray cats in your yard may cause your cat to mark near windows and doors as a way to identify that this is his territory. New pets in the household, or a conflict between existing pets in the same household, may also make pets feel a need to mark their territories. Changes in your cat’s environment, such as relocating their living space or moving to a new home, can increase stress and trigger markers. Occasionally, spraying cats may target the clothing or bedding of people or visitors in the home.
How to Stop Urine Cat Sprays
All types of inappropriate elimination can be difficult and frustrating to stop but there are a few things you can do.
Neutering
The best way to decrease urine spraying in a male cat is to have it neutered. This is typically done at a young age but can be performed in older cats as well.
Neutralize the odour
If your cat has sprayed urine in the house, the first thing you`ll want to do is eliminate the odour. Simply cleaning up and deodorizing the mess won’t stop your cat from spraying in the same spot again so you’ll want to ensure you use an enzymatic cleaner to clean up the urine.
Change the litter or litter box
If you suspect your cat is spraying because of the litter or litter box, consider switching to an unscented litter in a shallow, uncovered litter box.
Get rid of the stressor
If something in or around your home is causing your cat to become upset or stressed, do what you can to get rid of the stressor or at least block your cat from being able to see and hear it. This of course isn`t always possible though, depending on what the environmental stressor is.
Pheromones
Sprays, wipes, and plugins are available to provide natural pheromones to your cat. Pheromones are scentless and help to relax stressed cats. Anxiety medications If your cat’s stressors can’t be eliminated, prescription medications can help them relax.
Anxiety supplements
Similar to anxiety medications, various supplements such as L-theanine, milk whey protein, and colostrum may help to calm your cat and decrease the incidence of urine spraying.
Special diets
Therapeutic diets are available from your veterinarian that may help to decrease urine spraying. These diets often contain calming ingredients, similar to anxiety supplements.
