Anyone dealt with a cat that sprays?

[bawkbawkbawk]

We have four cats. Three males and one female. Everyone mostly gets along, but we've had MAJOR problems with spraying/marking since the newest one joined us a few summers ago.

My son rescued this rascally little orange guy - he was so tiny and so sick that the vet didn't think he would make it but, of course, he's a cat and as you can see he is doing just fine.

He is such a kick and has so much personality,

but ever since he's been with us, he and the other two males are just spraying everywhere and destroying our house.

Sometimes one of them will even pee on a bed right in front of the person in it! Drapes, furniture, counter-tops, carpet - doesn't seem to matter what or where, and while the orange one seems to be the most active, the two other males are by no means innocent.

DH has (understandably) had it with the mess and the smell, and the orange guy may have to find a new home soon.

I've researched the problem and found suggestions about changing litter boxes, using a new kind of litter, using a black light to track down all the spots and neutralizing them with white vinegar and Nature's Miracle. We've begun taking these steps, and we're also going to take him to the vet to ascertain that he doesn't have a UTI although we're 99% sure already that this is behavioral and not medical.

The situation does not bode well for this little fellow and I feel terrible about it. We've never booted an animal before and I don't think the chances of finding a good home for him are all that high. Has anyone else ever successfully dealt with this problem?

 

[itallstartedwithhamburgs]

I have heard that Feliway (a pheromone that is calming) works but it is pricey. Our one male cat had issues with marking and he spends the vast majority of his awake time outside. We are all happier. His lifespan may be shorter from being an outside cat but if he peed on one more silk pillow or winter coat his indoor lifespan was going to be shorter too.

 

[Skippin' Sammi]

YES! I have had lots of experience with a cat that sprays. First off have him neutered if he isn't already. He is marking territory. Have him vetted just to make sure that there isn't any UTI or something similar going on and while you are at the vet ask for a prescription to generic Prozac. It is only $4 for 30 tablets here at Walmart and I ony give half a tablet a day. It doesn't make our cat act any different except that he doesn't spray. Hopefully once he has been on this for awhile you will be able to reduce the dosage and eventually stop it. Do clean all surfaces with an enzyme cleaner such as Nature's Miracle and what I have done for kitchen counter surfaces is to cover them with a plastic mat with little knobbies called an X mat. It keeps the cats from jumping onto the counter or stove top, as they hate to step on it. It doesn't hurt them but is uncomfortable. . Works great and can be bought at any pet supply store.
Hope this helps. He is a gorgeous cat and I this works out for you both.
Whoops forgot to add that you will need a pill popper from the vet to give the pill. They have a bad taste and will make the cat foam at the mouth. The pill popper is so easy to use and the cat never gets to taste the pill as it goes right down the throat. Good luck.

 

[lemurchaser]

Are the sprays up walls and on furniture? Or do they squat to spray? If their squatting then it isn't spraying and is less likely to be territorial.

Make sure everyone is neutered. Check everyone that is urinating in weird places for UTI's. I would try the prozac, add litterboxes to each room, try different litters, make sure boxes are not hooded and large and clean. If you only have one that is urinating in weird places I would lock that one in a bathroom with a litterbox as a reminder of where you go to the bathroom. Sometimes they just need a refresher course on where is okay to pee.

Get gallons of natures miracle. You'll need to wash any soft surface that you can, carpet clean AND soak the other spots. Once urine gets into the pad under the carpet, it is really hard to get rid of. This may have started as a territorial thing and is now just a habit.

 

[luvzmybabz]

My aunt had a male cat that would sit on her husband's desk and look out the window. If another cat walked by he sprayed they tried everything, not a great thing when uncle was an architect with blue prints everywhere. Uncle could not get mad as he had given her the cat and the cat helped him to propose so the cat was not going. The vet told them to put alumimum foil down where the cat had a tendiency to spray as cats do not like the feel or the sound of the foil crunching under it's feet. It worked for them.

 

[joletabey]

Aluminum foil does not work. My darling Roux marks it anyway. Kitty Prozac ( I can't remember what the vet called it) is the only thing that works for me. It's a territorial thing for Roux. I put him on it, the marking stops. The only rotten thing is that his personality changes also- he isn't as loving. Doesn't turn mean, but he doesn't jump on my lap to snuggle anymore. So I take him off it, everything is OK for a while, and then something will set him off again. Nature's Miracle helps, just remember to KEEP using it on the areas that have been marked. One application doesn't do the trick.

 

[xxSonja]

Its sounds like hes just marking his territory, trying to make himself the Big cat.
I have 3 cats (all Female & all Desexed) that when the newest one was introduced into the enviroment, the older one would spray on everything to make sure the little one knew who was the boss, including peoples legs!

When they are inside they are usually hanging around us so we tend to notice the 'Spray' pose and tail twitch and stop her before she can do it, loud name yelling, hand clapping & foot stomping usually deters her, but sometimes it takes a splash of water or actually having to tap her on the behind and putting her outside with an angry 'bad cat!' is the only way.
Desexing helps, and once he is aware the behaviour is unaceptable, it should stop, but i guess if its unstopable & you dont want to resort to drugs, he might have to become an outside cat

 

[Skippin' Sammi]

Quote:
You might try adjusting his dosage. Sammi is suppose to get a half a tablet a day but once he has stopped spraying, I will adjust that to a quarter a day and then even back to a quarter every other day. He is my velcro cat and it hasn't changed his personality at all. He still follows me everywhere and is super affectionate. I have found that you need a pill cutter from the drug store though if you want to cut those already small pills up.
Fluoxetine is the generic of Prozac that he gets. Hope this helps.

 

[joletabey]

Skippin' Sammi- THANK YOU!!! I will do that, never even thought about -

I need to give myself a slap for being so thoughtless! I love my little Roux and I miss the cuddling!

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Thanks everyone!

Yes, he is neutered - we fix all our cats at 6 months.

We've tried the Feliway - yes, it is expensive and no, it did not work

Looks like the next stop is the vet - I like the idea that maybe once the medications work we might be able to wean him off of it. I read somewhere else that they will prescribe hormones but that it zonks them out and changes their personality - would hate to see that happen, as this guy is ALL personality...