Why Cats Spray and How To Stop It

I love cats, I really do, but there are some things that turn people away from owning them because they don’t like what they instinctually do, such as spraying and scratching. This is especially troublesome and bothersome when this is in your house, as it happens to many pet owners. Some cats can also spray more than others, and can become a continuous problem if it is not alleviated from the start. They may be spraying because of a multi-cat household and to show their dominance over another cat. Although spaying and neutering reduces spraying, it doesn’t fully stop it, as cats, both male and female, will continue to spray.

There are two kinds of cat spray, and they are defined as

• Dominant Spray (Confident)– a spray in which a cat is attempting to prove dominance over another cat in a multi-cat household.

• Intimidation Spray (Non-Confident)– This spray is from those cats who are intimidated or scared of the cats who are the dominant ones, along with being timid and shy.

A confident cat uses spray to mark their new territory, as well as showing dominance over any other cats in the household, as well as displaying their sexuality during mating season (if they are not neutered or spayed), and they can also spray as an act of agression if they feel they are in danger.

A non-confident cat sprays to display passive or defensive aggression, or as a way to avoid direct confrontation, along with helping them keep a distance from another cat they are timid of.

How can one stop this you may ask? There are several ways:

• If there isn’t enough space in your home for all of your cats, make a perch or a ledge area where the cat can have enough space away from the other cats. This creates extra areas, and helps with keeping the territorial conflicts at a minimum.

• When a cat senses another cat in the house they’ve been living in, they become territorial. Cat owners can reduce this problem by rubbing down the new cat with a towel and then give it to the aggressive cat to sniff and play with. When the old cat becomes used to the new cat smell, their aggression should subside significantly.

• Cat owners can use a cat gate to keep the two cats separate until they are accustomed to each other, and can sniff and study each other through the gate. With this occurring, both cats are getting to know each other on a much deeper level.

• Cat owners can also invest in Feliway Comfort Zone, which is a product that helps prevent spraying in the home; specifically, a multi-cat household. It sprays a scent that is similar to a cat’s facial pheromone, calming the cat. I think it’s a possible great investment for many multi-cat households.

Article Source: http://lovemeow.com/2009/11/why-do-cats-spray/