Cat Spraying A Common Annoyance
‘Cat spraying‘ is when a domestic cat will soil its house to mark its territory by backing into furniture or any household item and release a pungent spray. Approximately 40% of all soiling complaints are made of such instances. Females cats will sometimes do it when they are in heat, but generally it is mostly un-neutured male tom cats.
Cats spray for a variety of reasons. They spray during territorial disputes, when they are aware of another cat in heat, when stressed and often after fights with other cats. So the cats, normally solitary creatures, mark their territory as a way to reduce conflicts with other cats in the area. Mostly cats will spray outside, but if there are conflicts within the home, they will spray inside as well.
When a cat “sprays” an object, the spray releases a rancid odor most akin to ammonia. The smell may encourage the cat to spray again, so it is importantly to remove the smell rapidly and completely. When removing the smell, clean the object thoroughly with an enzymatic cleanser, one specially designed to remove bad odors. Avoid cleansers that contain ammonia: they will only make the smell worse!
How can you stop your kitty from performing his normal instinctive behavior of spraying? You’ll find that if you have your cat neutered, he will be far less likely to spray. Employing a cat whisperer or cat psychologist to come into your home to resolve problems can also lessen the problem. For cats which only spray in one place, rearrange your furniture to make this area a much less attractive location for him to spray. If the spraying problem is outdoors, just keep your kitty inside until the issues he has with neighborhood cats are resolved.
Cat spraying cannot be cured by punishment. A stressed cat may even spray more often, and hitting your cat will simply encourage fear, not obedience. Nor will taking your cat to the sprayed area for punishment be an effective deterrent.
If you know the joy of having a cat as your companion you probably also know about the problem of cat spraying. It may not be possible to get rid the problem completely but can be controlled.
The problem of ‘cat spraying‘ is when a domestic cat will soil its house to mark its territory by backing into furniture or any household item and release a pungent spray. Approximately 40% of all soiling complaints are made of such instances. Females cats will sometimes do it when they are in heat, but generally it is mostly un-neutered male tom cats. Employing a cat whisperer who understands cat psychology to come into your home can also lessen the problem. Don’t ever try to punish your cat by bringing him into the area and hitting him. This will lead your cat to be fearful of you.
- Paul Proctor