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Dog owners understand urine
spraying for the purpose of territory marking. Outdoors, many male
dogs will hike their leg on every tree or post within the yard.
They're leaving their scent behind to say, "This is my space.
Keep out." For cat owners, this territory marking is more of
a problem.
First,
a cat's "spraying" urine is mixed with a particularly
bad smelling ingredient meant to thoroughly cover any other cat's
scent. It will do that and more! And, cats that spray are not satisfied
with the yard. They will often claim the whole house, from the drapes
to the sofa. The unpleasant scent can linger for a long time.
Spraying is primarily a male activity, although sometimes female cats will indulge in the act. The surest "cure" for this natural behavior is to have your pet neutered. Many cats that are neutered when they are young never spray. Ninety percent of cats neutered when they are adults will stop spraying.
In
some cases, however, even the best mannered neutered cat will spray.
If this should happen in your home, you may want to take your pet
to the veterinarian to make sure there's no medical problem. If
you pet gets a clean bill of health and still sprays, do not punish
your pet. It is a natural behavior and cannot be "corrected".
The solution is to determine the cause of the spraying and remove
it.
Often
indoor cats will spray when they see a strange cat outside. This
is an aggressive, territorial response. In these cases, keep your
cat away from windows and doors. Try restricting the view by pulling
drapes or moving the furniture your pet uses as a perch away from
the window.
Cats
will also spray when they're feeling competitive with other pets.
You can try keeping your pets separated by placing them in different
rooms or even different floors of the house. Or, you can try to
promote their friendship.
You
can bring your pets closer if you play with them together. Try having
them chase pull toys or balls across the floor together. Another
bonding activity is petting. Try lavishing attention and affection
on them when they're together, instead of loving on them separately.
You
can strengthen the bond between two cats by encouraging mutual grooming.
One or twice a week, use a wet towel to "wipe down" all
your cats. After grooming themselves, they may begin grooming each
other. Offering one bed and encouraging them to sleep together is
another bond builder. Cats that are friends are less aggressive
with one another.
In
some rare cases, your pet will spray for no apparent reason. It
could be a reaction to stress or a response to change. Try keeping
your pet's routine stable. Once whatever was different has passed,
your pet will most likely return to his usual habits … those
that don't include urine marking of household items!
If
you cat has sprayed inside your home, there are several products
you can use to remove the odor. Check with your local Feeders Supply
store for the product that is right for your situation.
Spraying is an unattractive aspect of cat ownership. However, once you understand its causes and if you try thinking like a cat, there are things you can do to control the problem. |
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