Spraying problems can be solved!

From the Wisconsin Cat Club

Spraying behaviors are not difficult to solve once the reason for the behavior has been identified, the stressful stimulus addressed or, if possible, removed and the soiled areas treated. Dr. Wayne Hunthausen, director of Animal Behavior Consultations, offers some helpful advice in his article, "Feline Housesoiling: A Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment."

The causes of urine spraying

Too many cats in the home, tension among the resident pets, or visiting cats can all trigger spraying behavior. Environmental stress, such as moving into a new home, may also lead to a spraying problem. Anxiety caused by changes in work schedules, absences from home, spending less time with the pet, or inappropriate punishment may also cause a cat to spray in the home. When gathering info about the problem, close attention should be given to anything that might elicit a territorial response or make the pet anxious. Sometimes the stimuli for spraying are obvious. Other times, the provocation might not be as apparent, such as when the scent of another cat is brought into the home on a visitor's clothing.

Conditions that might cause a cat to spray urine:

• Cats visiting in the yard
  
• New pet or new family member
  
• Problems with a member of the household
  
• Problems with another pet
  
• Moving or remodeling
  
• Visitors
  

Treatment

Treatment for controlling marking problems involves reducing the cat's exposure to stimuli that trigger marking and altering the cat's response. The cat's opportunity to see outdoor cats should be curtailed by closing drapes, modifying window sills and moving furniture away from windows where the pet perches.

All evidence of urine odor should be cleaned from around doors and windows, indoors and out. If tension between cats in the household is contributing to the problem, that issue should be addressed or the pets should be confined to separate areas in the home. In households with a large number of cats, the problem may not stop unless the number of cats is reduced.

To prevent spraying problems from starting in the first place, all cats in the household should be spayed or neutered before the age of 6 months. After spraying has begun, castration is still effective in stopping this behavior in 90% of male cats and 95% of female cats, regardless of age or experience.

A new approach to the treatment of spraying problems is the use of Feliway, an environmental spray that consists of a synthetic chemical that mimics the scent found in the gland near the lips of cats (the facial pheromones). It is available through veterinary clinics and sells for about $35 to $40 a bottle. Feliway is sprayed directly on spots that have been previously sprayed by the cat and washed with water. (If the spot is on upholstery, it will have to be cleaned with a strong enzymatic cleaner and a piece of fabric sprayed with Feliway can be placed on top of it). When the cat returns to the area to freshen up his mark, he sniffs the Feliway and gets the message that this spot has already been marked facially. When the directions for the use of this product have been carefully followed, it has proven to be very effective in reducing and eliminating the motivation for spraying.

If all else fails ... a drug that has also been recently introduced for use in cats, Buspirone, has been used with success in spraying cases involving territorial stress due to competition between cats in the home. Discuss this option with your veterinarian.