Spraying and urinating indoors
Most cats are very particular about their toilet habits and
will consistently use a litter tray indoors or soil in the
garden. If she is spraying and urinating in
the corner of the room it can therefore be very worrying.
Spraying or urinating? Cats use urine as a
scent signal or 'mark' for themselves and other cats. The
motivation for the deposition of urine for scent marking is
very different to that of urination to relieve a full bladder.
It is therefore important to establish whether the cat is
spraying or urinating since the potential solutions will vary.
To urinate, the cat squats and deposits a volume of urine on a
horizontal surface. The cat may then scratch at the area around
the urine although this is not always the case. Common sites
for inappropriate urination include carpet, settees, duvets,
baths or sinks. To spray urine, the cat stands up, usually
making a treading motion with its back feet, quivers its tail
and a small amount of urine is sprayed backwards onto a
vertical surface such as a wall, leaving an obvious scent mark.
Common sites for spraying include doors, windows, around cat
flaps, curtains, electrical equipment and shopping or rubbish
bags. Once it has been ascertained which of the two the cat is
doing it is necessary to take action to resolve the behaviour.
Cleaning Whether a genuine accident or not,
once the cat has urinated or defecated at a particular location
its sensitive nose will encourage it to use that place as a
regular toilet. The best way to break the habit is to keep the
cat away from the area as long as possible, remove any smell
that the cat can detect and change the geography of the
location by using pieces of furniture to block access. Wash the
area with a 10% solution of biological or enzymatic washing
powder and then rinse with cold water and allow to dry. Spray
the area (using a plant mister) with surgical spirit, scrub and
leave to dry. You may want to try a small area first on
delicate fabrics. Petfresh (Urine-off) Urine Stain and Odour
Remover is a particularly effective product to remove residual
odours; this can be purchased from your local veterinary
surgery. Carpet is extremely absorbent and the urine often
penetrates the full thickness of the carpet to the flooring
underneath. If the area is badly soiled over a long period it
may be necessary to cut out the section of carpet and underlay
and treat the concrete or floorboards underneath before
replacing. Medical problems A cat that has
started to urinate inappropriately in the house should be taken
to the vet for a check up. Cystitis may cause the cat to strain
and pass small amounts of urine frequently. A form of urinary
tract disease that is stress-related is less obvious in its
presentation but one common symptom is urinating outside the
litter tray. Any urinary tract infection or irritation can make
the cat urinate when standing rather than attempting to go
outside or to the litter tray. Urination in this way can
sometimes be confused with spraying. Cats often benefit from
increased fluid intake if they suffer from recurrent cystitis.
This may require your cat to change from a dry diet to a wet
one but your veterinary surgeon should be consulted regarding
any dietary management. Why does my cat spray
indoors? All cats, male or female, entire or neutered
can spray. Usually this occurs outdoors as a part of the scent
communication system. They also leave scent signals by rubbing,
scratching and bunting (rubbing the glands around the mouth
onto twigs or other objects). The cat leaves a scent not just
to let other cats know it is there but to 'furnish' its area
with its own familiar smell, for confidence. In the un-neutered
cat, the urine not only signals the cat's presence but its
status. Females in season have high levels of oestrogen in
their urine to attract toms. Most pet cats are neutered and do
not spray indoors, probably because they do not feel they need
to. Spraying indoors is a sign that the cat is feeling stressed
and needs to make itself feel more secure, surrounding itself
by its own scent. As indoor spraying indicates that the cat
feels threatened by something. The most common cause is the
presence of other cats, either within the house or in the
neighbourhood. However a new baby or person in the household,
building work, redecoration or a change of routine can herald
the start of indoor spraying if the cat is already slightly
anxious. Threats from neighbouring cats Cats
often spray around a cat flap or doors to signal their presence
to invading cats. If your cat has been unsettled by another cat
entering the house, block up the cat flap and let the cat in
and out yourself. Fitting a cat flap that has a select entry
magnetic or electronic system (using a device attached to your
cat's collar) may prevent further invasions if blocking the
flap permanently is not an option. Chase other cats out of the
garden to give your cat support outside. Once the cat feels
that indoors is safe there will be less need to mark it.
Decorating and building work A nervous cat or
one that is kept entirely indoors may be threatened by changes
to its environment. Redecorating or replacing furniture
effectively removes all the cat's subtle markings which have
been carefully placed by rubbing and scratching. To reduce
their impact, keep the cat away from the rooms until the smells
are not quite so strong and have mingled with the familiar
scents around the house. You can help speed up this process by
spreading some of the cat's scent yourself. Take a soft cotton
cloth and rub it gently around the cat's face (where scent
glands are present which produce the cat's individual scent).
The secretion collected contains pheromones that provide a
message of familiarity and security directly to the cat's
brain. Rub the cloth against furniture or walls at cat height
where the problem is occurring and repeat this several times a
day. The cat may be less likely to spray if it is aware that
its own scent is there already. Your veterinary surgeon can
also supply a product which contains synthetic pheromones
(Feliway, Ceva Animal Health) which act in the same way. If you
are changing your sofa, for example, it often helps to plan
ahead and use a fabric throw for a few weeks beforehand which
can be draped over the new piece of furniture to make it smell
more familiar and acceptable. Help your cat feel
secure Even when the cause of spraying is not obvious
there are ways in which you can make your cat feel more secure.
For example, limiting the area the cat has to patrol to one or
two rooms may help improve feelings of security and reduce the
desire to mark When a cat is simply too stressed for the
situation ever to be resolved it is worth considering re-homing
the threatened cat (or the aggressor) to a place with no other
cats. Without the pressure of having to cope with other cats
the threatened cat is unlikely to spray and this way you can
guarantee your cat will be happier. Even an aggressive cat is
often stressed in a multi-cat environment and may benefit from
a home as a singleton. Specialist help
Spraying and urinating can be cured in many cats using the
techniques outlined here. In some cases the problem can be more
persistent and it is advisable to discuss it with your
veterinary surgeon rather than leave it to resolve on its own.
Ref: Feline Advisory Board - www.fabcats.org