jpklehm Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Spraying, that is? We got this cat (a male) a year and a half ago and we all love him but he's found a space in the finished basement and he won't stop. I can't take it...in fact, I hate it. If you ever had experience getting a cat to stop (or not), please let me know. I'm close to returning him to the Humane Society... :sad: Sadly, Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula in PA Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 One question. Has he been neutered? If not, get it done and that should stop the spraying. It he has been, maybe take him to the vet for a check-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpklehm Posted July 23, 2010 Author Share Posted July 23, 2010 Yes, he has been. I intend on calling our vet tomorrow morning. Thanks for the suggestions. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 All of my cats are spayed or neutered, and yet three of them (2 *females* and 1 male) had 2 places they apparently took turns spraying.:glare: I never found a way to deter them from it. And they almost didn't move with me to Texas. For some reason, when we moved here, they stopped sparying. And it's a good thing, 'cuz boy howdy, I'd have been looking for a no-kill shelter to send them off to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charmama4 Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 One question. Has he been neutered? If not, get it done and that should stop the spraying. It he has been, maybe take him to the vet for a check-up. We just surrendered out 4 yo male cat (not altered) a few months ago for not only the spraying but for the attacking (multiply times) our dd. The person that helped us at the humane society also suggested that we should have him altered but when I asked if that was going to be a guarantee that a: the cat will stop the attacks and b: the cat will stop the spraying I would. She explained that he was probably attacking my dd out of frustration (sexual) and he only would spray her room too. She said there was no guarantee so we had to leave the cat. I hope the cat found a good home that doesn't have young dc's and they were able to get it altered. Good luck to you and your cat. I know what it feels like to have to make that decision. Hopefully your vet will have another option for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 One question. Has he been neutered? If not, get it done and that should stop the spraying. It he has been, maybe take him to the vet for a check-up. Neutering does NOT guarantee that a cat will stop spraying. Ask me how I know this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 One of our males started urinating in a corner of our tiled kitchen and it turned out that he had a urinary obstruction. Males are prone to crystals in their urine especially if they are on a dry food diet. If the vet rules out urinary issues, what you'll need to do is super clean and completely eliminate any odors from all the places he has sprayed and ban him from those areas for awhile until the habit is broken and the scent is fully removed. There are good biological products that act on the bacteria that makes the urine smell. Make sure you limit his area and that he has a litter box that is cleaned every time he goes. Spraying has a lot to do with territory or stress so you might check out the Feliway products. We use them and I think it does calm the fur-babies down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertDweller Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 How old is he? How old was he when he was neutered? Is there a possibility that another cat peed in that corner at some point? If he's not an older cat with bad habits, I'm guessing it's because there is something in that corner that he is smelling. I would keep him out of the basement, if possible. Or, buy some of the stuff that is supposed to keep cats away from certain areas. You could even try a heavy dose of pepper around the area. We have a male cat that sprayed our dirty clothes whenever they were left on the floor. Not always, but sometimes. He's three now and doesn't do it anymore. But, it did take awhile for him to outgrow the bad behaviour. He's a very affectionate cat, and I think he did it because the clothes smelled like us. As someone else suggested, a trip to the vet to rule out any health issues may also be a good idea. I hope you find something that works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Multiple litter boxes - the key at least two if you have one cat. They have to be kept meticulously clean - at least every day. My poor cat had a UTI - we didn't figure it out for a long time. He went on meds, got over it - but it still took a while to break him of the habit. Definitely put a litter box where he is spraying, and anywhere else you think he likes to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpklehm Posted July 23, 2010 Author Share Posted July 23, 2010 Have you tried putting a litter box in that spot? Spraying the leading cause of cats being surrendered to shelters. You could even try a couple of litter boxes with different types of litter to entice him. I thought about this today because the spot he's spraying is within two feet of his box's current location. I just don't want him to find another place to spray... Also, it's not the only place he's urinated. We had to throw away a handmade rug from my husband's childhood as well as a cat bed because he's urinated on them. I am very particular about our floors and carpeting, so this is really making me both upset and sad... To make matters worse, my ds/12 is very attached! This could become a very tough situation. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 I've never had a neutered male spray. I don't think they will do this unless they're pretty old before they get neutered.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpklehm Posted July 23, 2010 Author Share Posted July 23, 2010 How old is he? How old was he when he was neutered? Is there a possibility that another cat peed in that corner at some point? If he's not an older cat with bad habits, I'm guessing it's because there is something in that corner that he is smelling. I would keep him out of the basement, if possible. Or, buy some of the stuff that is supposed to keep cats away from certain areas. You could even try a heavy dose of pepper around the area. He's a very affectionate cat, and I think he did it because the clothes smelled like us. As someone else suggested, a trip to the vet to rule out any health issues may also be a good idea. I hope you find something that works! No, we haven't had a cat (or other pet) since having the basement finished, so he didn't smell another cat. He was about a year old, and he was neutered, right before we got him. We do clean his box every day but we'll move it and see if that helps. I also will take him in to the vet tomorrow. Hmmm, pepper is an interesting idea. I have purchased a spray that was recommended at PetSmart to get rid of smells. I'll try just about anything at this point. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 a) You MUST clean that area with an enzymatic cleaner. You may need repeat treatments. Buy it at the pet supply store. There's Petastic Cat formula which is highly recommended by the cat rescues here, or Nature's Miracle. Buy it in the gallon jugs. The enzyme needs time to work so follow the instructions carefully. b) make an appointment with the vet & check him for urine crystals & run blood tests to rule out diabetes/kidney problems etc. These medical problems are often caused by feeding dry kibble foods. c) buy more litterboxes & put them in the areas he's been going... ETA DO NOT MOVE his existing box. GET NEW ONES! d) buy Feliway - a pheromone diffuser which calms cats e) consider if anything is stressing the cat. Is this new behavior or has it been going on for some time? If it's new, what changed at that time? Here is a series of articles about litter boxes & inappropriate elimination. http://www.catinfo.org/?link=litterbox Know that if you surrender him to the shelter, he has very little chance of being adopted out. Healthy non spraying cats rarely make it out of shelters alive. A sprayer has the odds against him. :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpklehm Posted July 24, 2010 Author Share Posted July 24, 2010 a)Know that if you surrender him to the shelter, he has very little chance of being adopted out. Healthy non spraying cats rarely make it out of shelters alive. A sprayer has the odds against him. :-( Believe me, I understand this and it's the last thing I want. Cinnamon is a beautiful, loving cat and if there is anything that I can do to keep him, I will. I just can't have the dirtiness and smell that comes with this type of behavior. I will try your suggestions. Wish us luck! :) Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 (edited) Good luck! Edited July 24, 2010 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 If it's really badly soaked, it may have soaked through to the subfloor. If so, all the cleaning of the carpet won't completely help rid the odor. If you need to tear out the carpet, clean the subfloor really well with the enzymatic cleaner, then paint the floor with something like Kilz before reflooring. We had to do this in a different house with a different cat. The problem with her is that I had changed her litter from the clumping kind to a paper pellet kind and she didn't like it. But by the time I figured out the problem, it was too late. Oh, and after we refloored, we put large loosely wadded chunks of aluminum foil everywhere she had previously gone to deter her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 Try puppy pads! If it wont go in a litter box there maybe it will go on puppy pads! Natures Miracle has a natural enzyme based odor killer that works AMAZING also, FYI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 Believe me, I understand this and it's the last thing I want. Cinnamon is a beautiful, loving cat and if there is anything that I can do to keep him, I will. I just can't have the dirtiness and smell that comes with this type of behavior. I will try your suggestions. Wish us luck! :) Pam See, here's the thing: if you can't fix this & if you give it absolutely your all, I think the kindest thing to do is to euthenize. In your arms. Safe & secure with people he knows. Putting a cat in a shelter from which he has no chance of coming out, being stressed by the crowded surroundings & eventually facing death in some way or another in those circumstances is not something I'd wish on any animal. I think if you remove the 'someone else will take care of it' option out of the equation - because it really does not exist & it's just fooling ourselves to think it does, esp for a cat with spraying issues - things become clearer. I really do wish you & Cinnamon all the luck in the world. No living creature should die because of pee & poop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 I've never had a neutered male spray. I don't think they will do this unless they're pretty old before they get neutered.... Our guy was quite young when he was neutered, but doggonit, he sprayed. Not right away, but after we'd had him a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 I was posting as you wrote this. Sounds like I'm going down the same path you did. Did the foil work? That's what we're trying next. It did - for a few months, anyway. Apparently she was the tempermental type and anything new threw her off. A few months after we went through all that, the twins were born and she absolutely hated them. When she wasn't stalking them, she was hiding under our bed...peeing. So, we ended up finding a good home for her with a lady dh worked with at the time. I think she's still with her - the lady adored her and never had a problem with her not using her litterbox! :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 I was talking to my dear friend in CA about this last night. She was amazed we were able to get our male cat to stop. Anyway - she had a female doing this for many years, and it just got worse and worse. They didn't want to take her to a shelter (because no one else wants a cat that pees either), but decided to make her excliusively at outdoor cat. It was a rough two week transition - but she's doing fine now. They made her a perch up near the roof - it is enclosed so she can go there when she wants to hide or stay warm. You may want to consider this.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 (edited) How old is he? How old was he when he was neutered? Is there a possibility that another cat peed in that corner at some point? If he's not an older cat with bad habits, I'm guessing it's because there is something in that corner that he is smelling. I would keep him out of the basement, if possible. Or, buy some of the stuff that is supposed to keep cats away from certain areas. You could even try a heavy dose of pepper around the area. As someone else suggested, a trip to the vet to rule out any health issues may also be a good idea. I hope you find something that works! Yes I'm guessing that another cat had been there before too, or some other reason he's drawn there. A strong solution of vinegar and water could help as a deterrent too. Just found this site. It has some awesome suggestions! http://www.ehow.com/how_5029974_stop-neutered-cat-spraying.html Edited July 24, 2010 by Teachin'Mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.