Feline Spraying

[This was originally posted to the Fairmount Animal Hospital website on 3 November 2008.]


Dear Dr. Lee

I love my cats (I have 9 of them!), but one of them is spraying urine around my house, and it stinks! What can I do? I’d like to try to keep them all indoor-only, especially since I live by a busy road.

Stinky in Solvay


Dear Stinky,

Feline urine spraying is a normal behavior in both male and female cats, yet is is quite undesirable when humans share a residence with their cats. Spraying is used as a way to mark territory. The main offenders tend to be intact male cats, so if your male cat has not been neutered yet, consider doing so as soon as possible.

Be certain that the problem is spraying versus housesoiling (not using the litter box). Spraying tends to be on vertical surfaces and involves a small amount of urine. If you are not sure, consult with your veterinarian, who may want to start with a medical workup of the problem. If a medical problem has been ruled out, consider what might be the primary cause of the spraying.

Feral cats can have surprisingly large territories. If you have multiple cats in your house, it may be that your spraying cat may be vying for more territory versus your other cats. Increased density of cats in the house can also increase stress amongst the cats, and the chance of one or more spraying in response goes up.

If you have stray cats that roam close to your house, and your cat can see them, spraying near windows and doors can occur as a “warning” to the strange cats that this territory is already occupied. Blocking access to windows can help with this. Also discourage stray cats from entering your property; do not feed them, and consider the use of aversives (www.cat-repellant.info).

Treat all the urine-sprayed surfaces with an enzymatic cleaner to remove the odor. Consider the use of Feliway (also marketed as Comfort Zone for cats), which is a synthetic feline facial pheromone analogue. Feliway can help to reduce overall stress in your cats, and is available in a pump spray and as an electronic plug-in diffuser. Do not mix the enzymatic cleaner with the Feliway because the enzymes will degrade the Feliway, too.

Consider reducing the number of cats in your household, or at least vow not to add any more. A behaviorist may be able to identify other sources of stress experienced by your cats, and suggest behavior modification exercises that can help to alleviate it.

Also consider use of anti-anxiety medication to help reduce your cat’s stress. Examples include amitriptylene, busprione, clomipramine and fluoxetine. None of these medications are labeled for use in cats, and use of one or more of them would be off-label, but I have found them to be effective. Your veterinarian may want to do baseline bloodwork before starting the medication and monitoring bloodwork while your cat is on the medication to ensure his continuing health.

Sincerely,
Dr. Lee