Tips to make your cat stop spraying
By SUE MANNING September 13, 2011 7:12PM
In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 15, 2011, Dr. Sophia Yin, executive board member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, is seen with Dante at her home in Davis, Calif. When Yin rescued Dante, she discovered he had spraying problems. Yin, who was able to cure Dante's spraying, said that if a cat has been altered and has no health problems, spraying is a sign of stress and it's up to you to figure out the cause. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
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Updated: November 4, 2011 6:29PM
Cats that spray are most likely communicating distress rather than misbehaving, so piling on more anxiety through punishment is counterproductive, veterinarians said.
“It’s like graffiti, scented graffiti,” said Dr. Sophia Yin, executive board member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.
The first line of defense against the odorous habit is to spay and neuter cats when they’re young. Assuming a cat has been altered and has no health problems, spraying is a sign of stress and it’s up to you to figure out the cause, Yin said.
“A cat will spray when its feeling threatened or thwarted. The thing is to try to get inside the cat’s head,” said Carolyn Waggoner, who just retired from the Yolo County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Persian and Himalayan Cat Rescue of Northern California.
Newborns, of the human variety, are especially tough on cats, said Waggoner, who has been counseling cat owners for decades. “The whole house is unsettled with the arrival of a newborn. There are different noises, different smells, different activity levels. Cats are creatures of habit. They like predictability and they don’t like change.”
The addition of another pet can have the same effect, she said.
“You want a friend for your cat but does your cat want a friend? Everything depends on the cat’s personality,” she said. “It would be like somebody choosing a roommate for you in a room you could never get out of.”
Cats most likely to spray are unsterilized males but about 10 percent of neutered animals also have spraying issues, Yin said. Female cats can spray as well, she said.
The first thing to try with a cat who is spraying should be cleaning the litter box. Cats don’t like citrus or mint, so clean with soap and water, Waggoner said.
After that, clean the box once every two to four weeks if you use clumping litter and more often if you are using clay, Yin said. Also make sure there are enough litter boxes in the house. There should be one box for every cat, plus an extra, she said.
AP
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