Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

Why is my 9-month-old male cat spraying before he's neutered?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | unneutered | 4 lbs

My cat is 9 months old, male. Recently i found him urinating on horizontal surfaces like plastics, and there was a pool of it. I thought maybe it is my fault because he is very particular about his litter. Then again today he was being very vocal, jumped on my vanity and sprayed on my stuff (little). i also caught him trying to urinate on plastic bagagain. His second vaccination will be on 17 dec, and for spaying 2 weeks after second vaccination. Should i keep him isolated until he is spayed?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 4th, 2017

Intact male cats often spray in the home due to elevated testosterone. Instead of isolating him, which will only make him more anxious and likely to spray more, I would suggest getting him on anti-anxiety medication through your vet. Fluoxetine can work well for cats that spray in the home and can be used up 1-2 months after his neuter, which is the typical time it takes for all the testosterone to diminish in the body. You can also consider moving him neuter surgery to an earlier date. I hope this helps and best of luck getting Mochi to stop spraying in the home. Take care.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on January 24th, 2019
I'm sorry to hear that your pet is spraying. Unfortunately intact male cats will almost always spray in the home b/c they are marking their territory due to the high testosterone levels in their bloodstream. You will need to get him neutered to stop this behavior. You can ask your vet for some medication (i.e. Prozac) to give him until you can get him scheduled to get fixed. This worked almost instantly for my own cat! : ) This mediation works in many cases to stop the spraying, but for a long term fix he will need to get neutered.
Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best of luck with Jack moving forward! Take care.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Training & Behavior

How can I stop my 8-month-old male cat from spraying in the house?

If Tango is not neutered, this needs to be done. Males who are not neutered spray to mark territory and neutering them tends to stop the behavior. Some neutered males do still spray and this can be related to infections in the bladder or stress. Veterinarians will examine the urine of these cats to look for infection and provide correct treatment. There is treatment available for infections and stress but you have to determine which one is the cause. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Will neutering stop my unneutered cat from spraying and going outside?

It's likely that getting him neutered would help - "spraying" or urinating on objects in the house and wanting to roam outside are both very normal behaviors for intact males, so this is definitely the first thing I would suggest. These two things are the main reasons that almost all indoor male cats in the US are neutered :) Since he's almost two years old, there is a chance that neutering may not resolve these issues completely - behaviors like this can become a learned habit if they go on for long enough, so I would recommend having the neuter done as soon as possible.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My 7-month-old male cats are spraying. Should I get them neutered?

This is a normal territory marking behavior and may be triggered by new cats in the area, changes in the routine or layout of furniture and puberty. It does reduce in many cats as they become used to a routine, territory and neighborhood cats (even in indoor cats they are influenced by scents from outside). Neutering would likely help to reduce the behavior

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My neutered cat sprays when guests are over. Is it anxiety or stress?

Yes, you are correct that this behavior is likely related to the stress of having guests in the house. There are a few things you can do to get Myloe to stop this behavior. You can get Feliway, which is a pheromone diffuser that helps cats with anxiety. There are calming collars you can have him wear that will also help with anxiety via pheromones. Finally, you can take Myloe into the vet. The vet may prescribe him anti-anxiety medication you can give him before guests come over to calm him down and prevent the spraying.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My male cat sprays. Will neutering stop spraying if it's learned?

Although it is possible that having Meeser neutered will not completely eradicate this behavior I still think it is worth going forward with the surgery. It is a very brief surgical procedure in cats and they usually recover very quickly. It may take awhile before the testosterone is completely gone, but there may be an improvement in the spraying behavior. I would actually recommend having both cats neutered if you are not planning to breed them as the other cat could start with this behavior at any time.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why is my neutered cat spraying and humping? Is he really neutered?

Male cats that are neutered after they reach sexual maturity are more likely to continue to exhibit behaviors that were caused by testosterone even after they are neutered. These behaviors can include urine marking and humping types of behaviors. That is one of the reasons that we recommend neutering before sexual maturity. If the shelter neutered him before you adopted him, then I would not doubt that he is neutered, but you certainly can have your veterinarian examine him just to be on the safe side. Cats that have testosterone in their system will have physical characteristics that your veterinarian will be able to determine on exam. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Why is my unneutered male cat spraying after a fight with another cat?

This can happen from stress, and also because Onyx isn't neutered, he may be doing this to show the home is his territory. I'd definitely have him neutered, and use a Feliway diffuser in the home to see if that helps settle him. Cleaning up the marking areas is tough, but I recommend using Skout's Honor cleaning products to get rid of the smell. I've found them to be effective. You can get them online or at a pet store. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share