Why is my nervous cat still spraying after trying home remedies?

Hi there. Cases like this can be very challenging, because of the need to sort out how much of a role continued medical issues might be playing vs. behavioral issues like stress and anxiety. In general, urinary marking issues in cats are very treatable, but it's hard to give much more than basic advice (keep litter boxes clean, make sure they're in convenient locations, reduce stress in the household, etc.) without a more in-depth behavioral history and in-person evaluation. Because of this, I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate your kitty in person and help you put together a detailed plan to work on this issue. There's a good chance this can be dramatically improved with professional help. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org , or ask for a referral from your regular veterinarian.

So sorry that she is having this problem. If your vet has ruled out medical reasons and you have already tried pheromones, litter attractants, etc. then you could talk to your vet about trying an anti-anxiety medication, like Prozac, and see if that helps stop her from urinating inappropriately.

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.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Rabbit. Spraying can be due to a medical or behavioral problem. Good news is that both are treatable. Medical problems are usually due to cats developing Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease or Syndrome, also known as Feline Interstitial Cystitis. This has many causes including stress, infection, urinary crystals/stones which all lead to bladder inflammation among other changes including spraying. I would advise making an appointment with your veterinarian so they can examine him and perform some tests including a urinalysis to see if there are signs of a medical problem. Sometimes blood tests are required to make sure the kidneys and internal organs are functioning properly. Once a diagnosis is made there are various ways to treat this including drugs to treat the stress, infection (if any), and the inflammation. Sometimes a special diet is advised if crystals are present. Or even surgery if urinary stones are actually present depending on the type of stones and how big/how many there are. Behavioral problems are assumed if the medical tests come back normal. These problems can be addressed with some medications in the hopes of decreasing/stopping the urine spraying. One last thing, if it's medical and a lower urinary problem, male cats can block with this disease which can prevent them from urinating. If you notice no urine production, get him evaluated immediately. Good luck with Rabbit. I hope this resolves soon.

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.

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!

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.