My neutered male cat still sprays and shows sexual behavior. Why?

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.

No, there isn't. If you have multiple cats, keep a litterbox per cat plus an additional box in a "neutral" area of the house. Try litterbox attractants. You can find them in most pet stores or at www.pet360.com. Consider pheromone sprays or collars to decrease any stress or anxiety. If he can see out a window, draw the blinds to restrict his view. He could be seeing an outdoor cat that he perceives as a threat. Use a small animal repellent along the border of your property. Use an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature's Miracle to thoroughly clean sprayed areas.

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!

I'm sorry you're having this situation!  It increases the stress for everyone when inter-cat relationships are aggressive.   While uncommon in neutered males, sexual aggression is still possible. Here is an interesting article from Tufts university regarding this issue.     I haven't personally run into this in my practice, but I have heard of Boar Mate spray being recommended.  Sometimes anti-anxiety medication such as fluoxetine can also be helpful when given to the aggressive cat.   Talk to your veterinarian about specific recommendations for use. http://www.tuftscatnip.com/issues/22_1/feature/Understanding-Feline-Sexual-Aggression-222-1.html

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.

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.

If Max was doing this behavior behavior before getting neutered, he still may do it afterwards. Neutering can reduce the behavior, even eliminate it, but not in every case. It could also be he has a medical illness such as feline idiopathic cystitis or bladder stones. Have him seen by a vet for this.