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My unneutered male cat is marking. Will neutering stop this behavior?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Siamese | Male | unneutered

I have a unfixed male that is peeing outside of the litter box. Will getting him fixed help with this?

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Stephanie Echols, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 14th, 2017

Great question! It depends on why Sammy is urinating outside of the box. If it is for behavioral reasons, like marking, yes neutering him could help. If it is for behavioral reasons like stress, no. If he has a urinary tract infection, then neutering won't help. I recommend having a vet examine him first and rule out an infection. If that is normal, I would recommend neutering him for marking reasons. Lastly, I would recommend cleaning the urine with an odor neutralizer because even if you can't smell it, Sammy still can. Good luck and kisses to Sammy!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on December 13th, 2017
Intact males will mark their territory, and will always want to go outside all the time to roam and mate. Neutering will help cut down on the desires to roam, and can help with the urinating in the furniture. It may not remove it completely if he's been marking for a long time, but it is possible it can go away for good. When you take Felix to be neutered, be sure to use a cleaner to get the smell of the urine out of the furniture. You will need a special enzyme cleaner to get rid of it, and they should have products for that in a pet store. Good luck, I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on April 12th, 2018
If he isn't neutered the behavior could be marking behavior. Having him neutered may reduce the number of accidents and marking behavior in the house. Using an enzymatic cleaner to remove any urine can also help as it breaks down urine particles and may deter him from going there again.

If you are having trouble affording care, this site may help so that you can have Oliver examined, and treated if there is an underlying illness. Many clinics and shelters also offer low to no-cost neutering programs for low-income families that may be beneficial: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on August 5th, 2018
Neutering a cat can reduce making behavior, but it could also be a medical reason behind why Elsa is peeing outside the litter box such as feline idiopathic cystitis or bladder stones to name two causes. Have him seen by a vet to discuss getting him neutered, and the vet can also diagnose if he has one of those things I mentioned above. Best of luck, I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on March 13th, 2021
This is a frustrating issue and the number one cause for pets being rehomed. Neutering will help, but it likely will not be a cure all for this issue. First, have the little guy seen by your veterinarian to rule out urinary tract infection, inflammation or other medical issues that could be causing his frequent urinating or marking.
Next, clean the boxes daily and try different types, amounts and brands of litter. He may have a substrate preference. Restrict or prevent access to areas where he is urinating. Use an enzymatic cleaner, such as Nature's Miracle ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/natures-miracle-new-formula-just-for-cats-urine-destroyer-stain-and-residue-eliminator ), to thoroughly clean soiled areas.
Provide additional litterboxes if necessary. The rule of thumb is one box per cat plus an additional box in a "neutral" area. Try both covered and uncovered boxes.
Lastly, consider a pheromone product, such as Feliway spray of diffusers ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/feliway-classic-30-day-starter-kit-plug-in-diffuser-and-refill-for-cat ), to decrease any stress or anxiety in the home. Be sure to have enough to cover your entire house.

https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/inappropriate-urination/
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

Training & Behavior

Can neutering stop my cat from peeing on furniture and floors?

It certainly might. Urine marking is a normal and expected behavior for intact males, so neutering is one of the first things we recommend if your cat is doing this. The earlier it's done, the better - this is because the longer this behavior continues, the more it will become a habit that may not resolve after the neuter. It's important to realize that urine marking can also be related to stress or anxiety, so if this is the case, these issues would also need to be addressed in order to resolve the behavior.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Can neutering an older cat stop roaming, fighting, and marking?

Neutering will keep him from roaming as much although if he continues to go outside he may still fight with other cats. The urine marking in the house may stop but there is no guarantee as he is already older. If they are neutered young (like less than 6 months of age) then that behaviour is virtually non-existent. So, to answer your question......maybe some of the bad behaviours will stop but there is no guarantee. Regardless, it is better to have him neutered and I highly recommend it.

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.

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My adopted male cat marks. Should I neuter him or can he be trained?

Unfortunately it is extremely difficult if not impossible to train a male cat to ignore the natural instincts, such as urine marking, which make them difficult to keep indoor. Male cat urine has an extremely strong odor, and is quite unpleasant, and it's their natural tendency to "mark" areas that they consider to be theirs, which in your case will likely be all around the inside of your house. He will also be very interested in leaving your house to roam in search of females, and to fight other males that he considers to be a threat. Clearly, these are dangerous behaviors. While you may be concerned about the safety of neutering, since it requires general anesthesia, I can tell you that it is a well-understood procedure that is nearly painless, and takes no more than 5 minutes if performed by a trained veterinarian. Once DoReMi is neutered, he will no longer have the "urges" that drive the behaviors listed above, and will be quite content. I strongly advise you to have him neutered, and soon, as he's getting very close to starting to become sexually mature.

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Training & Behavior

My cat humps toys. Will neutering help stop this unwanted behavior?

Neutering may help this behavior. It can also decrease other male cat behavior such as urine spraying or marking. And if Simba is an indoor cat, urine of a neutered male cat does not smell nearly as strong as an intact male. In general neutered male cats tend to live longer healthier lives bc of less disease and injuries fighting.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My neutered cat still humps and pees outside the litter box. Why?

Well, it can take about 60 days for the hormones to leave his system after neutering, so some may still be hormonal. However, cat’s will often have inappropriate urination if they are stressed about other things or if they are painful or otherwise upset. If the marking doesn’t improve in the next month then I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon to discuss options. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Why is my 1-year-old tomcat marking territory outside his litter box?

If he is a tomcat, one of the best ways to control inappropriate urination is by having him neutered. Tomcats love to urinate all over everything as much as possible as a means of marking their territory. This sort of behavior usually ceases once the hormones are eliminated. Other things you can try is switching up the litter box or the type of litter, adding additional boxes, changing the amount of litter used, or any other variable thereof. Hope this helps.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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