Male spraying - help please!

[CatsMumRL]

Hi,

I had my male cat castrated 5 weeks ago, he had just turned 2 years old but had NEVER EVER sprayed in the house before.
Tonight I’ve just caught him doing it on the sofa!!
He’s done it in the garden before which is fine, it’s his.
I can’t have him doing this indoors especially considering he’s never done it before.
I’ve seen it could be due to something new or a new cat - nothing new but my other cat is 9 week’s pregnant tomorrow… is it possible he knows and is reacting to this?!
I immediately sprayed the area with an enzyme cleaner.
Thank you.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, Are you sure urine is actually coming out? My neutered boy Captain goes through the motions, and my angel Poppycat did as well (also neutered) but neither one produced anything.

 

[CatsMumRL]

Hi, Are you sure urine is actually coming out? My neutered boy Captain goes through the motions, and my angel Poppycat did as well (also neutered) but neither one produced anything.

Hi, yes it is. The sofa had a wet mark on it :-(

 

[Furballsmom]

oh, drat, I'm so sorry.
There might be a little information in this article and a quote I got from another that helps;
Spraying: When Your Cat Uses Urine To Mark Territory - TheCatSite


Yes, intact (un-neutered) male cats spray. They spray a lot. They spray a particularly odoriferous variant of cat urine. They spray whether other cats are around or not, whether they go outdoors or not. The behavior is driven by sex hormones and other sex-related chemicals. Breeders who keep "stud males" (intact toms used for breeding) almost always keep them housed in separate quarters, away from the human residence and the other cats.

Neutering male cats usually stops all or most spraying behavior, as well as other physical signs and behaviors that appear in sexually intact cats. Be aware that it may take a couple of weeks after the neutering for the hormone levels to decrease sufficiently so that the spraying is extinguished or curtailed.

In the meantime (before the procedure and for awhile afterwards), confine your boys to a separate, uncarpeted, easily-cleanable area, like a bathroom, laundry room, etc. Put in there everything they need (litter boxes, scratching post, toys, food water, etc.), and visit often to play and just talk so they don't think they're being ignored. Play a radio or CD player (talk radio or classical music is good) to keep them company.

Make sure the area they're in is non-carpeted, and includes nothing like upholstered furniture, mattresses, or anything else that would be difficult to thoroughly clean and deodorize. Washable throw rugs and bedding are fine, IF you keep them as clean and odor-free as possible.

Once they're ensconced in private digs, clean up ALL the areas in your house where they've sprayed. You can probably smell them, but don't count on it. Use a hand-held black light (like "Stink Finder") in dark rooms to find all the "marked" spots - they will glow yellowish-greenish in the dark. It's important to clean all of these THOROUGHLY with enzyme cleaner, or they will still be smellable to cats, and the message will be "It's OK to pee here." NOT what you want! If there is urine in carpets, be sure to clean the backing, padding and flooring underneath, too. (My latest book, "Outwitting Cats," has a large section on effective cat cleanups.)

While they're away being neutered, thoroughly clean up their quarters, using an enzyme-based or other odor-removing cleaner made specifically for dealing with cat urine odors. Be sure to get walls, fixtures, floors, etc. If you've included washable beds or old towels, you need to use a laundry additive to get the odor out. (Ordinary laundry detergents can't remove the odors completely.) I use "Febreeze Laundry Odor Eliminator" (it comes in a dark blue jug). After much experimentation, I found it to be the best at odor removal.

After the neutering, return them to their private quarters for at least a week and keep a close eye on them to see when/if the spraying diminishes or (with luck) goes away. Clean up all spraying as soon as possible with your enzyme cleaner. The idea is to keep all urine odors confined to the litter box, so as to not get your cats into bad habits.

If there is still some spraying after 2 weeks, talk to your veterinarian about possibly trying a short course of a behavior-modification medication to get them "over the hump" in eliminating the behavior, as it may have become a habit that persists even after the hormones are no longer there driving it.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I would get him checked out for any urinary issues just to be on the safe side, but also ask your vet about the idea of him spraying because of your other cat who is pregnant. It could be triggering a reaction in him, and perhaps the vet can prescribe a calming agent to see if that would help any - at least until the pregnancy is over. You may have to keep the cats separated for now, if nothing else.

If you can, keep track of his urine output to see if it may be diminishing in volume - another sign of a potential urinary issue. But I suspect that isn't going to be something you can do, as I am guessing he pees outdoors some/most of the time.

 

[CatsMumRL]

Hi all.
Thanks for this advice.
I spoke to the vet who told me to get a Feliway Optimum plug in which I did… today I found pee right by it!

I also found out he is going and spraying inside my neighbour’s home too - this is not acceptable.

What is the medication called please?

Kittens are now 3 weeks old and he’s met them; surely he would be over their arrival by now, and why spray in the neighbours home?!

I’ve had him since he was 3 weeks old himself (feral mum) and it would absolutely break my heart if I have to get rid of him but I cannot keep on with this behaviour.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Did you ever get him checked out for any urinary issues?
Aside from that, a cat that goes indoors/outdoors will typically take longer to adapt to new cats/kittens, as they are not in a consistent, controlled environment to help better monitor their behavior and their gradual exposure to the new pets. The kittens could be freaking him out just as much as the pregnant mom may have been! And, even if he doesn't have direct exposure to them - which he really should not at this point - he knows they are there.

It is way too soon to consider getting rid of him, especially if you plan on getting new homes for the mama and kittens, or elsewise look into a proper introduction plan if you are going to keep them.

There are a number of possible behavior-modification meds and most, if not all, will require a vet prescription. So, it might be best to let your vet know that the Feliway did nothing and ask about calming meds for him. If the vet agrees, I'd also ask about whether he should be kept indoors until such time his body has had time to adjust to any such med being given to him.

 

[KiminKy]

Hi,

I had my male cat castrated 5 weeks ago, he had just turned 2 years old but had NEVER EVER sprayed in the house before.
Tonight I’ve just caught him doing it on the sofa!!
He’s done it in the garden before which is fine, it’s his.
I can’t have him doing this indoors especially considering he’s never done it before.
I’ve seen it could be due to something new or a new cat - nothing new but my other cat is 9 week’s pregnant tomorrow… is it possible he knows and is reacting to this?!
I immediately sprayed the area with an enzyme cleaner.
Thank you.

Did you ever solve this issue? I’m looking for answers because of my cat spraying

 

[FeebysOwner]

Did you ever solve this issue? I’m looking for answers because of my cat spraying

The OP was last seen on this site in June, so they may not respond. Others can try to help, but a lot more details would be helpful.