My cat sprays in my house
4 Tips to Help Stop Cats Spraying
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Clean all areas where your cat has urinated
- Use warm water and soap or an alcohol based product
- Allow to dry
- Do not use bleach. Ammonia-based or bleach cleaners encourage cats to spray here again
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Use FELIWAY Optimum to stop your cat urine spraying
- FELIWAY Optimum is scientifically proven to help reduce urine spraying
- Improvement can be seen within the first 7 days
- It is recommended to use continuously for at least 1 month
- Learn Why your cat is urinating in the house
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Follow the litter tray “golden rules”
- One litter tray per cat, plus one extra
- Place in easily accessible areas of the home, away from food and water bowls
- Keep clean by scooping at least once daily, and thoroughly clean the litter tray once a week
- Read our top tips Why do cats spray?
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Check your cats health
- In some cases, medical conditions can cause cats to urine spray
- Check with your vet if signs continue
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TESTIMONIALS
Find out how FELIWAY helped these cats to stop spraying in the house:
WHY DO CATS SPRAY?
All cats, male or female, neutered or not, will mark out their territory with urine spraying. Normally this is rare and discrete. However, sometimes urine spraying becomes visible and upsetting, especially when cats spray on their parent's bed or sofa.
When this happens, it is an indication that the cat is not fully content. Above all, do not punish your cat if you discover your cat urine spraying, as this can add to their concern and make the problem worse.
Urine spraying can be a reaction to recent changes at home or conflict with other cats like:
- New home, new furniture or renovations
- New cat or kitten, new dog
- New family member or baby
- Competition for access to food and water bowls
- Competition for access to the litter tray
It can also be linked to a medical issue. So if your cat starts peeing outside the litter tray, please consult your vet. Older cats should have regular vet checks every 6 months.
HOW DO I STOP MY CAT FROM SPRAYING?
There are many things that can cause a cat to choose to urinate all over your home, rather than in the litter box.
For example, your cat may feel the need to mark their territory, or signal their presence to other cats. Other reasons such as access to resources, the location of the litter tray or its content and cleanliness are all reasons why your cat may choose to use locations other than the litter tray to pee in.
To prevent the situation from continuing, the cause must be addressed. Read more from our cat experts to stop a cat peeing everywhere.
Use FELIWAY Optimum which is scientifically proven to help reduce unwanted urine spraying. It will help your cat feel calm and comfortable, reducing spraying indoors.
Use FELIWAY Optimum continuously to prevent spraying reocurring, especially if your cat is emotionally sensitive to any changes at home.
HOW CAN I GET RID OF THE CAT URINE SMELL?
It can be difficult to get rid of a cat urine smell. If your cat has recently targetted your sofa, bed or furniture with urine spraying, the situation can quickly become unpleassant.
To stop the smell from persisting, and to avoid your cat spraying in the same places, start by removing anything that attracts them. This can be done by carefully cleaning up urine traces, to remove odour and visual marks. Read our article on how to get rid of a cat spraying smell with 6 tips.
MY CAT IS URINATING OUTSIDE THE LITTER TRAY!
When your cat, that normally uses a litter tray starts to toilet elsehwere, it's not pleasant for us and it is usually not pleasant for them either.
It is important to rule out any health problems first of all. Next, you need to be able to differentiate between urine marking, which is symbolised by small spurts of urine all over the house, and other reasons for not using the litter tray, such as a poorly maintained litter tray, one that is too small, or has a litter substrate that your cat does not like. The litter tray may also be in a position that is not ideal for your cat.
Your cat may find an alternative place that they feel confortable to pee in, such as your bed, or may be indicating that they are not coping with a stressful situation. Read our article A cat's point of view: Why I pee on my human's bed to find out why your cat may urinate in other places than the litter tray.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - CAT PEEING / SPRAYING / URINE MARKING
WHY DO CATS PEE OUTSIDE THE LITTER BOX?
All cats, male or female, neutered or not, will mark out their territory with urine spraying. Normally this is rare and discrete. But when this natural behaviour
happens in your house, it can be very frustrating. When this happens, it is due to fear and anxiety. It can be a reaction to:
Recent changes at home:
New home, new furniture,
New cat or kitten,
New pet, new dog
New family member, baby...
Conflict with other cats:
Competition for access to the litter box.
It can also be caused by a medical issue. If your cat starts peeing outside the litter box, please consult your vet. Especially older cats, who are at risk of more medical issues.
Using FELIWAY Optimum Diffuser continuously may help stop and
prevent spraying, especially if your cat seems emotional and sensitive to any change at home.
HOW TO GET RID OF CAT PEE SMELL
It can be difficult to get rid of cat urine smell. If your cat has recently targeted your sofa, bed, or furniture with urine spraying, the situation can quickly become unpleasant. To stop the smell from persisting, and avoid your cat spraying in the same places, start by removing anything that attracts them. This can be done by carefully cleaning up urine traces, to remove odor and visual marks. To prevent the situation from continuing read our article on how to get rid of a cat spraying smell with 6 different tips.
CAT PEEING vs. CAT SPRAYING
There are many things that can cause a cat to choose to pee
all over your home, rather than in the litterbox.
In fact, there are two types of cat soiling issues:
1. Cat spraying on walls, doors and furniture (vertical spraying) - learn more from this blog
2. Cat peeing outside the litter box, on floors, beds,
clothes (horizontal peeing)
HOW CAN I STOP MY CAT FROM SPRAYING?
While spraying is a natural behaviour for cats, there are
steps we can take to minimize this behaviour and help prevent your cat from feeling as though they need to mark their territory. First, identify and address any factors that may be causing your cat to feel insecure in certain areas. For example, this could be conflict with other pets, changes in the
household, or outdoor cats near your home. It may be helpful to keep a record of when and where your cat is spraying to see if there is a pattern that can help you identify the cause. Next, aim to provide a stable environment with regular playtime, attention, and enough resources, including litter boxes and spots to eat and drink. The general rule for resources it to have one more than the number of cats in your home.
FELIWAY® Optimum can also help calm your cat and reduce the urge to mark territory. If your cat’s spraying behaviour continues, consult a vet or a feline behaviourist for further support.
DO NEUTERED CATS SPRAY?
Yes, neutered cats can still spray. Neutering will reduce spraying behavior related to sharing reproductive information with other cats, but both neutered males and spayed females may also spray for other reasons. For example, this can include stress and anxiety. If a cat is spraying, it’s important to look for underlying issues. FELIWAY® Optimum can be an effective solution for providing social and environmental support and for enhancing your cat’s serenity, helping them to feel more comfortable and secure in the home.
WHAT DOES CAT SPRAY LOOK AND SMELL LIKE?
Cat spray can be quite hard to spot as cats tend to only spray a very small amount. It is essentially a concentrated amount of urine (with a complex pheromone added in), so you’re far more likely to be aware of the smell than you are of its appearance.
Rather than identifying what the spray looks like, it can be more helpful to recognize your cat’s behaviour when they’re spraying. Cats will often sniff an area first, then back up to it with their tail erect and quivering before spraying a small amount of urine on the surface. Their back legs may also ‘tread’ as this happens.
HOW LONG DOES CAT SPRAY SMELL LAST?
If not properly cleaned, the smell of cat spray can last for weeks or even months. Warm, soapy water will generally be enough to remove the smell, but it’s important to make sure you’ve cleaned it all. Carpet and floorboards can be tricky if it’s able to soak in or get into any gaps.
Likewise, if your cat sprays on any curtains with a delicate fabric, it may be a good idea to seek professional cleaning advice!
DOES FELIWAY® STOP CATS FROM SPRAYING?
FELIWAY® Optimum has been shown to help 9/10 cats reduce their cat spraying behaviour by releasing “serenity messages”. These promote a sense of security and well-being in the environment, making cats less likely to spray as a territorial or stress-related behaviour.