INDOOR SPRAYING IN CATS
What is spraying?
Urine spraying is part of the cat's normal scent-marking behavioral repertoire
which also includes scratching, rubbing, chinning, bunting (depositing secretions
from head glands on twigs etc., and middening (leaving feces uncovered). Using
these scent markers cats can deter others from their range and cats which share
a hunting range can avoid one another without coming into direct conflict. Spraying
is also designed to help females in estrus ('in season' or 'on heat') to attract
males for breeding. When spraying the cat stands with its tail vertical (often
quivering at the tip) while it delivers a squirt of urine backwards onto a vertical
surface. This spray probably contains information about sex, age, hormonal state,
assertiveness and general health.
Why do cats spray?
Cats may spray when frustrated, upset or subject to competition or challenge
and spraying can be interpreted as the cat increasing its own sense of security
by surrounding itself with signals of its own occupancy in its territory. The
more anxious the individual, the more he or she will need familiar odors for
comfort.
Do only tom cats spray?
No, all cats, male or female, neutered or not, may spray, usually outside
where we may not see them. Unneutered toms and queens in estrus will spray more.
Why do cats spray indoors?
Most neutered pet cats feel sufficiently relaxed in their own home and do
not spray. They identify it by rubbing scent from their body and do not need
to mark by spraying, scratching or middening. The most common sites for indoor
spraying are near entrances to the house or room, curtains and new items brought
into the house, e.g., plastic bags, new furniture etc., although individuals
may have their own idiosyncratic targets such as washing machines, video players
or even certain people! As with most behavioral problems a little detective
work may be needed to get to the root of the behavior problem. While there may
be no 'quick fix' solution in some cases, helping to find and understand the
motivation for the behavior will help while you work towards a solution.
There can be many triggers for a cat marking indoors:-
1. The arrival of a new cat, dog or person in the family, or a bereavement.
2. Changes in the home area such as furniture or new carpets. Disruptions
such as building work.
3. Installation of a cat flap which can make the cat feel insecure indoors.
4. In rare cases, spraying can be a learned attention-getting behavior
Occasionally urine marking may be carried out from a squatting position usually
on the floor, but often on bedcovers or chairs. The cat may still use the litter
tray for eliminating larger volumes of urine. This often occurs when owners
leave their cat at home but in their neighbor's care when they go on holiday
and may be a form of associative marking - the cat feeling anxious because
it is alone, is relieved when it associates its smell with that of the owner
- usually in a spot where the owner's smell is concentrated such as on the bed
or armchair.
Can the problem be treated?
Cats marking indoors clearly require a clear and extensive approach to diagnosis
of cause(s) and careful development of treatment which will not unsettle them
even more! It is vital to discover under which situations the problems occur
as treatment often depends on defining any specific anxiety-inducing trigger(s)
for the behavior
It is useful to know the following:-
1. When did the problem first occur?
2. Which people or other animals are normally present in the house. What
are the attitudes of all the family towards the cat. What are they doing before,
during and after the problem occurs.
3. Are there any other behavior problems in the cat or its feline housemates
and is it receiving any medical treatment?
4. Where is the marking occurring? The layout of the house and even the
garden may be important. Are there rival cats outside?
5. What is the cat's daily routine? Does it have free access to outside?
Where does it eat and sleep, how much time is spent interacting with the owner
and what do they do together.
6. What methods have already been tried to solve the problem? How are
the marks cleaned?
The main aim of treatment is to reduce the perceived threat to the cat and
make it feel more secure in its home territory, thus reducing its levels of
arousal and curtailing the need to scent mark. Identifiable sources of stress
should be removed, e.g., by excluding local rival cats from entering the home
by blocking the cat flap or replacing it with a selective one. Carefully introduced
friendly routines of handling, feeding and playing will help provide reassurance,
providing such contact does not further alarm the cat at any stage. In many
cases there may be no single obvious threat and the cat's behavior may be the
result of the cumulative effect of several influences. If such sources of stress
cannot be removed or even fully identified the cat should be provided with a
safe haven of a small core territory of one room in the house to which it can
safely retreat or be placed to relax without fear of disturbance for regular
periods and where it should only feel the need to mark normally by rubbing and
bunting.
Often people simply become 'over-catted' - they enjoy their feline housemates
and because one extra takes up little more physical space and is no more effort
to feed, they will continue to collect more. This may be fine until a certain
mix of characters just doesn't gel and relations within the group become strained
and spraying begins. Careful introductions can help but sometimes certain individuals
simply cannot share a home without stress and it is better to rehouse one or
more. Although this may not be a popular decision, it may be the only option
if home hygiene is to be maintained as trying to manage the problems can be
very difficult with a number of cats and associated variables.
All forms of punishment should be discontinued (even if the cat is 'caught
in the act') as this is only likely to raise the cat's level of arousal and
anxiety. You may feel often angry and want to react if you catch the cat 'in
the act', however, stopping all punishment and threatening behavior is an essential
first step towards improvement.
Placing food (dry food is best) or a bed at the base of spraying sites is
often helpful at protecting those particular areas as cats are extremely reluctant
to spray their own key resources, although they may simply move to other areas
and mark there instead. Food and beds are also reassuring and may reduce anxiety.
Spraying can be triggered by the smell of previous marks so marked areas should
be thoroughly cleaned (not with ammonia-based products as ammonia is a constituent
of cat urine). A damp cloth should be used to remove any fresh urine marks and
while some commercially available 'urine digester' products remove the smell
(to the sensitivity of the human nose at least), no data has been published
on relative efficacies. An enzymatic or biological washing powder or liquid
may be just as effective at removing residues. Follow with agitation using a
light brush with a low grade alcohol (test the color fastness of material/carpets
first).
It is unlikely that spraying will be effectively resolved with drugs without
trying to ascertain the cause of the problem and without employing management
changes and behavior modifications. Some drugs are available but their use should
be based on sound understanding of the problem cat and the effects of the drug
on the feline physiology. Drugs should alter a cat's mood to enable it to learn
new forms of behavior and the drugs should then be withdrawn.
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