Spraying (or urine marking) is very different to regular urination.
It is a form of communication, between adult cats. It allows communication from a distance.
If a cat starts to spray urine indoors this indicates that it doesn’t feel secure and that something is causing it to become stressed.
He may sniff the area intensely and show a flehmen response beforehand but he will not try cover it afterwards.
He will not squat, he will stand upright, often backing into the vertical surface and spray with its tail erect and quivering and raises its hindquarters (often with a characteristic tail quiver or shake, he may also yowl).
Small volumes (2mls) are sprayed on vertical surfaces at the height that other cast can smell it. This ill then drip onto at the horizontal surface.
He may spray horizontal locations if he deems them socially significant locations to spray including the edge of the territory or the owners dirty clothes on the floor.
At other times he may use go back to using the tray as normal.
This behaviour is generally is the result of anxiety or stress, it may be an attempt to claim territory. It can occur when the cat feels his territory is under threat.
Changing the litter box is unlikely to help. Dealing with the underlying stressors is key.
The cat may spray in several locations and on other occasions he may use the litter box normally.
If you don't actually see the cat do this the shape and location of the urine is often characteristic. Indoors a uv light in a darkened room will highlight the stain (i.e. a relatively small volume on a vertical surface.)
Both neutered and intact, males and female cats are capable of spraying, although it is commoner in intact males.Approximately 90% of intact males and 95% of intact females show a significant decrease in spraying after neutering.
. The cat may or may not tread with its hind paws while squirting a stream of urine (usually less than 2ml).
The spray marks can be quite hard to find, you may just be aware of the smell. Sometimes all you can see is a small trickle of brown, sticky substance on a skirting board, radiator or door. Other favoured targets for urine spraying include electrical equipment, full-length curtains, plastic bags and clothing.
Watch an interview about why Cats Spray here.
When a cat encounters the urine spray of another cat they sniff and use their second organ of scent, the vomeronasal organ to allow them to 'taste' significant smells.
The likelihood of urine spraying increases in direct proportion to the number of cats within a household, to as much as 86% with 7+ cats (some studies show a figure of 100% with 10+).
What should I do if my cat sprays urine indoors?
The first thing you should do is contact your veterinarian. If your cat is young and has not yet been neutered then the most likely cause would be that your cat is becoming sexually mature. Neutering at this time would probably prevent the spraying from recurring and would avoid roaming, fighting and unwanted pregnancies; your vet will advise.
Caution should be taken in presuming all urine spraying has a primary behavioural motivation as diseases causing localised pain or discomfort may result in a cat adopting a spraying posture to urinate.
Up to 30% of cats that present for spraying may have an underlying medical problem, for example cystitis, also referred to as feline lower urinary tract disease. Your vet may therefore recommend analysis of your cat’s urine or other tests to rule out disease.
My cat doesn’t look stressed?
The domestic cat is a self-reliant species (responsible for its own survival) and it doesn’t readily show emotion as this may make it vulnerable to attack. This means that cats are excellent at hiding signs of illness, pain or stress. The signs are there however but are very subtle; often stress can only be established by looking for changes in patterns of behaviour. Urine spraying would certainly indicate that all was not right with your cat’s world.
What could be stressing my cat?
Not all cats respond to the same pressures by spraying urine as it does depend on the individual’s temperament. Broadly speaking, cats can be stressed by other cats, humans or the environment within which they live. Some specific stress triggers, for example, are:
Conflict with other cats in the household
Dense population of cats outside the home
Invasion of your home by a strange cat (eg, coming in through an open window or a cat flap)
Decorating or extending your home (ie, disrupting your cat’s territory)
New additions to the family (eg, new baby, lodger, dog)
Owner absence or change of work schedule
Inappropriate punishment
Excessive or intrusive contact from humans
See our information on identifying and addressing the signs of stress
Is there anything I can do while I am waiting for a referral?
Once you have seen your vet about this problem then the best advice is to wait for the behaviourist to assess your specific situation and recommend changes that are tailor-made to suit the needs of your particular cat and its circumstances. However there are a few general things that may help in the meantime:
Clean sprayed areas with 10% biological washing powder solution, rinse thoroughly before drying and spraying with surgical spirit
Place new feeding stations at sprayed sites and put a portion of your cat’s normal daily ration in these areas
Alternatively, use Feliway® spray to treat sprayed sites, according to the manufacturer’s instructions
Use Feliway® diffuser to help reduce stress and anxiety
Provide safe indoor litter trays - one for each cat in the household plus one extra. Distribute these trays in different locations in the home, away from food, water and cat beds
If you have a multi-cat household, ensure ALL resources (beds, food and water bowls, scratch posts, litter trays, high places to sit, hiding places, toys) are provided to the same formula (1 per cat + 1 extra in different locations)
If full-length curtains have been targeted, once cleaned, consider pinning them up temporarily to avoid repeated spraying
If your cat has ever seen strange cats outside through full-length glass doors or windows then place static, opaque plastic film, or cardboard, over the lower section so they can’t see out and cats outside can’t see in
My cat has stopped spraying now after a few weeks - do I still need to see the vet?
Urine spraying can come and go, depending on the presence or absence of whatever it is that is stressing your cat. Often the problem returns and the longer you wait before tackling the problem, the more complicated it can become. Urine spraying is difficult to resolve as it is a normal behaviour for the species and often the identified stress triggers may be outside your influence (such as cats outside). However prior to a known and anticipated stressful event, it may be beneficial to use a Feliway® diffuser for those cats which have a history of urine marking during times of increased anxiety.
The problem can be reduced or contained to your satisfaction but guidance should be offered regarding the long-term wellbeing of the individual cat.
No comments:
Post a Comment