spraying cat

[andrewlee]

My ex wife has 2 Siamese cats now aged about 6 yrs.

We got the male as a kitten, and the female was introduced about a year later.   Both are neutered.

She has lived in a different house to the one they previously lived in for over two years.  They both get on ok, and he is dominant.

The male cat has suddenly started spraying in the house.   There is a cat flap so he can come and go, and there appears to be nothing different about their everyday arrangements, except for the fact that she has put him on a diet, restricting his "iams".  

Any ideas on what may be causing the problem and what to do about it?

[Peri]

Could be a urinary tract infection.  Common in cats.  Our female had one a few months back - she was peeing in different places. 

[drgnrdr]

A few questions...when was he neutered? even neutered/spayed cats can spray if they developed those muscles and/or got into the habit of spraying. He might be spraying due to the new home/territory he is roaming in, it may have other males and he is marking, or the previous owners had a marking type of cat and it left a scent, or visitors. Go to http://www.catsinternational.org/

click on "articles" check out housesoiling and then go to spraying problems article, this might be able to help you.

[drgnrdr]

Check with the vet always when your cat or dog starts changing their daily routine..Just like Peri suggest

[quibbmedusa]

there is a truly excellent product available from the vets called "feliway" which you spray in the areas that the cat dirties, it has a cats natural hormones in it and prevents them from doing it there again...they dont re offend either..its brilliant!!

[KPD]

The reason will almost definitely be that theres another cat on the block.  A cat will mark his territory, this is usually (hopefully) the garden outside, sometimes much further - thus warning other cats that they are approaching his patch and watch out.

Sometimes new cats appear that are much more aggresive and force the boundary back, sometimes right up to the cat door itself.  Hence your cats boundary is now the house and he will spray to let all know that the house is now the limit of his territory.

You must clean the walls etc with a non-ammonia cleaner - such as a Washing powder, and then get rid of the aggresive cat that is terrorising your cat. How you achieve this depends on whether its ferral or not. Borrow a cat trap from the RSPCA and get it spayed or neutered by the PDSA, that should calm it down.

[bowiefan]

i had similar problem a while ago with mine cats. i sorted it out by washing area that has been sprayed with warm water only. then get a clean damp cloth and wipe the cat well with it under its chin and around its neck then wipe the wall with the cloth ....thus transfering your cats smell onto the wall. good luck