How to keep your cat from spraying?

In their little minds, Kitties know that they are innocent angels. They don’t know that their spraying is causing harm, they just do it for the reasons you will learn in my next paragraphs.

They can spray your furniture, spray all over rooms, spray in wardrobes, on clothes, and on many other belongings. And if you yell at them, they will most likely do it again and even hate you because they will become stressed.

These little adorable animals are sensitive and must be handled with care even when they are in the wrong. If you don’t have a good understanding and tolerance for your kitten, you may become stressed and entertain the thought of giving it away. The people in your house that may not feel the same way that you do about your cat may become overwhelmed with its spraying behavior and hit it or yell at it but this won’t help.

So, what do you do?

First, you need to understand why cats spray. Spraying is not something they do naturally; it is a form of behavior change that they do rebelliously. If you pay attention, you will notice that when they spray, they release little urine compared to when they urinate normally. Your cat knows how to urinate the proper way. If they raise their tail and quiver as they squirt urine it is not because they don’t know how to urinate the right way, it is because they are sending a message.

What message is my cat sending when they spray?

They are resolving a conflict

Although cats can really be aggressive, they don’t like to be aggressive. This is because they might get scratched or wounded. For them, spraying is a way to communicate that they are over the conflict and don’t want to engage in a fight. The conflict could be about other pets in your home, especially dogs.

They hate the neighborhood cats

If your cat notices neighborhood cats trying to invade their home, they will respond by spraying as a sign of marking their territory. They can spray in the doorway, at the fence and all around the house. Their point is to ensure that their urine smells so that other cats notice only their scent.

They are stressed

A lot of things can be responsible for stressing your cat. It may be a rude family member, other pets, or simply because you are not devoting enough time to your cat. Also, if there is a new baby in the house, visitors or new playing or eating schedules, all these things can stress your cat.

A sign of love

Sometimes cats will spray your belongings because they want you to smell like them. This is simply their love sign language. If they are fond of more than one person in the home, they might even spray the belongings of all the people that they love.

They are marking boundaries

Even when your cat is not threatened by other animals, he might want to mark boundaries. It’s just his way of showing that this area belongs to him. In this case, he might spray around places like his eating area, his litter box, his bed or his favorite couch. In the same name of marking boundaries when you buy new furniture or any other objects, your cat might spray them to both mark boundaries and make sure that the furniture smells like him.

Tips to end the spraying

Since cats respond with rebellion, stress, and hate when punished, you must find ways to handle them with love. Here are some effective tips.

Use a strong enzyme cleaner

One way to rid your cat of spraying is by getting rid of their smell. Use a scent-filled cleaner and thoroughly clean the areas where they have sprayed. Even if they spray just after you have cleaned, repeat the cleaning again.

When they keep coming back and notice that their smell is no longer present, they will eventually give up on spraying there.

Keep your cat out

Close the doors to every room that your cat sprays in and keep them out of there for a while. This may sound a little rude but will work effectively. If they have been spraying in a lot of rooms, lock them in one room with their toys, food, and drinks and let them stay there for some time. They will feel a lack of ownership and will withdraw from spraying.

Play with them

Sometimes all your cat needs is a little extra play time. Stock up on some new toys if you think he is bored with the current ones and then find time to play with him a little more. When playing, ensure that you play near the places they have been spraying. Place their toys in these places and keep playing. This way they will feel comfortable and stop the behavior.

Don’t discipline them

While the Bible says, “spare the rod and spoil the child”, the cat rules say “spare the rod and have a good cat”. Never hit your cat. Don’t even shout at it. It won’t change his behavior. Instead, it will stress him and cause him to be more rebellious.

Encourage interaction

Remember your cat may spray a family member’s belongings either because they love him or hate him. If it is because your cat hates him, encourage that person to lovingly interact with the cat. They can do this by playing and feeding the cat in addition to giving your cat special treats.

Separate them from other pets

Whenever the neighborhood cats make advances to your home, keep them away. Close the door, cover the windows and do all sorts of harmless things to keep them away because prevention is better than cure. As for the other pets, such as dogs or other cats present in your home, separate them from this cat.

Buy more litter boxes and place them in different spots. Add feeding stations, stock up on more toys and scratchers and just give your cats more space to mark their territory. But above all, love your cats and show them that you do. This is the best way to stop spraying.

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