Our recent rescue, a male cat named Frodo, is driving us mad by spraying urine on our furniture and walls. We are really at our wits’ end and would be glad for some drug-free treatments. What do you recommend?
K.C., via email
House soiling is one of the most common behavioral problems leading cat owners to seek veterinary advice, and spraying is especially common in cats within three months of being adopted or rescued. The British Small Animal Veterinary Association defines three distinct forms of house soiling:
Inappropriate toileting. Urinating or defecating inappropriately with the intent of emptying the bladder or bowels.
Marking. Urinating or defecating with the intent of communication.
Spraying. A form of urine marking where the cat stands with tail erect and twitching and forcefully ejects urine in a horizontal stream against a vertical surface.
The first step in treating the problem is recognizing it correctly. Urinating on horizontal surfaces such as on the owner’s bedding or clothing or on countertops is marking rather than spraying.
Spraying is most common in intact male cats, although some neutered male cats and unspayed female cats in heat may also mark.
Anxiety is one of the main causes of urine spraying, which can be due to the introduction of a new cat to the household or even a new neighbor cat in the yard, a new baby in the family, new furnishings, renovations or repair work, marriage, divorce or a change in the owner or cat’s routine. Any new or unfamiliar smell, sound or sight can also trigger anxiety and spraying.
The problem is that once a cat gets into the habit of spraying, it can be very difficult to stop him. The owner gets frustrated and angry, the cat gets more anxious as a result, and the problem gets worse.
Your vet or behaviorist will need to obtain a full medical and dietary history and may need to do an in-person, in-house evaluation to diagnose the issue. Once they have determined that your cat is definitely spraying, then treatment can begin. This is not easy in multi-cat households unless the owner has actually witnessed the act.
The culprit is usually given a full physical exam, and his or her urine will be analyzed to rule out any medical causes for this behavior, as rarely a cat with musculoskeletal issues that cannot enter the litter box, is too weak or cannot crouch may exhibit his behavior. Similarly, a cat with diabetes or a urinary tract infection may urinate in strange places. The urine of cats that are spraying is usually yellow to clear and has a very characteristic strong odor that owners find offensive.
Once your vet has ruled out medical causes, they can start treating the issue using a combination of prevention, environmental modification, behavior modification and sometimes medication.
Intact males and females are more territorial, causing them to mark or spray. So getting your cat neutered or spayed is a very simple, effective way to stop your cat from spraying in the majority of cases.
There are also lots of behavioral tips and natural remedies that can help.
Give your cat his own space. Restricting Frodo to one room to stop him from spraying all over the house is a good temporary solution that can help buy time in identifying the trigger and resolving it. In general, cats are loners and prefer their own space. Just giving the stressed cat his own room with his own litter box, food and water bowl can resolve the issue sometimes.
Install curtains and blinds. Cats think glass windows and doors are open, and that neighborhood cats they see through the windows can enter the house. This makes them territorial and encourages urine marking and spraying. Blocking the view from doors and windows with curtains or blinds can help stop this trigger.
Stop feeding strays. Owners with a stressed cat should avoid feeding strays in their yard to discourage them from entering your cat’s territory.
Create an “Environment of Plenty.” This refers to having multiple feeding areas, toileting areas, scratching areas and sleeping perches throughout the house in multi-cat households. There should be one litter box per cat plus one. For example, if you have three cats, you should have four litter boxes.
Consider litter box location. Litter boxes should be placed in a quiet location. Cats are unlikely to use a litter box where there is a high volume of traffic, as they feel very vulnerable while eliminating.
Cover up target spots. If your cat is picking a particular spot to spray, it’s important to clean it well with an enzymatic cleaner and then cover the area with aluminum foil or sticky contact paper, spray citrus scent or even place a flower pot to deter spraying. If you place the cat’s food and water in that site, the cat will stop spraying there. He may spray at another location, but it’s worth a try.
Pheromone therapy
Not strictly natural, Feliway is the synthetic analogue of a feline facial pheromone and is available as a plug-in diffuser, spray and also a plug-in mat. It has a 75 percent success rate, and several studies have supported this.1 Most cats respond within 1–3 months.
Flower essences
Bach’s Rescue Remedy can be applied on the inner part of Frodo’s ear flap four times a day to soothe his anxiety. Two drops each of Rescue Remedy, chestnut bud, and vervain extract can be mixed in your cat’s water daily during heightened periods of anxiety.
The company Pet Essences (www.petessences.com) makes a number of flower essences, including the Balance Him or Balance Her essences, which may help cats with marking issues, as well as a New Home/Group Living essence that may also be helpful. Pet Essences is based in the US, but shipping to the UK is available.
The Tellington Method
Developed by animal expert Linda Tellington-Jones, this technique involves using your fingertips to draw circles on your cat for 5–10 minutes daily. This can calm your cat and soothe him considerably. See www.ttouch.com for more information.
Massaging the ears and face is also very effective.
Energy healing
Pet Reiki or energy healing can be a very useful tool in relaxing Frodo and helping him deal with his fears and anxiety.
Acupressure
This traditional Chinese technique may be helpful for reducing the anxiety that can lead to spraying. See my book You Can Heal Your Pet for a detailed guide on how to give acupressure to your pet, but in general it involves applying gentle manual pressure to acupressure points a few times per day.
Applying gentle pressure with your finger to the GV20 point, located in the depression just behind the bump on the top of your cat’s head between his ears for 30 seconds, three times per day, can calm and balance your cat.
Herbs
Animal Essentials (in the US, www.animalessentials.com; in the UK and Europe, www.animalessentials.eu) makes a Tranquility Blend tincture, which is a proprietary blend containing extracts of certified organic valerian root, skullcap, passionflower and oat flowering tops. This can safely calm your cat during episodes of anxiety.
Aromatherapy
Calm-A-Mile RTU from AnimalEO (www.animaleo.info), developed by veterinarian Melissa Shelton, is effective in calming and creating a relaxed emotional response in pets. For cats, she recommends rubbing 1–2 drops in your hand and massaging it gently onto the cat’s body. It can also be used in a diffuser.
Kitty Boost and Transition are two other essential oil products from this range that may also be helpful for marking. AnimalEO is based in the US but offers shipping to the UK.
Finally, it is very important not to shout at or punish your cat for this behavior as it will only exacerbate the situation by making him even more anxious. It’s best to ignore the behavior and instead give him more attention and love. Rewarding him when he urinates in his litter box will reinforce this positive behavior.
Remember that your cat is not spraying to spite you; he is just following his emotions and instincts triggered by some anxiety. He needs your compassion, not your anger.
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Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract, 2003; 33(2): 187–211 |
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