I have a spayed female . She has started to spray like a male cat. I never had a problem with her not using a litter box before. She will back up to anything & everything & pee like a boy cat. I urgently need advice. I have always prided myself in not having a smelly house with 7 cats......HELP!!!!!
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s/f 2y/o
babytess
Feb 16, 2006 12:30 AM
Replies (1)
PHMadameAlto
Feb 16, 2006 09:22 PM
The cat needs to go to the vet for a check up ASAP. Very often a bladder infection is what causes cats to urinate in inappropirate places.
If all is clear on the health front, then the problem is behavioral. Have there been any changes in the cat's environment? Even the silliest change can cause a cat to react by not using the box! Rearranged furniture, a new cat prowling through the yard, new family member or other human living with you? New paint, wallpaper? Can the cat see a strange cat outside?
At any rate, you will need to take steps to retrain the cat to the box. Basically you need to confine the cat to a room like a bathroom, or a large cage with only food, water, bedding and the litterbox. As he begins to use the litterbox consistantly you can expand his space. There is more information at this link:
Litterbox Problems
Cats need easy access to boxes and you may need to put several boxes around the house.Be sure to keep all boxes very, very clean. Scoop at least once a day!
You need to thoroughly deodorize wherever the cat has been peeing. Petastic is highly recommended as is Heaven's Own. It is the smell of the "accidents" that causes a cat to reuse the place.
Check into using Feliway, a spray that mimics the happy scent cats leave when they rub their check against something. You can get it from your vet or from Cat Faeries at http://www.catfaeries.com
If you visit the website, you will see a phone number that you can call and for a fee discuss your cat's problems with someone. The person who does this is very knowlegeable and it may be worth the $$ for you. Feliway is also available in most large pet supply stores. There is also a plug-in with Feliway that can help.
Finally, if all else fails, ask you vet about using an antianxiety medication such as Buspar or Prozac. These very often work, however the decision to prescribe them will rest solely with your veterinarian who will be able to monitor the dosage and side effects.
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