>>I have a 4 year old male cat that has been fixed and has had no problems in the past. Now however he has started spraying. At first it was outside only, but now he's gone and done it inside the house. This causes real problems with my parents who have no intention of having a cat that sprays inside the house. I've read the posts on the forums and I see that people recommend putting foil on the walls. Unfortunately that won't work in my case as there's no way my parents will go for that.
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>>What causes a cat to spray, and how can I stop him??
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>>Thanks
Cats can spray for a few different reasons. It can be territorial spraying, stress induced spraying or it can stem from a medical problem such as a urinary infection. Your first course of action would be to have the vet check your cat for anything medical that would cause him to spray inside. If something has stressed him out or frightened him, spraying is a comforting response for a cat. Since your cat is indoor/outdoor, it could very well be territorial. He's saying this is HIS place and letting everyone know it in the only way he can. You need to clean the area inside he sprayed very thoroughly with a vinegar/water solution or one of the enzymatic cleaners they sell in pet stores. If you don't clean the area really well, the cat will spray there again. You can also try Feliway after you clean the area. It mimics the comforting happy hormone that cats deposit when they cheek rub against something and they don't spray where they have rubbed. First have the cat checked by the vet and then go from there.
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Dottie
