Cat Spayed, But Spraying again.

Xenji

My cat is 8 and in the last 12 months or so has started spraying again, he was spayed when he was the right age and have tried a load of diffeent things to stop him, but he is still at it, any advice or tricks?

Nody

Well if he's spraying it's most likely because of feeling loss of territorial control or something medical; hence start with the vet first. Secondly if he's coming back with all clean bill of health you need to look at where he's spraying and try to understand what's changed to make him feel he's lost territorial control (i.e. why he needs to mark it to feel he owns it).

Xenji

Nody wrote: »

Well if he's spraying it's most likely because of feeling loss of territorial control or something medical; hence start with the vet first. Secondly if he's coming back with all clean bill of health you need to look at where he's spraying and try to understand what's changed to make him feel he's lost territorial control (i.e. why he needs to mark it to feel he owns it).

I have brought him to the vet already and all is clear on that front, he mainly is doing it beside the cat flap, but up some tin foil so I could hear when he does it, no other cats come in and there is never any trouble at it, he has though been attacked twice by a fox in the last few months.

Nody

Xenji wrote: »

I have brought him to the vet already and all is clear on that front, he mainly is doing it beside the cat flap, but up some tin foil so I could hear when he does it, no other cats come in and there is never any trouble at it, he has though been attacked twice by a fox in the last few months.

And now you know why most likely; he feels his territory is threatened from the outside (hence spraying a the entry point to his territory) and there could be other cats roaming around out there as well. Spraying there is his way to make other animals aware that it is "his" place so to speak.

Try reaching out to local rescues and see if you can borrow a TNR trap to see if there are any other cats around (i.e. new cat(s) someone dumped in the area). If you catch nothing you'll need to think of things such as motion activated sprinklers when he's not out, netted in area only for him etc. to help you.

Xenji

Nody wrote: »

And now you know why most likely; he feels his territory is threatened from the outside (hence spraying a the entry point to his territory) and there could be other cats roaming around out there as well. Spraying there is his way to make other animals aware that it is "his" place so to speak.

Try reaching out to local rescues and see if you can borrow a TNR trap to see if there are any other cats around (i.e. new cat(s) someone dumped in the area). If you catch nothing you'll need to think of things such as motion activated sprinklers when he's not out, netted in area only for him etc. to help you.

We have plenty of cats around the estate and most of these do come around the house and the garden, his sister strangely enough has no issues.

Nody

Honestly it sounds like there might be a new male around I'd guess possibly even unneutered that's causing it. Only guessing but in reality there's not a whole lot you can do to stop it beyond feliway plugs, not letting him or similar activities.

Xenji

Nody wrote: »

Honestly it sounds like there might be a new male around I'd guess possibly even unneutered that's causing it. Only guessing but in reality there's not a whole lot you can do to stop it beyond feliway plugs, not letting him or similar activities.

Yeah I have been trying the feliway plugins, I do not feel punishing him would help, most sites seem to think it is the worse thing to do as well, thankfully it is just the one place he does it, so hopefully he will stop.

Pumpkinseeds

It sounds like he's marking it to tell other cats that it's his home. There can be cats around without you seeing them. We leave our cat flap taped open because Toby won't come in it if it's closed, in case Felix pounces on him. In the early hours last week I heard howling and came down just in time to see Jazzy chase another cat out of the kitchen. Never saw this cat before, yet it came in despite there being 4 cats living here.

Ours were sniffing all around the kitchen, so could smell where it had been.

Xenji

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

It sounds like he's marking it to tell other cats that it's his home. There can be cats around without you seeing them. We leave our cat flap taped open because Toby won't come in it if it's closed, in case Felix pounces on him. In the early hours last week I heard howling and came down just in time to see Jazzy chase another cat out of the kitchen. Never saw this cat before, yet it came in despite there being 4 cats living here.

Ours were sniffing all around the kitchen, so could smell where it had been.

Thankfully they both have no issues with our cat flap, it is magnetic and I have checked it over to see if was closing properly, thought all right that another cat may be getting in, but the flap is doing its job well.