Cat Spraying Problems: How to Stop Urine Marking Behaviors


Cat urine marking (spraying) is a super frustrating problem for cat owners to deal with. From the stench to the potential damage caused – it can make for quite the headache.

This article gives you everything you need to know to deal with marking behaviors in your home, whether you’re looking to stop them or prevent them from happening in the first place.

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Spraying/Urine Marking – What It is and Why Do Cats Do It

You can read our full article on scent marking for details, but here’s the condensed version of the what and why of spraying…

What exactly is Spraying?

Spraying (also called urine marking – the terms are used interchangeably in this article) is a natural behavior for cats and is used mostly to communicate with other cats.

The resulting scents send messages to establish territorial boundaries and broadcast reproductive status.

Spraying vs. Peeing

Spraying is different than peeing.

Spraying usually involves small amounts of urine deposited on vertical surfaces while the cat is standing up.

Spray consists of both urine and a high concentration of pheromones released from the anal glands. This gives it a pungent odor that is usually much stronger than the smell of pee.

Peeing usually involves large amounts of urine, left in puddles on horizontal surfaces, while the cat squats in its normal peeing position.

If your cat is peeing puddles outside the litter box, you probably have a peeing and litter box use problem, not a spraying problem.

Why Spraying/Urine Marking Happens

When a cat sprays urine, it releases a mix of urine and pheromones. This scent cocktail leaves messages for other cats. It can signal:

  • Territorial boundaries
  • Mating availability
  • Stress or anxiety

Male cats are more likely to spray than females because marking territory is a top priority for males. Unneutered males are by far the most likely to spray as they are concerned about staking out their territory for mating purposes.

Spraying indoors can be caused by:

  • Changes or new stressors in the environment.
  • Presence of stranger cats outside coming close to your windows or doors (even if they don’t spray on your home).
  • Bullying and resource guarding between cats within your home.

Spraying likelihood from highest to lowest across genders:

  1. Unneutered males (most likely by far)
  2. Neutered males
  3. Unspayed females
  4. Spayed females (least likely)

Spraying is more likely in homes with multiple cats, especially when there is conflict between them or when a new cat enters the scene. It is much less likely when all the cats are siblings or became bonded from a young age.

Preventing Spraying or Stopping it Once It’s Begun

Now that we’ve covered what it is and why it happens, let’s look at the things you can do to prevent, limit, or even stop spraying behaviors in your cat.

Here’s the list: (1) spay/neuter your cat, (2) Reduce environmental stressors and make sure all cats feel comfortable and secure, (3) Deal with neighbor cats outside the home if that’s part of the problem.

Now let’s take these one at a time.

Spay/Neuter

Making sure your cat is neutered is one of the best ways to stop urine marking. This reduces hormones that drive marking behavior for both male and female cats. There are many good reasons to neuter your cat as soon as they’re old enough, and this is a big one!

When do cats begin spraying behaviors?

The potential for spraying (in male and female cats) begins at sexual maturity, which can be as early as just 4 months.

Yes, cats start reproducing as early as just 4 months old!

Therefore, neutering to prevent spraying works best when done before cats reach sexual maturity.

But note that neutering is not a guarantee that a cat will never spray or will stop spraying. It just makes it less likely because neutered cats are usually less concerned about marking territory for mating purposes.

But some male cats will continue spraying after being neutered when they see or smell other male cats around.

Reduce and Manage Stress

As we already mentioned, cats can become stressed when they feel that there are not enough resources available to them, when their environment feels unsafe or unpredictable, or with too much change.

This is especially important for multi-cat households. You should do everything you can to ensure that all cats feel comfortable and secure in the home.

Resources include hiding spots, vertical spaces, scratching surfaces, opportunities to “hunt” (i.e., toys and play sessions), food, water, and litter box options.

Another significant source of stress for cats is when there are big changes in their environment. Examples include: moving, home renovations, an influx of unfamiliar people visiting your home, a new pet, a new baby, rearranging the house – you get the idea.

When the composition of family or home changes, it will stress a cat.

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Some Ways to Reduce Stress

  • Establishing predictability by using daily routines (e.g., regular times for feeding, play time, and snuggling)
  • Having at least one more litter box than you have cats
  • Keeping litter boxes clean (like scooped every day clean)
  • Using a cat safe room [https://vervecat.com/getting-started/acclimate/safe-room-help-cat-adjust/] to guide acclimation to big changes and reduce stressors
  • Providing multiple options for hiding and sleeping spots
  • Providing separate food and water stations so that all cats feel comfortable accessing them. Spacing them out can help.
  • Providing several vertical spaces to climb and perch
  • Providing multiple window perches
  • Providing a rotation of interactive toys
  • Playing with each cat every day
  • Using pheromone diffusers

Litter Boxes

Many cats are very sensitive to the cleanliness level of a litter box. And a dirty box can cause stress and lead to marking (and box refusal) problems.

This means that you should clean litter boxes daily and place them in quiet, accessible areas.

With multiple cats, it’s important to choose spots for litter boxes where a cat won’t feel easily trapped while they’re doing their business – try to find a spot where there’s more than one way to get away from the litter box.

This can often be accomplished by placing the box about a foot (or more) away from the wall.

It can be tough to pull off, but many experts recommend using the rule of one more litter box than the number of cats in your home. For example, if you have two cats, then you need at least three boxes.

Many cats prefer uncovered boxes because covered boxes can make them feel trapped and make it easier for bully cats to ambush them.

Cats also have different preferences for litter types/textures, and dislike strong scented deodorizers. You may need to experiment to find what works best.

Pheromone Diffusers

During stressful times or when there’s inter-pet tension, try using pheromone diffusers. These are safe to use and are designed to mimic calming pheromone signals among cats.

Research is mixed on their efficacy, but a great many people insist they make a difference after trying them, including my own veterinarian.

Prevent Access to Spray Targets

If possible, block off areas that seem to be inviting spraying behaviors. Then clean them thoroughly before allowing access again. More on cleaning below…

Deal With Neighbor Cats Outside Your Home

Sometimes a cat’s indoor spraying behaviors are triggered by neighbor/outside cats approaching the home, and even spraying the outside of the home.

Male cats who can see or smell other male cats are especially prone to territorial marking behaviors.

I have experienced this myself with a neighbor cat who sees my cats in the windows (and probably smells them, too). Much to my chagrin, this cat has been marking both of the exterior doors of my home.

Thankfully, my cats aren’t marking inside, but obviously I don’t want neighbor cats spraying my front door! Ew.

Here are a few things you can consider for dealing with the presence of cats outside your home:

  1. Block windows to prevent your cat from seeing other cats outside. An opaque window film is a cheap and effective way to do this.
  2. If neighbor cats are spraying on the outside of your home:
    • Find and thoroughly clean those areas because your cat can smell it on the inside, especially near doors and windows. Do this periodically until the problem has ceased.
    • Use motion sprinklers if possible to keep cats away from your home. This can be a tough one – for example, I couldn’t do it because my mail carrier or guests would get blasted by the sprinkler as they approach my door! But you can target the cat’s usual path to the door.
    • Use deterrents such as coffee grounds, citrus, or open containers of vinegar near spray targets. These are all scents cats tend to steer clear of in general.
    • Use physical deterrents at access points. For example, if a cat is coming to your property by walking across a fence, you can put a layer of an uncomfortable texture along the top of that fence (e.g., cut strips of a spiky plastic door mat).

If Your Cat Used to Be an Outdoor Cat

If your cat is a previously outdoor cat and marking behavior is a problem despite trying the things in this article, it may help to provide an outdoor enclosure, like a catio.

The idea here is that with outdoor access, the spraying will happen out there rather than inside your home.

What Not To Do

As you now know from reading up to this point, there is a LOT you can do to address spraying problems. Those are the things you should focus on.

The guidance on what not to do is the same as with any other instance of dealing with unwanted cat behavior.

Punishment, yelling, squirting with water, and physical forms of discipline don’t work. Don’t throw things at your cat. Don’t try to rub the cat’s nose in the pee.

If you do any of these things, it may make the cat run away, but ultimately, it won’t solve the problem. Not only that, but it will very likely damage the bond and trust your cat has with you.

It can be a challenge to resist responding in one of these ways, especially in the moment you see spraying happen. It’s upsetting!

But the best thing you can do is to calmly move the cat away from the spray area, then thoroughly clean it. And take measures outlined above to address the issue.

Remember, spraying is a natural cat behavior used to communicate with other cats. It’s just your cat doing what cats do. Urine marking inside the house is of course upsetting for us humans, but it is not “being bad.”

Cleaning Areas that Have Been Sprayed

Cleaning cat spray is important not only for the obvious reason of wanting your home to be clean, but also to prevent continued spraying.

If the odors linger after cleaning, the spraying is more likely to reoccur in that spot. So you need to address it as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

Here are the basic steps for cleaning cat spray:

  • Identify the cat(s) doing the marking
  • Find all marked areas
  • Prepare the marked areas for cleaning
  • Clean all marked areas using a specialized cleaner

When you’re ready, be sure to read our detailed instructions on finding and cleaning cat spray.

Last Meows

Urine marking can be a frustrating and stubborn problem. This article provides numerous tactics to try to stop or at least minimize the behavior, as well as solutions for finding and cleaning marked areas.

Your best chance at success in stopping spraying is to use all of the solutions in this article that are relevant for your situation.

Doing just one of the things is less likely to work in isolation. Start with neutering if your cat is still unneutered.

Finally, remember that spraying is a natural behavior used by cats to communicate with other cats, so never punish a cat for doing it.

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The information provided here is not meant to replace professional guidance from your own veterinarian or cat behavior specialist.

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