Neutered male still spraying...HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kittycat1164]

I have a 2 YO neutered male that still sprays. How can I stop this??? He is a VERY sweet cat that I adopted after he had been abandoned in the country. He's very insecure and afraid of other people but luckily he has adopted me as well. I hate to have him be an outside cat...but I can't stand the spraying. When he sprayed our home theater receiver and my coffee pot in the same day, I thought my husband was going to lose it. The receiver shorted out and luckily is still under warranty but ....ewwww, the coffee maker I replaced tyvm (yuck!!) Please tell me if I can have him RE-neutered, or what I can do that isn't too costly I can't stand this!!!!!!

[IndyOp]

1. You are not alone, this problem can be solved....

A :hug: for you first - I feel for you - this is an incredibly frustrating problem. Good ideas that can help you solve this problem are in the threads below. Cat spraying/cat peeing outside the litterbox comes up often around here -- it can be due to medical issues, stress, diet, the litterbox or litter itself. Read on:

This thread discusses visit to vet; Feliway calming spray; and Cat Attract litter
<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x11779>

This thread is about diet
<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x11806>

Scientific cat litter that detects problems in urine / health
<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x11603>

[kittycat1164]

2. Thanks Indy

He is not peeing---he is definately spraying, or marking. I've seen him so he's not shy about doing it either. Thanks for the links.

[IndyOp]

3. Info specifically about spraying...

I think Feliway is definitely applicable to cat spraying.

==================From the Cat Fanciers website:

Some cats start spraying in the house. You will want to first rule out any medical causes, such as FUS or cystitis.... Spraying is more often a behavior problem and urination is more often a medical problem. It is best to check with a vet first. If the problem is medical, then you will need to simply clean up the odor after the problem is treated, otherwise you will need to try some of the behavior modification outlined below (and you'll still need to clean up the odor). <snip>

Cats sometimes spray to mark their territory so sometimes an area for your cat that other animals cannot go to will help. Keeping the litterbox immaculate will help in other cases. <snip>

==================

The text above is from the Cat Fanciers website (link below) -- it has a ton of information and does include the following interesting tidbit -- spraying can occur when a "previously neutered cat has a bit of testicular or ovarian tissue remaining, possibly resulting in a low level of hormone which could trigger marking." <http://www.fanciers.com/cat-faqs/behavior.shtml>