stop cat spray
What Is Cat Spray?
When a cat sprays, they will usually sniff intently or rub on the surface (usually vertical, like a wall), back up to it, and raise their tail. Their tail then quivers (vibrates back and forth) and they release a small amount of urine.
A cat’s back feet may also tread on the floor.
Cats can also spray horizontal surfaces—however, this is more commonly seen with normal urination.
As sprayed urine contains additional pheromones—usually oily secretions from the anal glands—the odor is typically more pungent than normal urine.
What Does Cat Spray Smell Like?
You may be wondering—what does cat spray smell like?
Well, if you’ve been the unfortunate victim of cat spray, you might have described it as an extremely foul odor, somewhere between a mixture of urine and feces; very pungent, it has been described as having a musky odor or fishy smell to it.
Why Do Cats Spray?
There are several causes of cat spraying. Some of the most common reasons include:
To communicate with other cats in the household. Cats communicate with each other through urine spraying. In general, cats are solitary creatures, and even with multiple cats in a household, they will seek out areas to claim as their own.
If one cat in the household feels like another cat is encroaching on her space or trying to take her resources (food, toys, cat trees, litter boxes), she may spray urine.
To communicate with community cats. Indoor cats that live in proximity to neighborhood cats may also spray.
The presence of cats outside the house creates a perceived territorial threat to an indoor cat, who will then spray as a sign that the territory is occupied. The idea is to discourage the outside cat from hanging around.
Stress. Changes in a cat’s routine or environment can contribute to stress. Some stressed cats may urinate outside the litter box, while others will spray urine on vertical surfaces inside the home.
Stress may be caused by any changes in daily routine, new pets or people in the home, or things like remodeling or construction.
To attract mates. Urine spraying is more common with intact (not neutered) male cats. Intact male cats spray to attract mates or communicate with female cats in the vicinity.
Cat Spray Vs. Urine
When a cat urinates outside the litter box, there tends to be more urine, and you’ll usually find urine on horizontal surfaces like a rug or bed.
Even with urinary accidents, the urine itself should retain similar color, odor, and consistency to that of normal urine whereas urine from spraying has a more pungent odor, often smelling musky or fishy, may be an off-color and may be gritty in texture.
Additionally, inappropriate urination is often associated with lower urinary tract disease or litter texture aversion. Cat spraying is more likely caused by underlying stress or anxiety.
Do Female Cats Spray?
Urine spraying is more likely to occur in cats when they reach sexual maturity (around 6 months of age). Both male and female cats spray although males tend to be the culprit often.
Female cats will often spray more so during times when they are in heat, signaling that they are in search of a mate.
