Cat spraying to get his own way

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chigma
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Cat spraying to get his own way

Post by chigma »

I'm really hoping someone can help or give advice because I'm at the end of my tether with my cat. He's 10 years old and gets outside everyday and most evenings. If he wants out in the evening but we won't let him (my husband works shifts), he will spray in the living room, right in front of us. He has been doing this on and off for the last couple of years and we have taken him to the vets to make sure it's nothing medical. Because he only ever does it in front of us and if we won't let him out, it seems as though he is doing it to get back at us, which sounds odd and the vet had no idea why he'd be doing it. He's not done it for about 6 months and has started back up again today. We have a young baby (3 months) who he doesn't seem bothered about (he gives her the occasional kiss) and did it right in front of her today too and I just can't take it anymore. Sorry for the long post but I don't know what else to do and i can't keep letting him spray with a young baby and can't always let him out every night cause i can't be out wandering the streets to find him every night. Please does anyone have any advice as I really don't want to have to rehome him.
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Re: Cat spraying to get his own way

Post by OHWS »

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Last edited by OHWS on Sun Nov 27, 2016 12:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
chigma
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Re: Cat spraying to get his own way

Post by chigma »

Sorry, yes he is, he was neutered at 6 months
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catslave16
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Re: Cat spraying to get his own way

Post by catslave16 »

If he goes out during the day and most evenings he presumably comes home again, so I can't quite understand why you can't let him out in the evening, and why you reckon you'd be walking the streets looking for him at night. From what you write I take it he doesn't have a cat flap. In your place I'd fit one (I have an electronic one that works with your cat's microchip so won't let any other cat in - unless you programme it to) and let him come and go as he pleases. It's natural for cats to want to go out when it's dark, although many people keep their cats indoors for safety reasons. It also depends where you live.
I feel for you - it's a very difficult situation, especially with a young baby. Why not try letting him have his own way, just to see what happens?
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Re: Cat spraying to get his own way

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My Buster did that. I used to put him in the kitchen for 10 mins when he did it, as he hated that and it would stop him for a while. You also learn to read the signs to catch them before they do it.
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Re: Cat spraying to get his own way

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chigma
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Re: Cat spraying to get his own way

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Thanks for your responses guys.
He comes in fine during he day cause he loves his food and wants fed but at night he just wanders around so it often leads to looking for him for up to half an hour (or longer) which is why if my husband is on nights he can't get out again as I can't just leave the baby in the house on her own.
Never been sure about a cat flap as I have heard that it can upset them more if they have one as they don't understand that no other cat can just come into the house.
Might try introducing another feed just before bed as here's no way he could wait til night time. He gets fed at 6pm but will start pushing his luck for it from 2pm if he sees me during the day. its either that or letting him stay out all night if I can find him straight away in the evening, I just always worry about cats staying out too late as I've heard foxes and cats fighting at night before and it sounds horrific.
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Re: Cat spraying to get his own way

Post by AndyMac »

My 12 yo cat sprays around the house and she has taken to spraying against the leather sofa in the living room. I had her at the vet to ensure it was not medical and tried the Feliway diffuser. I can only assume it is territorial with her as she will sit on the upstairs window sill and if she sees another cat in the street she will run downstairs into the living room and get onto the window sill there - if the cat is in the garden she will howl and want out. She also sprays against the electric meter cover in the downstairs hall and in the kitchen - again where she sits and looks into the back garden - I have the puppy training pads in the areas she sprays against to try to contain it. I also have a spray I got from Tesco that neutralises the smell but again it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Could this be the case with your cat - maybe a new cat has arrived in the neighbourhood and your kitty wants out to check his patch before he goes to bed !!
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Kay
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Re: Cat spraying to get his own way

Post by Kay »

I've never heard of a cat thinking a cat flap means other cats can get into the house (though of course sometimes they do!)

I do feel you are crediting your cat with more logic and reasoning powers than cats actually have - they are instinctive creatures on the whole, and I can't see the spraying as a chosen way of getting back at you - more likely he wants to be out spraying around his territory, and marks inside as second best

outdoors traffic is the big enemy rather than dogs or foxes, so unless you live very near a busy road, I would say install a cat flap and give him his freedom and try not to worry - a sacrifice of some of your peace of mind about him when outside is surely better than having to worry about his behaviour in the house and the effect on your baby
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Re: Cat spraying to get his own way

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Kay wrote:I've never heard of a cat thinking a cat flap means other cats can get into the house (though of course sometimes they do!)

I do feel you are crediting your cat with more logic and reasoning powers than cats actually have - they are instinctive creatures on the whole, and I can't see the spraying as a chosen way of getting back at you - more likely he wants to be out spraying around his territory, and marks inside as second best

outdoors traffic is the big enemy rather than dogs or foxes, so unless you live very near a busy road, I would say install a cat flap and give him his freedom and try not to worry - a sacrifice of some of your peace of mind about him when outside is surely better than having to worry about his behaviour in the house and the effect on your baby
Trust me Kay, they definitely can spray to get back at you - Buster would frequently do it while looking at me after I said he couldnt go out, as does one of my neighbours male cats, and the male she lost last year would do the same. We had to have a rota system to stop Buster beating up her cats, and now that we no longer need it, my neighbours cat hardly ever sprays inside, and rarely sprays my car anymore, although the front door still occasionally gets it.
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Re: Cat spraying to get his own way

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Many years ago I had a little tortie who started urinating in the house (there's a difference between spraying and urinating, isn't there?). My marriage was in a very bad state at the time, lots of arguments, terrible atmosphere, etc. I got desperate, even put tin foil down (I'd been told cats dislike the sound of urine hitting tin foil). It's very easy to get angry with a cat, and I still remember the occasion I shouted at her and raised my hand and very nearly hit her. She cowered. :cry: Even though I did NOT in fact hit her the memory still breaks my heart. And then she stopped. Just like that. When my husband moved out. So it was obviously stress related.
She started doing again a week or so before she died. It was much easier to tolerate then as it was obvious she was dying. She was a sweet, gentle little thing who was blind for the last two years of her life, but coped amazingly well.

Could there be an element of stress in your situation? You say the cat isn't bothered with the new baby but it is a strange new creature in his territory... Just a thought. I still think a cat flap might be the answer. All my cats have had one and I've never had problems.
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Re: Cat spraying to get his own way

Post by mr_frisky »

All of mine do it, usually when they want to go out. I always assumed they were trying to punish me for keeping them in. They also do it when there's another cat about. They always seem to do it on soft furnishings - settees, curtains etc. They are all female too.

My sisters cats do it too - she even has a waterproof screen on her computer!
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Re: Cat spraying to get his own way

Post by Catfan5 »

My cat also does that! When she wants attention while we are watching tv she will look at us with her big blue eyes and back up to it to spray! One tv has been written off already..She knows how to get her way. She has us well trained now as she knows we will get up to distract her by playing with her when we see the signs. All we can do is clean up after her if we're not quick enough. It's no fun and you have my sympathy, we've tried the usual things like Feliway, foil etc nothing has worked for us. Sorry not much help.
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