Castration of males causes a cessation of spraying behavior in 80 to 90 percent of offenders. Unfortunately, 10 percent of castrated males and 5 percent of spayed females spray. Intact and neutered cats of both sexes that spray to mark their territory will take up this unwanted behavior in reaction to other cats within a household; to cats outdoors if the marking cat is inside, and vice versa; and to humans in the household.
Although owners can draw the drapes or blinds and permanently shut the cat door if outside cats are causing a problem for the indoor kitty, most owners refrain from moving back to the old house or giving away the baby when these new situations are causing the cat's territorial urge to spray.
For cats that spray in reaction to new situations or people, reducing the size of his territory to that of one secure and unchanging room may be helpful. Later, the cat's territory can be expanded when the owner is present to offer reassurance or when the cat ihas been calmed by drug therapy.
The spraying behavior may also be addressed directly with remote punishment. The aim is to catch the cat in the cat and administer the punishment so that the cat associates the unpleasant stimulus with the location or the behavior than with you. This may mean nonchalantly spraying the cat with a water pistol as he sprays or booby-trapping the top of the favored laundry pile with upside-down and cocked mousetraps.
Another approach is to make sprayed areas less attractive. Clean up urine as soon as possible so that the cat will not be tempted to freshen up his previous work. Clean with an enzymatic cleaner such as Anti-Icky-Poo. Use a black light such as the STINK-FINDER ultraviolet light in a darkened room to detect urine deposits that you cannot see or smell . Do not use cleaning products containing ammonia since this odor is similar to that or urine. Cover areas the cat likes to spray with aluminum foil or strong-smelling products like mothballs or lemon scent. Place the cat's food and water near the sprayed location because few cats like to potty where they eat.
When attempts to curb your cat's spraying behavior by neutering, changing the environment, or using remote punishment fail, your veterinarian may prescribe drug therapy. Drugs favored for treatment of marking behavior include those containing the hormone progesterone; anti-anxiety drugs such as diazepam (Valium) and buspirone (BuSpar); and the anti-obsessional drug clomipramine (Anafranil). Drugs may have associated side effects, and the unwanted behavior often returns when they are withdrawn.
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