All cats spray, no matter their gender or condition. Unneutered cats spray more than others, and male unneutered cats are the ones who spray the most. That’s not to say a female neutered cat won’t spray, though. The only condition they need to fit to spray is to be adult cats.
With that being said, you can imagine that the only cats that do not spray are kittens. The time window between not spraying and spraying is a little under six months. After six months, cat reaches adulthood – and, when that happens, they start to spray.
Do neutered cats spray?
Spraying is a sexual and territorial thing, by neutering your cat you will greatly reduce its chances of that happening – but that doesn’t mean it’s a sure thing. Nine times out of ten, a neutered cat will stop spraying, but you could also find yourself in that final 10%.
Even if it’s not a certain thing, neutering your cat is always a good idea to consider. It will reduce the spray’s odor, its chances of happening, and will also deal with other possible scenarios like unwanted kittens.
If your cat is allowed outside, you should consider neutering it whether spraying is an issue or not.
Why is my cat spraying?
A cat will often spray to mark its territory. It’s also one way to signal possible mates. Spraying too works as a response to stress or environmental change. Other reasons, like senility or urinary tract infections, could be behind spraying as well.
When a cat reaches adulthood, it will being to spray. This is only natural – but it can get worse under different scenarios. For example, poor litter box training. You can also find out your cat is spraying around because of poor awareness.
Because there are a wide array of possible reasons behind spraying, you should deal with this problem by visiting your vet. That way, you’ll be able to pinpoint the reason and fix the issue!
What does cat spray smell like?
It’s an intense and pungent smell that lingers around for way more time than your average cat urine does. Worst case scenario, a cat will spray a mixture of urine and blood to make it smell even worse than regular spray.
The spray smells terrible – but the worst part is how hard it is to remove the stench. If a cat sprays something, you need to take care of it on a deep clean level. There’s no surface cleaning that will deal with this issue. It can be fixed, but it takes time!
How do you stop a cat from spraying?
Your best shot at stopping a cat from spraying is neutering it. If your cat’s already neutered, you should take it to the vet to see if he has a UTI or any other issue. Anxiety and stress are also reasons behind sudden spraying sprees – check what’s bothering your cat!
Your cat could be spraying around because you’ve recently moved to a different house; in due time, the issue will fix itself. If your cat doesn’t know how to use a litter box, proper training could solve the issue as well.