Stop Cat Spraying Inside Your House By: Annie Clark Do you have a cat that sprays outside the litter box? If yes, then you have smelled the horrible odor and experienced frustration when attempting to get your cat to stop spraying. To resolve the problem, you must first figure out what is motivating your cat to spray. Cats commonly spray to mark their territories so that other cats know they are around. Felines also may spray if they want to mate. Fights with other cats residing in the same home can cause spraying as this behavior can be a show of aggression. A cat lurking outside of the house could also cause your cat to spray. A new baby or pet, moving to a new house, or other differences in the cat's normal routines can also create this behavior. Kitties that are under any kind of stress such as living in a chronically chaotic household may resort to spraying. Male cats are often sprayers. A female that is in heat or stressed may also spray. The smell of the spray differs from that of normal urine since spray also contains chemicals produced by the anal glands. The quickest way to stop spraying is often to spay or neuter your cat if this has not already been done. The majority will not spray after being altered, but some still will. This option is most successful if performed before the kitty reaches maturity. You may consider punishing your cat for spraying. Felines do not realize the connection between a punishment and the precipitating behavior. Actually, punishment may lead to even more spraying since the cat could become more stressed. Do not punish your cat! Make sure that litter boxes are cleaned regularly and scooped on a daily basis. Cats may spray if they are frustrated with litter box cleanliness. Keep routines consistent including feeding time, fun time with the you, bedtime, and litter box cleaning. Clean any accidents with enzyme cleaners so that the odor is removed. Otherwise, your kitty may smell the odor and think that spraying the offending area is acceptable. After trying measures to curb spraying, take your cat to a veterinarian. Bladder infections and other health issues can lead to the behavior. Drugs for anxiety such as Prozac can also be prescribed, since your cat could be anxious even if you are not aware of it. If you have cats that fight, try confining each cat to different areas of your home. Sometimes, the best way to solve this problem is to find a new home for the spraying cat. Neither the cats nor your family will be happy if there are chronic battles or spraying. The offending kitty may stop the behavior in a new home, especially if there are no cats living there. As cats can be territorial, another tactic could be to confine your cat to a small portion of your home. Since the feline won't have as large of a territory to defend, the spraying may stop. And, you will be reducing the number of accidents that you will have to clean. Cat behaviorists will work you and your cat to solve behavior problems. They may be able to retrain your cat to behave appropriately after analyzing what factors are leading your feline to spray. Article source: Articlecat.com Author: Read Part II of this article for more solutions to stop cat spraying. Annie Clark is the owner of two former stray cats. More articles and cat products are available at Feline Info