Spray away!

Urine spraying is a unique activity where a cat stands with their tail in the air and delivers a squirt of urine against a vertical surface. Most of the time, you won’t even notice your cat spraying but this behaviour can become a ‘behavioural issue’ when a cat starts to do it inside (on the curtains!).

Why do cats spray urine?

Urine spraying is a normal cat behaviour and is considered a form of scent-marking. The urine spray holds information about sex, age, hormones and general health and it may also deter other cats from coming into a cat’s territory. Both male and female cats will spray and cats that are not desexed may spray more often.

Cats will also spray when they are upset or feel threatened by another cat – strangely a squirt of urine can make a cat feel a greater sense of security in his or her territory!

Most cats won’t spray indoors as they feel sufficiently comfortable. Cats are, however, fastidious creatures and sometimes simple changes to their routine may leave them feeling frustrated and unsettled and more likely to spray.

Why might a cat start spraying indoors?

The arrival of a new pet or baby in the family
A new cat in the neighbourhood
Changes in the home area such as a new couch
Noise caused by renovations
A change in litter tray set up
Medical problems such as urinary tract inflammation can also cause a cat to spray and urinate inappropriately and this is why it is essential to get your cat checked with us if they suddenly start urine spraying.

Thankfully we have some tools available to help reduce your cat’s anxiety and reduce urine spraying. Medication and the use of a pheromone diffuser may be required so you should ask us for more information and advice, we are always here to help.