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Cat Spraying - Nightmare. Nightmare. Nightmare.

Emily H
10 years ago
I recently discovered my cat sprayed a laundry hamper in my bedroom, and by "recently discovered" I mean, she walked up right and front of me and did it. This isn't a case of avoiding a dirty litterbox or finding another spot enticing in the house, it's a territorial issue.

Has anyone dealt with this and how in the world did you solve it? (GROSS!)

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Comments (144)

  • 2dogssashatess
    10 years ago
    ps I read this post and thank God I'm a dog person
    Emily H thanked 2dogssashatess
  • otteroo
    10 years ago
    Cats, the other white meat, Get rid of the cat.
  • sashaemorie
    10 years ago
    My cat is spayed and by mistake we bought a cat litter that was scented. Big mistake. She started wetting on the hall bathroom rugs. Didn't know what caused her to do that though. She has never gone anywhere but her covered box. Then I brought in an antique settee and she seemed to love it. Then the wetting began. Not one time, but three times. Through lots of research I found out you have to use an enzymatic cleaning product that takes care of pheromones. It will keep her from going there again. I found several very expensive ones that I could not afford, so I bought Woolite pet stain an odor remover + Oxy. It's worked great. I also bought an even cheaper one that's natural an used it on the settee and it has also worked. We found out other cats had been on the settee an even though we couldn't smell their pheromones she could. Nature made her need to leave her most powerful pheromone on it. The only reason we can figure out why she wet on the rugs was the change in her litter. Hard to find unscented clumpable, but we did at dollar general. Good old arm and hammer. Can't get it anywhere else. Chloe is back to her wonderful self. Hope this helps. Sorry it's so long, felt I needed to explain. OH follow the directions as some of these enzymatic cleansers can harm you and your loving Kitty. She is just trying to tell you something.
    Emily H thanked sashaemorie
  • PRO
    Julia & Elizabeth
    10 years ago
    I thought only un-neutered male cats sprayed. I had a female cat that didn't like the litter box. I actually called a cat behavior doctor. He told me what to do and she stopped. Try unscented litter.
    Emily H thanked Julia & Elizabeth
  • Barbara Sullivan
    10 years ago
    For 20 years I rescued, nutered and spayed lost, ferral and abandoned cats. My experience sometimes, when a cat went outside the litterbox, they were trying to tell me they had a urinary tract problem. This is how they get your attention.
    Emily H thanked Barbara Sullivan
  • kitcathouse
    10 years ago
    We have 3 cats. Immaculate litter boxes. The Worlds Best Litter . 2 are fine. The third was a stray declawed rescue who did this for years. We tried everything and lived with it for years. Finally our vet recommended as a last resort to put him on Valium. It took 7.5 mg twice a day. If we lower the dose, he does it again.
    Emily H thanked kitcathouse
  • kitcathouse
    10 years ago
    Just to clarify, euthanization or putting up for adoption was never an option for us. The last resort was living with the problem if the meds did not work. Our cat is not knocked out from the meds so it was a win win.
    Emily H thanked kitcathouse
  • weberstave
    10 years ago
    Seriously—take your cat to the vet!!! If you have a female cat, she could have a urinary tract infection. If your cat is a male, he could have a blockage/obstructions from "stones" that have formed in the kidneys, passed into the bladder and into his urinary tract. This could kill him if it is not treated. Take your cat to the vet TODAY!!!
    Emily H thanked weberstave
  • PRO
    Kathryn Peltier Design
    10 years ago
    I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, but what is the hamper made out of? Cats will pee on certain kinds of plastic. I have a cat who will pee on rubber-backed throw rugs (not uncommon) and he likes my gardening clogs. Probably the odor + the material. Anyway, just thought I'd throw that out there in case the material of the hamper might be the issue.
    Emily H thanked Kathryn Peltier Design
  • marilynw25
    10 years ago
    Our cats spray because of the scent of strange cats so you may have a scent of another cat on your clothes in the hamper.
    Emily H thanked marilynw25
  • ruth2287
    10 years ago
    Good point about the plastic, Kathryn. That may be the culprit! I have had cats who went nuts for plastic shopping bags, plastic cords (licking them, though, not peeing on)! :)
    Emily H thanked ruth2287
  • Pat Lukes
    10 years ago
    This is such a great thread. It seems like we all have the same problems.
    Emily H thanked Pat Lukes
  • Barbara Sullivan
    10 years ago
    I agree with you Weberstave. Take your cat to the vet. Peeing on anything shiney or out of the ordinary is an indication of a blockage or urinary infection. Most of the time this is not a behavorial problem. Yor cat is probably in pain!
    Emily H thanked Barbara Sullivan
  • PRO
    Elizabeth Bolton - ReMax Destiny
    10 years ago
    This is an amazing discussion. I've had cats all my life (and my current cat is a prince - no problems thank goodness) but I've learned so much reading this. Thanks all!
    Emily H thanked Elizabeth Bolton - ReMax Destiny
  • sarahks77
    10 years ago
    Our cat of one year did this...we tried everything to break her of this. Including: various litter boxes all set out with different litters, spraying surfaces with repellant, medication...nothing worked. Unfortunately we had to give her away. She went to live on a farm. Good luck - nothing worse than cat pee smell!
    Emily H thanked sarahks77
  • umchili
    10 years ago
    Is your hamper plastic? Cats love to mark anything with a strong smell. Sweaty laundry in particular, they love to roll in it and then add their own scent to claim it. Try Zero Odor to remove the smell or they will mark again.
    Emily H thanked umchili
  • Emily H
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago
    Hi everyone! I'm blown away with all the thoughtful advice. I haven't finished reading yet, so I'm going back to try to digest everything so far.

    This seems to have been an isolated incident as far as I can tell. I've only ever found one other item that has been "marked" in the entire time we've had our cats and that was a rather flattened bean bag chair, so I can guess that the texture might have felt a little too litter-boxy.

    This was definitely a vertical surface, while she looked right at me, and it did have clothes inside waiting to be washed, so a lot of the clues there seem to add up to the territorial behavior. Incidentally, for the folks that mentioned calico cats are a bit crazy. YOU are right. She's a calico. ha.
  • Khaanee
    10 years ago
    I am on my 3rd calico ..luv em' but they are crazy!!! That is another topic altogether. .lol.
    Emily H thanked Khaanee
  • ruth2287
    10 years ago
    Hi, Emily - I wonder if the beanbag was made of a plastic material? We have also had 2 calicos over the years and they were/are both pretty skittish, a bit on the nervous side! But very, very sweet when they feel comfortable.
    Emily H thanked ruth2287
  • Lorraine Marttinen
    10 years ago
    I used to have cats but use the same brand of litter always.. If I changed to a different brand of litter.. He won't use the litter box .. Lesson learned..
    Emily H thanked Lorraine Marttinen
  • Kelsey Ejzak
    10 years ago
    My cats (2), one male and one female started spraying as a teritorial thing as the male cat turned 1 and started entering puberty and also becoming agressive with the older female cat. Putting both of them on antidepressants has helped a lot. Also, cleaning the area many many many times to remove all scent. The female cat will occasionally urinate on my laundry if I leave it on the floor, but our solution has been to just not put my laundry on the floor....
    Emily H thanked Kelsey Ejzak
  • Lorraine Marttinen
    10 years ago
    Oh yea and he peed on my daughter beanbag chair so I had to throw it out .. She was quite upset about it
    Emily H thanked Lorraine Marttinen
  • rocketjcat
    10 years ago
    Hi Emily, so it's been 5 days since you first posted with this dilemma, and many many people who are familiar with this problem have suggested that you take the cat to the vet to rule out painful medical issues and are very concerned. Please let us know if the vet gives her a clean bill of health, and you can concentrate on social issues. Thanks.
    Emily H thanked rocketjcat
  • indigodenim
    10 years ago
    Most litter boxes are made of plastic. If your laundry basket is plastic, that might draw your cat to it. I have wondered if the chemicals in plastic or the rubber backing on rugs remind cats of the plastic similar to their litter box. We have had several cats and the poo/pee problem has always been a behavior problem rather than illness.
    Emily H thanked indigodenim
  • Mum2boys
    10 years ago
    I use neat white vinegar, sprayed around the area where the male cats in my neighbourhood 'spray' their scent. The small of vinegar dissipates quickly, but acts as a natural deterrent.
    Perhaps not good for inside the house, but great for outside ( front porch, deck, under clothes line etc... Where cats like to leave their mark...)
    Emily H thanked Mum2boys
  • Barbara Sullivan
    10 years ago
    Lorraine M Should have first tried NATURES MIRACLE Just for Cats.
    Emily H thanked Barbara Sullivan
  • Emily H
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    The bean bag was actually denim, but it was pretty flattened, so you could really feel the texture of the tiny little balls inside it, so my thought was that that was the issue with that one.

    The hamper is a vertical hamper made of dark wicker. There is a liner in it, so there are no clothes actually visible, but I'm sure they are smellable.
  • Pat Lukes
    10 years ago
    There are some really nice dog beds made with cedar stuffing and I bought one once for my kitties and was not surprised to find that one of my cats stepped onto it and pee-ed on it. It makes sense, since there is cedar litter (which I don't use), but it's an attraction for them. I certainly can't blame them for that little caper.
    Emily H thanked Pat Lukes
  • marsia
    10 years ago
    I had a wonderful kitten who peed on the bed every day. She had a blood disease and led a short life because of it, and the peeing was a symptom. I did manage to find a solution Comfort Zone with Feliway for Cats Diffuser - it relaxes the cat (my other cats were much nicer to her after plugging this in to the bedroom electrical socket). Once I used this the peeing instantly stopped. I forgot to refill it and she did pee once, so I replaced the empty one and she never did it again. I also had to clean the litter box every day, and I used Precious Cat litter - though it is clay, it doesn't smell at all - it's expensive, but lasts a really long time. I do not know about spraying though. Did you change anything in your cat's routine or was the litter box dirty?
    Emily H thanked marsia
  • ulll
    10 years ago
    I would recommend the use of a Feliway diffuser. Our cat started to spray - it was a stress thing. Our vet recommended Feliway and it had an impact within a few days. We found her to be much calmer, she stopped spraying. After a few weeks of using the diffuser she was like a different cat - more friendly with our other two cats - insisting on grooming them! I I now use the diffuser when I anticipate some change that she might find stressful - hence pre-empting any possible problem.
    Emily H thanked ulll
  • Renee Lawson
    10 years ago
    If you have netflix, look up the show " my cat from hell". He will tell you everything you need to know about cats and why they do the things they do. For every 1 cat they should have 2 litter boxes. If you already play with your cat daily then she could be picking up on cats that are in the area outside. I have 2 cats and my female likes to dominate my male cat. I find that when we play with them regularly there are no issues at all. Hope that helps.
    Emily H thanked Renee Lawson
  • cocoanlace
    10 years ago
    You received a lot of advice about litterbox avoidance, which is not the problem you presented. Spraying is usually territorial. I have had a cat spray my bedroom chair and I've had another one spray my hand while I was watching t.v. It's a signal that they own you and they are sending that message to other cats (other in-house cats or even perceived cats who are outside your home and no real threat to them). The best remedy I've found is to confuse their senses some. Feliway did not work; in fact it caused another cat to begin spraying when he never had before. I use something scented, often a spray that is pleasant to me (lemon room fresheners, vanilla candles, orange peels, lavendar, etc.) and I spray or rub that scent onto a clean white washcloth. Then I rub down the item(s) the cat is targeting with that cloth. I also rub it onto their bedding, around their litter box, and finally, all over them. That's right. Everything and everybody gets to smell exactly alike. Once there are no distinctive odors, aromas, or scents about, the cat has difficulty deciding what still needs to be sprayed (or territorily marked).
    Emily H thanked cocoanlace
  • mittens55
    10 years ago
    What a great idea cocoanlace!! I've read before to put the scent of the another cat in a house with the scent of the other cat and mix it up but I've never thought of using a spray or rub. I shall certainly try that as I have a problem with one male neutered cat spraying. I also use Feliway, which doesn't help and I've tried numerous suggestions. Thank you :)
    Emily H thanked mittens55
  • PRO
    Cocoweb
    10 years ago
    You could teach your cat to use the toilet, there are several how-to videos online that show you how its done...
    Emily H thanked Cocoweb
  • PRO
    Darla Scheuerman
    10 years ago
    Did you pet another dog or cat/ got there hair on your clothes and put them in the hamper . I'd empty it And febreeze it to death.
    Emily H thanked Darla Scheuerman
  • Allison
    10 years ago
    My cat did the same thing. He was fixed and had been checked for UTIs. Turns out he had feline idiopathic cystitis which is just a fancy word for saying the cat is stressed about change. We put him on a very low dosage of Prozac, changed his litter to a recycled newspaper brand (the clay sometimes isn't nice on the feet), gave him two litter boxes (he likes to #1 and #2 in separate boxes), and he is doing a lot better now. I've found that he simply gets stressed out easily and copes with it be peeing places that smell like me (like laundry or shoes). He is slowly being weened off the Prozac and is doing much better. Just some food for thought he may just not be happy with you being gone much if that's changed recently
    Emily H thanked Allison
  • mommom14
    10 years ago
    I have found this post to be very informative and it got lots of posts which shows sometimes you have an issue that many can give advice on didn't have to be a decorating issue etc. I Liked reading all the post. We always had barn cats not house cats, November we took in the stray that had come as a kitten in June. It would never let you pick it up, a little rub on your leg was as close as it wanted to be. When it got hurt was the first it let me touch it. After quite a few hundred dollars to vet including fixing it, he lives inside now. My problem was he wanted to sleep in his litter box. We had to have him in a pet cage to heal and really was not sure how he was going to react to indoors not to mention the grand kids. Once he was able to walk again and he didn't need the cage, he stopped sleeping in the litter box. So far he has been really good. But this article has opened my eyes to things to watch for like cats outside he may react by spraying, and he did climb all over smelling my husband the one night he said there was a dog where he worked that day, so now I know if he sprays it is a reaction to things like that. This little stray has become part of the family. Thanks for all the good info
    Emily H thanked mommom14
  • E L
    10 years ago
    I was the very first to comment on this post. I've tried to read most of them and many are commenting that declawing spay/neutering can have an effect on this. I simply disagree with that. I've had several cats while growing up and during my adult years. None of our cats were declawed and we had both spayed/neutered and unspayed/unneutered. I think that it is just cats. PERIOD. Please don't get me wrong. I love cats. I really do. But I refuse to ever have another one because I have known of only two cats in all of my years that didn't mess in the house - a friend had a cat that wouldn't ever do it- and my mom has a cat that hasn't in all of the years she's owned him - he is declawed (her apt complex requires it) and neutered. Those of you who've posted that it isn't a problem for you - you are the rare and fortunate ones! I truly believe that owning a cat means accepting that your beloved (or not) pet WILL pee/poo outside of the box. If you find a litter or routine that works for your cat (forget about what works for you) then don't change it! I've been in the pet profession for years. I've worked with pets and had pets for my entire life. If you own a cat, you have to accept this as part of the equation. Arm yourself with cleaning products that get the odor out and do what you can to keep the area clean. Pay very close attention to your cat's habits and reactions. Heck, maybe even journal it!
    Best of luck to all of you! :)
    Emily H thanked E L
  • jilliehj
    10 years ago
    You just never know. In have had cats all my life (I'm 50) and only one cat in all that time (a 10 year old neutered male currently living with me and 4 others cats plus husband and dog) has sprayed around the house. All the others I've had have been incredibly clean and well behaved. This cat just can't stop behaving inappropriately! Anything sets him off - anything new in the house will get sprayed; anything vaguely looking like a box will get peed in. He once almost set the bedroom on fire by peeing into a surge protector that I had forgotten to hide under the nightstand. He also broke our old TV by sitting on the top and peeing down the back - the urine went through the grill and shorted it out. Anything with a slight warm electrical currant is a target, because the warmth helps disperse his scent. He goes outside because he won't use the boxes at all. I've had him on Prozac at times which really helped, as the diagnosis is anxiety (spraying and peeing is reassuring to them) but I can't keep him high. Feliway doesn't help and is very expensive. All he really wants is to be an only cat but that's not going to happen. Sad really. I give him all the reassurance I can but it's not enough :-/
  • mittens55
    10 years ago
    Wow, jilliehj. Reading your post was just like reading my own life with my 11 year old male neutered cat with three other female cats. Exact. I thought I was the only one who had this problem, but it was like you wrote the post from how things are in my house. I've done all the same things you have and it still doesn't help, just like you. Wow that's all I can say.
  • jilliehj
    10 years ago
    Mittens55, I assure you we are not alone! Two websites might help you and others in this thread, both with health info and general support. One is The Natural Cat Care blog that has an interesting article on spraying; the other is Catster.com which is kind of like Facebook for cats. It has some great health care and behavior threads and support with all things "cat". I'm sorry I can't post the actual links - they keep disappearing from my comment :-/
  • mittens55
    10 years ago
    Thank you so much. I've read some of the articles on Catster.com but have not heard of The Natural Cat Care blog. I will check that out tonight. :)
  • Bill Yockey
    10 years ago
    We have a half bath in the bedroom that we don't used and our cat likes to pee in the sink--the only solution seems to be keeping the door shut. However, as soon as it is open, he is in there peeing on the sink.
  • J Swanson
    10 years ago
    Hi Allison,
    Our kitty has cystitis as well; luckily she usually just piddles in the bathroom sink.. We added a litter box for her, changed to World's Best Cat Litter, and plugged in the Feliway. Our vet recently prescribed her some clomipramine, which is like Prozac, and she's seemed very lethargic after taking it a few days. She's on 2.5 mg - what dose was your kitty's? Did his personality change drastically? Has he stopped peeing in other places? Thanks.
  • jilliehj
    10 years ago
    Since my earlier post on this thread, I have had GREAT success with changing a few things for my "pee pee" boy: I bought a large uncovered corner litter box by Nature's Miracle that gives him plenty of room to side-step other things in there and turn around. It has high sides so spraying and scatter is contained. And most importantly, I bought some of the highly recommended Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract Litter. I don't know what's in that stuff, but it really works! You can order it online at Amazon or Chewy.com if you can't find it in a pet store. It's about $12 for 20lbs. It's a wee bit dusty so I am planning to move back to World's Best litter once I'm confident in Caney's new habits (you can also buy the Cat Attract additive to sprinkle on any brand of litter) but for now we will stick to this litter because its' WORKING! I also keep the box scooped as often as possible (thank goodness for the Litter Genie...)

    J. Swanson, we used to have our boy on kitty prozac but we stopped giving it to him because we didn't like him being so loopy... we were afraid for his safety when outside. Try putting something flat over your sink to stop her thinking it's a box (we used a retired cutting board) and put an uncovered litter box as I described above in the same bathroom, maybe under or next to the sink, see if you can wean her off the sink. Make sure if she uses the litter box to stay very quiet so you don't distract her, but give her lots of praise and maybe a treat after she's been in it. Positive reinforcement has been a big deal in our boy's progress. I can't stress enough what an improvement we've seen - from not using a litter box at all for 10 years, to always using the box... I'm thrilled. Good luck!
  • brdnrd
    10 years ago
    Yay! Hurray! How great that you stuck by your furry friend and helped him fix the problem. I'm so glad everything worked out for you. Thanks for sharing your success too.
  • Ed
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Hi-sorry to hear of your problem. Our cat started spraying (female). This was never an issue before. Tried cleaning litter after EVERY use, different litters, letting her outside more when we were out (we have large acreage). After a few trips to the vet who did urine samples, she prescribed antibiotics for a serious bladder infection. Wonderous!!!"No more spraying for several months! Then it started a cycle-"spray/antibiotics/great results/spray, etc...... Finally the cat saw a specialist- she had a bladder scoped that showed thick bladder walls with diverticulitis type walls- many tiny 'holes' filled with puss throughout the bladder. The cat was avoiding the litterbox because she associated the box with pain when she urinated. Her bladder was flushed with saline and antibiotics. She went on low dose prednisone to help the inflammation. This hstopped the problem for about two years. I understand this is not unusual in catsm. Sadly the problem came back and we could not control or offer her relief anymore. There is no surgery as the tiny holes/pockets are throughout the bladder. We had to end her misery with euthanizing her. Your cat may not be 'acting out', but may have a urinary/bladder problem. I hope for the best for your cat. This was an expensive route- our animals are terribly important to us and we take their care seriously. We spent easily about $3,000 between diagnostic procedures, therapy over four years. Letting her be miserable, without real results was not fair to her.... Forgot to comment that of the several cats we have had over the years, all spayed females, some declawed, some not, this was the only cat with a problem. None of the others had urinary/other problems and did not act out as one of the posters thought was what"all cats did PERIOD". Wdid have to declaw one, as she was determined to use furniture to sharpen nails/help remove outer sheath of nails. She still hunted like crazy (we live rural):in/around the horse barn. Brought daily 'offerings'! We tend to train our cats similiar to our dogs, expecting them to learn basic commands. Some liked to travel in the car, go camping/travel in the motorhome. One flew in the airplane cabin frequently when my daughter visited her gransparents in another state- she traveled quietly without anxiety and without drugs. I think that training the cats basic commands, similar to dog training, (reward system/socializing) makes a happier cat/any animal. Ours have all been very social, calm. Maybe it was just luck but I believe it was also the work we put in our pets. They are like kids- it is a full time job- not a whim to have them. And also $$.

  • Emily H
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    This popped up in my feed today with new comments, so I thought I'd give an update.

    We had her checked out at the vet and they diagnosed a bladder infection and prescribed antibiotics. It didn't help, unfortunately.

    Her behavior escalated in frequency and we went back to the vet. This time they discovered bladder stones! Poor kitty. She then had surgery and after a couple weeks of recovery, she is like a new cat. She's back to using her litter box like a champ and is now delighted that she has to eat wet food instead of dry to prevent a recurrence. She's happy as a clam.

    I only wish we'd discovered this earlier. Lesson learned!

  • auntthelma
    7 years ago

    So she WAS trying to tell you something! I'm glad she is better. We often forget to listen to our pets. They have subtle ways of communicating.

    Thanks for the update!