How to Stop Mr. Whiskers From Spraying: 7 Quick Tips

Cats spray, or urine mark, as a normal way to communicate with others.

The majority of cats that spray are males that have not been neutered; hormones can play a significant role in urine marking.

Cats may spray for territorial reasons or when they feel anxious or threatened.

The presence of stray cats in your yard may cause your cat to mark near windows and doors as a way to identify that this is his territory.

New pets in the household, or a conflict between existing pets in the same household, may also make pets feel a need to mark their territories.

Changes in your cat's environment, such as rearranging his living space or moving to a new home, can add stress and induce marking.

If you are looking for ways to stop Mr. Whiskers from spraying here are 7 simple tips that can help:

1. Spaying or neutering your cat will decrease the sex hormones and overrall reduce or eliminate spraying.

2. Determine the conflict and what is causing your cat's stress so you can solve it.

3. Clean and soothe. Enzymatic cleaners should be used to eliminate any odors on the bedding and floor that can prompt a cat to respray an area where he had previously sprayed.

4. Increase the number of litterboxes. Placing multiple litterboxes around your house can decrease spraying.

5. Encourage productivity. Giving your cat toys to play with will keep them busy and give them less time to be stressed and spray. 

6. Provide stability and structure. Schedule a couple of play sessions or trick training sessions with your cat every day to give him structure in his day and stability in his interactions with the humans of the household.

7. Use positive reinforcement. You can also change your cat’s association with his favorite marking area by doing other activities that your cat finds enjoyable in this space. This includes cuddling, petting, playing or even eating.