Cat Spraying and Inappropriate Elimination

Cat Urine Marking- Normal, but…
Cat urine marking is a normal part of cat behavior in the wild. It is also a normal part of unneutered male and estrus female behavior. Neutered and spayed cats can also spray, but it is to a markedly less degree. Spraying is actually considered a different behavior than urination. Cat spraying and urine marking are characterized by cats backing up to a surface and their tails twitch while urinating on a vertical surface.  It is an intimate part of the feline communication repertoire which also consists of visual, tactile and auditory cues.

The modern domestic cat is a social creature, but the social group is a tight knit group, and strangers are usually not welcome. They may be met with overtly aggressive behavior, such as scratching or hissing, and subsequent urine marking of territory as “ours”. Eventually an individual can gain acceptance, but it is a slow, gradual process.

Cats can be in any size group, but for the typical household, much depends on the personality mix.  We have clients who peacefully keep twelve or more cats with minimum problems. We also have clients who can’t get three cats to live together harmoniously.

Can’t they all just get along?
Cats organize themselves into colonies, with distinct hierarchies within the groups. Individuals within the group form bonds with certain other individuals. Births and deaths mean a reshuffling of relationships and territories. In the house, territories are staked out, and rules are laid down, usually by the more dominant cats. These can be enforced with varying degrees of aggression.

According to the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners) “Spraying can be viewed as a passive form of aggression…Cats from multiple cat households are more likely to spray than those from single-cat households.” We have experienced cats in single cat households also spraying. We assume this is due to feral activity outside.

Litter boxes and Happy Places
Cats choose places to eliminate within their territory based on social relations, previous site use (probably determined by scent), and substrate. Again according to the AAFP, cats without elimination problems dig in their substrate longer than cats at risk for these problems. Typically, they will dig over 4 seconds in the litter box substrate before elimination. Cats who dig less than this are considered at risk.

Of course, litter boxes need to be kept clean, and put in relatively private, out of the way places. Litter boxes are also recommended to be 1 ½ times the length of an adult cat.  One per cat usually suffices. Most cats prefer a fine substrate.

Behavioral Responses and Habits
So we can safely say that spraying and inappropriate elimination is a complex behavior that results from a combination of:

• Litter box equipment including size, placement, substrate and cleanliness
• Possible underlying medical conditions which require veterinary intervention
• Communication
• Territorial response/group dynamics
• Passive aggression
• Stress

Bottled Blessings has made serious inroads into the behavioral/emotional aspects of this undesirable behavior. Since this feline behavior problem is the number one reason why cats are euthanized, it is worth a serious consideration, and since we now have a totally safe way to manipulate animal emotions and behavior, we should try to do so for the highest good of the animals involved.

The key to successful use of our formulas is early intervention. Behavior has a way of becoming a habit, and once cat spraying is a habit, the probable outcomes are not good for the cats in question. 

We do not generally suggest our formulas for cats who have behaved like this for over five years. The behavior is considered an ingrained habit. We have had successes, but these are considered the exception. We consider treatment to not be a cost effective option, although some improvement may be seen. We leave this decision up to the caretaker.

Our formulas begin to change emotional responses and behavior within a week to two weeks of the start of use. THIS IS NOT A CURE within this time period, just changes. We always look for changes in patterns. This means maybe the cat spraying isn’t occurring as often or in the same places. Maybe the cat is responding differently to different triggers.
Our formulas:

• Work deeper, the longer they are used
• Work faster the more that is used. Formulas can be safely doubled or tripled in dose.
• Work better in water, the more pure, the better
• Outcomes cannot be 100% predicted, as animal behavior itself is impossible to completely control
• May need to be used again if situations are changed
• In general, the longer the behavior has lasted, the longer you will need to use formula
• There will be a plateau reached that is maximum response to formula. It is impossible to predict exactly when this will occur. We very roughly guestimate about a month for every year of problematic behavior. At this point maximum benefit has been reached, and no more treatment is indicated

No Spray- a way around the madness
Aside from the obvious medical and the physical litter box issues, cat spraying can be safely treated by our flower essence products. In fact, there is no other product on the market that has the potential to actually permanently eliminate this undesirable feline  behavior. Using flower essences, we can safely and permanently alter the emotional responses (and therefore the behavior) of cats.
We usually recommend a combination of them, starting with No Spray and New Kitty.

Our experience has shown that most of the time, spraying starts as a result of a new cat. It can be introduced directly into the household, or because of a neighbor cat next door moving in, or a feral outside that is spraying.  Sometimes it starts because of an old cat that has died, but the smell of their urine still lingers.  Either way, we recommend the above combination. We have had clients successfully eliminate their spraying issues by treating the cats inside their house and the ferals outside as well.

Dominant- Submissive Dynamic
Sometimes in a group, one or more cats become dominant. This can be enforced with varying degrees of aggression.  Sometimes this involves just two cats who, as we said in first grade, “hate each other’s guts”. The dominant one will spray to advertise he (or she) is the boss, while the poor picked on one will spray to reduce its anxiety produced by the dominant’s abuse.  This can also be reduced by New Kitty and No Spray. But a better choice may be No Spray and No Bully . The submissive may need Rescue Pet.  Pet Stress Relief may also be indicated for multiple-cat houses, simply because the larger the group, the more complex are the group dynamics.

Cat Spray- the gift that keeps on giving
Often a house full of cats will begin spraying because one started once upon a time, somewhere they can still smell. Because this behavior also has a communication aspect to it, the spot becomes like a chemical conversation where everyone wants the last word, as a sort of billboard. It could have started yesterday, or five years ago. The cat that started it could be a kitten or have long ago passed. It doesn’t matter, as long as the smell is there, some cats will feel compelled to respond. This is why the earlier the undesirable feline behavior is intercepted and treated, the easier it is on the caretaker, and the higher the probability of successful outcome for the cats involved.

Cleaning up Cat Urine
Lavender Essential Oil- Natural Wonder for Cat Repulsion
One of the best ways we have found for repulsing cats is to mix ½ dropper of lavender essential oil in a bottle of water and use it as a spray. DO NOT SPRAY THE CATS. You can spray surfaces that you want them to avoid. Lavender essential oil is easy to obtain, especially on the web, and for us, pleasant smelling. It only masks the smell, but is a powerful repellant for cats.

Love - always
It is important to remember that this is a normal part of a cat’s behavior and they do not see it as bad or repulsive in any way. Punishing a cat for doing this will only create unnecessary stress and increase the likelihood that they will do more of this.  This is why we feel so strongly that our formulas are the humane way to deal with this difficult behavior.

We custom blend formulas as well for no extra cost. Not every case falls into one of our categories, and we have heard a multitude of odd stories over the years from dedicated cat owners.

Bottled Blessings is utterly dedicated to the wellbeing of your cat. If you have any questions please email us at: sales@bottledblessings.com.