The first two questions rule out medical and hormonal causes. There are no natural substances stronger than hormones to block an intact male cat or female in estrus from spraying. Once physical causes are ruled out, one can assume the problem is behavioral. At this point, our formulas can be used appropriately.
The earlier the formulas are used, and the less entrenched the behavior, the sooner will the behavior end with treatment, so use when spraying behavior is first noted.
The primary formulas for consideration are:
- No Spray
- New Kitty
- Pet Stress Relief
Secondary formulas include:
- No Bully
- Frady Cat
- Rescue Pet
Initial treatment begins with No Spray as a base formula. Include New Kitty if initial onset of the behavior is determined to be the introduction of a new cat/s or from feral/toms outside. This is usually the case. Ferals can also be treated outside for a more successful outcome. Simply provide distilled drinking water dosed with formula.
As a general rule, if the household has more the 7 cats (this is a general number, it could be 4 if the cats have really possessive or cantankerous personalities, or 10 in a very mellow group) recommend Pet Stress Relief. This is a must for households involved in cat rescue.
Dosing
All three formulas can be safely combined together to treat all the cats. Some may want to put only the New Kitty and Pet Stress Relief in all the water bowls of the pets, and give the No Spray in an oral syringe to the culprits.
Other people limit the water dishes for a while for treatment and to economize. Caretakers can limit water bowls at night, etc to conserve formula and unintrusively dose the cats. Sequestering for part of the day may also be considered if there is a dedicated room.
Formula can also be put behind ears, 3-4 drops once a day. This usually works slower than dosing in a water bowl.
Formulas should be given in the water dish, using distilled water. The dosage is for a two to three cup ceramic crock. Flowing water dishes will need to have carbon cartridges removed, as the carbon will reduce the potency of the formula. Doses can also be administered in an oral syringe, 3-4 drops of formula in 2cc of distilled or RO (reverse osmosis) water. We have not had any feedback about that either.
Why secondary formulas?
A tomcat spraying outside can also trigger this behavior, and using No Spray along with New Kitty is a great way to end the feud. This also works for the new cat next door who sits in the window sill and drives your cat crazy. The two formulas address the underlying anxiety and the territorial marking.
Secondary formulas can be used in cases of spraying to relieve the anxiety caused by a dominant cat beating up on others, or a very hypersensitive cat spraying to relieve its anxiety. In these cases, we recommend No bully and Frady Cat respectively.
The dominant may be spraying to advertise his (or her) dominance, and the submissive may be spraying to relieve anxiety.
Rescue cats can have deeply embedded tensions and anxiety for which we recommend Rescue Pet. This helps to heal patterns of abandonment and betrayal from multiple adoptions as well as abuse.
We have had great success treating this problem. In general, the longer the behavior has gone on, the longer the formulas need to be given. After a while (and this varies) there will be a plateau in response to the formulas. In other words, the formula has reached its maximum effectiveness and can be discontinued. There is usually a significant improvement. If no results are seen after one to two weeks, the dose can safely be doubled, or if the case is extreme. If there is an aggravating event, such as the introduction of a new cat, the formula will need to be used again, almost like a “booster”.
We have had difficulty seeing improvement under a few circumstances. First when the behavior has lasted for over five years, and when a cat used to be an outdoor cat and is now an indoor cat. At this time, we are considering making a formula for this circumstance.
It is common when combining the formulas to see very interesting, and unexpected results. Often cats who could barely stand each other will become friends, or a timid cat will come out of its shell for no reason other than the formulas. All the changes you see in your cats will be good ones. And the spraying should be gone, or greatly reduced.
Bottled Blessings is completely dedicated to the behavioral wellbeing of your cats. Please email us at sales@bottledblessings.com with any questions or concerns you may have.
