My spayed cat won't stop spraying all over the house

mandz · 09-05-2012 08:19AM #1

Hi All,

I need your help and advice - I'm at my wits end with on of my cats. I'm close to just leaving her outside permanently. Last night she came in and spayed a spot in the kitchen and then later the couch. I'm not proud but i actually flipped last night and when seen her at the couch grabbed her and put in the litter tray. Also went to put her nose in it but ended up just putting her outside. Guilt got to me and I let her back in shortly after when I was going to bed and let her lie on the bed and gave her loads of attention.

Then I wake up this morning and find she's struck again in my room during the night as I can smell it.

She's been at this for a while and I was putting it down to "stress" as there were so many cats coming around the house, and one tom actually came into the kitchen to eat their food. I bleached the kitchen since this incident and he hasn't got in since. Doesn't seem to be as many cats around now as there has been recently and if we see them in garden we run them. I just don't know what to do with her. I tried putting clay in the litter tray last night as I remembered that being said before but she still won't use it.

Even began wondering if she's in heat as again I read online of occasions where the slightest bit of tissue was left behind and cat seemed in heat. She cries at the front door when she wants to go out.

Any tips/recommendations are welcome as she really has pushed me to my limit. I even started burning peppermint oil as I read somewhere online that it calmed cats. I just don't understand what I'm doing that is making her behave like this. She recently was at the vets and her bloods came back clear. It's like now she's outside most of the time she just feels she can go wherever she wants in the house. My other cat is just the perfect pet in comparison to her. Both are semi indoor/outdoor cats.

Any advice is welcome!

ziggy23 · 09-05-2012 09:10AM

mandz wrote: »

Hi All,

I need your help and advice - I'm at my wits end with on of my cats. I'm close to just leaving her outside permanently. Last night she came in and spayed a spot in the kitchen and then later the couch. I'm not proud but i actually flipped last night and when seen her at the couch grabbed her and put in the litter tray. Also went to put her nose in it but ended up just putting her outside. Guilt got to me and I let her back in shortly after when I was going to bed and let her lie on the bed and gave her loads of attention.

Then I wake up this morning and find she's struck again in my room during the night as I can smell it.

She's been at this for a while and I was putting it down to "stress" as there were so many cats coming around the house, and one tom actually came into the kitchen to eat their food. I bleached the kitchen since this incident and he hasn't got in since. Doesn't seem to be as many cats around now as there has been recently and if we see them in garden we run them. I just don't know what to do with her. I tried putting clay in the litter tray last night as I remembered that being said before but she still won't use it.

Even began wondering if she's in heat as again I read online of occasions where the slightest bit of tissue was left behind and cat seemed in heat. She cries at the front door when she wants to go out.

Any tips/recommendations are welcome as she really has pushed me to my limit. I even started burning peppermint oil as I read somewhere online that it calmed cats. I just don't understand what I'm doing that is making her behave like this. She recently was at the vets and her bloods came back clear. It's like now she's outside most of the time she just feels she can go wherever she wants in the house. My other cat is just the perfect pet in comparison to her. Both are semi indoor/outdoor cats.

Any advice is welcome!

Is she neutered? There is also a spray/plug-in called Feliway that you can get from your vets and online that is great for calming them down.

mandz · 09-05-2012 09:24AM

Yes she was neutered as a kitten. Think those plug ins may be my only way to go unless anyone else has any suggestions.

Mo60 · 09-05-2012 12:25PM

I had this problem with one of my neutered female cats. Due to various circumstances I had to delay neutering one of my male dogs. As soon as the dog was neutered the cat stopped spraying.

Hope this might give you some ideas as to cause - maybe smell of other cats?

Zapperzy · 09-05-2012 01:13PM

I know EXACTLY how frustrating it is. Oddly I read your post this morning and thought I must reply to that later, 20 mins later my cat pee'd on my bed. It was my fault though as I hadn't let her downstairs in time, I'l certainly be keeping an eye on her though in case it's not just that. The last time she done it was Christmas eve at around midnight when I'd half a dozen things yet to do so I completely understand the frustration!
My cat has been doing this on and off for about 3 or 4 years, might have nothing for 6 months then she'll pee again, iv brought her to the vet numerous times had various different tests done and on her last bout all that ever showed up was white blood cells in her urine indicating infection. With mine though a common factor has always been a stressful event triggers it, (except for the times like this morning when the door to her tray is closed and she can't hold it any longer).

Iv read and read and read and read and there's bucket loads of information out there on feline urinary issues, it's very very common and there's various causes including both medical and behavioural reasons. She had bloods done recently so that rules a lot out, if you could get a urine sample off her that would be very helpful, you can do it at home using beads in the litter tray, (or anything really that's clean and non absorbable, I use a special type of litter that's exactly like the beads on the inside of beanbags and teddy bears), and once you have the sample bring it to the vets as soon as you can, store it in the fridge in the meantime. After medical reasons have been ruled out you can move onto behavioural.
Vicky hall's books are brilliant, she's a cat behaviourist and a lot of her books contains loads of info and case studies on inappropriate peeing, if you can get your hands on a few of her books they really open your eyes to the world of cat behaviour and why they do certain things.

Is she avoiding the litter tray altogether? How many trays do you have? There should be 1 for every cat plus 1 extra so for 2 cats there should be 3 trays all in different locations in the house (they should be in quiet areas away from the main areas of traffic and not beside a window or door where cats can see in and watch your kitty pee! Some cats are just bullies and will 'guard' resources like the tray or food, it might be invisible to you but a cat doing something as simple as sitting and watching the tray will turn the other away from using it. Some cats like different textures and dislike certain types of litter. Others are OCD-cleanliness types and will not use a tray that has been used already either by themselves or another cat and demand it be cleaned in between each visit.

Is it vertical spraying she's doing or actually squatting and peeing? There's various products you can get to reduce stress such as a feliway diffuser or spray, things like kalm aid and zylkene to add to their food. Also avoid bleach to clean the pee with, it contains ammonia so cats will keep spraying or peeing on the spot because it still smells like pee. Wash it with biological washing powder (and some say in vinegar afterwards), there's also special pet urine removers you can get in most pet shops or vets.

Good luck. I really sympathise anyone living with another urinary cat, it's hard work!

mandz · 10-05-2012 04:16PM

Thank you!! I was seriously freaking out with her and felt so guilty afterwrds.

Its vertical urinating. I walked through the hall last night and there was a NOTORIOUS smell and I spotted she had done it up against the white little door under the stairs and that's when I think I found the answer - there were pink bits in the urine. She went to go again a while later and I chased her to grab her and she went into the litter tray - hurrah!! I took the lid off (its a covered tray to give a little bit of privacy) to see if I could in any way get a sample but not possible. I did spot the bit on the lid had a hint of red.

I washed down the door with bleach but also sellotaped clingfilm to the floor in case she goes there again (first time ever I hope so I can get a sample). I had started giving my cats aloe vere berry nectar as it is supposed to help with kidneys and urinary tract etc. (I sell the stuff so it's sitting in the fridge anyway and I thought what have I to lose if a vet says its good for them) but its also pink in colour but I only give a teaspoon in their food and to be honest with the amount she's spraying it couldn't show up in her pee for long I'm sure! My litter is more clay like so absorbs it. Just going to have to say to vet it had blood in it. Nothing else I can do as I know its unlikely I will get a sample.

I just hope this is the last of it after the vets again on Sat (only been a month!).

Zapperzy · 10-05-2012 05:29PM

The vet really will need a urine sample to tell anything, you can leave her in there to get a sample or you could ask them have they anything like these http://www.vetuk.co.uk/cat-accessories-cat-litter-c-626_430/katkor-non-absorb-cat-litter-p-8252 they can give you to get a sample at home. You put them into the tray instead of your normal stuff and just tip the urine off and pour it into a clean bottle or jar and bring it into the vets.

Don't use bleach to clean as they will pee on the spot again due to the smell of ammonia. If you pm me your email address I can email you a handy little step by step guide I have for cleaning up cat pee.

mandz · 10-05-2012 10:25PM

Zapperzy wrote: »

The vet really will need a urine sample to tell anything, you can leave her in there to get a sample or you could ask them have they anything like these http://www.vetuk.co.uk/cat-accessories-cat-litter-c-626_430/katkor-non-absorb-cat-litter-p-8252 they can give you to get a sample at home. You put them into the tray instead of your normal stuff and just tip the urine off and pour it into a clean bottle or jar and bring it into the vets.

Don't use bleach to clean as they will pee on the spot again due to the smell of ammonia. If you pm me your email address I can email you a handy little step by step guide I have for cleaning up cat pee.

I might ring ahead tomorrow to see if I can leave her for couple of hours to get a sample, I didnt realise you could do that. Sat is my only day I'll get to see her checked out as I commute during the week.

Thanks for that!!

I'm hoping she does pee where I cleaned with bleach so I can get a sample on the clingfilm I have stuck to the floor!!

I'll pm you my address tomorrow when I'm on a computer, thanks.

Zapperzy · 10-05-2012 10:35PM

mandz wrote: »

I might ring ahead tomorrow to see if I can leave her for couple of hours to get a sample, I didnt realise you could do that. Sat is my only day I'll get to see her checked out as I commute during the week.

Thanks for that!!

I'm hoping she does pee where I cleaned with bleach so I can get a sample on the clingfilm I have stuck to the floor!!

I'll pm you my address tomorrow when I'm on a computer, thanks.

Ah never mind must've read that bit wrong, not a bad idea!

They might be able to get a sample from manual expression (squeezing the bladder in the hope that she pees) but if your hoping she'l pee in a tray in the vets within a few hours I can guarantee you she'l be awkward, I'v seen cats (and my own cat!) hold out 24 hours rather than pee in a strange environment on a strange surface!

mandz · 10-05-2012 10:45PM

Well I hope something happens whether by manual expression or just stress of a strange environment - can't take another week. She's curled up here on my bed as innocent as anything but I can't trust her to stay and not pee somewhere in the room.

Thanks for the advice!

mandz · 09-06-2012 11:11PM

Hi, I'm back again.

She's still at it!! For some reason she is still peeing around the house. I'm confused as I've seen her use the litter tray. I let her stay inside fri night when i went to stay at my boyf's house as I felt guilty leaving her out in the bad weather. I came back then to find she had urinated in various spots in the kitchen. Over the week she also spayed my bedroom curtains (AGAIN!) and kitchen curtain. When I found a small sample In kitchen i flew down to vets and got a tester stick and it came up clear.

Has anyone any tips on how to get her out of this? She is outside a lot nowadays (ventured off somewhere for a week there 2 weeks ago) and I'm wondering could she now have decided she can go where she likes just like outside.

Would the feliway stuff help at all do you think?

My spayed cat won't stop spraying all over the house

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