Female cat suddenly spraying?

Question

Hi there! I have a bit of a problem. My cat has started spraying - or perhaps she's simply urinating, I haven't caught her doing it, only the aftermath. :-( We moved out of the apartment she was in for the first year of her life about 4 months ago. Here are the facts.

-She is about 18 months old.

-She is fixed.

-She never ever had a problem when we lived in the apartment.

-She is currently living with two dogs, two other cats and 3 people (in the apt., it was just me, her and my dog)

-She ONLY does it in the room where she sleeps and where her litter and food is - the spare bedroom.

-She still seems to be the perfectly social cat I had before. She and the current female cat had some hissing issues in the beginning and they still don't "play", exactly, but they don't hiss or avoid each other anymore.

-Other than just in that room, there doesn't seem to be a specific place she continues to do it.

-She still goes in her litterbox just fine.

So, I guess my question(s) is(are): Is it more likely that she is spraying or completely emptying her bladder? Is this common when putting a female in a house with another female? Is it significant that she ONLY does it in that room, where the other two cats have rarely ever been in as opposed to the rest of the house where the other cats are all the time? And most importantly, how do I go about stopping it? Is there a good spray for cats to mask the enzymes?

Thanks for all the help, if you need additional information let me know!

Answer 1

If she hasn't been seen by a vet recently it might be a good idea to have her checked over in case she's suffering from a bladder or urinary infection.  If the vet gives her a clean bill of health, then you need to look for behavioural causes.  

Urination is performed in a squatting position, whereas when cats spray they typically back up to vertical objects and let out a spray of urine.  Spayed or neutered cats generally spray in response to illness or stress.  Cats like being surrounded by their own scent as they find it comforting.  Normally they're content to do this by chin rubbing everywhere, but when they feel insecure they resort to marking with urine as it's a much stronger and faster method of spreading their scent.  As this is only happening in her room, I think it's highly likely that she's marking it as her territory to warn the other animals to stay away or as this is a new home for her, she's asserting her right to be there.  Feliway can help as it emits an aroma that mimics the "friendly" scent found in cats' facial glands and most cats find it soothing.  (You'll need to use it for around 3 weeks before you begin to see benefits.)

Whether shes urinating or spraying, thorough cleaning, replacing the scent of urine with Feliway and removing the source of the stress are the best ways to handle the situation.  The Celia Haddon Cat Problem page has some great information and advice which I think you may find helpful.

http://www.celiahaddon.co.uk/pet%20probl...

This article also has helpful advice on spraying.

http://www.cats.org.uk/catcare/leaflets/...

Above all, be patient with her as she's either ill or feeling stressed.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

The location of the urine should tell you if she is spraying or not. When cats spray, the urine goes onto vertical surfaces - walls, ends of furniture, etc. If she (oddly) happened to be standing in the middle of the room and spraying, the urine would be in an oblong shape on the floor. Squatting to urinate would result in a puddle on a horizontal surface (floor, chair, bag on the floor, etc.). Either can be done to mark, however.

Yes, it is significant that she is only going in "her" room. No way to know what it means for sure, but I would guess she is claiming that as hers and telling the other cat(s) to stay out.

Comfort Zone diffuser can be helpful for marking. Improving the relationship she has with the others in the household should help, as well. Give her extra attention and some really yummy treats or catnip when the other cats are around. Don't give her much, if any, when the cat is in another room. She'll hopefully soon look forward to the other cat being around.

A check up with the vet isn't a bad idea, either.