How to Deter Tom Cats from Spraying. This Works

How to Deter Tom Cats from Spraying in The House

 

Once you observe your cat spraying in the house, you will need to stop it immediately. However, you cannot be able to do this if you do not know the source of the behavior. We are going to look at how to deter tomcats from spraying as well as help you understand the feline behavior for spraying.

 

Understand that cats are naturally accustomed to using their pee to communicate and react to changes, stress, fear, anxiety, and any other upsetting element. Therefore, this is a vice that we cannot completely get rid of, but then we can control it.

If you do not own any cats but your house, or front door are all sprayed with urine, it is going to be even much more frustrating. The fact is, not only will tomcats spray repeatedly, but you will have to deal with the cat urine. Now, if you have a cat but the local cats are spraying the house, your cat will also respond. This can be very problematic since it is not going to be easy for you to stop the habit.

Before we can look at the methods to deter cats from spraying, we are going to consider the following factors:

 

Why is your cat spraying?

 

Even though your cat will spray out of his natural behavior, you will be able to control this once you understand why he is doing so. However, controlling local cats from a behavioral point of view is near impossible. This is because it is difficult to observe cat behavior when he is not yours.

However, if it is your kitty with the spraying behavior, you have a great chance of stopping him from doing so. This is because you have the time and opportunity to study his behavior. This way, you can be able to identify the reasons why she is spraying.

Some of the most common causes for your cat spraying will include the following;

 

Stress and anxiety

 

Cats are very delicate and sensitive creatures. This characteristic makes them vulnerable to emotional distress, especially when subjected to various situations. You should observe your cat, preferably during playtime to look out for the signs of stress.

A stressed cat will most often isolate herself from other cats and even from you. He might also appear restless and also pace around the house. In addition, she might start spraying your items. This behavior can turn out to be very embarrassing and destructive.

Some of the situations that might expose your cat to stress include moving from one place to another, having a lot of guests, changing his lifestyle, and leaving him alone for long periods of time. Well, you can see that some of these causes of stress in cats are somehow inevitable. I mean, due to various factors, there comes a time when you need to move from one residence to another.

In addition, having someone look after your kitty when you are away can also cause stress and anxiety. This is because she does not recognize the stranger. In response, your cat might end up peeing all over the house when you are gone.

Any form of change in the household will also expose your cat to stress as well as anxiety. The most common type of reaction from your cat will definitely be spraying urine. This is aimed at communicating his frustrations.

 

Litter box Issues

 

 

Does your cat avoid the litter box completely? This might be a result of poor litter box practices. Your cat a clean and private place where she can eliminate peacefully. However, we often forget about upholding cleanliness regardless of how keen our cats are when it comes to grooming. Therefore, you will need to work on that.

Make sure that the litter boxes are easily accessible to your cat. To ensure this, you will need multiple boxes in the house. This way, your cat will have multiple options. In the case where you have multiple cats, it is important to provide as many litter boxes as possible. This way, all the cats will have an opportunity to use clean litter boxes and minimize the chances of spraying.

In addition to this, ensure that you have the right type of litter for your kitty. This will encourage him to keep using it rather than find faults in the litter box.

 

Medical illnesses

 

Unfortunately, cats also tend to be very prone to urinary tract issues. This is especially if you have a female cat in your house. As a result of the illnesses, your cat will spray urine in the house, and especially in your presence. You will, therefore, need to be very observant so that you can notice any symptoms of an illness.

Some of these illnesses might include inflammation of the bladder, urinary tract infections, and bladder stones and sometimes it could be an underlying health condition like diabetes. Hyperthyroidism is also known to cause inappropriate elimination in cats.

Other than spraying and inappropriate elimination, your cat will also have an irregular peeing pattern. You might also observe painful urination and the need to drink more water than usual. Upon observing these signs, it is important that you rush your kitty to the vet care for examination.

 

Unneutered Cats

 

Most people prefer to neuter their cats in order to avoid their reproduction. Whether you have a male or female kitty, it is important to have them both sterilized. In regards to spraying, cats will engage in this behavior whenever in heat. This means that you will have to constantly deal with this behavior every now and then.

Cats are naturally wired to do this. It is how they choose and also attract mates when in heat. To avoid this, most cat owners prefer to neuter their kitties.

 

Local cats are spraying my garden. Please help

 

 

 

This is also not an unusual cry among people with and without cats. This can occasionally happen to anyone since there are stray cats as well as neighborhood cats.   You will need to learn how to deter tomcats from spraying urine all over your house.

This is not going to be an easy task since you do not have the time or the opportunity to study their behavior. Thereby, you will need to come up with other ways to ensure that the cats do not come near your house or garden.

As much as stray and local cats are upsetting you when they spray on your house, you should not use any harmful methods to keep them away. Instead, you can be able to deter tomcats from spraying in your homestead. The following are some of the most effective cat deterrents that you can easily make at home;

 

White Vinegar

 

Cats cannot stand the smell or taste of vinegar. Often, when tomcats come spraying your homestead, there must be a reason why he is attracted to the specific place. In most cases, the surface is usually comfortable to encourage the cats to come over. Maybe your garden has that soil with a soft feel on its paws. He might come spraying and thus ruining your garden.

White vinegar is a great cleaning agent if a cat has spared on the wall or door. However, you should be very careful about how you use it because it can destroy your garden or flowerbed. For instance, if cats are spraying your lawn, use vinegar all around the edges of the lawn. This will keep local cats from accessing your property.

 

Beeping Mat

 

This is a great way to keep away cats spraying your door. It could be that a cat likes your residence, or maybe she feels attracted to your home. Some tom cats will actually spray your front door for no reason. Other than cleaning with white vinegar, you can also invest in a beeping mat. Not only will this help you deter tomcats from spraying your door but also your car.

The mat comes with a tattletale alarm that will produce a high-pitched sound at any vibrations. This means that when a cat jumps on the mat, the alarm goes off. The sound will scare the cat away. You can place it on your car or doorstep to make sure that nothing goes wrong.

 

Motion-activated devices

 

If you cannot seem to get the neighborhood cats off your property, do not give up yet. You can be able to control this behavior even when you are not at home. These devices include a motion-activated water sprinkler. The sprinkler will splash the cats with water every time they are trespassing on your property. And since cats do not enjoy getting all wet, they are going to stay away from your homestead.

Alternatively, you may use the ultrasonic device which is also motion activated. The device will produce a high-frequency sound to send away the cats. It will notice any movements towards your house and go off. The good thing is that we are not able to hear the sound as it is tailored to repel cats.

The goal is to use harmless means to ensure that tomcats are not spraying your house anymore.

 

Use essential oils

 

The most common oils you are likely to find in your cupboard can actually assist you to repel cats. This is especially when cats are spraying your lawn, backyard, or flower bed. These oils include citronella peppermint, eucalyptus, and also lavender oils.

To apply this method, add a few drops of your chosen oil to a relative amount of water in a spray bottle. Using the latter, spray the mixture on your garden or lawn and leave it like that. This should help you keep the other cats away from your homestead.

In addition to this, you can also use lemon or orange peels to deter tomcats from spraying. Since cats detest the smell of citrus, they are going to stay away from the homestead.

 

Interplant your flowers with plants that repel cats

 

This is a great way to repel cats from your garden. You can interplant your plants and flowers with natural cat repellents like rue and lavender plants. Upon doing so, you will be handling this problem once and for all.

 

 

My cat sprays upon seeing other cats on the outside

 

This is not uncommon as seeing other cats on the outside will trigger your cat’s natural instincts to spray urine in the house. In addition, the other cat might be interested to spray even more upon noticing your cat. This means that you will have to deal with cat spraying in and out of the house.

However, do not just assume that your cat is reacting. It is important to monitor your cat for any other internal issues leading to spraying behavior. Now, if you are looking to deter your tomcat from spraying, this is going to be quite a task. Make sure you pay attention to her behavior and address any underlying issues. You can use the following measures to keep your cat from spraying;

 

Block the window view

 

In this case, your cat is always spraying because of what she sees outside the window. She might feel excited or threatened but the most likely outcome will be cat spraying. Therefore, by blocking the window view, you will be eliminating stimulants for spraying.

Outside noise or even other cats and dogs on the outside might trigger your cat to anxiety. Well, this is not such a good thing since your cat will also start reacting to the anxiety. Therefore, when you leave the drapes down, you should also find a distraction. This can be in the form of music or toys, as long as it takes your cat’s mind from the outside.

 

Keep stray cats away

 

You might have blocked the windows and even provide a distraction but your cat still sprays. Well, the presence of another animal in your household will trigger your cat to spray. We cannot forget to attribute this to the strong sense of smell that will definitely pick the other animal’s scent and react to it.

At this point, we will have to go back and deter tomcats from coming to your house. This way, you will be able to keep your kitty from spraying. Use the methods discussed earlier to deter tomcats from spraying and also accessing your home.

 

What can I do to keep my tomcats from spraying?

 

People with multi-cat homes understand how problematic spraying can get. This is because cats living in the same room can actually trigger each other to spray. For instance, one of your cats might be feeling a little blue and wants to stay away, in order to get the space that he really needs, he will spray to mark boundaries.

This is aimed at letting the other cats know that he wants to e left alone. Surprisingly, the other cats will stay away. However, some cats will also spray in return, with the intention to communicate with the other cats.

So, what exactly can you do to prevent your cats from spraying? Do not worry as we have just the tips you need to keep your cat away from spraying:

 

Provide enough litter boxes

 

 

You should always make sure that your cats have enough litter boxes. The leading cause for spraying in a multi-cat home is the competition for resources in the household. Once again, all the litter boxes should be clean and odor-free in order for your cats to use them.

Make sure that each litter box comes with a safe space for your cat. Cats prefer to eliminate in quiet and serene places. Therefore, consider this fact when you are trying to get your cats to stop spraying. In addition to the litter boxes, also ensure that you provide other resources like food, water, and beds.

 

Treat any urinary tract issues

 

Upon noticing your cat spraying, looking for symptoms of an illness should be your first move. This should help you pick any possibilities of feline urinary tract infections in your cat and take her to the vet. Your vet is going to be able to rule out any medical complications as well as recommend treatments should your cat be ill.

In addition, you should ensure that your cat is spraying rather than peeing outside the litter box. This is because they are both associated with different illnesses. A cat who is able to empty his bladder on the floor could be suffering from more serious health conditions like hyperthyroidism. Your vet should be able to differentiate this for you.

 

Conclusion

 

Over the years, we have been able to study feline actions. Whether you are looking to deter tomcats from spraying or trying to stop your kitty from the trait, the above-discussed methods should help you.

We should not condone spraying behavior as it will get problematic and quite difficult to sort out later on. Therefore, focus on controlling this practice right now. Ensuring that the litter boxes are always ready for use is a great step towards solving spraying issues in cats. In addition, ensure that you have enough of them, especially if you are running a multi-cat home.

And lastly, in order to deter tomcats from spraying, use essential oil and other harmless methods. Remember that the goal is always to stop the spraying habit as opposed to hurting the kitty. Therefore, use gentle methods to keep local cats off your homestead and also on your cat. If your cat is not sick and you have checked on her emotional health, it might be time to litter train her all over again.