Urine Spraying

To understand urine spraying it is first important to understand the difference between spraying (urine-marking) and indiscriminate urination. A cat who is not using the litterbox, who is urinating outside of the box, is usually motivated by a different set of circumstances. Urination of this kind is found in the form of a puddle on a horizontal surface. A cat who is spraying will usually urine-mark a vertical surface. This cat’s urine will be running down a door or the side of a chair. There are many reasons why cats spray.

Cats are very territorial and if they believe that their territory is being threatened they will mark it as a warning to others. Unaltered cats tend to display this behavior more than neutered cats, but neutered cats, whether male or female, can territorially mark as well.

If urine spraying has become a problem with your cat, it’s first recommended that you check with your veterinarian to rule out any medical problems. Ask your vet to do a urine test to look for the disease known as FLUTD, which is treatable.

Read more about urinating outside of the litterbox.