It can be very upsetting when your cat takes up the habit of urine spraying your furniture. Unsanitary, difficult to clean, unpleasant and just simply no fun, it is a habit which must be broken. If your cat continues to spray, there are a number of reasons that they may be doing so - by learning what these reasons are and working with your cat to correct the problem, you can keep your cat from spraying.

The first thing that might be necessary is a trip to the vet. If your cat is an unneutered male, he will spray to mark his territory. Many owners find that neutering will greatly reduce and even entirely halt the spraying that their cat does. You will also want to make sure that the spraying isn't a mark of a physical problem; some cats will start to spray as they get older, having never done so before, if they are having health problems.

To keep your cat from spraying, one thing which will not help is to yell at them when they spray on your furniture. You probably didn't catch your cat while still spraying; if so, they will not associate your anger with their behavior. Some cats will spray in response to stress, meaning that your yelling can make the problem worse. Other cats will spray to mark a new home if they have recently moved. If this is the cause, the spraying will usually cease once the cat feels more settled in.

Cats will tend to spray if they are challenged by another cat. By making it so that your cat cannot see outside, the problem will be reduced. Other cats that your cat sees outside will make your cat want to spray to mark his territory. Keep your curtains and blinds closed and your furniture away from these windows; this should help reduce spraying.

If your cat has sprayed in a certain area, make sure that you clean it thoroughly. You will find that cleaning up an area that has been heavily marked can go a long way towards making sure that does not have similar associations for your cat. You will want to spray the area with a pet repellent that is undetectable to humans but unpleasant to animals.

When your cat has been spraying, remember that you should always ask why this has been happening. Often, finding the reason for this phenomenon can help you put a stop to it altogether!

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