Urine Spraying is a normal territorial marking behavior, which is common for unneutered male cats but is also seen in neutered males and females. Spraying in the house is usually associated with the cat’s perceived need to assert its territory, and/or to react to a stressful environment. To curb this unwanted behavior, neutering is indicated if the cat is a sexually intact tom after which treatment usually includes identifying possible inciting causes (for example strays, neighbor or even resident cats which may be annoying the offending individual) which are eliminated to the best of the owner’s ability.

All urine odor sources must be neutralized with special odor eliminators (such as Anti-Icky-Poo) and the cat’s daily activities are examined for any changes to alleviate possible stress on the cat. An antianxiety medication such as Valium and Buspar are often used at least temporarily if stress is found to be an important factor in the case.

Occasionally female hormonal treatments are indicated, but these drugs have many potentially dangerous side—effects which can limit their use. Various behavior modification principles can be used such as making the areas which are sprayed aversive to the offending cat using things such as aluminum foil, Snappy Trainers² (a sort of modified safety mouse trap), and other booby trap devices. Even with these effective remedies, spraying can be difficult to completely control in some cats.