Cat Question??? - Berwyn,IL

I see a lot of people think that only male cats spray, but those who say both sexes do are correct. There is an article about spraying with some ideas as to why females spray and if fixing them will help.
http://www.catchannel.com/experts/marilyn-krieger/do-both...
All the best to you!

Sometimes it works... sometimes it doesn't. Once they are 'in the habit' it's pretty hit-and-miss whether spaying will stop the spraying. Same goes for toms... They do have deterrents you can try with varying success.

when a female cat sprays that could indicate a urinary tract infection. I would have that checked out.

Im pretty sure only male cats spray. I have a sweet male tabby and when I took him to the vet they said that only the males spray. Who knows? Ive never heard of a girl cat spraying.

Female cats don't spray. The Males do. I grew up with cats. One time we had 13 of them. lol That is a lot of tails in the kitchen at feeding time. :-D We have three now. I love cats. Keep the litter clean twice a day, and you can get the arm and hammer litter deoderizer that is in the litter section at your store. That works wonders. We feed our cats Fancy Feast can food. We divide one can in 1/3 for each cat. Then we use Purina cat food for Sensitive Systems (dry food), and leave a small bowl for them to munch on throughout the day. At the pet store they have books on cats as well. Since you live in IL, you must get snow. Cats love the outdoors, but God didn't give them the sense enough to be out of harms way like with cars etc. We keep our cats strictly indoors. They love it. And they're safe. :-D They don't like change too much. If you have a tree house for your cat, put it near a window or sliding door so they can lay on it and look outside. That's cat tv for them. They love it.
There are regular shots that they need each year. If you can't afford the vet bill, at least get your cat her rabbies shot when it's due. Oh, and the Feline Leukemia shot as well. It is expensive each year so try to save up for it. Cats are also very tolerant of pain, which means they will not show you that they are in pain. So keep a close eye on your kitty to make sure she doesn't show any signs of different behavior. If you go to pet your cat and she is in pain where you pet her, she will nip at you. That is a huge sign that she is hurt. When my Ginger kitty had a urinary track infection, she bolted out of the litter box, ran straight for my bathroom and hid in the shower. There was blood spots everywhere. I panicked! I was so scared for her. She was panting too. Another sign of them being in pain. I called my husband to come home right away, and we took her to the vet. She got on antibiotics and got all better. We've had our cats now for 8 years. I hope all this helps you. Please feel free to email me if you have any specific questions that you have. Enjoy your kitty! :-)

well i'm going to look stupid because i didn't realize female cats sprayed, i thought only males did that. but i will say that our male cat was neutered and he NEVER stopped spraying. he turned into an outside kitty unfortunately, and didn't last long :( it was sad but no one would take him and we figured he'd have at least a fighting chance out at my grandparents' farm. i think that if you catch them as young as possible (call the vet, i think they do it earlier and earlier now) then it will really deter it best. sometimes if they've done it for awhile, i guess they just keep doing it out of habit or something??

Male cats spray, females do not... HOWEVER you should definately get her spayed regardless. I don't know how it is where you are, but there are places here that do it for free, just to keep the stray population in check!

First, get her checked for a urinary tract infection!

The female cat may still spray, especially if she has been doing this habitually for a while. But it is worth a try, and should be spayed anyway unless you are a breeder!

We had one cat that was spayed young yet sprayed. Fortunately, the spraying was only when out in the yard. She'd smell the wheels on the car in the driveway and spray - I think because she was smelling other cats who had sprayed on them.

They are marking their territory.

Female cats can/do spray; even spayed ones, but it is much less common once they are sprayed. Our lovely cat has spayed under the crib both times we've brought our new babies home for about a month...good times. Feliway, a cat pheromone has been helpful for us.

Spayed females generally don't spray...but she needs to be spayed ASAP as long as she is over 6 months of age. Have the vet check her over and make sure she is healthy first. Also over-vaccinating any animal is being found to cause cancer, and many other diseases. I only vaccinate my dogs and cat as required by law (rabies 3 year). Check out Dr. Jean Dodds recommendations on vaccinating. She is world known...you can google her. Her recommendations are for dogs, but it stands to reason if you don't want to harm your dog by over-vaccinating, cats would be the same.

Get her spayed immediately. If she gets out, accidentally, she may come back pregnant and you do not want that. Further, it is difficult for pets to be in heat and not be able to 'relieve' it. Some behavior problems may certainly be reduced or eliminated with spaying your cat. Do not wait though. Make an appointment immediately. If she has any stones or a UTI, the vet can address that too. Also, make sure to get your cat vaccinated and clean the cat box daily.

If you are thinking that your female cat is spraying because you are seeing volumes of diluted cat pee, she could be having kidney failure. Cats are very prone to kidney issues. Take her to the vet and have some bloodwork done and I hope everything is okay.

This is something to talk to your vet about. As far as I know, the boys are the ones who actually urinate like that, but all cats have a way of marking their territory that looks similar to it. My cats (boys and girls) have gotten so they pretty well behave themselves in the house, but once in a while when they get mad at me (or each other) I have to reach for the Nature's Miracle and clean it up. There are a number of other advantages to spaying your kitty, though. Talk to your pro!

she will be less likely to have both behavior problems and health problems, a friend of mine had to put her cat down just a month ago because she didn't get her fixed and she got cancer , if she'd gotten her fixed she wouldn't have gotten breast cancer.

Any cat can spray, even fixed ones... tho they are MUCH less likely to. Getting her spayed is a great idea anyways because it prolongs their life and health, as well as makes them happier companion animals.