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Question

we have 5 cats all indoor. about a year ago i adopted one of these from a shelter in las vegas. he is a 10 yr old snowshoe and seems to get along with all the other cats, playing etc. just fine. however he seems to have a learned behavior of marking his territory. he is nuetered as are our other 3 males and spayed female. he is the oldest and plays with our newest arrival, 8 mos ago, a siamese who is not declawed but is so gentle and lets him play without using his claws. Now what we have tried. Feliway all their products including 2 electric units, feliway sprays and cleaners, blessing ways no spray added to water, vinegar and water. He seems to go in cycles, sometimes not spraying for weeks, then starting again. We love him to death and won't give him up, but need help from this behavior. they have 3 litter boxes and are kept clean, none of the others spray.Their food is Hills Science diet feline W/D. They all are offered milk in the AM with our breakfast and he and 2 others partake

Submitted: 26 days and 11 hours ago.
Category: Cat
Value: $9
Status: CLOSED
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Optional Information

Pet's Sex: Male
Pet's Age: 10

Already Tried:
raed my question please

Posted by Lynn 26 days and 11 hours ago.

Answer

Hi,

 

First off, I would recommend adding litter pans. A good rule of thumb is one more pan than the number of cats you have. Even if you have to line them all up in a row I would do so. Some cats will suddenly decide they don't want to urinate and defecate in the same pan, or that they don't want to go in a pan that one of the other cats just went it. Having more pans gives them more appropriate options. This works for a lot of cats, but of course not all.

 

Otherwise, it sounds like you are doing everything right. Here is a link to a page that may have some additional ideas for you:

 

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2174&aid=158

 

One other thing that works for many cats that spray is a hormone injection. Its called Depo-provera, and you will have to discuss it with your veterinarian. Some cats quit spraying altogether with one injection, others have to get them routinely. There is a slight risk of side effects though we've not had any problems when using it at the veterinary clinic I work at.

 

If you have further questions let me know. If this answer is helpful please click accept. Thank you.

 

Lynn

26 days and 11 hours ago.

Reply

in your opinion is this the ONLY solution that will work? We are traveling for the next week, but I will definitely ask our vet. The reason I am asking for more info is so I can be informed when I speak to him, as I have discussed this with him before and he was the one that said it was a learned behavior and we probably will have to live with it, so any positive result stories will help me determine if I should push it with him. Thanks again.

Accepted Answer

Hi,

 

A prescription drug is the most likely thing to work for your kitty in my opinion. You've already tried the other things that occasionally work (Feliway, spray bottles, etc.). Other than adding litter pans there really isn't anything else to try. Spraying is a very difficult problem to deal with, and is probably the reason this kitty was in a shelter to begin with. It is a learned behavior, and once they start doing it, its hard to break. There are other prescription medications that can be tried first before Depo-provera though. (I just mentioned it first because I personally know of good results with it.) Anti-anxiety medications also work for many cats- Prozac, Buspar, and Clomicalm are all some that can be used. You may want to try one of these first as the possible side effects from these are less severe. I would definitely discuss this with your vet as the effectiveness of these medications is fairly high.

 

Lynn

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Expert: Lynn
Pos. Feedback: 100.0 %
Accepts: 
Answered: 10/27/2009

Veterinary Assistant

worked at a vet clinic for 15 yrs, BA in biology, have had cats most of my life

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