Why Do Cats Spray?

Cats spraying urine is a common yet frustrating problem for many pet parents, especially those with multiple cats. Understanding the reasons behind this behavior and implementing the right prevention and cleaning strategies can help you curb your cat's spraying and maintain an odor-free home.

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Main takeaways

• Cats spray by standing up, lifting their tail, and spraying a stream of urine behind them, usually a smaller amount than what they leave behind after peeing in the litter box.

• Spraying is a normal behavior and can happen for various reasons, including being territorial, stress and anxiety, medical issues, or hormonal factors.

• You can prevent this behavior by decreasing the presence of their triggers, like stress.

What is cat spraying?

Cat spraying is different from simply emptying the bladder of urine. Cat spraying typically occurs with the cat standing up, lifting their tail straight up (often with the tail quivering), and spraying a stream of urine behind it, usually (but not always) on a vertical surface. Sprayed urine will usually smell particularly pungent, and the amount is often smaller than when a cat squats to pee (usually on a horizontal surface) and empty their bladder.  

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What Are Cat Pheromones and How Do They Work?

Communication is key, and pheromones are your cat’s version of DMs.

Why do cats spray?

Urine spraying by cats is a normal part of the cat behavior repertoire, but it’s a behavior that most cat parents would prefer not happen in the house. Why cats spray comes down to a few different reasons, and it’s important to understand why your cat is spraying so that you can find the proper solution to your specific situation.

Territorial marking and communication

Cats leave urine around their territory to communicate their presence to other cats. This may signal to other cats that the resources in the territory are already claimed, and to keep moving along.  

Stress and anxiety

If a cat feels that their resources or safety are threatened by other cats (especially in multi-cat homes), that can cause stress and anxiety. Cats who are stressed may spray in a manner similar to territorial marking, but it’s also thought that sometimes cats will use urine spray to help self-sooth; i.e., surround themselves with their own scent to help them feel more secure in their territory.

Medical issues

Spraying has also been associated with feline lower urinary tract disorders (FLUTD) in cats. Cats who have underlying medical issues may also be experiencing pain or discomfort, which can increase stress, and therefore, spraying.  

Hormonal factors in intact cats

Male cats who have not been neutered and female cats who have not been spayed will spray urine to let cats of the opposite sex know that they are available for mating. The pheromones in urine communicate this message, which can be smelled by cats from a considerable distance.

How to stop a cat from spraying indoors

While spraying is a normal cat behavior, having our home smell like cat pee is something that most cat parents fear. Once we know why our kitty is spraying, we can use some specific strategies to help a cat stop spraying inside the home.

Identifying triggers

There are many triggers that can set cats off and cause them to spray: the presence of outdoor cats, unfamiliar scents coming into the home, a new baby or pet addition to the family, visitors to the home, and even minor changes like rearranging furniture can impact some cats. The important thing is that, once a trigger has been identified, you use that information to either prevent the trigger or acclimate the cat to the trigger gradually (i.e., use a desensitization process to help the cat understand that the trigger is not a threat).

Spaying or neutering cats

Get your cats spayed and neutered! This r esolves spraying in 90 percent of neutered male cats and 95 percent of spayed female cats.  

Providing space for each cat

Kitties in multi-cat homes are more likely to spray than in single-cat homes. So, make sure that all resources (like food and water stations, litter boxes, scratchers, bedding, perches, and toys, etc.) are repeated throughout the their territories so that everyone has free access to what they need. Adding vertical space to your home can also dramatically increase the amount of useable space for cats, allowing for “time-sharing” between cats who may not get along so well.

Reducing stress

Giving your kitty opportunities to actually be a cat will help reduce stress; make sure that you play with your cat to give them hunting experiences and that you provide them with ample options for scratching, resting, and perching. If there’s an inter-cat relationship that has gone south in the home, work on repairing that. 

And that dirty litter box? Scoop it at least once a day and make sure to scrub it out every few weeks and replace the litter entirely. And please, avoid punishing your cat — that will just cause more stress and is largely ineffective anyway. Lastly, your cat may need an anti-anxiety medication if the above suggestions don’t work completely, so talk with your veterinarian about what options are best for your kitty.

Pheromone diffusers and sprays

Pheromones are chemicals that convey information about one animal to another, and can affect behavior and emotion. Diffusers and sprays that contain the F3 fraction of feline facial pheromones can help cats feel more comfortable in their territory and some cats can experience calming from these pheromones as well. It’s thought that the presence of this pheromone basically tells the cat, “Nope, you’ve already marked here, no need to pee to leave your scent.”

Addressing any underlying medical issues

Any cat who starts spraying should be examined by a veterinarian to rule out injuries or medical issues that may be causing stress or pain; in particular, management of FLUTD should be a priority if your cat is diagnosed with lower urinary tract infections or disfunction.

Related article

Why Does My Cat’s Pee Smell So Bad? Cat-Urine Odor Explained

Cat pee already has an unpleasant odor. But if it gets worse, you’re going to need to do something about it.

How to remove cat pee smell

Cat urine is, of course, one of the most noxious substances on the planet. Anyone who has had a cat pee on carpet or furniture has likely struggled with trying to get the odor out of those soft surfaces. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Thorough cleaning to prevent re-marking

Getting the scent out of soft fabrics or off of hard surfaces is key to preventing re-marking; when cats smell urine, they are more likely to remark the area, whether they initially left the mark themselves or if it’s a different cat in the household. 

Avoid ammonia-based cleaners

Because ammonia is present in urine, and cats will remark over things that smell like urine, you want to avoid ammonia-based cleaners. Cats also don’t like strong scents like citrus, vinegar, and bleach, so avoid using cleaners with those scents — cats will often urinate on top of those scents, too!

Enzymatic cleaners to break down odors

The best type of cleaner you can use to remove cat pee smell is an enzyme cleaner — the beneficial enzymes in the cleaner will break down those urine crystals and prevent them from causing bad odors. Be careful, though: If you’ve used soap or detergent on the surface before (particularly soft surfaces), rinse thoroughly before applying the enzyme cleaner. Otherwise, those soaps could kill the beneficial enzymes, making the cleaner less effective.  

Removing cat spray odor from carpets, furniture, and fabrics

Be sure to read the label on your chosen enzyme cleaner when it comes to removing urine from carpets, furniture, and fabrics, and always test the cleaner first on a small part of the surface that can’t be seen to make sure the cleaner won’t stain the fabric. 

With most enzyme cleaners, it’s best to blot up any liquid urine still present, then saturate the surface with the enzyme cleanerer. Let soak for up to 20 minutes, then blot out the excess liquid and let it air dry. You may have to reapply the cleaner a second time. But not all cleaners are the same, so make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

FAQs

What are cat pheromones?

Cat pheromones are chemicals that cats use to communicate with each other, and cause the receiving kitty to act accordingly. Cats have pheromones used to mark territory, find mates, and calm their kittens down. Synthetic cat pheromones can be purchased to help your cat feel calmer and reduce urine-marking behavior.  

How to remove smell of cat pee from carpet?

The best way to remove pee smell from carpet is with an enzymatic cleaner, which breaks down odor-causing urine crystals.  Blot up any remaining liquid urine, saturate the area with enzyme cleaner, let soak for up to 20 minutes, then blot up excess liquid and let air-dry.  Not all enzyme cleaners are the same though, so make sure you read the manufacturer’s instructions.

Why is my fixed cat spraying?

Your spayed or neutered cat may be spraying for many reasons, including to mark territory, find a potential mate, an underlying medical issue, or stress or anxiety. It’s important to rule out medical reasons for spraying first, then determine why your cat is spraying based on your home environment and the cat’s resources.

References

• Landsberg, Gary. Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat, 3rd Edition. New York: Saunders. 2012.

• Mills, Daniel S., et al. “A Meta-Analysis of Studies of Treatments for Feline Urine Spraying.” PLoS ONE, vol. 6, no. 4, 15 Apr. 2011, p. e18448, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0018448. Accessed 10 Dec. 2019.

• Washington, Alycia. “What Are Cat Pheromones and How Do They Work?” Kinship.com, 2023, www.kinship.com/cat-health/cat-pheromone. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.