Oliver began to spray when he was a year old. At first, I hoped it was cat puberty, something that he would miraculously outgrow. Needless to say, he didn't. He sprayed everywhere: the basement, the living room, against the walls, on the furniture and even on a stuffed animal. There were times when I got so angry, I actually considered having him put to sleep.

This is a common scenario - A cat that sprays. What does an owner do?

Fortunately, there are many treatment options for cats that spray. Most of them are surprisingly easy as well as inexpensive.

What is spraying?

Spraying is the elimination of urine that is:

done in a standing position (as opposed to a squatting position)
marked by the cat's backing up to the object which he/she wishes to spray and
occurring outside the desired area - typically, outside the cat's litter box

Where do cats spray?

Cats spray anywhere and everywhere. A common place is against walls, but almost anything will do. Cats that spray are not particularly choosy. A neighbor's cat once sprayed her coat. Cats spray in sinks, against piles of laundry, absolutely anywhere.

Who sprays?

Most people think its only male cats that spray. This is not true. Females also spray. Males may spray more often than females, but both are candidates. It's not fair to blame just one gender.

Why do cats spray?

That's the million dollar question. Some cats spray to mark their territory (wild cats do this). Others do it because they are anxious, or just feel irritated. Sometimes it's a combination of the three. The reason for spraying depends on the individual cat.

Before considering a treatment for spraying, all cats should be neutered. Non-neutered cats are much more likely to spray than neutered cats.

How can spraying be stopped?

Most veterinarians agree that there are three types of treatment for urine spraying - behavioral, hormonal and psychiatric. Before prescribing medication for spraying, a urine test is generally performed followed by a course of antibiotics. This is done in order to rule out any possibility of a urinary tract infection.