Handling Spraying Issues

Below is a set of tips you can work through alongside your veterinarian. Be sure to work with your vet throughout the process to ensure you are taking appropriate actions based on your kitty's needs.

1. Rule Out Medical Causes

• • Take your cat for a full vet check to rule out urinary tract infections, bladder crystals, constipation, GI issues, weight loss, or pain.

  • Ensure your cat is spayed/neutered if not already—intact cats are far more likely to spray. You can search your area for low cost clinics or vouchers.

  • Evaluate hydration and consider a urinary-support diet if recommended.

  • Ask your vet about arthritis checks; joint discomfort can cause avoidance of litter boxes.

2. Optimize Litter Box Setup

Litter box issues—even subtle ones—are one of the most common spraying triggers.

• • It's generally good to provide number of cats + 1 litter boxes, but when there are spraying issues it may be helpful to add or temporarily place a litter box directly in chronic spraying spots, then gradually move it once the behavior stops.

  • Use uncovered boxes—covered boxes trap odors and can feel unsafe. Door flaps can also be a barrier and cause stress if they hit the kitty on the way in or out.

  • Scoop boxes daily and completely clean out the litter box regularly. A dirty box can be a turn off.

  • Try different litters or an attractant (e.g., Dr. Elsey’s Litter Attract or canisters with attractant you can shake onto your current litter). Sometimes the cat doesn't like pellet litter and would prefer clay or vice versa. 

  • Place boxes in quiet, low-traffic areas.

3. Improve Territorial Security

Spraying often happens when a cat feels insecure about territory. Cats do not "revenge spray" due to issues with other cats, or to show you their displeasure for being gone. They spray out of anxiety, and a desire to reclaim their space or mix their scent with yours if your scent is unfamiliar due to travel etc.

Provide Acceptable Scent-Marking Options

• • Add vertical and horizontal scratchers which will help add their scent throughout the house.
  • Add more beds, cozy dens, and resting spots—especially higher up.
  • Use soft cloths to scent-swap between cats in multi-cat homes.

Eliminate Territorial Stressors

• • Block views of outdoor cats using blinds or window film.

  • Use humane outdoor deterrents (motion sprinklers, citrus scents) to reduce outside cat visits.

  • Create “ownership zones” so each cat has access to food, water, litter, and resting spots without competition.

  • If inter-cat tension exists, give your spraying cat access to a safe room for part of the day or try slowly re-introducing your cats using positive rewards.

4. Create a Predictable, Enriched Routine

Routine reduces anxiety, which reduces spraying.

• • Add daily interactive play (wand toys, chase toys).
  • Introduce puzzle feeders, scent toys, hide-and-seek treats.
  • Keep feeding, play, and quiet-time schedules consistent.
  • Spend gentle one-on-one bonding time (brushing, slow blinking, sitting nearby).
  • Cats are very sensitive to changes in environment; be mindful that changing or moving furniture and litter boxes etc. can be stressful for them and can introduce new smells that require getting used to.

5. Reclassify Sprayed Areas

Help your cat “relabel” the space as a safe, non-marking zone.

• • Place food, treats, or catnip in areas where spraying occurs; cats don't tend to spray where they eat or drink.
  • Provide alternative behaviors there, like scratch posts or resting spots.
  • Clean sprayed areas thoroughly with enzymatic cleaners.
  • Clean higher than the visible stain—cats often spray 1–2 feet above what you can see.
  • Use a UV flashlight to find hidden spray spots.

  • Some cats spray in long hallways, near entry doors, or in corners with no furniture; add scratchers, perches, or furniture to those areas

6. Reduce Anxiety and Support Emotional Well-Being

Over-the-counter calming care options (ask your vet before starting any supplement):

• • Purina Pro Plan Calming Care probiotic
  • Vetoquinol Zylkene
  • Feliway plug-ins (you may need multiple since they only cover a small area)

Prescription food and medicine options (under veterinary supervision):

• • Royal Canin Calm food
  • Royal Canin Urinary SO + Calm food
  • Hill’s c/d Multicare Stress food
  • Shen herbal formulas supplement
  • Anti-anxiety medications such as Sertraline or Prozac

Separation Anxiety Tips

• • When returning from trips, change clothes immediately when you come in and shower if the cat tends to spray directly on you.
  • Sit near your cat in neutral clothing that smells like home.
  • Gently rub a soft cloth on the cat’s cheeks and then on your hands/arms so your scents blend.
  • Place worn clothing of yours in the cat’s favorite resting spots.
  • Add extra scratchers in entry hallways and near doors or where your cat tends to spray.
  • Put a soft blanket or mat that already has the cat’s scent where you typically enter.

Other calming tools

• • Cat-safe pheromone collars
  • Calming music or white noise
  • Keeping household routines stable

7. Behavioral + Training Tools

• • Clicker training can build confidence and reduce anxiety.
  • Avoid any punishment—sprays, yelling, shooing—these worsen stress and increase spraying.
  • Watch spraying-focused episodes the My Cat from Hell series by Jackson Galaxy which covers many spraying situations
  • Try looking for tips in cat behavior Facebook groups

8. Get Extra Help When Needed

If issues persist, consider reaching out to a veterinary behavior specialist such as the Animal Behavior Wellness Center in VA. They will usually recommend the steps above, but can tailor a plan to your cat.

9. Rehoming Considerations

Rehoming a cat who sprays is extremely difficult, and we hope the steps above help avoid that. You can review our rehoming tips, though shelters and rescues are often already full and it's always best to try to help your kitty adjust in their current environment if possible.