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Old September 9th, 2013, 07:30 PM
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sandyrivers sandyrivers is offline
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Feral male sprays inside winter shelters...

Hi everyone,

I just set up one of my winter cat shelters on my back patio during the past weekend, and I am having a problem I never had before...

The cat shelter I set up is a very large litterbox lined with wool blanket inside.
This was cleaned and washed over the weekend.

I noticed today when I lifted the top that no cat had slept in it, since the blanket was not 'crushed' as if a cat had laid there, but that a cat did go in and sprayed along the side INSIDE...

I never had this problem before. Usually they use the shelters to sleep in, but never has any cat did this...

Is it too early to set them up?
I usually do it later, around the beginning of October, but I find the nites are quite cold and taught it would be a good idea to set them up earlier...

Any idea what's going on?
Why is a cat spraying INSIDE???

thanks for your advice.

sandyrivers
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Tonali June 3rd 2007 f -cat
Elphin April 21st 2008 m -cat
Stibule(Gino,Airell,Katla,Rasta)June 6th 2009 f- cat
Gino Ferrero April 8th 2010 m -cat
Airell Awenn Awnfenn Ep Berrth April 8th 2010 f- cat
Katla Chilam Balam April 8th 2010 f- cat
Rasta Farian Marley April 9th 2010 m- cat
Chipcat-Filou found June 12th 2011 (Ocicat 6months old) f-cat
Jane the Snow Cat rescued Dec27th 2012 f- cat

Last edited by sandyrivers; September 9th, 2013 at 07:35 PM. Reason: corrections
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Old September 9th, 2013, 09:50 PM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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Maybe a cat was marking it as their shelter.
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Old September 10th, 2013, 02:00 PM
Longblades Longblades is offline
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I have never had them spray their shelters either but I guess there is always a first. I'd guess a cat IS sleeping there, or making it appear to belong to them, and it's a different cat that is doing the spraying.

Hmmm, wait. I don't put litter boxes in. I'm in a big rural area, they don't need litter boxes. Do you really need a litter box? If you do then what about putting it somewhere else, separately?
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Old September 10th, 2013, 04:04 PM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Longblades View Post
Do you really need a litter box? If you do then what about putting it somewhere else, separately?
I think maybe sandyrivers meant that she's using a large covered litter box as the actual shelter?

If so, SR, was this ever used as an actual litter box?

I have had males get in a spray war and douse the insides of shelters, as well as inside their feeding stations . Typically it was an un-neutered but owned cat that started it.
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Old September 11th, 2013, 04:07 PM
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sandyrivers sandyrivers is offline
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Hi everyone!

I am wondering if a cat would spray inside to mark the shelter as his and then sleep in it???
The alley cats do spray here and there on the walls, door, bbq etc...but to spray in it and sleep in it after???
Note that the bedding in the shelter is not patted down as if a cat slept there, nor are there any traces of cat hair or little dirty/muddy paws on the blanket.

The large covered litter box is not used as a litter!
I have been using it for 2 past winters as a shelter and never has this happened before.
Originally it was donated to me by a member of this site who lives in my area, and it was only slightly used (no scratches inside the pan).
I clean and scrub and soak my plastic shelters in hot water for a few hours, and rinse very good at the beginning of the season-now-
Obviously next weekend I will have to wash the blanket and the shelter all over again, but I am not sure if I should put it back outside right away...at the same time, it is getting cold at night and I don't want the cats to be cold...

Am I setting up my shelters too early?
I did everything the same as I have been doing for the past 6 years and now this happens!
I am confused!

sandyrivers
__________________
Helper to:
Cookie July 1st 1999 f/ RIP July 31st 2008 -cat
Tonali June 3rd 2007 f -cat
Elphin April 21st 2008 m -cat
Stibule(Gino,Airell,Katla,Rasta)June 6th 2009 f- cat
Gino Ferrero April 8th 2010 m -cat
Airell Awenn Awnfenn Ep Berrth April 8th 2010 f- cat
Katla Chilam Balam April 8th 2010 f- cat
Rasta Farian Marley April 9th 2010 m- cat
Chipcat-Filou found June 12th 2011 (Ocicat 6months old) f-cat
Jane the Snow Cat rescued Dec27th 2012 f- cat

Last edited by sandyrivers; September 11th, 2013 at 04:16 PM. Reason: add info
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