Rockys spraying again

[lindapalm]

I posted last summer about our male cat that was spraying on everything. After vet consults and two hundred dollars worth of Feliways, we were fortunate enough to have my mother in law take Rocky, she only has one cat, a female. We later found out that another of our cats was also marking, so he is living in one of our spare bedrooms, probably forever. Rocky was doing great at my in laws, but now he is spraying again and ruining everything. I want to get his shots up to date and make him an inside/outside cat at our house, and let him in at night. If he sprays, he sleeps in the gargage at night. My husband says that would be cruel, and wants to put him to sleep, as we are out of options. I swore I would never have a cat live outside, but I feel at least he would have a life, rather than being pts., I see no alternative, does anyone have any ideas, I'm desperate as to what to do.

[catlover2]

I can't find your previous posts about Rocky and don't remember him. Can you give us some background on him? When and where you got him? how old he is? is he neutered or not, what age neutered? relationship with other cats in your house? when did he first started spraying? what were his triggers? what is his temperament like--laidback, fussbudget, dominant?

[kathryn]

Yes, more background would be great The main thing I think of is if it was a learned behaviour prior to being neutered (i.e. he was neutered later in life), it takes some training to get them to knock it off.

[lindapalm]

Rocky is ten years old, I got him and a littermate from a girl who had the mother. After she gave birth she started killing/eating the kittens. The owner managed to get the last two away, and I raised them since they were 12 hrs old. We adopted one out and kept Rocky, he was neutered at about 4-6 months old. Unfortunately, over the years I have found seven more, at various parking lots at restaurants, ditches, etc. Last summer there was a tremendous amount of stress in my house, and a cat overload, which both were to blame, I feel. The two or three times Rocky snuck outside, before we could catch up to him he would spray on the bushes, and I think that was the start. We tried to isolate him in a large pen for awhile, hoping that would help. Once things calmed down in our house, after having Feliways plugged in for a month, we tried reintroducing him into the house again. No luck. We then gave him to my 84 year old mother in law, who has one female cat. It can't get any more laid back than her house. He was vet checked, and although they found nothing, they put him on antibiotics anyway. He was great for a couple of months, and now he is ruining everything in her house. I can't let her get stuck with him, and like I said, I have a second sprayer in our only spare room, which he will probably live there forever. I hate the idea of letting him be an outside cat, but also hate my husbands idea of putting him to sleep. The cat in our spare room was put on amitryptlene to see if it would help his spraying, it didn't, plus I don't think my mother in law would be capable of giving Rocky a pill everyday.

[catlover2]

Oh dear, this is a tough situation you're in with Rocky. He didn't get the best start with having a cannibalistic mom, did he. A friend of mine had a queen that did the same thing with her kittens. When she chewed off the umbilical cords, just kept on eating, and to my friend's horror almost ate her whole litter. She was able to save one kitten, and fortunately had another queen nursing a litter that fostered the kitten. This sort of thing happens tho it's fairly rare. Sorry

What to do with Rocky's spraying? Unfortunately it isn't a health matter, but a behavioural one. He was neutered at the right time, probably before he started spraying, so it wasn't like he had an ingrained habit of it. Unfortunately, quite a few male cats are sprayers, though I have known some stud cats who never sprayed. I have had sprayers (all male, mostly neutered) who sprayed just out of enjoyment of it, to mark territory, to show dominance or to attract my attention. At the time I lived on a property, houses on both sides and across the street, but with 10 acres of field at the back of the property. I did let my sprayers go outside where they really enjoyed hunting in the fields, but they mostly always came in at night. They did spray very little in the house in the nice weather when they had access to outside, but they sprayed more in cold winter days. Some guys are just sprayers and it seems no amount of behavioural modification can change it. After a few bad experiences with my indoor/outdoor cats, I don't let them go outside any more on their own. (one old cat got mauled by two dogs and he died shortly afterward in spite of being fixed up with a plate in it's shattered hind leg---the stress of it all caused him to have a heart attack at age 17). The same cat at one time disappeared for 3 weeks and then returned. When I was into breeding, I walked my stud cats on a harness and they rarely sprayed unless one of my girls came into heat, but did have to be confined to my "cattery room" rather than given full house freedom. It's a very hard decision for sure. Even if Rocky were an indoor/outdoor cat, he would probably still occasionally spay inside. Unfortunately, a lot of cats, mostly males, get euthanized because of habitual spraying, but I don't think a cat should be put down for that reason. One solution would be to build an outdoor pen for him if you don't want him roaming and to keep him safe. Or, try to find some kind of animal sanctuary for him to spend his remaining years. Or you might try walking him on a harness and let him go where he wants and spray to his heart's content. My studs enjoyed a daily walk around the perimeter of our property to do that. Sorry I can't be more hopeful or helpful.

[lindapalm]

We have a 4x6 pen in a garage out back, which Rocky spent a couple of months in last year. I don't like the idea of him living in a cage, but he's probably going to have to go back there till I can figure out what to do with him, possibly forever. I know he would love being an outdoor cat, but I don't know if he would stick around, and if I let him in at night, I feel he would still spray, like you said yours did. I wish someone had a santuary like you said, or possibly if someone had no other cats he might be fine, but their impossible to find. Thanks for the response.

[catlover2]

I don't know anything about any of these, but I did find these links to sanctuaries in Canada. Are you in Canada?

http://www.petfriendly.ca/links/petorg.php

Here's another: http://www.catsanonymous.ca/

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/TN555.html (this one is in Nashville, TN)

[kathryn]

I have a cat who poops on the floor out of spite. His issue is he wants to be the only cat.

I have consulted with animal communicator, Dr. Liz Severino and she has been very helpful. She suggested I look into flower essences. I guess it might sound crazy, but she's hit the nail on the head several times so far.

Check into Bach flower remedies... might help you out? I am going to be trying it for my bad kitty...

[chico2]

Lindapalm,My Rocky was spraying for years and I later found out he was not the only one of my 3 male cats who did this.
He has ruined the look of several pieces of furniture,we took out all our carpeting,replaced it with very durable laminate floor,laminate does not stain like hardwood.
I used Feli-Way(bought off E-Bay)for a couple of years and it helped.
I then realized it was a neighborhood cat in "his"backyard getting him excited and spraying.
The Calico that used to come here,does so no more.beautiful girl,so everything has been great for a couple of months.
My cats come outside with us every day and do their spraying then,but luckily no more in the house.

Putting your Rocky in a pen in the garage,I would consider animal-abuse.
What catlover2 meant,build a safe pen for him outside,not in the garage.

[lindapalm]

catlover2, those sanctuaries sound really nice, unfortunately I live in New York, about an hour outside of Buffalo, I doubt they would take Rocky. Kathryn, where do you get the Bach flower remedies from, I will try anything right now. Chico, I'm tempted to let Rocky out when were outside, but don't know if he would stay around us so that we could take him back in, plus I would guess he would spray again once he got inside. I don't want to leave him out at night, either. The 4x6 cage in our back garage is in front of an open garage door and window during the day, and closed at night. Its two levels, and has benches and stools to jump and sleep on. Its not where I want Rocky to live, but it looks like he'll have to until I can figure what else to do. .

[Love4himies]

Can he be trained on a leash and harness? I have to allow Jasper outside when he gets antsy because there is a stray male (probably unaltered ) around, otherwise he will spray my couches. Once he has sprayed his "territory" he settles down and won't do it inside.

[chico2]

L4H,that's the way with my cats,now in the summer,we are outside a lot and they get very busy marking their backyard
Linda,I don't know how many times over the years hubby has said"we got to get rid of that cat"after we find a puddle,but he also knows that will never happen,I've had Rocky since he was a wee kitten and he's my responsibility.
I would not get rid of him anymore than I would a son that's a bed-wetter.
We live in an old house and I simply close the door to a room,if I want to protect furniture.
They've never sprayed on couches or beds,but against a wall or a door.
Luckily after all the years of spraying,nobody sprays anymore,which is like a dream come true

I know it's very,very frustrating and I hope you and Rocky can figure something out

A question,why would the vet give him meds,as far as I know,no meds can stop a cat from spraying,unless there is a medical problem.
Maybe it's calming meds??

[lindapalm]

Love4himies, the harness might be worth a try. Maybe if he sprays a couple of times outside, he'll be content inside. I doubt it, that would be too easy, but its definately worth a try. Chico, our vet gave our other sprayer Amitryptlene, supposedly to calm him down, I guess, which would supposedly make him stop spraying. He didn't need calming, he is a VERY laid back cat, and the pills didn't work. The vet wanted to try Prozac next, but I figured if one didn't do anything, why would another. They might work on Rocky, though, cause he is VERY hyper. I have to get him back from my mother in law, and try the harness thing first, then maybe pills, I don't know. You were very lucky yours didn't spray on furniture, just doors. Mine have sprayed on two couches, pillows, rugs, doors,one bed, two recliners, and three patio chairs. Also on pictures of family members that were on a bookcase, but I didn't care about that cause I couldn't stand the people anyhow, I enjoyed that spray.

[14+kitties]

I think I mentioned in your other thread last year that I felt the perfect solution for Rocky would be an outdoor sanctuary. It does not have to be huge. Just a place where he can be by himself with a little room to roam. He sounds like he is a stress sprayer. He gets stressed and he sprays to release some of it. It's not going to stop. Whenever something upsets him he will do it. I have a couple that spray in the catuary.
Here is a great site for you to check out.
http://www.catsofaustralia.com/cat-enclosures.htm

I bet you could make a couple of those that are shown or even something simpler for a reasonable price. Our little cat house was not that expensive to build. Rocky would not need one that big. If he gets along with the other sprayer in the house then let them share a space of their own. Just my

I am adding a couple of sites for you for little shelters you can build inside the sanctuary for them if you chose to go this way......

http://www.indyferal.org/index.php?page=shelters

http://www.pacthumanesociety.org/core/WinterShelter.htm

http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/HOW_...WINTER_SHELTER

The third one is what our shelters in the small enclosures are loosely based on.

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by lindapalm

Love4himies, the harness might be worth a try. Maybe if he sprays a couple of times outside, he'll be content inside. I doubt it, that would be too easy, but its definately worth a try. Chico, our vet gave our other sprayer Amitryptlene, supposedly to calm him down, I guess, which would supposedly make him stop spraying. He didn't need calming, he is a VERY laid back cat, and the pills didn't work. The vet wanted to try Prozac next, but I figured if one didn't do anything, why would another. They might work on Rocky, though, cause he is VERY hyper. I have to get him back from my mother in law, and try the harness thing first, then maybe pills, I don't know. You were very lucky yours didn't spray on furniture, just doors. Mine have sprayed on two couches, pillows, rugs, doors,one bed, two recliners, and three patio chairs. Also on pictures of family members that were on a bookcase, but I didn't care about that cause I couldn't stand the people anyhow, I enjoyed that spray.

Jasper is the same way, he gets himself worked up in a tither if he can't get outside to spray and like your cat, he only did furniture . He also needs to climb a tree or two to get out his energy.

I tried Amitriptyline on Sweet Pea and it made her aggressive, rather than what it was suppose to do .

[lindapalm]

14+kitties, after looking at the site you sent about the screened enclosures, I'm wondering if we could take Rockys 4x6 enclosure and attach it to our back garage, and have a flap so he could go in the garage, or outside in the enclosure when he wanted to. The only problem would be how to keep him from running out the garage door when my husband pulls out the lawnmower. I'm sure my husband will think its a dumb idea, but it might grow on him. I'm also going to get a harness, I think he'll still spray when he comes inside, but I'll try it a couple of times and see. I wish I had another bedroom, got our only spare room occupied by our other sprayer. I'll have to start playing the lottery so I can buy a bigger house so each bad boy can have his own room.