Do Female Cats Spray?

Why Do Cats Spray?

As a cat owner, you may have wondered, “do female cats spray”? Of course, you probably already know that male cats spray to mark their territory. But not everybody knows that; yes, female cats spraying does happen too. 

Female cat spraying is often a response to an environmental trigger that makes the cat more likely to get anxious. A good trigger example is when outdoor cats start prowling around your property. As a result, your cat could become insecure about its territory; hence, the cat spray occurs. 

What is Cat Urine Spraying?

Cat urine spraying is a behavior that serves as the first line of self-defense for your female cat. Your cat has to use urine to spray with because it has a potent smell that other cats can readily detect. As a result, your cat is sending out this message: “This is my turf, so back off!”.

If you have ever smelled cat urine (cat pee), you will know that only a cat with no sense of smell would ignore the cat spray. However, anyone new to cat care may wonder, “what does a cat spray smell like?”. Cat spray is urine that the cat forces out of its urethra as a spray towards a wall, furniture, or even trees and plants in the vicinity.

Your problem with cat spraying is that it does smell to high heaven and will often be done in areas that you like to rest in or often occupy, such as your living room. This can be embarrassing for you if visitors drop by because they might think you rarely clean.

Why Do Female Cats Spray Urine?

You are probably wondering, “why do girl cats spray?”. The quick answer is that a female cat will spray because it feels insecure about its status within its territory. A cat that used to be a peaceful presence in your home may suddenly resort to cat spraying when its usual routine is suddenly interrupted.

Also, your female cat may be spraying if it wants to mate with a male cat. Again, this means your girl cat will spray urine around its turf in its bid to find a suitable and willing tomcat. In the same manner, your female cat may go out of its way to find the territory of a tomcat by smelling the tomcat’s urine sprayed around the community.

A less popular reason that a female cat will try cat spraying is if it feels ill or has some kind of medical problem. And of course, if you’re having work done inside or on your home, your cat may feel stressed by the presence of the workers, so it will release cat spray.

Your cat needs to use urine because of the potent smell it leaves on surfaces. Can you imagine the smell if the cat only used something less smelly, such as its saliva? Yes, that’s right. There would be no smell.

black cat

The Causes of Cat Spraying

Why do female cats spray? It’s a survival mechanism to warn aggressive cats that they already own the place. However, there are other reasons for cat spraying.

Let’s look at this in closer detail:

Arrival of Strangers in Your Home

One common reason behind signs of cat spraying is that you may have strangers visiting you at the time. Your cat may become anxious that these strangers may be a threat to it. So, your cat will respond as it would to stray cats by spraying on surfaces with its urine.

Birth of a New Baby

If your female cat used to be the “baby” in the family, it might react negatively when someone in your home gives birth to a human baby. If the cat doesn’t receive some kind of reassurance from you (its parent), it may resort to spraying because of the anxiety caused by the new baby’s presence.

cat and a baby

Adoption of a New Pet

Just like with a human baby, the arrival of a new pet in the family can be concerning for your female cat. If your cat is territorial, it may become hostile towards the new pet. If you are unsure and ask yourself, “when do cats start spraying” you should observe your female cat closely to spot the new behavior.

How to Stop Your Cat from Spraying

You would think that female cats are less troublesome than their male counterparts. That’s why the common question used to be, “how to stop male cats from spraying?”. But now, the common query may be “how do female cats spray?”.

If you want to stop cat spraying, it is imperative to identify the trigger first. Usually, it’s because something or someone new arrived that your cat considers a threat.

Second, you must try to create space between the new thing, person, or pet and your cat. One way is to designate a particular area where your cat can hold court (being the queen of the house, after all.) A spare room in the house would be ideal for this. You may also create a small “cat house” in your backyard where your cat can stay by itself.

Third, reassure your pet cat that she is still a loved one in the family. This may mean giving treats regularly and spending quality time with her. Keep to the usual schedule of feeding and changing the kitty litter. This will soothe your cat’s frazzled nerves so that there will be less cat spraying. You should also put the cat’s bed and cat tree near her for her regular use.

Fourth, clean up the area where cat spray is evident. This means using a simple solution of detergent powder and water. Then, with a sponge, wipe away the cat spray until you can’t see or smell it anymore. If necessary, use baking soda, too. Ideally, you should remove cat spray right away to avoid staining absorbent surfaces like wallpaper or your living room couch.

baking soda

Fifth, you may consult a cat behaviorist if it seems like the cat spraying will continue indefinitely. The cat behaviorist will explain to you why do cats spray and when do cats start spraying. If you have other fears, such as “do female cats spray urine?”, “do female cats spray when in heat?” or perhaps “why do female cats spray after they are fixed?” the cat behaviorist can also help with that.

Do Spayed Female Cats Still Spray?

This is kind of a tricky question to answer because there are indeed female cats that will still resort to cat spraying even after they are spayed. But most of the time, a female cat that is “fixed” will become calmer and less likely to spray.

You can consult your vet about “do fixed female cats spray?” before agreeing to the spaying. This allows your vet to line up for you your options when it comes to the welfare of your female cat. 

Usually, though, a female cat will recover well from its surgery and refrain from cat spraying (unless something happens to make it feel anxious and threatened again). If this occurs, you should bring up the problem with the vet, who might have other solutions to the cat spraying.

Conclusion

If you have ever encountered neutered cat spraying, then you understand that spaying your female cat comes with no guarantees. This may mean, though, that your spayed female cat will just be less anxious, so it can lead a calmer life. However, if cat spraying continues, you may have to search for a better solution.

Cat spraying is vital for cats anywhere since this is the way they can express their anxiety or sexual urges. You would have to be a cat to fully understand how and why they do this. 

Fortunately, veterinary science has advanced so much that you can always opt to have your female cats spayed. That way, you will not get anxious over how you can stop your female cat from spraying urine all over your house and even in your backyard. Of course, you will need a vet’s advice again if the cat spraying continues despite the spay surgery.

2 thoughts on “Do Female Cats Spray?”

Comments are closed.

Groomers' Land