Do male cats spray when in heat

Is the cat urinating or spraying?

Firstly, it’s important to differentiate between true urine spraying, and inappropriate urination.  During true spraying behaviour cats stand with their tail erect, with the rear end elevated.  They may twitch the tail, pad with the hind feet, or pull a strange face before spraying a small jet of urine.  This is usually only a couple of millilitres of liquid.  Inappropriate urination is usually a normal sized urination in places other than the litter tray.

There are some problems that can cause both urine spraying and inappropriate urination, however leaving large volumes of urine in the wrong place can be a sign of more serious illness such as kidney disease or diabetes.  It’s therefore important that this doesn’t get passed off as spraying, and a more serious condition goes unintentionally ignored.

Is the cat neutered?

Spraying urine is significantly more common in un-neutered cats, both male and female.  If your cat has started spraying and is entire, you should speak to your vet about neutering.  Spraying often starts around six months of age as cats reach sexual maturity.  Spaying females and castrating males will reduce or stop spraying behaviour in up to 95% of cats!

As a Healthy Pet Club member, your cat can benefit from 20% off neutering!

Is there a medical cause of spraying?

It’s estimated that approximately 30% of cats will spray urine for medical reasons, rather than behavioural problems.

The most common medical cause of urine spraying is cystitis; which is an inflammation of the bladder.  This can be caused by bladder stones or infection but there is often no known cause in cats. There’s lots of evidence that cystitis is related to stress in cats, a syndrome known as feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD).  If left untreated male cats are at risk of urinary blockage.  This is where grit or stones obstruct the urethra, or inflammation causes it to go into spasm.  If the urethra is blocked the cat can’t pass urine, and will quickly become very sick.  This is an emergency and needs immediate veterinary intervention.

Some cats may adopt a more upright position to urinate, similar to spraying, due to pain in the hips or spine.  This can be due to a previous injury or osteoarthritis developing with age.  Other signs may be present such as reduced willingness to jump, sleeping more, and grooming excessively around the affected areas.  Joint pain can usually be identified on examination and successfully treated with pain killers.

All cats who suddenly start spraying should initially see a vet to check for an underlying cause.

Could the cat be stressed?

If no medical cause is found for spraying behaviour in a neutered cat, the most likely reason is stress.  Cats are very independent animals and don’t readily show signs of weakness; causes of stress may also not be easily apparent to us.  Common causes include:

• Disruption to the cats’ territory (such as landscaping of a nearby garden or redecorating in the home)
• A new cat moving into the area.

Spraying is primarily a territorial marking behaviour and cats are not naturally sociable animals.  Unfortunately, this means another common cause of stress is households with more than one cat.  Often conflict between individual animals is subtle to spot and doesn’t always involve direct fighting.

Ultimately, the best solution for stress-related behaviour is consultation with a specialist veterinary behaviourist.  This can be expensive but is often covered by pet insurance.  In the meantime, the following tips may help:

• Make sure all resources in the house (food bowls, water bowls, litter trays, hiding places etc.) are spaced apart, and provide one per cat plus one extra to avoid competition
• If stress could be caused by a dog or small children, give the cat a safe area away from them such as using a baby gate
• If your cat can see other strange cats outside though glass doors, consider applying an opaque cover over the lower portion
• Clean sprayed areas with a solution of biological washing powder before spraying with surgical spirit
• If feasible, move a positive item to sprayed areas such as a food bowl or favourite bed

Consider a feline pheromone diffuser such as Feliway in the area your cat spends most time (Feliway spray can also be used instead of surgical spirit). Healthy Pet Club members get 10% off Feliway products when bought from their veterinary practice.

WHY DO CATS SPRAY? WHAT DOES SPRAYING LOOK LIKE?

Cats, by nature, are typically very neat and tidy when it comes to their bathroom habits.

So if you find your feline friend away from the litter box; with their backside raised, tail quivering and marking against a wall, fence or other vertical areas, it can be a little confusing!

But, this is perfectly natural and is, in fact, ‘spraying’ - meaning your cat may be marking their territory or even leaving a message to let the opposite sex know that they’re ‘available’!

Spraying is an often-misunderstood cat behavior; it can be confused with urinating and may be done in combination with meowing and yowling; cat-speak for “I’m available for dating”!

Our kitty friends can spray for a number of reasons - such as to reduce stress, to comfort themselves, and mark their territory. This goes for both male and female cats, even after neutering or spaying. However, it’s important to look out for when your cat first starts spraying, as this is a good indicator that your kitten is now an adult!

So when can you expect your cat to start spraying, and what should you do about it?

WHEN DO CATS START SPRAYING, AND WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?

You should start to look for signs of spraying when your kitten reaches maturity. For most cats, spraying tends to start when they are 6 to 7 months old, although male cats can reach maturity between 4 to 5 months. But don’t be fooled and think that your baby female kitty is too young to have babies before they reach this age! It is not uncommon for very young cats to become pregnant, so keep watch for spraying behaviour.

Neutering or spaying

If you want to deter your cat from starting to spray, you want to consider having them neutered or spayed before they reach sexual maturity at around 4 to 5 months of age or when your veterinarian recommends the procedure.

Train your kitty before they start spraying

Don’t be fooled into thinking that a neutered or spayed cat can’t spray! Though this can deter spraying behavior, it’s still possible for all cats to spray. But teaching them good habits as they grow up can help to stop the spray! The best way to stop them getting into bad habits is to create a positive and reassuring environment to make them feel comfortable and happy during their natural development stage from kitten to adult cat. This way, your kitty will continue to urinate normally, and there will be less chance of them developing a spraying habit.

If your cat has started to spray, it’s important to always clean that area thoroughly with an enzymatic odor remover - this will deter them from returning to that spot.

Remove stress factors

If your cat has already developed a spraying habit, it might also be a sign that they’re feeling uncomfortable or stressed - or that they’re finding it difficult to adapt to any changes that may be occurring.

You can help your kitty by identifying any causes of stress; this could be something as simple as a new animal in their territory, a visitor that they don’t recognize, or changes in your home. These can all make your furry friend feel threatened or uncomfortable; so reassure them and give them lots of cuddles and attention!

Help your cat feel safe

As well as being mostly a territorial and mating behavior, spraying can be a sign that your kitty is anxious - but you can help them to feel happier.

Using FELIWAY CLASSIC Diffuser and Spray can improve your cat’s well-being, creating a calm and comfortable space, and reducing their desire to spray. The Diffuser should be used in your cat’s favorite area to help them feel relaxed.

You will know your cat feels safe when they nuzzle their cheeks and body on your legs; when they do this, they are marking their territory in a nice (and less messy) way! Though rubbing themselves on things does leave a ‘territory’ smell, it is not noticeable to humans. This is a positive sign that your pet feels happy, comfortable and safe!

There are typical signs a cat is in heat that all people in possession of an unspayed cat should know. All female cats will naturally go through a heat cycle if they have not been spayed. This heat cycle is referred to as estrous and it indicates that a cat is capable of breeding. There are a few key indications that a cat may be in heat. Knowing the typical signs a cat is in heat helps you to know what behavior can be expected and what behavior is more unusual and not related to the heat cycle at all.

What Happens When a Cat is Spayed?

An unspayed female cat is called a queen and has reproductive organs that include a uterus and ovaries. These reproductive organs go through a normal cycle, called an estrous or more commonly a heat cycle, that allows reproduction to occur. During a heat cycle in most mammals, an egg is released from the ovaries prior to breeding and this is called ovulation. But since cats are induced ovulators they don't release eggs during estrous until they breed. They do, however, still have hormonal fluctuations, along with some blood vessel engorgement, during a heat cycle that means their body is telling them it's time to breed.

Female cats naturally go into their first heat cycle at about six months of age, but it may occur anywhere between four and 12 months of age depending on a cat's breed, health, and the time of year. This first heat cycle is associated with puberty and a cat can get pregnant during any of its heat cycles, including the first one. Cats are seasonally polyestrous which means they go into heat on a seasonal schedule, typically February through October in the Northern Hemisphere.

A cat is usually in heat for about a week and if it doesn't mate, it will go out of heat and then come back into heat again a week or so later. This can occur throughout the breeding season.

Unlike a dog, cats do not show very obvious physical signs when they are in heat. Behavioral signs are more the norm for a cat.

• Vocalizing
• Urine spraying
• Attention-seeking behavior
• Demanding or pushy behavior
• Rolling on the floor
• Raising hind end into the air
• Wiggling hind end when the back spine is stroked
• Begging to go outside
• Rubbing its face on things

The first thing most people notice about a cat in heat is how much it vocalizes. Crying, meowing, and yowling are all often loudly heard from a cat in heat. These vocalizations are to get attention and let other cats know that they are in heat.

In addition to the noises, a cat in heat will also seek out attention and affection from its owner and other people. They love to be pet and stroked, especially down their backs and hindquarters. When pet, a cat in heat will often wiggle its hind end, its legs may tap dance, and its tail will be held high into the air. It may also rub its face on its owner and furniture excessively to spread its scent.

Other signs that a cat is in heat include it rolling on the floor, begging to go outside (even if it is an indoor-only cat) by scratching at the door and even spraying urine. A cat will back up to a wall or other vertical object, wiggle its hind end, and spray urine to let other cats know it is in heat. A rush in hormones during the heat cycle causes a cat to have all these exaggerated behaviors and they stop once a cat is no longer in heat.

The Spruce / Lara Antal

If you have a cat that is in heat, the attention-seeking behavior can be annoying and persistent. Breeding a cat in heat will, of course, stop the cycle but then pregnancy is likely to result which will potentially leave you with even more cats that will come into heat. Getting a cat spayed is the best way to prevent or eliminate these unwanted behaviors. This will of course also ensure the cat never goes into heat again and avoids the unwanted behaviors that go along with it. Some veterinarians will want to wait until the current heat cycle has finished due to the increased risk of surgical bleeding while others will spay a cat while actively in heat.

If you suspect your pet is sick, call your vet immediately. For health-related questions, always consult your veterinarian, as they have examined your pet, know the pet's health history, and can make the best recommendations for your pet.