How do you get a male cat to stop spraying?

[Mutley]

He is a male 3 year-old, neutered, orange tabby who has a bad spraying problem. He sprays everything. If I can't find a way to make him stop I will need to find him a new home.

[david13]

1. Generally, I don't think you can. Once they start, they never stop.

That is why it is important to get them neutralized prior to their starting.
However, I would like to see some others here who can offer better advice that would allow you to keep this cat.
dc

[david13]

2. I am glad to see some good responses in lounge. dc

[Jersey Devil]

5. Not my experience

We adopted a male cat who was spraying, had him neutered and it stopped immediately. He was less then a year old at the time so perhaps you are right if the cat is older but it worked for us.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. First thing is to get him to a vet, be sure there's no physical problems.

After that, address behavioral issues. Cats are highly territorial; is he competing with other cats for territory? Are there any new pets/people in the home, or other recent disruptions? It's true that cats neutered after puberty are more likely to keep spraying, but it isn't hopeless. Get rid of everything he's sprayed, if possible; if not, clean it thoroughly with an enzyme product. Try keeping him in a small area like a bathroom with his litter box and food so he remembers what the litter box is for. I once had a cat who wasn't neutered until he was over a year old, and at some point he started spraying here and there, and the confinement treatment -- about a week in the bathroom with food, litter and frequent visits -- worked. He behaved well after that for a very long time -- he lived to be 21.

[glinda]

8. impacted anal glands comes to mind also

[roody]

4. Is there another male around that he is trying to compete with?

[Blue Gardener]

6. I stopped my 3-year old cat from spraying

A squirt from a water bottle every time he even thought of it seemed to do the trick. I cleaned everything he sprayed with the enzyme product to neutralize the odor. It took maybe a couple of weeks of training. He's fine now.

[badgerpup]

7. It may be behavioral...

...spraying isn't always a case of "I gotta pee".
It's marking territory and leaving messages, and your guy may feel threatened enough by something so that he feels he has to go constantly around leaving This belongs to ME! tags on everything.

Do talk to your vet. What does he 'mark'...certain walls, chairs, something that may carry somebody else's scent?
Try to get into his furry little head and think like a cat (it's damn difficult- I KNOW! :banghead:)...what is he telling you? Because he IS telling you something...just it's damn difficult to figure out whatthehell it is!

Case in point: my Wimsey had a habit of inappropriate peeing. He was definitely not spraying to mark territory, he wasn't standing when he did it. Obvious squat-n-whizz...and sometimes it seemed he would wait until I was looking RIGHT at him before doing so. Other times I'd just find the 'treated' articles...usually clothing.

Wimsey was telling me something...and I finally realized it was that "We really need another litter box, mm'K?"
Even though it's a pretty big one, and was being scooped daily, one litter box is NOT enough for four cats. :hide:
Got a second litter box, placed beside the first and TA DA! No more inappropriate peeing.

Procured a third one the same day I brought D'Artagnan home. All the pee and doots land in the litter boxes- nobody's been doing their business outside of them. They seem to enjoy having a choice of which box to use.