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Cats/Femal Cat spraying

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Expert: - 4/28/2009


Question
We have had a male cat in our home for approximate. 3 years who has been neutered from adoption. A friend recently asked me if I would take her female cat as she had to many animals in her home. I have noticed a scent in the home prior to this just thinking it was a litter box smell when she only had 1 cat and 2 dogs at the time, but I have been told it may have been the cat spraying. I brought the cat home last night with the understanding if my Male does not accept this I will have to return it back. My fear is even though the female I just welcomed into my home is spayed, can she still spray?

Answer
Pam,

Yes, she is still capable of spraying.  However, most altered cats do not spray.  There are a myriad of reasons why a cat may be urinating outside of the litter pan.  There are medical reasons, e.g. a urinary tract infection. There may be preference reason, e.g. the type or brand of litter was changed. Sometimes dogs look at litter pans as a fun place to bother cats and eat the "candy" (cat turds), which can often drive the cat from the litter pan.

I hope you introduced them to each other correctly and provided a second litter pan, just in case the male gets territorial.

BTW, here is a link to an excellent series of articles on cat litter pan problems:

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9352/litterboxhelp.html

Also, if there is an "accident", it needs to be cleaned up with an enzyme based cleaner specifically for pet stains and pet odors (available at most pet supermarkets or farm stores).

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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