I have an 8 year old male cat that has been neutered since he was a kitten. He has always liked to spray in the bathroom but only did this sporadically. But recently he is doing it every day. He pulls the towel down from the rail and scrunches it up to spray on it. You need to be careful which towel you dry your face on in our house!! I understand that they do this but why has he all of a sudden taken a liking to doing it daily and going to the trouble of getting himself a towel?? Any advice please xx
J2009-10-14T14:40:17Z
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Do you clean the litter box often enough? Cats do not like to have a filthy litter box. I wouldn't if I was a cat.
Any recent changes to the house dynamic? A new pet or family member? Any renovations or massive rearranging of furniture? Cats are very territorial and changes to there environment upset them. If that is the case, then you just have provide him with a feeling of safety and comfort. Give him a dedicated area, that won't change, so he can have his own space.
He may also be sick and is spraying to get attention and trying to say he's sick. Sudden behavioral problems, if no environmental change has occurred, is a sign of something being wrong. You should take him to the vet to make sure he's healthy.
You could also try making the towels and other things he sprays unreachable.
Are you absolutely positive that he was neutered correctly? Sometimes when they are neutered young, the vet can miss a key...part. If its really a problem, I would take him to the vet to have it checked out.
My guess as to why he's spraying out of the blue like that is that he senses a threat. Did you recently get a new pet? Did someone move in? Is someone visiting you a lot? He may be feeling territorial, in which case you need to take steps to make him more comfortable with this new person/animal. It's also possible that a stray cat has taken up residence in your yard, and he can smell it.
If you use BLEACH in the bathrooms or on your towels, then that could be a factor. Many cats seem to like the smell of bleach, and some say it kinda messes with their senses, perhaps it even vaguely reminds a cat of cat spray -- so they try to mark it as their own.
Some cats are neutered too late (after puberty) and will spray all their lives even though they are neutered. It is a learned behavior that can be tough to break.
Can't help but laugh at your story. Do you have another cat,does he go outside. If the answer to both is yes he is re-marking his territory. If not, then, I can't help. Sorry.