May have to rehome Dave due to spraying - please advise!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

whispers .......thats great 

[lilycat]

I started using the 'Get Off' on Sunday and so far so good 

I'm keeping my fingers and everything crossed....

[Dawn F]

I know that vicki Halls charges £250 which funnily enough is exactly the amount most insurance policies will pay up to!

[Gillian Harvey]

Cat spraying is a really embarrassing subject so it's hard to bring up...it's like saying "Hi everyone, my name's Liz and my house smells of cat pee...anyone for coffee?" 

 

As well as the other good suggestions, you might want to think about homeopathic remedies, alongside any behavioural techniques. I had some really good results with my Harry, who is a sprayer. He still does it to a degree, but nowhere near as often as he used to, and in fact he stopped for ages after the remedy. Sadly, now Jasper's arrived, Jasper is king of the sprayers, so think I'm off to see my homeopathic vet again!

[Millys Mum]

I'll also try to find a behaviourist in my area [Derby],

Ask your vet and he can refer you to one. Many will only be seen after a vet to rule out any physical problems like crystals.

[lilycat]

Well, I've been down to PAH this morning and I've got some 'Get Off'...I'm trying it in one of his favourite spraying areas which is on top of the washing machine - I've had the machine out, absolutely cleaned it within an inch of its life, I've done the whole of the surrounding area as well [tiles & floor] so now the Get Off has been applied I'm keeping my fingers well and truly crossed!

I've also brought two of the litter trays up nearer the house - they're under a bit of dense overhanging plant cover at the side of the patio so they're near the house but shouldn't get wet if it rains; he might prefer a litter tray there...it's worth a try. If he's in the garden he's always under or behind  some plant cover.

  for all the suggestions, it's made me feel a bit more hopeful. Cat spraying is a really embarrassing subject so it's hard to bring up...it's like saying "Hi everyone, my name's Liz and my house smells of cat pee...anyone for coffee?" 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

re seeing a behavourist - you could try ringing these people

http://www.naturallypets.co.uk/

I can't provide a personal recommendation, but someone on another forum contacted them about a problem she was having with her 2 cats (she took in a stray who didn't get on with her resident cat).  She spoke to someone on the phone who discussed the problem with her and arranged for a home visit.  After the home visit she received a write up of the meeting and a copy of the treatment plan (discussed at the visit) plus as much ongoing support by telephone as needed.  The cost was £130.  She was very pleased and found the problem started to improve immediately.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Wizz is a behaviourist and she is in Sheffield..............I know she gives advice over the phone but I would think that one really needs to come to your house and see Dave on his own patch. Sometimes they can come up with some minor thing that is causing the problem.

Does your vet know of anyone good? I know that my insurance will pay for something towards a behaviourist but to be honest I have no idea how much they cost.

[Mark]

I used get off and it stained my carpet. I have ongoing problems with willow and really stuck as we love her to bits but beginning to accept that she isn't happy and needs to be the only cat somewhere else.

[lilycat]

I've seen 'Get Off' in PAH but assumed it was just for use in the garden - I'll pop down tomorrow and have another look, ta for that idea ladies 

I'll also try to find a behaviourist in my area [Derby], it'd be great to think that we could get Dave would get to the stage where he feels comfortable and chilled out. And it'd be nice for me to come home and sit down without having to do a 'cat-pee sweep' of the house 

The shelf unit I was talking about in my first [slightly desperate] post, has been thoroughly cleaned - fortunately it's a metal one - I've moved it more into the open and have put a cat bed on the bottom shelf! Dave is now soundly asleep on it as opposed to peeing all over it     

[CurlyCatz]

newly washed bedding etc

That could be something in that, if he were very stressed then he'd do it just as much whether it was washed or unwashed stuff, but if he ALWAYS does it on new washed stuff then to me that is more like stamping his mark so he could be dominant rather than stressed.

how old was he when he was neutered AND did he definately have both testicles removed, no chance there was an undesended one ?

My cody is always worst when the duvet or cover has just been washed    He doesnt spray just pee's on connor and sometimes anya duvet and its definately an attachment/bond/territory thing with him as he's very attached to my son.  Also the laminate was probably cleaned better with less smell remaining which is why it made the problem worse.

Ela once posted something about a device that gave out an alarm and or spray of mist when a cat came close, perhaps she could post that link and you could see if that would be any use in the target areas.

[Gwen]

Have you tried 'Get Off'?  You can buy it from pets at home and I used it to train Kaiser with his strange toileting habits (he liked to poo in water  ).  Its also listed as helping with spraying too.

I can vouch for this product too as it worked wonders when my bridge babe Pwt in her elderly years went through a fase of peeing wherever she wanted,a spray of this stuff where she did and she didnt go back there

[Millys Mum]

If its stress then confining him could make him worse. If it were me i would consult a behaviourist before rehoming as that has to be the last resort.
They can often work wonders for cat familys in distress. Worth the money imo.

[Linda (Bengalbabe)]

Have you tried 'Get Off'?  You can buy it from pets at home and I used it to train Kaiser with his strange toileting habits (he liked to poo in water  ).  Its also listed as helping with spraying too.

[lilycat]

Hi Angie, I haven't tried confining him - how long is this usually done for? How is the best way to go about it, how many hours for etc?

I'd try it but I'm assuming that it would be a temporary thing to try breaking his habit? More details please!!! 

I appreciate what you're saying about his age and whatnot, and I really don't want him to go...he's a sod at times but I've had him 9 years and I've gotten attached to the little dude  . Obviously though, him spraying everywhere is getting me down and is less than ideal.   

[Angiew]

bring a tray indoors. Confine him to certain areas of the house.
TBH, you are going to find it very difficult to re home a 9 year old cat who sprays - however affectionate he may be.

[lilycat]

I know he'd be happier as an only cat and I don't think for one minute he'd pine or anything but I hate the thought of him stuck in a cat pen for however long it takes to find him a home; also, his age may go against him although he's perfectly healthy.

The only one of my others he's been overtly agressive with is Humphrey, who is the one in charge. Dave will wait until H is asleep and then just attack him for no reason. He doesn't do it often and it's over in a flash but I can tell he's not playing when he does it; when Humphrey's awake, Dave would never dream of having a go at him and is quite submissive.

I think I may have to make some enquiries with the CP but I won't rush into anything. Does anyone think it may help if [I know this sounds mad] I kept the house very clean and tidy? I'm not meaning to imply that I live in a tip  but Dave does seem to make a b-line for newly washed bedding etc and I was wondering if a daily household hoover and surface wipe down might help? At present it's a once a week job. I feel as if I sound like I'm grasping at straws a bit now..

He was still spraying when the litter trays were kept indoors.

Oh, and I forgot... we even tried putting Laminate down in the living room but I actually think the problem got worse then.   

[Millys Mum]

Try a tray or two in the house, he may appear happy with the loo shed but isnt really. Whats his behaviour like with the other cats?

I agree with what Ela says too if nothing will help him.

Would your vet refer you to a behaviourist?

[Ela]

Sadly sometimes the only solution is to re-home a cat like this to somewhere where there are no other cat.

[lilycat]

Good idea Lynn,

So far I've tried:

Feliway  - Spray and Diffuser......Banning bleach in the house......Distraction when the tail goes up.....Simple Solution......Not shouting at him.....Cleaning the areas with washing powder soluton.....wiping his cheek with a damp cloth and then wiping it onto likely targets.....encouraging him when he scent marks with his cheek.....praise if he sprays up the fence outside.....putting a cat bed in a problem area - I clean it [the area] thoroughly and then put a bed there, the spraying stops in the area but begins again once the bed is removed.....and I've had him checked for any medical problem, he's fine.

I can't think of anything else at the moment - I think that's everything really   

[lilycat]

Hi Gwen,

The litter trays [4 of them] are kept in a shed specifically for the purpose - it's one of those 6' x 4' ones - we keep the trays, a bin of clean litter and a small bin for the dirty litter; they can come and go as they please as there's an entrance cut in to the door. Dave usually prefers to go in the garden mulch though, or on the gravel path...number ones on the mulch, number twos on the gravel  

He's pretty much ok with the toilet facilities, I think there's just too much [feline] company for him and he needs to be an only cat. He's such an affectionate little fella and I can honestly say I've never even known him to hiss or even grumble under his breath at either me or the OH. He squirms a bit when he's brushed though  

It just really got to me this morning that I can't face another [potentially] 10 or so years of the spraying. He's 9 now, and like I said, he's obviously not happy or he wouldn't feel the need to do it.  

[CurlyCatz]

It might help if you list everything you have tried and done so far lilycat then we can see if there is anything else you could do.

[Gwen]

Has he got his own litter tray in a spot where he likes doing?

Mine don't like to share a litter try so Ging has his on the landing and Grwndi has his at the bottom of the stairs,although Grwndi more often than not will do outside in other peoples gardens

[lilycat]

 Dave has always been a bit of a nervous cat and is prone to spraying in the house; I've tried absolutely everything I can, from Feliway to distraction techniques when he's about to "go" and for a while, he'll stop doing it or at least not do it quite as much.

Anyway, this morning I've moved a shelf unit and found that right in the corner is soaking where he's been spraying. I know he's not doing it deliberately as  such, it's just that he's nervous and there are 4 other cats in residence which I think is the main problem for him.

I love him but I don't think I can cope with it anymore, I really could cry - he's not happy or he wouldn't be spraying and although I don't want to live in a palace, I can't have anything without him spraying on it. It's been going on for years and it's got to the stage where I don't feel I can invite anyone to my house [I don't even let the meter reader in] and if I get anything new there's no joy in it because I know Dave's going to end up peeing on it and ruining it.

He's a lovely affectionate cat - other than the spraying he's such a good boy; it's very upsetting but I really feel that I've got to the end of my tether and I've tried all I can.

Now I'm getting upset, I knew I would. Any advice please? Either about the spraying or the rehoming.