19/08/2024
What do Feline Fanatics do when there’s a Spray War?!
Unfortunately, an oft overlooked, but extremely frustrating aspect of Cat Servitude, is when two males, albeit neutered, feel insecure or threatened, and begin…….SPRAYING 💦💦😱😱😱😲😲😲😮🤯! Inside..the…home🏡…
This creates so much stress, not only on our feline 🐈friends, but those humans who love & serve them. It is also the #1 reason for re-homing.
Spraying & marking, in my opinion, is the MOST frustrating & stress inducing part of having cats.
The smell 🤢 is atrocious (tho not anywhere near as bad as when they are UN-fixed), the spots you cannot find are maddening, and it can leave one feeling absolutely hopeless and defeated.
I’ll be totally honest; when spraying begins, it can be a long, arduous journey to understand the reasoning, and find a solution. It’s work. And it SUCKS big time.
All it takes is 1 rescue cat to disrupt the harmonious flow of a Cat House. In our case, it was Captain…..and then a litter of kittens….that pi**ed Grizzly Tom off enough to start spraying….this led to stressing out poor 99, who now decided that spraying my bathroom shower curtain, my towels, my shoes, and the wall above the air vent…are most acceptable to back up his lil p**p shoot and wiener waterer, and spray with abandon. F*ck….🤦♀️🤦♀️
Feliway pheromone diffusers in every room, calming collars on the Scandalous Sprayers, Captain finally adopted out, kittens in an outdoor kennel……and me…quivering with fear, that as the new day dawns, I’m going to find more territorial spray spots in my own I try so hard to maintain. 😕😮😮🤯☹️😖
As we fumble along to get through this harrowing hardship of tinkling terrors, to find a permanent solution, I ponder how at 42 years old, I spend my Saturday nights sneaking around in the dark, a UV flashlight illuminating evidence of destructive pi***ng wars….how the eff did this become my life? Is this love? Or insanity?
I’m quickly brought back into the moment, by the amazing height that these cats can achieve, when painting my walls with their p***s piddles….seriously, if pi***ng was an Olympic sport, Grizzly would win Gold.
The solution, at least over at The Crowned Cat , is to get both cats into a vet to rule out any medical conditions…
Since this is Grizzly Tom (total as***le), and 99 (semi-spoiled as***le), of course there is no medical basis for their bladder blasting; indicative of being behavioral, and much more challenging to resolve…
I have no definitive answers for you, Dear Fellow Spray Sufferer. It’s a deplorable club to be a part of….it takes time, patience, and a LOT of enzyme cleaning spray.
We close off areas where no impish cats may wander. We spend loads on pheromone sprays and calming aids. We spend time with each cat, and our next step will be trying out prescription medication such as fluoxetine or gabapebtin, in hope of getting the cats through an anxious or stressful time.
Just know, you’re not alone. Cats are not for the faint of heart.
We love cats because they are wild at heart, independent, and angry pocket sized tigers…..but those same reasons can cause us to experience stress and frustration, when they communicate through spraying, a throwback to their feral, undomesticated, tameless nature.
How do you negotiate with a CAT?
You don’t.
You adapt. You clean. You find the root cause of their anxiety and insecurity…..
And you spend your free time wandering your darkened home, UV light in hand, with the expertise of a CSI agent, the nose of a bloodhound, the insanity of a True Crazy Cat Lady, and a heart too full of love and empathy to stop rescue.
